Chapter 52 is the fifty-second chapter of the Solo Leveling webtoon series written by Chu-Gong and illustrated by Dubu.
Summary[]
Kim Chul’s Downfall – The Arrival of the Ice Elves[]
Kim Chul’s group, once brimming with confidence, now found themselves in absolute chaos. The chilling air of the Red Gate was filled with the dying screams of his men, their bodies falling one by one beneath the relentless assault of the Ice Elves.
The elves moved like ghosts, their figures barely visible in the swirling snow. Arrows flew with pinpoint accuracy, piercing armor and flesh alike, while their blades danced through the air, cutting through hunters like they were made of paper. The Ice Elves weren’t just killing them—they were toying with them, dragging out their suffering, watching their fear grow.
Kim Chul, standing at the center of the massacre, could barely move. His hands trembled, his breath was ragged, and his eyes darted around, searching for an escape.
Then—a presence.
A sudden shift in the atmosphere, an overwhelming pressure unlike anything he had felt before. From the darkness beyond the blizzard, a figure emerged. Taller. More regal. More terrifying. The Ice Elves parted instinctively, making way for their leader.
Kim Chul’s blood ran cold. He couldn’t fight this. He couldn’t win.
And so, with his honor shattered and his men abandoned, he did the only thing his instincts screamed at him to do—he turned and ran.
Kim Chul’s Escape – A Scene of Unimaginable Horror[]
Kim Chul’s legs burned as he sprinted through the deep snow, each breath a sharp dagger of freezing air in his lungs. His once-pristine armor was cracked, dented, and torn, barely offering any protection. The cold gnawed at his exposed skin, his fingers numb from both terror and frostbite.
He didn’t dare look back. He could still hear the screams of his men, the haunting sounds of their final moments as the Ice Elves finished their slaughter. Stumbling forward, he finally reached a clearing—and what he saw nearly made him collapse. Before him lay dozens upon dozens of dead Ice Bears. Their massive bodies were strewn across the snow, their once fearsome forms now nothing more than lifeless carcasses.
Kim Chul’s mind raced. He knew those low-ranked hunters had survived earlier, but for them to do this? Impossible. No E-rank or D-rank hunter should have had the power to wipe out an entire den of Ice Bears. The thought alone sent a new kind of fear crawling up his spine. Who had done this? Panic took over, and without a second thought, Kim Chul turned and ran again.
Outside the Gate – Baek Yoonho vs. Hwang Dongsoo[]
Back in the real world, outside the Red Gate, the tension between Baek Yoonho and Hwang Dongsoo finally reached its breaking point.
The air crackled with energy, their auras clashing violently like two storms colliding. The gathered hunters felt the pressure in their chests, an invisible force suffocating them. Both men, two of the most powerful individuals present, were ready to fight anywhere, anytime. Then, they moved.
Baek and Dongsoo threw themselves at each other, their fists colliding with thunderous force. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air, cracking the ground beneath them. Their bodies blurred with speed, exchanging blow after blow, neither willing to back down. But before the battle could escalate further—Woo Jinchul intervened.
In an instant, he appeared between them, his mere presence halting the fight. His aura, though not as wild as the others, carried a weight of absolute authority. He blocked their next attacks effortlessly, his sharp gaze warning them both to stand down before things spiraled out of control. The tension lingered, but Jinchul remained firm. There was no need to observe Sung Jinwoo further, he said—but Dongsoo saw through it.
To him, it was all an excuse. He wasn’t interested in observing Sung Jinwoo anymore—he had come for one thing only: the thrill of the hunt. The chance to eliminate a rising predator before it became a real threat. His excitement drained. The fun was gone. Without another word, Hwang Dongsoo turned away, heading back to his car, leaving the battlefield behind.
Inside the Red Gate – Kim Chul’s Shock[]
Meanwhile, inside the Red Gate, Kim Chul stumbled into a sight that made his blood boil.
The low-ranked hunters—eating. Laughing. Relaxing.
They sat around a campfire, their faces warm and at ease, feasting on freshly cooked meat, drinking water, and wrapped in heavy furs that should not have been available in this frozen wasteland.
Kim Chul’s breath hitched.
He had barely escaped a massacre, his entire unit wiped out, and yet these nobodies were sitting comfortably, as if they had never been in danger.
It was impossible.
It was Jinwoo.
It had to be Sung Jinwoo.
Kim Chul gritted his teeth as anger replaced his fear.
Kim Chul’s Outburst – The Power of a Predator[]
The moment he stepped forward, he couldn’t hold it back any longer. He snapped. His voice roared through the clearing, filled with rage and frustration. He screamed at the hunters, demanding to know how they had everything while his own attack force had been massacred. His eyes locked onto Yoon Ki-Joong, who flinched at the sight of him—Kim Chul was barely recognizable. Torn armor, frozen skin, bloodshot eyes—he looked like a man on the brink of insanity. He demanded answers. He screamed. He demanded the name of the culprit who had hidden all these supplies.
