Level 001

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(*)

Level 001

Thou shall worship God.

Thou shall praise God.

Thou shall prove thy faith.

Those who fail to obey these commandments shall not be spared.

(*)

This is bullshit!

Bullshit!

I wanted to be stronger.

I tried, but I never could.

I get it.

I fought tooth and nail to earn my keep and I got this far.

But you were past your limit? Yeah, we all felt that way.

You were making excuses for your own selfishness!

That gratitude was empty.

Leave it to a genuine piece of trash to use me and throw me away for his benefit!

I've got a family too!

I will never meet my child!

And Lia..Forgive me!

I wanted to make it home alive too!

I'm glad my death means they can live.

How could you think that?

You stupid hypocrite!

No... I don't want to die.

I wish.....

I had another chance!

(*)

Jinwoo woke up with a sudden gasp, clutching his shirt with wide eyes. Memories of the double dungeon flooded his senses, nearly sending him into a panic attack.

I'm...alive?

I'm ALIVE?!

But how?

"Jinwoo!" the beloved voice of his wife reached his ears. As he turned towards her, she already had thrown herself, the best she could in her pregnant state, at him and was crying in a never-ending stream. "I was so worried! Jinah too! You slept for three whole days! I thought you would never wake up again!"

Immediately he hugged Lia tight, burying his face into her soft neck. Her soft perfume, a wonderful scent of lotus blossoms reached his nose. The familiar smell made Jinwoo relax.

"I thought I would never see you again!" Jinwoo sobbed, his tears wetting Lia's warm skin. "I thought I could never meet our little one!"

"I should kick your ass for even going to this fucking Raid, but I'm just so glad you're safe and sound!" Lia sobbed also.

This made Jinwoo chuckle lighted. He straightened up, still holding his wife with an arm, and caressed her wet cheek lovingly.

Golden eyes, like moulted sunlight, meet his grey one and her fiery wavy red hair was even more chaotic than normal.

She probably rubbed her head in frustration because I'm so careless...

"Yeah, I deserve an ass kicking." the black-haired young man agreed. "You can gladly do it after I'm out of the hospital."

"You bet!"

The married couple chuckled lightly together before they met in a soft and also desperate kiss.

Jinwoo could formally taste the relief, but also the still shimmering anger of Lia.

He tried with his kiss to relax her, to show her he was alright.

After a few moments, they ended their kiss and Jinwoo caressed Lia's swollen belly. Her hand joined his.

"How is our little one?" Jinwoo worried. "The stress can't be good for you both."

"It's okay, don't worry. Your wife and child are badass!" Lia promised.

Before Jinwoo could ask more, to make sure Lia wasn't only trying to calm him down, the couple heard a knock on his hospital room door.

"Excuse us." a man voice's called, before a tall blonde man and one with spiky purple hair with a metallic box entered the room. "We're sorry to interrupt your reunion, Hunter Marchese and Hunter Sung."

Of course, Jinwoo wondered who these suit-wearing gentlemen were, when Lia let out a loud sigh and eyed them annoyed.

"Woo Jinchul. I know your work is important, but I would like to call a doctor before you prob my husband."

"Of course, Hunter Marchese, that's not even a question." the blond, this Woo Jinchul, agreed.

So while a doctor checked Jinwoo, Woo Jinchul and his collogue Kang Taeshik told him how they were from the Korean Hunters Association.

No wonder Lia knew at least Woo Jinchil!

As worldwide Number One of the Hunters and also an immigrant from Italy she was watched even more carefully than the other S-Ranks.

Soon after, the doctor left, reassuring Lia that her husband was alright and on the road to recovery. Now, Jinwoo could inquire about the others who had survived the double dungeon, specifically Joohee and Mr. Song.

Jinwoo felt a sense of sadness for Mr. Song, who had lost his arm and would likely be unable to work as a Hunter anymore. He also worried about Joohee, who appeared to be deeply traumatized.

Jinchull informs Jinwoo that he and his comrades found him collapsed on the floor, but there were no signs of the statues that the other survivors had described.

He then questions Jinwoo about the possibility of him having undergone a "second awakening," which could elevate his class rank from E-Rank to A or even S-Rank.

To test this, they prompt him to place his hand on a Mana Meter presented by Taeshik.

Excited to see the results, Jinwoo eagerly asks the two men what his current rank is and whether he has indeed been reawakened. However, Jinchull apologizes and suggests they were mistaken, as the meter displays a score of only 10, dashing Jinwoo's brief hopes of advancement.

Lia had been still the whole time, just holding one of Jinwoo's hands. Her eyes shimmering more golden than normal.

"Well, that sucks." Jinwoo signs turning to Lia after the two suits leave the hospital room. "When I got my hopes up."

His wife just hummed and pointed at the blue interface which floated before his face. "Seems like you're just like me, my knight."

"Ah! You see it too!" Jinwoo shouted exited. "Wait...How did I get your ability?!"

"Your temple was surely like the Necropolis, I encountered in Italy before I moved here. I have EDI since then."

"So...it gave me the Player Powers? Wow!"

Lia crossed thoughtful her arms and tilted her head. "I can only guess, Jin. I still don't get my powers at all and why I got them."

"Or why you were reborn here, Lia," Jinwoo added playfully.

"The best thing that happened was meeting you." Lia declared passionately, caressing his cheek. "I only wanted to watch the anime because I saw your cute face."

