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The following contains spoilers from the Solo Leveling manhwa.
In the anime adaptation ofSolo Leveling, the true secrets behind the mechanics and purpose of the System are still mostly hidden. Jinwoo gets some hints early about the System wanting to use him and keep him alive, but that seems to contradict all the dangerous situations the System leads him into.
Sometimes, the System even threatens Jinwoo with death directly if he does not resolve a situation to its liking. While Jinwoo seems to work with the System for now, begrudgingly, what would happen if he decided to try to fight it in every way possible from the beginning?
What is the System?
Jinwoo Will Slowly Uncover the Truth in Later Seasons
Sung Jinwoo inSolo Levelingstill has a lot to learn about the System and the role various beings have in influencing the Earth. He initially earned the right to use the System after the double dungeon incident, despite being considered the weakest awakened hunter. However, the System is not merely concerned with strength, and from what is implied in the manhwa, the Shadow Monarch chose Jinwoo specifically because of how close to death he often was as the weakest hunter.
“I see. You’ve spent quite a bit of time on the border between life and death… So that’s why the Shadow Monarch, Ashborn, was able to pass on the entirety of his powers to a mere human.” -The Dragon Monarch Antares commenting while seeing Jinwoo change forms in Chapter 175.
The System is the Shadow Monarch’s way of awakening a vessel to inherit his powers, as they cannot be taken by someone unprepared. Powerful beings like Rulers and Monarchs are usually unable to manifest their powers on Earth without risking destroying it. The Shadow Monarch commissioned the Architect to design the mechanisms of the System to slowly drip-feed the chosen vessel his power until they were ready for it. However, the Architect and the Shadow Monarch ultimately disagreed with their motivations, which may be a reason why Jinwoo could survive in a scenario where he decides to disobey the System’s orders.
What Would Happen If Jinwoo Rebelled?
There is a Conflict of Interest in the System
Later on inSolo Leveling,this question of rebelling is directly addressed when Jinwoo returns to the double dungeon from the series opening and confronts the Architect. While the Shadow Monarch powers the System, the Architect is the one who designed it and holds some level of access and control over it. The Architect was not thrilled with the Shadow Monarch’s decision to choose Jinwoo to inherit his powers, wishing he had chosen someone better. He wished for the Shadow Monarch to take over Jinwoo’s body completely, while the Shadow Monarch has other desires and wants to create a successor instead of a vessel. Typically, Monarchs tend to take over their hosts completely when choosing a vessel, while Rulers prefer to allow the vessel to maintain their sense of self.
In a scenario where Jinwoo rebelled against the System earlier than the double dungeon return, the Shadow Monarch would likely have stepped in to save him anyway, regardless of what the System’s consequences originally stated. This is because the Shadow Monarch had taken a liking to Jinwoo since the beginning and could see the potential Jinwoo could bring out of his powers. Although the Architect may want to kill Jinwoo if he rebelled early, he would ultimately be stopped from doing so, just like what happens in the manhwa when the two clash during the return to the double dungeon arc.
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“The System I built can predict and respond to any outcome. Such feeble attempts will never kill my creation.” -The Architect moments before his control over the System is stripped away in Chapter 130.
However, this would create an interesting issue if Jinwoo rebelled before he was ready to accept the black heart. Would he still need the Architect to help prepare his body fully in that case? Would he be too weak to face Antares if it wasn’t for him waiting until the last possible moment to rebel against the System? It’s possible that, even though the Architect is portrayed as working against Jinwoo in the end, Jinwoo still needed to follow the System’s orders until that exact moment to stand a chance at rebelling against it in the first place. While Jinwoo would likely be saved if he rebelled against the System early, his body might not have had the power to claim victory and protect his friends, family, and the Earth in the process.
