After the tense cliffhanger ending of the fifth episode of Solo Leveling, which saw Jinwoo and Jinho getting trapped in the C-ranked dungeon, the latest one brings back high-octane action to frame up a pretty disturbing aftermath, which can make viewers question the nature of the world itself. Previously, Jinwoo participated in a C-rank dungeon raid led by Hwang Dongsuk and came across the novice D-ranked Hunter Yoo Jinho. Dongsuk and his core team turned out to be deplorable individuals who deliberately trapped Jinwoo and Jinho inside the dungeon boss chamber to keep the loot for themselves. As it turned out, the group had been following this same routine over the years and had orchestrated the deaths of a number of low-ranking hunters. Jinwoo realized this by connecting a few dots, but it seemed to be too late, as a confrontation with the monster spider boss of the dungeon was inevitable.
The sixth episode, titled The Real Hunt Begins, amps up the stakes and adds an entirely new dimension to the story itself, which raises questions about protagonist’s moral code rather bluntly. This is the point from which, as viewers, we can say the series gets really interesting and promises to entail serious consequences that can shake up the world of hunters.
Spoilers Ahead
Was Jinwoo Able To Beat The Spider-Monster Boss?
As the episode begins, Dongsuk and his core team are seen stepping out of the dungeon portal. One of his lackeys questions Dongsuk as to why they went through the hassle of collapsing the dungeon boss chamber when it would have been easier to kill two low-ranking Hunters. Dongsuk states that unless they want to wake up the dungeon boss while staying there, just to mess up the massive Mana crystal loot, their current course of action is the best option. A sadistic Dongsuk reveals that they will re-enter the chamber from a different entrance he had located previously, after the dungeon boss eliminates the duo and goes back to slumber. He also states that he has set his target on Jinho’s expensive set of armor and gear, and if they fail to gain the Mana crystals, they can fetch a hefty sum by acquiring those.
Meanwhile, inside the chamber, Jinwoo prepares to take the spider monster head-on, and a concerned Jinho advises him to opt for an escape plan instead, as he believes there is no possible way for E and D-ranked hunters like them to tackle a C-ranked threat of this proportion. In his mind, Jinwoo calculates how much he has leveled up in the last few days and somewhat realizes that he hasn’t faced a more formidable opponent yet. Despite the possible challenges the boss battle might entail, Jinwoo goes on to test the limits of his abilities and starts attacking the spider monster rapidly. Shocked by his speed, durability, and strength, and awestruck and equally intimidated, Jinho mistakenly considers Jinwoo to be among the notorious false rankers—the ones who hide their capabilities to kill for pleasure. However, despite Jinwoo’s best efforts, he isn’t able to pierce the monster’s exoskeleton, and its acid attacks also pose a severe threat at the same time. Jinwoo uses his ‘dash’ ability to increase his speed manifold, but despite that, the spider manages to land a strong blow, sending him flying across the chamber.
Suddenly, Jinwoo reawakens with his health completely replenished and starts attacking the monster with new vigor. This time, a series of vicious attacks on its ocelli deal fatal damage to the spider, and it finally collapses to its death. Totally stunned at Jinwoo’s display of strength, Jinho starts acting like his apprentice right off, calling him ‘boss’, fetching Mana crystals to save his hassle, and whatnot.
Meanwhile, in the physical realm, Hunters Association Chairman Go spars with surveillance team inspector Jinchul and asserts the importance of sharpened senses in the lives of hunters. Viewers learn about Cha Hae-In’s abilities from the discussion about a bunch of low-ranked hunters who had the opportunity to practice with her.
Hunters Hunted: Did Jinwoo Survive Dongsuk’s Core Team’s Assault?
As the scene shifts back to the dungeon boss chamber, Dongsuk and his crew appear and are surprised to see the boss being defeated. Considering to be a weak opponent, to begin with, Dongsuk gloats all about their evil plan of abandoning weak members to capitalize on the loot and offers Jinho a chance to survive by asking him to kill Jinwoo. Despite being terrified, Jinho, who has grown a newfound respect for Jinwoo for saving his life, refuses to comply with Dongsuk’s order and instead sides with his savior. Dongsuk’s crew prepares to kill them both, adhering to their leader’s command, and as they proceed, the virtual log once again appears in front of Jinwoo, which assigns him an added quest.
According to the new quest, Jinwoo needs to defeat all six Hunters present who are planning to attack him, and failure to complete this will result in his demise. Before realizing what is happening, one of Dongsuk’s associates deals a massive energy blast, which knocks Jinwoo down momentarily. Perhaps this blow acts as a wake-up call as Jinwoo realizes what he has observed during his tenure as a Hunter. In this merciless world, it’s all about killing or getting killed; previously, the opposition were the magical creatures, but now they are swapped with hunters. However, the implication of actually killing a human being doesn’t escape him, but despite that, the thing we need to take into consideration is that these people have wanted him dead to fulfill their ulterior motive and are trying to do the same at the moment as well. With a malevolent intent, Jinwoo rises up, and he takes the virtual log as a sign that the system wants him to be alive and get stronger. He wishes to use the system to his advantage, as he is now willing to do whatever it takes to become stronger, even if it means putting an end to a bunch of vile hunters.
One by one, Jinwoo brutally kills all the Hunters, until Dongsuk alone remains the sole survivor of his rogue team. Dongsuk tries to put up a fight, but Jinwoo easily pins him down. Like a typical coward backstabber who gets humbled, Dongsuk begs for mercy and promises to give him money in exchange for his life. Unable to convince him still, Dongsuk chooses intimidation as his last resort and warns Jinwoo about his brother, who seems to be an important person. However, before he can even finish his sentence, Jinwoo decapitates him.
With the boss killed and the additional quest ended, the dungeon returned to normalcy. Jinho is too scared and clueless to even say much, and he simply corroborates the supervisor’s assumption about all the remaining Hunters dying in the dungeon collapse. A sudden downpour brings Jinwoo back to reality, as he considers his past decision of giving an umbrella to his sister to be a wise one. As the episode ends, the viewpoint focuses on the back of an unknown, well-built person, and we wonder whether the person in question is Dongsuk’s brother. At this rate, Jinwoo’s secret will be revealed sooner than expected, and we also wonder, as witnesses to the events that transpired, how newcomer Hunter Jinho will be affected by that factor.
