Summary
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Solo Leveling’s Jeju Island arcfocuses on the epic mission embarked on by the joined forces of Korean and Japanese hunters to reclaim the forsaken island from evolving magic beasts. Ever since the S-rank dungeon break, many other raids were organized in the region, but all of them failed. The last one would have also had the same fate if not for Sung Jinwoo’s timely intervention, who, with his almost godlike powers, managed to turn the tide of the battle in the hunters' favor.
Knowing how difficult it was to clear it, and thatan S-rank dungeon was cleared only oncebefore, what would have happened if the National Level Hunters had been sent to Jeju Island, in the hope that they would replicate their success like the first S-rank Gate break? Before we answer this, it’s important to understand where the National Level Hunter title originates from.
Who are the National Level Hunters?
Strongest Hunters in the World
Many years before the events of the original timeline, the first S-rank Gate spawned on the West Coast of America. Despite the best efforts of the hunters there, a dungeon break eventually occurred, following which the region was thrown into chaos and destruction. Things took a sinister turnwhen Kamish, the dungeon boss, arrived on the scene. Bestowed with powers incomprehensible for any hunter in the world and a frightening bloodlust towards humans, the red western dragon went on a rampage, decimating anything in his path.
Everything that makes your heart beat faster is beautiful. ~ Thomas Andre
At one point during the battle, it seemed that Kamish was unstoppable. But five brave hunters eventually banded together to put up resistance against the dungeon boss. The group included China’s Liu Zhigang, India’s Siddharth Bachchan, an unknown healer-type hunter, America’s Christopher Reed, and Thomas Andre. These brave combatants eventually managed to bring down Kamish and cleared the first S-rank dungeon. For their heroic efforts, they were rewarded with influence comparable to an entire nation and giventhe title of National Level Hunters.
Can National Level Hunters Reclaim the Jeju Island?
Thomas Andre and His Friends Could Have Easily Cleared the Jeju Island Dungeon
In the original story, Jeju Islandwas reclaimed primarily because of Sung Jinwoo’s godlike powers, who saved the Jeju Island raid party from extermination. If he hadn’t defeated the Ant King, the ragtag Korean and Japanese group would have stood no chance. Perhaps the only achievement of the raid party was that they defeated the Ant Queen.
In the meeting before the raid, it was decided that the Japanese would lure the ants away from the queen so that she could beisolated and killed by Koreans. With her gone, the ants would not be able to procreate and were expected to die out within a year. The only thing that they failed totake into account was the Ant King.
If the National Level Hunters had raided Jeju Island, they would have been better off not following the same plan. Since they had arguably the best healer in the world with them, if the team had attacked together, they would have been almost invincible. This means they could have directly attacked the Ant Queen’s nest without the trouble of luring the evolved ants outside.
Thomas Andre, along withChristopher Reed, would have easily overwhelmed Ant Queen and Ant King. Both hunters could perform the Spiritual Body Manifestation, which would have allowed them to transform into humanoid monsters. With unparalleled physical strength and a range of other attacks, including Capture, Reinforcement, and Fire generation, the duo would have made Ant Queen and Ant King struggle to survive even for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, Liu Zhigang and Siddharth Bachchan could have handled the bulk of the ant army without much trouble. Zhigang’s mastery would have been a nightmare for the ants in the Queen’s nest, he effortlessly sliced every enemy in his range. Siddharth, on the other hand, could have ensured that no ant escapes his sphere of influence. Even if any of them were to get injured, the healer-type hunter with them would have cured them instantly. While the details about the first S-rank dungeon raid are unclear, it’s safe to assume that he probably played a crucial role in ensuring that each of his peersreturned alive after fighting Kamish. At Jeju Island, he could have played a similar role, ensuring everyone is safe.
Well, being a little frustrated is better than being dead, I’m sure! ~ Thomas Andre
The only way Ant King and his minions could have surprised the National Level Hunters was if they could manage to kill the healer. Even in such a low-probability scenario, the overwhelming power of Liu, Siddharth, Christopher, and Thomas would have been too much to handle for the magic beasts on Jeju Island. So, regardless of how much Ant King and the evolved ants had tried, the victory ofNational Level Hunters would have been a near certainty.
