Let me tell you something: if you suddenly wake up in the world of Solo Leveling, the last thing you should do is panic. Panic doesn't pay the bills, and it certainly doesn't keep you alive. What does? Charisma, a good poker face, and just enough audacity to bluff your way past death itself.
That's my story. I'm Sean Borges Dossantos, con artist extraordinaire. I got plucked out of my ordinary life and dropped into a world where monsters want to eat you, hunters want to outshine you, and some guy named Sung Jinwoo keeps breaking the news for "destroying another S-Rank gate solo." Yeah, that guy's living the dream, and here I am just trying to avoid getting stomped by goblins.
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The Wake-Up Call
My adventure—or, let's be honest, my nightmare—started in the middle of a chaotic guild recruitment fair.
"Sign up now for exclusive access to D-Rank contracts!" a woman shouted over the crowd, her voice sharp enough to cut through the noise.
I stood in the middle of it all, utterly overwhelmed. Hunters in gleaming armor boasted about their kills, guild representatives waved shiny flyers, and I? I was wearing jeans, a T-shirt, and a face full of confusion.
"Next!" barked the guy at a desk nearby.
I shuffled forward, trying to get my bearings.
"Name?"
"Uh… Sean Borges Dossantos," I said.
"Rank?"
I hesitated. "Uh, B-Rank?"
The man's pen paused. He looked up, eyes narrowing.
"B-Rank, huh?"
I plastered on my best cocky grin. "That's what the evaluation said." Technically true, if by "evaluation," you mean "I just made that up."
"Alright, Mr. B-Rank, prove it," the man said, handing me a form. "We've got a C-Rank dungeon opening in an hour. You'll lead the group."
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Into the Dungeon
Here's the thing about lying your way into a dungeon party: people expect you to know what you're doing.
"This shouldn't be hard for a B-Rank, right?" the archer in the group asked, her tone dripping with skepticism.
"Piece of cake," I said, adjusting my "borrowed" leather armor. "Just stick to my strategy, and we'll be done before dinner."
Inside, it was chaos. Goblins screeched and charged at us in waves. The mage threw fireballs that missed more than hit, the swordsman nearly got his arm bitten off, and the archer had a panic attack midway through the fight.
And me?
"Draw them to the left!" I shouted, pointing at a cluster of boulders. "They're weak when separated!"
In truth, I had no idea if that was true. But the team followed my orders, and somehow, we managed to survive the first wave.
"Not bad," the swordsman admitted, panting.
"Like I said, piece of cake."
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Fake It Till You Make It
By the time we cleared the dungeon, I was a hero. Not because I was strong, fast, or even remotely skilled, but because I knew how to work the room. Compliment the mage, validate the archer's aim, reassure the swordsman—all part of the hustle.
"Man, you really are B-Rank material," someone said as we exited.
I grinned. "Told you."
Of course, my internal monologue was less confident: How am I still alive?
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World in the Spotlight
Later that night, I found myself sitting in a dingy bar, nursing a cheap drink and watching the news on the flickering TV overhead.
"And in breaking news, Sung Jinwoo, the reclusive S-Rank hunter, has once again defeated a catastrophic-grade gate singlehandedly."
The bar erupted in chatter.
"Man, that guy's unstoppable," one hunter said.
"No kidding. He makes the rest of us look like amateurs," another grumbled.
I leaned back in my chair, watching footage of Jinwoo's shadow soldiers tearing through monsters like they were paper.
"Yeah, good for him," I muttered. "Meanwhile, I'm out here running scams just to survive."
Still, seeing him dominate so effortlessly lit a spark of determination—or maybe it was pure spite.
If a guy like him could make waves in this world, then why couldn't I? Sure, I wasn't the strongest, but I had something just as valuable: the ability to make people believe I was.
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A Hustler's Resolve
From that moment on, I made a promise to myself: I might not have Jinwoo's power or his shadows, but I'd carve out my place in this world, one clever scheme at a time.
After all, being strong is overrated. Smarts, charm, and a whole lot of bluffing? That's where the real power lies.