Return to the Demon Castle Arc, Explained

In the Hunters Guild Gate Arc, Sung Jin-Woo decided to help the Hunters Guild strike team as a porter as they raided an A-rank dungeon. But the ordinary mission turned into a disaster as High Orcs confronted the hunters, eventually leaving them with no option but to meet the High Orc Shaman, Kargalgan. As the dungeon boss prepared to massacre the entire raid team, Sung Jin-Woo intervened to save the day and added the High Orcs to his shadow army.

Jin-Woo went out of his way to do all this as he was preparing to go back to the Demon Castle so that he could finally gather all the ingredients to make the Holy Water of Life. With his mother struggling with Eternal Slumber, Sung could not afford to wait anymore. Here’s everything that transpired in the Return to Demon Castle arc.

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Korea’s 10th S-Rank Hunter

Sung Jin-Woo Decides to Start His Own Guild With Jinho as Vice Guild Master

• Arc: Return to Demon Castle Arc
• Webtoon: Chapter 76 to 89
• Webnovel: Chapter 93 to 110
• Previous Arc: Hunters Guild Gate Arc
• Next Arc: Jeju Island Arc

Soon after his heroic efforts in the A-rank dungeon, Sung Jin-Woo met Yoo Jinho and declined his offer to join the Yoojin Guild. Meanwhile, the report about Jin-Woo single-handedly clearing an A-rank dungeon of the highest level spread like wildfire among Korea’s top guilds. Desperate to convince him to join their guilds, Choi Jong-In and Baek Yoonho waited for Sung in the Hunter’s Association building on the day he was going to get his S-rank hunter license.

Sung arrived on time to find the media gathered there for Lee Minsung’s planned announcement aimed at promoting the Fiend Guild and boosting his image. However, as Jin-Woo officially received his S-rank license and became Korea’s 10th S-rank hunter, news reports sent shockwaves around the country.

Sung was overwhelmed by media attention and swiftly fled the scene to avoid the cameras pointed at him. His movements were so superhuman that Baek concluded that Jin-Woo could potentially be a rare type of hunter who could keep leveling up. As the Hunter Association’s latest announcement reached Yoo Myunghan, he offered to let Yoo Jinho lead the Yoojin Guild, even though he had failed to convince Sung Jin-Woo to join them. But in an unexpected turn of events, Jinho declined his father’s offer and informed him that he was all set to join Sung’s new guild.

Consequences of Fame and Jinho’s Brave Decision

Jin-Woo Protects Jinah From the Dangers of His Rising Stardom

Preparing to return to the Demon’s Castle, Sung Jin-Woo bought artifacts that would protect him from the flames there. By the time he arrived home, the media had surrounded the building, waiting for any chance to get a photo. This overwhelmed Jinah, so Sung surreptitiously placed members of his shadow army in the surrounding area to ensure that his sister was safe.

The following day, Yoo Jinho dropped Jin-Woo at the Daesung Tower. It turned out that Sung had offered him the position of guild master, but he turned it down for Jin-Woo. This meant that Yoo eventually became the vice guild master instead. With Sung going to be busy for some time, Jinho took it upon himself to look for an office for their new guild.

Sung Jin-Woo Returns to the Demon Castle

In Pursuit of the Holy Water of Life, Sung Cleared All Floors in Demon Castle With Ease

As soon as Sung Jin-Woo made his way back to the Demon’s Castle, he headed straight to the 76th floor to complete his unfulfilled mission. To make his troops work as efficiently as possible, he divided them into six groups: Team Tusk, Team Igris, Team Iron, Team Tank, High Orcs Team A, and High Orcs Team B. They were instructed to defeat every enemy they came across and find the entry permit to the next floor.

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Organizing his shadow army worked very well for Sung as he easily made it to the 80th floor, faster than his own expectations. But the progress slowed down significantly as he realized that he had been there for two days with no signs of finding the entry permit anytime soon. That’s when Jin-Woo noticed that his mana was draining at an incredible rate, which did not make sense. He then realized that his shadows were getting destroyed so fast that they couldn’t regenerate.

The following day, the attacks continued, but Sung noticed a pattern. He realized that his enemies were intelligent enough to corner specific troops whose weaknesses they had figured out. Once he had understood the strategic approach used by his mysterious foes, he waited secretly near Team Tusk, whom he had predicted to come under attack next. Jin-Woo’s theory turned out to be accurate as a demon noble and three demon knights cornered his shadow forces.

Esil Radiru and Jin-Woo’s Misadventures

Sung Jin-Woo easily defeated the three demon knights and managed to subdue the demon noble. As soon as she saw her death in Jin-Woo’s eyes, she quickly begged for mercy and revealed that she was Esil, the oldest princess of the Radiru Clan. In exchange for sparing her life and ensuring the safety of her clan, Sung asked her for an entry permit for the next floor. Esil was quick to reveal that her clan had one stored away and would be happy to get him access to it, provided no one got hurt.

Esil led Sung Jin-Woo to her father’s castle. Upon realizing that he had already defeated Vulcan and Metus, the leader of the Radiru Clan decided it would be unwise to put up a fight against such a powerful nemesis and peacefully handed over the entry permit. But Sung was not done; he decided to take Esil with him to the other top floors since she knew the location of the permits.

Along with Esil and his shadow army, Jin-Woo took on the clans on each floor one after another. Sung was so strong at this point that he easily managed to defeat every enemy he came across without ever struggling. Within a few days, he defeated the clan on the 99th floor, accessing the entry permit for the final floor, where he must face the Demon King himself.

Sung Jin-Woo Defeats Demon King Baran

Jin-Woo Revives His Mother After Collecting All the Ingredients for the Holy Water of Life

As Sung Jin-Woo reached the 100th floor of the Demon Castle, he found Baran, the Monarch of White Flames, waiting for him. As soon as the Demon King noticed him, he ordered his army to go after him. Sung waited for the enemy troops to come as close as possible, and when the time was just right, he summoned his shadow army. While the two forces clashed, Baran set his eyes on Jin-Woo and confronted him.

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Sung noticed that whenever his high-ranking generals were destroyed, his mana dropped significantly. With Baran constantly attacking him, it was almost impossible to replenish his mana as quickly as he would like. Jin-Woo realized that he must end the battle as soon as possible before he ran out of mana.

With Igris’ support, he managed to stab the Demon King, but it was not enough. Baran was unwilling to give up and fought as if he had unlimited mana. When Sung Jin-Woo was pushed to his limits, he decided to use the Commander’s Touch and ended the battle with one perfect strike from a close distance.

Park Kyung-Hye Finally Awakes From Eternal Slumber

With his mission finally complete, Jin-Woo was rewarded with all the ingredients he needed for the Holy Water of Life. He quickly made the potion and rushed to the hospital. With no one around, he made his mother drink it, hoping that his efforts would finally bear fruit.

Within a few seconds, Park Kyung-Hye opened her eyes and woke up from Eternal Slumber. She immediately recognized Sung, who was moved to tears after finally being able to cure his mother. After achieving everything from fame to money, Jin-Woo finally had what truly mattered—his family whole again.

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Solo Leveling

Release Date

January 7, 2024

Directors

Shunsuke Nakashige

Writers

Noboru Kimura

• 

  Taito Ban

  Shun Mizushino (voice)

• 

  Genta Nakamura

  Kenta Morobishi (voice)