Summary
Quick Links
Sung Jin-Woo and his shadow army are a force to be reckoned with inSolo Leveling. Anyone who dares stand against him finds themselves beaten down and, in the worst cases, beaten to death. However, an unexpectedSolo Levelingcharacter has the guts to challenge one of Jin-Woo’s powerful soldiers and easily emerges victorious. Naturally, Jin-Woo never expects his shadow to lose, especially not to this charming character.
At this point, many hunters in Korea and the rest of the world look up to Sung Jin-Woo after his performance on Jeju Island. Many are impressed by his abilities, while others want to join him and fight by his side. One such character is Cha Hae-In, who treats Jin-Woo as her motivation to get stronger. She wants to fight by his side, and she’s willing to defeat one of his powerful shadows to make up forwhat happened during the Jeju raid.
Cha Hae-In Fights Jin-Woo’s Most Powerful Shadow Swordsman
Jin-Woo’s Application Test for Cha Hae-In
Cha Hae-In is one of the strongest S-rank hunters in Korea due to her mastery of the sword, earningthe epithet “The Dancer.” She also has a respected reputation, being the vice master of the Hunters Guild led by Choi Jong-In. Following the Jeju Island arc, Cha decides to apply to Jin-Woo’s newly established guild, Ahjin, hoping to get to know Jin-Woo and his abilities more. But to join Ahjin, Cha Hae-In needs to prove her worth and defeat one of Jin-Woo’s most powerful shadows.
Among the notable shadows in the army, Jin-Woo chooses Igris to fight Cha Hae-In, boasting that he is his most powerful swordsman. Instead of choosing Beru, Jin-Woo decides Igris can take on Cha out of respect for her traumatic experience with the Ant King. Even so, it’s a pretty balanced fight, considering Hae-In is also a master swordsman who has the skill set to keep up with Igris in a one-on-one fight.
“I’ll ask you again. Will you really be okay?"—Jin-Woo to Cha Hae-In
Although Hae-In expects Beru to be her opponent, she’s willing to take on anyone as long as she can enter the guild and fight by Jin-Woo’s side. On the contrary, it seems like Jin-Woo underestimates Cha Hae-In, assuming she would not be able to win against Igris in her current state. After all,Cha Hae-In seemed unstableand was still recovering from the Jeju disaster.
Cha Hae-In Fights Igris One-on-One
Spare Sword vs. Demon King’s Longsword
The fight between Hae-In and Igrishappens inside the gym of the Hunter’s Association. Since Cha doesn’t have any weapons at hand, she uses a spare weapon from the gym’s storage, meaning it’s not her usual sword she will wield against Igris. It was just a spare weapon that’s suitable for sparring but isn’t that great. Knowing Cha’s skills though, it doesn’t matter what kind of weapon she wields.
“Will you be okay with that? It’s not your usual sword, so it might not suit you."—Jin-Woo to Cha Hae-In
Meanwhile, Jin-Woo allows Igris to usethe Demon King’s Longsword. It is an S-rank longsword that possesses the strength of the Demon King Baran, in addition to its devastating effect, called the storm of white lightning. At every swing of the sword, it can summon a storm of endless lightning toward its target, making it even more terrifying. Still, Cha Hae-In never backs down, which speaks volumes about her confidence in her abilities.
The Fight Begins
Cha Hae-In Surprisingly Wins the Fight
The fight begins with Igris swinging the longsword against Cha Hae-In. Thankfully, Cha is fast enough to avoid Igris’ swings, or else she would have died even by a single graze. The fighting went on, but the manhwa does not show enough details to describe what happened because it shifts focus to Chairman Go Gun-Hee instead of the battle. One thing is certain, though: Cha somehow defeats Igris in a short amount of time, given Jin-Woo’s reaction uponseeing a fallen Igris.
Regardless, Cha Hae-In exceeds Jin-Woo’s expectations. While everyone thought she would surrender and lose, she overcomes Igris and gets a chance to fight Beru one-on-one despite Jin-Woo’s reservations. Whilethe fight with Beruends in an unexpected turn, it doesn’t erase the fact that Cha defeated one of Jin-Woo’s strongest shadows. Perhaps the result of the fight could have been different if Igris was not a shadow. If Cha fought Igris like Jin-Woo did in the past, there’s no telling what could have happened to her.
“Didn’t you say that you’d call out your strongest summon?"—Cha Hae-In to Jin-Woo
All in all, Cha Hae-In is truly a powerful S-rank hunter inSolo Leveling. She is worthy of her position as the strongest female hunter in Korea, fighting side by side with Jin-Woo against monsters and beings of all kinds. If only the series explored more of her potential, she could have been a goodrecipient of Norma Selner’s abilities. Who knows, she could also pass as a worthy vessel for a ruler, like Thomas Andre.
