Summary: He was just an everyday D-Rank hunter who went through his life with a smile. Never in his life could he imagine that surviving a double dungeon would cause such aftereffects. He would have to get to the bottom of this system and his newly acquired title, Player.

"Speech."

'Think.'

Technique/Skill

[System Message]

Events of the Past

Warning: English isn't my native language.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Solo Leveling.

Pairings: Jinwoo x Joohee / Naruto x ?

[Daily Strength Quest:

Push-ups: 100/100

Sit-ups: 100/100

Squats: 100/100

Running: 10km/10km

Completed!]

Naruto looked at the notification that popped up when he finished the 10-kilometer run. He gasped, sitting down at a bench that was before the hospital he was in. The exercises weren't so bad, but the run had really drained him of his remaining strength. It was already becoming dark after he finished with the quest.

[Your rewards have arrived!

Full Recovery.

Enhancing your physical attributes a tiny bit.

Random Loot Box.]

"What?" asked Naruto, not really sure what he should make of this notification of the system. If he would get a full recovery, then he wouldn't still be exhausted, and what did the system mean with enhancing his physical attributes? Did he become stronger just from one workout session? He meant… yeah, he did similar workouts already as a D-Rank hunter; this wasn't something impossible to do. He didn't feel any different, though. Or did he have to accept the rewards first? He didn't know.

"Accept," said Naruto, not really knowing if this would trigger something. He jumped a little when a screen popped up.

[Activating your Rewards. Full Recovery activated."

Naruto didn't believe it, but all the exhaustion, the tense muscles, and everything else in his aching body regenerated. It was like he never did the training or any real activity. His body was literally fully healed. 'What the hell? This is so unbelievable, but I just felt it. This system is so mysterious and strange that it's terrifying. So it was true that the System was the reason that I got both of my severed legs and my severed arm back,' thought Naruto.

[Enhancing your physical attributes a tiny bit.]

A new window popped up before Naruto. He raised an eyebrow, seeing something he saw in many games already. A literal status window from Naruto was hovering before him in the air, displaying all sorts of stats and information.

[Status:

Name: Naruto Uzumaki

Title: None

Job: Unknown

Fatigue: -

Level: -

Hp: -

Mana: -

Str: -

Vit: -

Agi: -

Int: -

Sense: -

Available Stat Points: None]

"… What?" asked Naruto, not really sure how what was happening. Was this a glitch or something like that? All his stats wouldn't show themselves. Shouldn't there be numbers instead of the short lines before every major point of a stat window? He didn't know.

Naruto flinched when he saw how the window was having kind of an error if he had to describe it. The window flickered weirdly, like a screen from a pc would do when something went wrong.

The status window vanished, and a new notification popped up.

[Error! Exact information about the Player can't be shown because of outward interference.]

"HUH?" What was going on now? Someone was messing with the system, which made it impossible to see his exact information. Was this some kind of joke? Everything so far was working just like in a game: gaining quests, getting rewards, having an inventory, and so forth.

A new message appeared after the last one vanished.

[An analysis will be performed shortly to get to the bottom of the problem. Until then, you can't view your exact information, but everything else works as intended.

Deposing the Random Loot Box into your inventory.]

Naruto didn't really know if he should be happy or not, but he felt it shortly. Something inside his body had changed, even when the change wasn't something that he would notice. He saw for a second how a red light surrounded his entire body, like he would get buffed inside a game, and afterward, the red glow vanished instantly.

Since the people who walked past him didn't look at him, he concluded that other humans couldn't see the things that happened to him because of the system. 'Well, if I can get stronger anyway, even without knowing my exact attributes and level, I won't complain,' thought Naruto.

[Skill List:

Passive Skills:

Willpower Level MAX

Active Skills:

None]

Naruto looked at his skills and already saw this already, but what did this mean? He could guess that his passive skill, Willpower, was referring to the strong willpower he had since his birth. He never gave up, worked tirelessly if he couldn't get something done in one try, and never broke. Even at the end of the double dungeon, he hadn't lost his mind like most other hunters during the raid. Some even managed to stay sane enough so they could run out of the hellhole since Naruto volunteered to stay behind so anyone could escape safely.

Naruto opened up his inventory and saw the only item inside. He raised his hand and grabbed into the inventory screen, letting his hand vanish for a second before he pulled his hand out of the inventory screen. He held a little gift box in his hand, looking at it. No one seemed to find it strange that Naruto was suddenly holding a gift box in his right hand. He looked at it, and before he could do anything, the gift box began to hover over his hand. It opened and let a new screen appear.

