Chapter Text
[There are many ways to level up alone. Now, I have forgotten a few, but one thing is certain. The fact that you who are reading this will level up.]
- Solo Leveling]
A web novel platform filled the screen of a lonely reader's old smartphone. He scrolled down and then up again. Then proceeded to do it again, and again.
“Really? This is the end?”
He looked again, facing the unmistakable 'complete'. The story was over.
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[Solo Leveling]
Author : ChGng1402
3,150 chapters
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'Solo Leveling was a feature-length fantasy novel with 3,150 chapters.'
The young man have been steadily reading this novel since the third year of middle school.
During the time when he was bullied by iljins, when he ruined his entrance examinations and had to enter a local university, when the damned random draw went wrong and he was placed in the military unit at the forefront, when he repeatedly switched jobs and is now working as a contractor for an affiliate of a large company… He did not want to think about this.
Anyway…
「Author’s words: Thank you so much for reading ‘Solo Levelingl’ up to here. I will come back to you with an epilogue!]
“Ah... The epilogue still remains. Then the next chapter is really the last one.”
From the end of childhood to adulthood, it had been done over a huge period of 10 years. There was a mixture of despondency that a world was coming to an end along with a sense of satisfaction.
He opened the comment box of the last message and rewrote the sentence several times.
-Kim Dokja: Writer, thank you for everything in the meantime. I am looking forward to the epilogue.
They were sincere sentences. Solo leveling was Kim Dokja's life novel. It wasn't the most popular, but it was his favorite.
There were many words he wanted to say but he couldn't write them. He was afraid that his careless words coulf hurt the writer.
- An average of 1.9 hits per chapter.
- An average of 1.08 comments.
This was the average popularity index of 'Solo Leveling'.
The numbers of views for the first chapter was 14,000, but it fell to 140 for the 10th chapter, and then 14 for the 50th chapter. By the time it was the 100th chapter, it was only 1.
Hits = 1.
The reader was overwhelmed by the feeling he got when he saw the numerous '1' that appeared next to the list of chapters. In some cases, there was a '2', but it was most likely someone pressing the wrong button.
'Thank you.'
The author published a novel with more than 3,000 chapters with just one hit per chapter over a period of 10 years. It was truly a story just for him.
He pressed on the ‘Recommendation Board’ and immediately started tapping on the keyboard,
-I am recommending a honey jam novel.
'The author wrote me a free completed novel, so I should give him a recommendation.'
He clicked on the completed button, and comments quickly appeared.
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It looks like a new anti.
He searched for this person’s ID, and they recommended the same novel several times.
–
Isn’t his recommendation banned?
The author shouldn’t do this here.
It occurred to him that he had written a recommendation several months ago. In an instant, there were dozens of comments for investigation by ‘spectators’. Hid face flushed red with embarrassment.
He was sure that the author would read this. So, he hurriedly tried to delete the message, but it was already reported that the message couldn’t be removed.
“This…”
It was upsetting to him to think that the recommendation written with all his sincerity turned out like this.
If they even looked a little bit, why didn’t anyone try reading the interesting novel? He wanted to give a donation to the writer, but he couldn’t afford it because he was a salary worker barely able to make a living.
Then he received a notification that a ‘message has arrived.’
-ChGng1402: Thank you.
A message flew in from out of nowhere. It took him a while to grasp the situation.
-Kim Dokja: The author?
ChGng1402—it was the author of ‘Solo Leveling.’
-ChGng1402: I was able to complete it to the end thanks to you. I also won the competition.
The reader couldn’t believe it.
'Solo Leveling' won a competition?
-Kim Dokja: Congratulations! What is the competition?
-ChGng1402: You won’t know it because it is an unknown competition.
He wondered if he lied because he was ashamed, but he wanted it to be true. Perhaps he really didn’t know. It might be a bit hit on other platforms. He was a little sad, but it was good to have an excellent story spreading.
-ChGng1402: I would like to send a special gift to you as a thank you.
-Kim Dokja: Gift?
-ChGng1402: It is thanks to my dear reader that this story has come into the world.
He gave the writer my email address as he asked.
-ChGng1402: Ah, right. I got the monetization schedule.
-Kim Dokja: Wow, really? When will it start? This masterpiece should’ve been paid from the beginning…
It was a lie. 'Solo Leveling' was a daily series, so I would’ve had to spend 3,000 won a month. 3,000 won was one convenience-store lunch for me.
-ChGng1402: The monetization starts tomorrow.
-Kim Dokja: Then the epilogue coming tomorrow will be paid?
-ChGng1402: Yes, I’m afraid you need to pay for it.
-Kim Dokja: Of course, I have to pay! I will buy the last one!
There was no reply from the author afterward. He logged out of the site. Then he felt the pessimism sink in later.
The author left without a reply after he succeeded…? His admiration turned into petty jealousy. What was he so excited for? In any case, it wasn’t my novel.
“Will he give a gift certificate? It would be good if it’s for 50,000 won.”
At that time, he was thinking naively. He didn’t know anything about what would happen to the world the next day.