Chapter 54 is the fifty-forth chapter of the Solo Leveling webtoon series written by Chu-Gong and illustrated by Dubu.
Summary[]
The Birth of Iron – A Shadow’s Roar[]
The battlefield was silent for just a moment. Kim Chul’s lifeless body lay still on the frozen ground, his once-arrogant expression now frozen in fear. The battle had ended for him. But for Jinwoo, there was still one thing left to do. He reached out. Shadow Extraction activated.
From the corpse, a black mist began to rise. A low, monstrous growl rumbled through the icy air as Kim Chul’s soul resisted violently. His shadow emerged, not as a simple soldier, but as something far larger. It towered over his original body. A hulking mass of armored darkness, its sheer size surpassing Jinwoo’s usual shadows. It let out a bone-rattling roar, shaking the very ground beneath them.
Jinwoo smirked. He had gained something new. The Roaring Shadow of Kim Chul had been reborn. He named it Iron.
Baruka’s Desperation – The Fight Shifts[]
Baruka’s blades danced through the battlefield, slashing through Jinwoo’s shadow soldiers with swift, precise strikes. He warned Jinwoo not to get distracted, his movements sharp and relentless. Then—a deafening roar. Iron activated "Taunting Cry."
The battlefield shook as Iron’s presence dominated the space, forcing Baruka’s attention onto him. The Ice Elf Leader’s eyes narrowed, and in an instant, he flashed forward, his dagger ready to strike. A blur of motion. His blade descended toward Iron’s head—but before it could land, a massive shield rose to meet it. The attack clashed against Iron’s defense, sending shockwaves across the battlefield.
Baruka clicked his tongue. The massive shadow swung its colossal hammer downward, aiming to crush him in a single blow. Baruka dodged at the last second, barely escaping the devastating strike. Iron was slow. Too slow. But before Baruka could recover—Jinwoo and Igris appeared. He barely had time to react. Baruka smirked. If Iron was too slow, then what about them?
The Hunters' Shock – Witnessing True Strength[]
From a distance, Han Song-Yi watched in awe. This wasn’t how hunters fought. This wasn’t a raid. This was something else entirely.
Even Park Heejin, an experienced fighter, had never seen a battle like this. The power, the speed—it felt otherworldly. Yoon Ki-Joong muttered under his breath. It felt like a dream. But it wasn’t. This was real. And Jinwoo was at the center of it all.
Jinwoo & Igris vs. Baruka – A Battle of Speed and Power[]
Igris dashed at Baruka, his blood-red blade cutting through the air. Baruka instinctively dodged, his sharp reflexes keeping him ahead of the attack. But as he did, Jinwoo appeared from the side, piercing Baruka’s shoulder.
A jolt of black energy coursed through Baruka’s body. Paralysis. Baruka gritted his teeth. Then, the effect disappeared. His resistance was too high. The System’s effect failed. He laughed, underestimating Jinwoo once again. But his laughter vanished instantly.
He turned, and behind him—his Ice Elf warriors lay dead. One of Jinwoo’s shadows had finished them off. His army was gone. For the first time, Baruka felt uneasy.
Baruka’s Last Stand[]
His unease didn’t last long. Baruka’s confidence surged again, his instincts forcing him forward. He dashed toward Jinwoo, his dagger poised for a lethal strike. Jinwoo threw his Knight Killer. The blade spun through the air, but Baruka, anticipating it, dodged effortlessly. Then—Dominator’s Touch activated. The dagger stopped midair.
Baruka’s eyes widened as the weapon flipped back toward him, striking his own dagger, shattering it on impact. Before he could react—Iron grabbed him. The massive shadow clamped down on Baruka, restraining him with an unyielding grip. Iron was sacrificing himself.
The mages in the distance chanted, their hands glowing with intense heat. A giant fireball began forming above the battlefield. The air shimmered, and the temperature rose drastically despite the frozen wasteland around them. Baruka struggled, but Iron refused to let go. Then—fire descended. The impact exploded across the battlefield, engulfing both of them in roaring flames.
The hunters watched in shock. But when the fire cleared—Baruka was still alive. His clothes were burnt to shreds, but his body remained intact. Jinwoo’s eyes sharpened. Before Baruka could move again—Jinwoo vanished. Using Stealth, he reappeared behind Baruka, piercing his hips with a lethal strike. Baruka staggered. His body trembled. It should have been over. But Baruka refused to die.
The Final Blow[]
In a final act of defiance, Baruka tried to stand. His body, burned and broken, refused to collapse. Then—a shadow loomed over him. Iron. A colossal hammer descended. Baruka was slammed into the ground. Then again. And again. And again. The other hunters watched in horror as Iron continued to pummel Baruka’s lifeless body, his hammer crashing down repeatedly, shaking the earth with every impact.
Jinwoo stepped forward. His voice cut through the battlefield. Iron stopped. The battlefield fell into silence.
Victory & Celebration – The Gate Opens[]
Jinwoo looked at Iron. He had to take it easy. If he kept this up, Jinwoo would have to worry about his future behavior. Iron slowly turned to look at Igris. But the Blood-Red Commander remained still, avoiding eye contact.
The moment felt awkwardly tense. Then—the shadow infantry erupted into celebration. The battle was over. The hunters in the distance cried out in joy. They had survived. But Jinwoo wasn’t done yet. His gaze turned back toward Baruka’s corpse. There was one last thing to take care of. The Gate was opening. But before he left—he had to extract one more shadow.
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 | |||||||||||