---
title: "Chapter 2: Awakening"
slug: "ch-2"
novel: "solo-leveling"
number: 2
views: 1980000
likes: 142000
wordCount: 2800
createdAt: "2016-12-23"
---

When Jinwoo finally woke up, he found himself in a hospital bed with bandages covering most of his body. The fluorescent lights above cast a harsh, sterile glow across the white walls. His left arm was in a cast, and various machines beeped quietly around him, monitoring his vital signs.

"You're awake," a voice said. Park Jongsoo stood in the doorway, his expression a mixture of relief and guilt. "The doctors said you were lucky. That hit should have killed you, but somehow you survived."

Jinwoo wanted to mention the system, the windows, the strange messages he'd seen before losing consciousness. But something told him to stay silent. This wasn't something he could explain to anyone. It barely made sense to himself.

"I'm fine," Jinwoo managed, his voice hoarse. "Just need rest."

Park Jongsoo nodded, though he didn't look entirely convinced. "Take your time recovering. You'll need it. After what happened in that dungeon, several of the party members are considering early retirement. The Guild will probably increase security protocols on D-rank portals."

After the party leader left, Jinwoo was alone with his thoughts. He lay still, barely breathing, waiting. And then, as if summoned by his concentration, the blue windows reappeared before his eyes, hovering in the darkness.

*[Status Window]*
*[Name: Sung Jinwoo]*
*[Level: 1]*
*[Experience: 0/100]*
*[Health: 47/100]*
*[Mana: 3/100]*

The numbers seemed impossibly low, but as Jinwoo studied them, something clicked in his mind. These weren't arbitrary values—they represented something real, something quantifiable about his being. And if the system was tracking them, maybe he could improve them.

*[Quest Available: Daily Training]*
*[Description: Perform 100 push-ups to improve strength]*
*[Reward: 10 EXP]*

A quest? Jinwoo almost laughed at the absurdity of it. Here he was, recovering in a hospital, and the system wanted him to do push-ups. But desperation made him bold. What did he have to lose?

He carefully moved his right arm, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. Pain shot through his body, but he gritted his teeth and continued. The hospital gown was soaked in sweat within minutes, but Jinwoo pressed on, each push-up a small rebellion against his own weakness.

By the time he'd completed thirty push-ups, his arms felt like jelly. By fifty, he was gasping for air. But something remarkable happened around the sixtieth repetition—the pain began to subside. His muscles, screaming in protest moments before, suddenly felt stronger.

At the hundredth push-up, a notification appeared:

*[Daily Training Complete]*
*[+10 EXP]*
*[You are 2/10 of the way to Level 2]*

Jinwoo collapsed onto the floor, completely exhausted but also exhilarated. This was real. Whatever this system was, it was genuinely making him stronger. Each quest completion brought incremental improvement, and each improvement brought hope.

For the first time in his life, Sung Jinwoo began to believe that he might not remain weak forever.

---

Over the following days, as his body healed, Jinwoo continued the quests. Running, lifting, training—his body adapted to each new challenge. The hospital staff noticed his rapid recovery but attributed it to his youth and determination. None of them saw the blue windows guiding his every move.

When he was finally discharged after two weeks, Jinwoo had leveled up three times. His stats had nearly doubled:

*[Level: 4]*
*[Health: 82/100]*
*[Mana: 28/100]*
*[Strength: 15]*
*[Speed: 12]*

They were still pathetically low compared to even average hunters, but they represented genuine progress. The thought that he could continue improving, that the system would never let him stagnate, was intoxicating.

As Jinwoo walked out of the hospital into the sunlight, he made a promise to himself: he would use this gift to become strong. Stronger than anyone had ever been. And he would do it alone.

After all, the system had chosen him for a reason.
