Episode 9: You've Been Hiding Your Skills

You've Been Hiding Your Skills is the 9th episode of the Solo Leveling anime series.

Synopsis[]

At the D-Rank raid, Jinwoo is reunited with four of the Cartenon Temple survivors. Together, they explore the dungeon with Kang Taeshik and his men. After splitting up, they hear a scream, and then...

Key Points[]

• The start of the D-Rank mission that has reunited Jinwoo with his previous raid group. The mission includes three ex-convicts and Kang Taeshik acting as an escort from the Hunter's Association.
• The death of Kang Jeongho and Kim Sangshik.
• More betrayal! Jinwoo versus Taeshik.
• Song Chi-Yul and Lee Joohee realizing that Jinwoo has been hiding his true power.

Summary[]

In the cave depths of the D-Rank dungeon, Jinwoo reunites with his former Strike Team from the Double Dungeon incident, Mr. Song, Joohee, Jeongho, and Kim Sangshik. Tensions persist with Kim, whom Jinwoo resents for leaving him behind in the Cartenon Temple, and while Kim feels remorse, he struggles with the idea of apologizing.

Goblins are mercilessly vanquished by the prisoner hunters who are loving it, overseen by their Hunters Association escort, Kang Taeshik. After the battle, Song comments on how Jinwoo has really gotten stronger, and how he has a nice new dagger now. Joohee notes Jinwoo's rare lack of injuries and hopes she they won't need her heals, but he reassures her, saying he still counts on her. Song, sensing a deep change in Jinwoo, notes the transformation goes beyond physical, visible in his unique aura. Joohee questions whether he's started practicing martial arts, but he conceals the true extent of his abilities, saying its because of daily exercises. Kang, growing impatient, urges the group to proceed.

At a dungeon fork with three paths, Taeshik proposes splitting up to speed up their quest, given the ease of their encounters so far. The team agrees, and Jinwoo, leveraging his high perception, identifies the boss's location and opts for the left path with Song and Joohee. Taeshik takes his prisoners down the right path leaving Kim and Jeongho the middle. As they diverge, Taeshik casts a thoughtful glance at Jinwoo, curiously, who notices.

Kim and Jeongho effortlessly dispatch the goblins they meet, Kim decapitating the last one in a swift slice. Kim comments that with the "Weakest Hunter" present, the dungeon must be low-risk, but Jeongho counters, noting Jinwoo's presence at the catastrophic double dungeon event. Considering Jinwoo's pivotal role in their survival that day, Kim finally decides to apologize for abandoning him after this dungeon, as it has been eating up at him. Jeongho questions the likelihood of forgiveness, but Kim is determined to apologize regardless.

As the convicted hunters ruthlessly dispatch the goblins, Taeshik observes them casually with his hands in his pockets as they kick a severed head at his feet. Taeshik provocatively questions the prisoners about their ability to kill humans as easily as they did goblins, to which they agree saying its all the same to them. Taeshik remembers a secret encounter in a dimly lit room where a distraught father details how these same three hunters had assaulted his daughter, leading to her tragic suicide and his wife's hospitalization due to the shock. The father presents Taeshik with three billion WON (2.4 million USD) to assassinate the prisoners, criticizing the justice system that would eventually set them free through reduced sentences from raid participation.

In the dungeon, Taeshik coldly concocts a plan to deceive the inspectors, alleging a hundred-goblin swarm overpowered them, as he turns on the prisoners. Just then, Kim and Kang witness the B-Rank hunter decapitating the final convict. Unfazed by their arrival, Taeshik approaches them with a menacing demeanor as he says he has to "alter" his plan.

In the left tunnel, Jinwoo recalls that Taeshik Kang was one of the Hunter’s Association investigators who visited him in the hospital. Just then, he hears a scream echo through the dungeon. His group races to find the other hunters sliced to pieces, including Kim and Kang. Kim, barely alive, struggles to breathe. Joohee can only heal him enough to let him speak. An emotional Jinwoo yells at Kim that he has to survive so he can keep blaming him for what happened that day in the double dungeon.

Kim chokes out that he’s sorry and that he regrets that he can’t offer a proper apology. He takes his last breath. Taeshik uses the opportunity to strike at Joohee from the shadows, but Jinwoo grabs his arm in mid-air. Taeshik tells the shocked hunters that he plans to fabricate a story about the prisoners killing them. Song asks Jinwoo to stand back and picks up Kim’s sword to defend his friends.

Song parries Taeshik’s first strike. As an assassin-type hunter, the B-Rank Taeshik is fast and agile. The cruel hunter gives credit where it’s due and remarks that Song is skilled with a sword. Taeshik lands a hit, which Joohee immediately heals, putting herself on his radar. He turns his back on Song to go after her, but Song won’t let him. Taeshik launches another attack on Song, slicing him again and again, and Joohee is too upset to use her healing abilities. As Taeshik approaches him for the final blow, Song springs his trap and unleashes his fire magic, engulfing the other hunter in flames.

