Chapter 53 is the fifty-third chapter of the Solo Leveling webtoon series written by Chu-Gong and illustrated by Dubu.
Summary[]
The Stand-Off – Jinwoo vs. Baruka Begins[]
The icy wind howled as Jinwoo stared down the Ice Elf Leader, the tension between them thickening with each passing second. The battlefield, once filled with the murmurs of the other elves, fell eerily silent. Baruka’s smile never wavered. He studied Jinwoo with unreadable amusement, his eyes holding something beyond simple curiosity—something deeper. Despite the grim situation, he showed no fear.
Jinwoo, keeping his composure, demanded if Baruka had anything else to say before the battle began. The Ice Elf Leader’s grin widened. Without warning, Jinwoo surged forward, closing the gap in an instant. His blade flashed, aimed directly at Baruka’s throat. But Baruka barely moved. With calculated precision, he raised his arm and blocked the strike effortlessly. The air between them crackled from the sheer force of the clash.
Baruka lowered himself slightly, stepping away as his dark warhorse remained still behind him. His movements were too steady, too controlled. The Ice Elf Leader, still smiling, pulled out his dagger, its curved, darkened blade glistening under the cold light. His voice carried a strange weight as he questioned Jinwoo’s existence. He noted that Jinwoo was different, not entirely human, yet still standing among them. His words weren’t just curiosity—they carried suspicion.
Something about Jinwoo’s presence was unnatural. Jinwoo furrowed his brows. He had no idea what Baruka was implying, but the Ice Elf continued.
Laughing softly, Baruka tilted his head and explained his dilemma. The Ice Elves had always been driven by one singular purpose—to hunt down and exterminate humans. But when he looked at Jinwoo, something was missing. He could not hear Jinwoo’s presence. The other Ice Elves followed a natural, instinctual calling, guiding them toward their objective. But Jinwoo’s existence seemed… empty. A void.
Baruka offered a deal. There was no need for them to fight. Instead, he would take the humans behind Jinwoo, all of them. No bloodshed. No unnecessary battle. Only an exchange.
The System’s Glitch – Unraveling the Mystery[]
Jinwoo’s expression remained unreadable. But deep inside, his instincts screamed. Something about Baruka’s words didn’t sit right. Instead of answering, Jinwoo turned the question back on them.
Who were they? Where did they come from? Why were they hunting humans?
The moment the question left his lips, something unnatural happened. Baruka’s expression twitched. His mouth opened to respond, but as he spoke the words "We are—", his entire form glitched. His body distorted for a fraction of a second, his voice warping, repeating itself unnaturally. Jinwoo’s eyes widened.
Something was wrong.
The System itself reacted. Baruka’s words were forcefully reset, his previous answer erased, and instead, his voice repeated the original demand: "Hand over the humans."
Jinwoo stiffened. The System was hiding something. This wasn’t just a normal dungeon. The Ice Elves weren’t just random monsters. They were something else entirely.
Jinwoo refused the deal. Baruka’s eyes narrowed. He asked if Jinwoo was willing to make enemies of them. Then, he laughed. Mocking him. Taunting him about the overwhelming difference in numbers. Jinwoo grinned back. Baruka had underestimated him.
The Army Rises – Shadows vs. Ice Elves[]
The moment Baruka dismissed Jinwoo, a tremor ran through the battlefield. The ground darkened. A suffocating aura spread. Then—shadows erupted. One by one, Jinwoo’s Shadow Soldiers materialized from the ground, their blue eyes glowing like flames. Hundreds of warriors stood in formation, the air pulsing with unnatural energy. The Ice Elves stiffened.
Yoon Ki-Joong, frozen in shock, accidentally stood in Igris’s way. Realizing his mistake, he quickly apologized and stepped aside, his heart pounding from the sheer pressure coming from the commander’s presence. Baruka remained unimpressed. He called it a cheap trick. Jinwoo smirked. Then—the battlefield erupted into chaos.
The Ice Elves and Shadow Soldiers charged, the frozen air filling with the clash of steel and war cries. The other hunters ran for cover, desperately seeking shelter as the battle consumed the wasteland.
The Duel – Jinwoo vs. Baruka[]
As Jinwoo fought through the battlefield, his mana continued to drain. His Shadow Soldiers were holding the line, but the real threat still stood before him—Baruka. Ordinary shadows wouldn’t cut it. He needed a stronger one.
Standing tall with his hands in his pockets, Jinwoo watched as Baruka slowly approached him, his dagger glinting in the cold light. His presence was overwhelming, a predator ready to strike.
Finally, Baruka introduced himself. For the first time, he spoke his name. Baruka, Leader of the Ice Elves. In return, he asked for Jinwoo’s name. Jinwoo smirked. Then, he answered.
Without another word, Jinwoo stepped on Kim Chul’s fallen sword, launching himself forward. The sword flipped through the air, flying backward toward Kim Chul’s unconscious body. The hilt barely grazed Kim Chul’s arm. Jinwoo descended upon Baruka, slashing downward. But Baruka evaded. Countering instantly, Baruka lunged for a strike—only for his dagger to vanish. Before he could react, Jinwoo re-summoned the dagger back into his hand, slashing at Baruka’s exposed side.
Baruka blocked just in time, his dagger absorbing the impact. Then, in a sudden motion, he kicked Jinwoo away. For the first time in a while, Baruka felt something. Excitement.
But before he could follow up—a massive ball of flames crashed down, engulfing the battlefield. Jinwoo’s mages had launched their attack, the flames exploding beneath Baruka. The battlefield was set ablaze. But then—a silhouette emerged. Baruka was still alive. And he was charging straight at Jinwoo.
Betrayal – Kim Chul’s Wrath[]
Amidst the chaos, Kim Chul’s eyes snapped open. His body ached. His mind burned. His rage overflowed. He grabbed his sword, his hatred for Jinwoo consuming him. He wanted Jinwoo dead.
Across the battlefield, Park Heejin noticed his movements. She saw his intent—his desire to murder Jinwoo. Jinwoo noticed, too. As Kim Chul lunged, raising his sword to strike Jinwoo from behind— Igris materialized. Kim Chul froze. Flabbergasted.
His blade trembled as he stared into the burning blue eyes of the Blood-Red Commander. Jinwoo didn’t even turn around. The battle was far from over.
Appearances[]
In order of appearance:
Humans[]
Magic Beasts[]
Shadows[]
Locations[]
[]
| 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 | |||||||||||