Then, he started counting. One. Two. Three.
Someone said another number—
A blur.
A voice spoke.
And then—impact.
Jinwoo appeared behind him in an instant, faster than Kim Chul could react. A crushing force slammed into his back, sending his body soaring through the air before he crashed into the frozen ground, skidding across the ice before coming to a painful halt. Kim Chul couldn’t move. Jinwoo didn’t need to say anything. The message was already clear.
The Ice Elves’ Arrival – A Language of Shadows[]
At that moment, Jinwoo’s instincts flared. From the shadows of the blizzard, figures began to appear. Tall. Cloaked in frost and ice. The Ice Elves had arrived.
Their leader, a commanding and elegant figure, stepped forward with an amused smirk. His sharp gaze swept over the low-ranked hunters, eyes filled with cold amusement. He taunted them. But Jinwoo replied. A flicker of surprise crossed the Ice Elf’s face. The leader studied Jinwoo carefully, then questioned him—did he understand their language?
Jinwoo’s mind processed the words with ease. A realization dawned. The system.Before the Ice Elves could react further, one of the leader’s elite warriors stepped forward, eager to challenge the intruder. A duel.
Jinwoo did not hesitate. Before the Ice Elf could even raise his blade, Jinwoo moved. A blur of motion—a single clean strike. In a blink, the Ice Elf’s head flew through the air, landing with a soft thud in the snow. The entire battlefield fell silent. Jinwoo met the leader’s gaze. The real fight had just begun.
Appearances[]
In order of appearance:
Humans[]
- Kim Chul
- Hwang Dongsoo
- Baek Yoonho
- Ahn Sangmin
- Park Heejin
- Han Song-Yi
- Yoon Kijoong
- Go Myung-Hwan
- Sung Jinwoo
Magic Beasts[]
Locations[]
Nagivation[]
| Season 1 | ||||||||||||
| Prologue | Prologue | |||||||||||
| D-Rank Dungeon Arc | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 | |||||||||||
| Reawakening Arc | 11 • 12 | |||||||||||
| Instant Dungeon Arc | 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 | |||||||||||
| Dungeon & Lizards Arc | 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 | |||||||||||
| Dungeon & Prisoners Arc | 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30 • 31 • 32 • 33 • 34 | |||||||||||
| Yoo Jin-Ho Raid Party Arc | 35 • 36 • 37 | |||||||||||
| Job Change Arc | 38 • 39 • 40 • 41 • 42 • 43 • 44 • 45 | |||||||||||
| Red Gate Arc | 46 • 47 • 48 • 49 • 50 • 51 • 52 • 53 • 54 • 55 | |||||||||||
| Demon Castle Arc | 56 • 57 • 58 • 59 • 60 • 61 | |||||||||||
| Retesting Rank Arc | 62 • 63 • 64 | |||||||||||
| Hunters Guild Gate Arc | 65 • 66 • 67 • 68 • 69 • 70 • 71 • 72 • 73 • 74 • 75 | |||||||||||
| Return to Demon Castle Arc | 76 • 77 • 78 • 79 • 80 • 81 • 82 • 83 • 84 • 85 • 86 • 87 • 88 • 89 | |||||||||||
| Jeju Island Arc | 90 • 91 • 92 • 93 • 94 • 95 • 96 • 97 • 98 • 99 • 100 • 101 • 102 • 103 • 104 • 105 • 106 • 107 | |||||||||||
| Recruitment Arc | 108 • 109 • 110 | |||||||||||
| Season 2 | ||||||||||||
| Ahjin Guild Arc | 111 • 112 • 113 • 114 • 115 • 116 • 117 • 118 • 119 • 120 • 121 • 122 | |||||||||||
| Double Dungeon Arc | 123 • 124 • 125 • 126 • 127 • 128 • 129 • 130 • 131 | |||||||||||
| Japan Crisis Arc | 132 • 133 • 134 • 135 • 136 • 137 • 138 • 139 | |||||||||||
| International Guild Conference Arc | 140 • 141 • 142 • 143 • 144 • 145 • 146 • 147 • 148 • 149 | |||||||||||
| Monarchs War Arc | 150 • 151 • 152 • 153 • 154 • 155 • 156 • 157 • 158 • 159 • 160 • 161 • 162 • 163 • 164 • 165 • 166 | |||||||||||
| Final Battle Arc | 167 • 168 • 169 • 170 • 171 • 172 • 173 • 174 • 175 • 176 • 177 | |||||||||||
| Epilogue | 178 • 179 | |||||||||||
| Academy Arc | 180 • 181 • 182 • 183 • 184 • 185 • 186 • 187 • 188 • 189 • 190 • 191 • 192 • 193 • 194 • 195 • 196 • 197 • 198 • 199 • 200 | |||||||||||