This made Jinwoo smile and he turned his head to kiss the palm of his beloved wife.

"My princess," he murmurs lovingly. "My warrior queen. Meeting you was the best thing that happened to me."

[Oh my god can you please stop. I'm getting cavities!]

Shocked Jinwoo nearly fell from his bed, if Lia didn't hold into him.

He saw before his own blue Interface, now a red one, but the way the words on the red one were written seemed familiar.

Till now he only heard her when Lia summoned her.

"EDI? That's you isn't it?" the young man gasped, excitement in his voice.

[Hello Master Jinwoo, it's truly me EDI but in my form as the System for the Player. Player Omega.]

This made Lia raise her eyebrow at her sassy system. "Since when I'm Omega?"

[Since Master Jinwoo awoke as Player Alpha as it was his destiny, Mistress Helia]

The couple hummed together surprised.

"So...can you finally give us Spoilers?" Helia or Lia wonderd.

[Moment, please...Calculating...Excess denied. I can't say anymore, Mistress Helia.]

"Would have been any way too convenient." Jinwoo signed while Helia made a raspberry.

Always the same with EDI!

She had a Spoiler Barrier in her programme, which even she as the powerful system couldn't break. The barriers only came down when certain aspects were met, which varied.

It was such a drag!

Anyway, for now, they couldn't do anything more so Helia asked EDI if she only interrupted them in their moment because she was a troll like that.

[No, Mistress Helia. I wanted to also alert you, about how now CO-OP Mode is finally available.]

Just as EDI informed, on Jinwoo's blue Interface popped up a new screen.

[CO-OP Mode with Player Omega is available! Please confirm or deny access]

"Confirm of course!"

"EDI, let Jinwoo's system in!"

[Player Omega and Player Alpha enter now CO-OP Mode. You can now share quests, stat points, items and gold. There are other functions like Live Stream-Mode, would you like to learn more?]

Before the married couple could confirm, the hospital room door opened again and Jinah, Jinwoo's little sister, stepped in.

"Will you stop going to Raids?!" Jinah shouted angrily, not even greeting her brother. "Lia and I have been worried sick! I don't get you. Lia makes enough money for us. So much we can never spend in one life and you are still in the male provider mode!"

"Oh sweetie, calm down," Lia said, placing a hand on her sister-in-law's shoulder, while Jinwoo rubbed his neck in embarrassment.

His sister was of course right. He not only made her and Lia worried sick, but the stress wasn't good for the baby. He should thank his lucky stars (and that he was probably one of the MCs) he made it this time out alive.

"I know Jinah, I'm a stupid boy," Jinwoo admitted. "I just wanted to do my part."

"Then become a househusband, you don't need to be Hunter do to your share." Jinah replayed.

"You DO look cute in an apron," Lia added playfully.

For this Jinwoo gave her a big smooch on the cheek and Jinah told them to get a room far away from her, even if she had an amused twinkle in her eyes.

Assured that her brother and her pregnant sister-in-law were fine Jinah left them on their own device.

"Alright, before we look more into CO-OP Mode you should check your mailbox, Jin," Lia advised. "If your System is just like EDI, you will have your Daily Quest already waiting for you."

"But I'm in the hospital and I should now do like you this hardcore training regime?!" Jinwoo whined.

Gently Helia patted her husband's head. "The System doesn't care if you're in the hospital. EDI also only changed my training to pregnancy-friendly, because there wasn't another option. So till you don't get pregnant, work it, husband!"

"Hahaha, you're so funny."

"Oi, you wanna fight the giant centipedies instead?"

"...I gonna look for the Daily Quest."

"Smart."

"I have my moments."

(*)

Two years ago, in Italy, Real Word

Helia Marchese was an ordinary young woman. She had a good job, friends and family, and a cosy little flat she called her own.

Though she was still single, this did not diminish her life's value.

Also...she just preferred to thirst over 2D-Men more.

Guys in real life...were a pain.

2D-Men were not only hot but their characters were also Chef's Kiss.

Even the villains!

Anyway, it was a rainy Sunday afternoon and Helia scrolled through Crunchyroll to find a new anime.

She had gotten curious about this Player/Gamer animes because a lot of new FanFics from different fandoms introduced this game-like ability to her.

It was time to watch a canon source.

That's how she stumbled over Solo Leveling.

DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMNNNNNNNNNNNN!

The two men on the cover were fine.

One was a Mister Your Daughter Calls Me Daddy Too and the other was just a cutie patootie!

Since Helia loved to death soft looking at guys, she was already hooked.

And Mr. Daddy Dom was also yummy.

The red-haired young woman wondered if Daddy Dom was like the mentor of Cutie Patootie?

She already had forgotten that the anime was called Solo Leveling and surely this wasn't the case.

Such was the power of hotness from fictional guys.

Helia was ready to watch the first episode as her internet broke down.

"Cazzo!" she cursed.

She was way too lazy to stand up from her warm and comfy bed! So mobile date then if her Wi-Fi was being a bitch.

Just as she wanted to switch, Helia didn't notice how an unnatural lightning bolt stormed towards her.

She only heard the window splitter before she was electrified.

And so the life of Helia Marchese ended.

No one could explain how a lightning bolt could have killed her since her building had a lightning rod.

A freak accident, a one-in-a-billion death.

As her family and friends cried over her way to soon death, no one could imagine, how her life began anew.

A Restart.

The beginning of a Game.

(*)

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