RECAP: Solo Leveling Episode 9, “You’ve Been Hiding Your Skills”

Solo Leveling is a hard-hitting series based on author Chugong’s web novel and illustrator DUBU’s webtoon. In this fantasy anime, hardworking E-Rank hunter Jinwoo Sung and his allies fight monsters from another world that threaten our own. As a weak, low-ranking hunter, Jinwoo barely scrapes by in raids, but he always manages to survive. One fateful day in a dark dungeon, everything changes… RELATED: Solo Leveling Episode 8, “This Is Frustrating” Recap Let’s talk about everything that happened in Episode 9! And catch the next new episode of Solo Leveling , only on Crunchyroll. Warning: Full spoilers for the currently airing season of Solo Leveling follow. Seriously, major spoilers ahead! Choosing a Path Jinwoo enters the D-Rank dungeon alongside his former party members, the convicted hunters and their Hunter’s Association escort Taeshik Kang. The group makes quick work of the goblins inside, and Chiyul Song remarks that Jinwoo has gotten stronger since they last fought together. Joohee Lee smiles and says Jinwoo hasn’t been injured yet, either. Song can see Jinwoo’s aura, noting to himself that more than his appearance has changed. RELATED: The Anime Effect Podcast Episode 2 Welcomes Caitlin Glass and Aleks Le to Talk Solo Leveling The group reaches a fork in the dungeon with three dark passages. Taeshik suggests splitting up since the magic beasts haven’t posed a challenge so far. The group agrees, and Jinwoo uses his high perception to sense the path that leads to the dungeon boss. He goes to the left with Song and Joohee. Sangshik Kim and Jeongho Kang take the middle passage, and Taeshik takes the prisoners to the right. Taeshik pauses to stare at Jinwoo as the others enter. True Colors Kim and Kang handle the goblins they encounter without any trouble. Kim says that if the Weakest Hunter is there, the dungeon must be a safe one, but Kang isn’t sure that holds true any longer. Jinwoo was there for the disastrous double dungeon , he points out. Kim frowns, and says that he’s decided to apologize to Jinwoo for running away and leaving him behind that day. He doesn’t expect Jinwoo to forgive him. RELATED: Watch the Solo Leveling 2-Part Documentary Now on Crunchyroll In the other passage, the convicted hunters slice through the goblins with murderous glee. Taeshik watches them and recalls a secret meeting he had earlier. In a dark room, a distraught man tells him of three imprisoned hunters who assaulted his daughter; she later took her own life. He offers Taeshik a bag of money to assassinate them. Back in the present, Taeshik coldly informs the hunters that he’s going to tell the inspectors that goblins swarmed them in the dungeon. Kim and Kang enter the passage just as the B-Rank hunter slices off the head of the last convict. Taeshik is unbothered by their appearance and stalks toward them. From the Shadows In the left tunnel, Jinwoo recalls that Taeshik Kang was one of the Hunter’s Association investigators who visited him in the hospital . Just then, he hears a scream echo through the dungeon. His group races to find the other hunters sliced to pieces, including Kim and Kang. Kim, barely alive, struggles to breathe. Joohee can only heal him enough to let him speak. An emotional Jinwoo yells at Kim that he has to survive so he can keep blaming him for what happened that day in the double dungeon. RELATED: Tips & Tricks to Surviving a Dungeon in Solo Leveling Kim chokes out that he’s sorry and that he regrets that he can’t offer a proper apology. He takes his last breath. Taeshik uses the opportunity to strike at Joohee from the shadows, but Jinwoo grabs his arm in mid-air. Taeshik tells the shocked hunters that he plans to fabricate a story about the prisoners killing them. Song asks Jinwoo to stand back and picks up Kim’s sword to defend his friends. Swords and Sorcery Song parries Taeshik’s first strike. As an assassin-type hunter, the B-Rank Taeshik is fast and agile. The cruel hunter gives credit where it’s due and remarks that Song is skilled with a sword. Taeshik lands a hit, which Joohee immediately heals, putting herself on his radar. He turns his back on Song to go after her, but Song won’t let him. Taeshik launches another attack on Song, slicing him again and again, and Joohee is too upset to use her healing abilities. As Taeshik approaches him for the final blow, Song springs his trap and unleashes his fire magic, engulfing the other hunter in flames. Taeshik, slightly singed, dodges the attack with a sly smile and gives the older hunter credit again for his strategy. He raises his dagger to finish him off – and Jinwoo blocks it, to Song and Joohee’s surprise. RELATED: How Well Do You Know Sung Jinwoo from Solo Leveling? Taeshik gives Jinwoo his full attention. There’s no way he’s an E-Rank with those reaction times. Jinwoo isn’t a false ranker , he surmises, since he’s obviously been on raids with Song and Joohee before and allowed them to live. It must be a second awakening. It doesn’t matter, Taeshik concludes, as Jinwoo’s lack of hunting experience puts him at a disadvantage. Before their fight begins, Jinwoo asks why he killed and tortured the others. It wasn’t about a misplaced sense of justice, nor the money. It’s because the maniacal Taeshik finds people much more fun to kill than magic beasts. Taeshik grins wickedly and attacks. His bloodthirst triggers a system message with the same quest Jinwoo received when the malicious group of hunters turned against him . Now it’s serious. Murderous Intent Jinwoo activates his speed buff and slices Taeshik’s cheek with his poison blade. They both strike in a flurry of blades until the assassin vanishes into thin air. He’s invisible to Jinwoo, who barely blocks Taeshik’s attacks. This is his secret Stealth ability, known to only a few high-ranking assassin hunters. He slices Jinwoo’s ankle to immobilize him. Jinwoo uses Full Recovery to instantly mend the wound. Taeshik is shaken for the first time; he’s never heard of a combat hunter who can also use healing magic. When he recognizes Jinwoo as a fellow killer, Song and Joohee gasp. Song realizes that Jinwoo has had to make a lot of hard decisions in a short amount of time. Jinwoo activates his Murderous Intent skill, blinding Taeshik long enough to pierce him through the heart. As he dies, Jinwoo reveals to him that he gets stronger with every battle. Taeshik warns him to be careful of the darkness that will follow. He dies, and the system rewards Jinwoo with the Stealth skill. RELATED: What's Your Solo Leveling Hunter Class? Joohee and Kim leave the dungeon while Jinwoo finishes the boss. Investigator Woo Jinchul arrives, blaming himself for not seeing his subordinate Taeshik’s true nature. He gasps as he recognizes Jinwoo from the hospital. Woo asks which of the three hunters defeated Taeshik. Just as Jinwoo resigns himself to his secret getting out, Song claims responsibility. Considering that Song is a C-Rank magic user who had the help of B-Rank healer Joohee, the Hunter’s Association investigator seemingly accepts the explanation. Jinwoo keeps a wary eye on Woo, noticing that he’s an A-Rank hunter. Song smiles and tells Jinwoo he owed him one, and he returns the smile. The man who hired Taeshik is arrested a few hours later, wrapping up the incident. Joohee and Jinwoo finally relax in a nearby park. She pulls an essence stone out of her bag and asks him, “Do you remember this?” What’s next for Jinwoo? How much longer can he keep his secret? Find out in the next episode of Solo Leveling , right here on Crunchyroll! Watch Solo Leveling on Crunchyroll now!

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