Taeshik, slightly singed, dodges the attack with a sly smile and gives the older hunter credit again for his strategy. He raises his dagger to finish him off – and Jinwoo blocks it, to Song and Joohee’s surprise. Taeshik gives Jinwoo his full attention. Tthat there’s no way Jinwoo is an E-Rank with those reaction times. Jinwoo isn’t a false ranker, he surmises, since he’s obviously been on raids with Song and Joohee before and allowed them to live. It must be a second awakening.

It doesn’t matter, Taeshik concludes, as Jinwoo’s lack of hunting experience puts him at a disadvantage. Before their fight begins, Jinwoo asks why he killed and tortured the others. It wasn’t about a misplaced sense of justice, nor the money. It’s because the maniacal Taeshik finds people much more fun to kill than magic beasts. Taeshik grins wickedly and attacks. His bloodthirst triggers a system message with the same quest Jinwoo received when the malicious group of hunters turned against him.

Jinwoo activates his speed buff and slices Taeshik’s cheek with his poison blade. They both strike in a flurry of blades until the assassin vanishes into thin air. He’s invisible to Jinwoo, who barely blocks Taeshik’s attacks. This is his secret Stealth ability, known to only a few high-ranking assassin hunters. He slices Jinwoo’s ankle to immobilize him.

Jinwoo uses Full Recovery to instantly mend the wound. Taeshik is shaken for the first time; he’s never heard of a combat hunter who can also use healing magic. When he recognizes Jinwoo as a fellow killer, Song and Joohee gasp. Song realizes that Jinwoo has had to make a lot of hard decisions in a short amount of time. Jinwoo activates his Murderous Intent skill, blinding Taeshik long enough to pierce him through the heart. As he dies, Jinwoo reveals to him that he gets stronger with every battle. Taeshik warns him to be careful of the darkness that will follow. He dies, and the system rewards Jinwoo with the Stealth skill.

Joohee and Kim leave the dungeon while Jinwoo finishes the boss. Investigator Woo Jinchul arrives, blaming himself for not seeing his subordinate Taeshik’s true nature. He gasps as he recognizes Jinwoo from the hospital. Woo asks which of the three hunters defeated Taeshik. Just as Jinwoo resigns himself to his secret getting out, Song claims responsibility. Considering that Song is a C-Rank magic user who had the help of B-Rank healer Joohee, the Hunter’s Association investigator seemingly accepts the explanation. Jinwoo keeps a wary eye on Woo, noticing that he’s an A-Rank hunter. Song smiles and tells Jinwoo he owed him one, and he returns the smile.

The man who hired Taeshik turned himself in to the police 3 hours later, wrapping up the incident. Joohee and Jinwoo finally relax in a nearby park. She pulls an essence stone out of her bag and asks him, “Do you remember this?”

Appearances[]

In order of appearance:

Humans[]

• Prisoner 1011 (Death) - Killed by Kang Taeshik.
• Prisoner 3400 (Death) - Killed by Kang Taeshik.
• Prisoner 2028 (Death) - Killed by Kang Taeshik.
• Song Chi-Yul
• Kang Jeongho (Death) - Killed by Kang Taeshik.
• Kim Sangshik (Death) - Killed by Kang Taeshik.
• Sung Jinwoo
• Lee Joohee
• Kang Taeshik (Death) - Killed by Sung Jinwoo.
• Victim's Father - Assaulted girl's father.
• Female Investigator - Works in Hunter Association.
• Woo Jinchul

Magic Beasts[]

• Goblins

Locations[]

• Goblins Dungeon (Debut)
• Hunters Hospital (Flashback)

Items[]

• Rune Stone: Stealth

Anime & Manhwa Differences[]

Trivia[]

• Jinwoo's jumping in place and dash are an homage to Goku from the Dragon Ball series. This particular warm-up and dash directly mirrors the one Goku performed in the 2018 Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie.
  • Sadly, this homage coincides with the passing of Akira Toriyama, the creator of the franchise, on March 1st, 2024, revealed to the public on March 8th, one day before the release of the episode. Fans have interpreted this homage as an unintended but fitting tribute to Toriyama's legacy.
• When Song Chi-Yul told Taeshik he "trained S-Rank hunters before!" he is refereeing to Cha Hae-In. The manhwa hints at Cha Hae-In being Song Chi-Yul's student, while the anime shows an unknown man in the training scene of Episode 8, thus not showing their connection in the anime adaptation up to this point.

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