7 Things Jeju Island Arc Sets Up For the Future

Summary

• Cha Hae-In falls for Jinwoo’s heroism on Jeju Island.
• Japan’s fall after losing top hunters reshapes power dynamics.
• Sung Jinwoo’s shadow army gains strength, impacting the world.

Solo Leveling’s Jeju Island arc is arguably one of the most exciting arcs in the series. Filled with unexpected twists, well-choreographed fight sequences, and captivating storytelling, it has everything that makes the show a treat to watch.

The Jeju Island arc also has serious implications for Solo Leveling’s narrative, as it completely changes the power dynamics and hints at potential challenges that Sung Jinwoo will have to contend with in the near future. Here’s how this arc sets up future events and reshapes the hunter world.

7

Cha Hae-In Falls for Jinwoo

Sung Saves Cha Hae-In’s Life

• Jinwoo saves Hae-In’s life on Jeju Island.
• Cha Hae-In falls for Sung’s kindness and heroic personality.

Cha Hae-In has been obsessed with Sung Jinwoo ever since the two hunters crossed paths with each other. She witnesses him in action for the first time during the Hunters Guild gate raid when he rescues a party of A-rankers from high orcs.

How could I ever tell him… I want you by my side until I draw my last breath? ~ Cha Hae-In

But all these experiences pale in comparison to what transpires on Jeju Island. After the Ant King severely injured Cha Hae-In, Sung Jinwoo saves her life. Even before the raid, she had already been fascinated with Sung, but his actions on the island make her fall for him. This is later proved to be a turning point in Jinwoo and Hae-In’s lives.

6

Japan’s Dramatic Downfall

Losing Top S-Rankers Shakes Japan’s Dominance

• The Ant King killed Draw Sword Guild’s seven best hunters.
• Goto Ryuji’s death created a leadership void in Japan.

After China and India, Japan was one of the most powerful countries in Asia. With 21 intimidating S-rank hunters, the island nation amassed quite an influence. But everything changed in the Jeju Island raid when its most accomplished guilds lost seven top S-rankers, including Japan’s greatest hunter, Goto Ryuji.

A country that was once capable of influencing international policies was now reduced to a shadow of its former self, with legitimate concerns about its future.

5

Jinwoo’s Evolved Shadow Army

Sung Adds a New Member to His Growing Army

• The Ant King becomes the newest member of Jinwoo’s shadow army.
• Jinwoo grows in power.

What separates Sung from any other hunter that has ever lived is the ability to make his rivals his allies following their death by resurrecting them. So after his victory on Jeju Island, he naturally adds the Ant King to his shadow army, significantly enhancing his strength and putting him one step ahead of every hunter in the world.

I feel like something within me is lost every time I get stronger. ~ Sung Jinwoo

Since Ant King was an S-rank dungeon boss, his powers exceeded even some of the best hunters in the world. This means that Jinwoo now has the kind of power to clear high-ranking Gates without even lifting a finger.

4

The Legitimate Fear of S-Rank Gates

Destruction on Jeju Island Raises Serious Concerns

• S-rank dungeon bosses could wreak havoc on weak countries.
• In the absence of proper damage control, entire nations could get wiped out.

Before Jinwoo intervened and saved the Jeju Island raid party from being slaughtered like insects, it almost appeared that the Ant King was an invincible monster who could take down anyone.

This raises serious concerns about high-ranking gates since failing to stop even one S-rank dungeon boss could put an entire country in existential danger. Very few nations have the services of hunters like Jinwoo, so their future could potentially be at risk. Furthermore, it also gives countries with the best hunters in the world disproportionate influence over the fate of a nation, which could have far-reaching political implications.

3

Rise of Korea in the Hunter World

Korea Grows in Stature With Sung Jinwoo’s Rise

• The success of the Jeju Island raid benefited Korea.
• Victory over an S-rank dungeon boss put the country in a league of its own.

Before Sung Jinwoo was officially recognized as an S-rank hunter, Korea only had nine S-rankers. Japan’s best guild alone had more hunters of the same rank, who were also more powerful than the Koreans. Other countries like China, America, and India even had National Level Hunters, so Korea’s position in determining international policies towards gates and magic beasts did not have as much influence.

But everything changed when Korea’s Sung Jinwoo single-handedly defeated the Ant King, an unprecedented achievement that reshaped the country’s position and influence in global affairs. All of a sudden, Korea was now on par with countries like China, America, and India, gaining international recognition and newfound respect.

2

Sung Jinwoo, the Strongest Hunter in the World

Jinwoo Surpasses the National Level Hunters

• Jinwoo’s victory over the Ant King is an unprecedented achievement.
• Unlike Sung, even National Level Hunters had to work together to defeat an S-rank dungeon boss.

Sung Jinwoo had made a name for himself even before the Jeju Island raid. But clearing an S-rank dungeon was something no one, with the exception of National Level Hunters, had done before. Even they had to work together to defeat the dungeon boss. When Jinwoo eventually teleported himself to the forsaken island, the Japanese and Korean hunters were no longer in a condition to fight.

Are there others? Others you call king? ~ Ant King

Meanwhile, the Ant King seemed almost invincible, having defeated every member of the raid party who crossed his path. But surpassing everyone’s expectations, Jinwoo single-handedly overpowered the secret Jeju Island dungeon boss, helping Korea reclaim the region. This was an unheard-of achievement since no hunter had ever killed an S-rank dungeon boss alone, meaning that Sung might just have surpassed even the strongest hunter alive.

1

Here Come the Monarchs

An Ancient Race of Monsters Challenges Jinwoo

• Ancient monsters were spotted on Jeju Island following the raid.
• Known as Monarchs, they threaten humanity’s future.

Ever since Sung Jinwoo had an awakening, he has been leveling up exponentially and, within a few months, has amassed powers that helped him become one of the most powerful humans to have ever lived. But his powers have come at a huge cost, and as the Jeju Island raid concludes, ancient monsters, with abilities that rival Jinwoo’s, start to make a move.

With the future of humanity under threat, Sung must not only learn the dark secrets behind the seemingly endless conflict that has waged on for millennia but also acquire his true powers to save the human race from a catastrophic end.