[Congratulations! You acquired a Skill Stone. A Skill Stone gives you access to new skills. It can be either a passive Skill or an active one.

Skill Stone: Substitution Technique]

'Substitution Technique?' thought Naruto, looking at the Skill Stone he held in his hand. He didn't even bother looking around. It was like humans couldn't see the things he got from the system. None noticed the gift box or the skill stone in his hand. He crushed the skill stone, letting his body glow in a red light for a second.

A new system notification popped up, letting him see the newly acquired skill.

[Skill Name: Substitution Technique

Effect: Let the user switch places with an object in the near environment.]

'I should try this as soon as possible. If this works as I think it does, then this could get me out of any form of dangerous situation since there is always an object around someone. No matter where you are,' thought Naruto, standing up. He walked back into the hospital, greeting a few people he had spoken to already. Naruto just had this charisma that drew people in. He never had any problems starting a conversation with anyone or getting to know new people.

This was one of the reasons Naruto knew a few Hunters who were of much higher rank than himself, even when he wasn't part of any guild. Naruto was content with remaining a low-level hunter who did low-level raids. It brought in enough money for his simple lifestyle, and he could help his good friend Jinwoo in this way.

When Naruto walked into his hospital room, he closed the sliding door behind himself and looked at the chair that stood beside his bed. 'How does an activation of a skill even work?' thought Naruto. He has never had any active skills until now. The hunters he asked told him they simply knew how the activation process worked. It was natural, like riding a bike, for them.

"Activate Skill!" said Naruto.

…

Nothing happened. 'Ok, so speech is the wrong form of activation. Maybe thinking about it?' thought Naruto.

Naruto imagined how he activated the skill, and before he even knew it, his world twisted for a second before he suddenly stood before the window, almost tripping over his own feet. "Woah!" said Naruto, regaining his footing. He looked around in a daze, trying to orientate himself. He looked behind him and saw that the chair suddenly stood before the sliding door where he previously stood.

A new notification screen popped up before Naruto.

[Skill Name: Substitution Technique

Effect: Let the user switch places with an object in the near environment.

Cooldown: 6 Hours.]

'Damn, a six hour cooldown?' thought Naruto. 'Ok… if I could spam this skill, then I would literally be untouchable. Basically, it is an ace up my sleeve to escape a near death situation if I would encounter one.'

The cooldown was a little high, but Naruto was happy to have this skill nonetheless. He could escape certain death with this skill if he used it right or even surprise his opponent with a sneak attack or something like that. The possibilities with this skill were literally endless.

He went to the chair and placed it at the usual location and showered afterwards before he dressed into his hospital clothes again. 'I should be released in 3 days if I remember it correctly. Until then, I can absolve the daily quest three more times. Maybe I will get another skill stone out of the random loot box,' thought Naruto.

He went into bed and covered himself with a blanket, looking up at the ceiling. He looked at his bugged status window and didn't know what he should make out of this supposed system. It was so confusing but also exciting. The possibility of reaching a higher rank was something he thought about once or twice. He didn't have any problem being a D-Rank hunter. He had everything he could wish for in his current life. A stable income through his hunting work, good friends he could trust, people who cared for him, hobbies he liked to do, and other basic things. Naruto never was someone who needed much to be happy.

But now, being really able to become a higher rank was something he wouldn't miss out on. This way, he could better help other people. He could get more money for the treatment of Jinwoo's mom and other things.

He smiled at the thought. Even if he would just become a C-Rank, it would still help, nonetheless. The higher in rank he could become, the better it would be. He would see and wait how far he could get with the system.

"Naruto!" said Joohee, smiling when she walked into the hospital room with Jinwoo right behind her. "I am so glad you are okay! We heard what happened," said Joohee.

Naruto smiled at the two who were walking into the hospital room with a basket full of things for Naruto. There were some flowers inside, but also some apples, and other things. Naruto knew this was Joohee's idea. She was the kind of woman who would do something so kind. She truly was one kind of a woman.

"Naruto! I am glad you are okay, man," said Jinwoo. Naruto immediately noticed something about Jinwoo. He looked different. He got a haircut. Just two days ago, he still had his long brown hair that almost went down to his shoulders. Now, he had shorter dark brown hair that almost looked black. Naruto also felt it the second Jinwoo came into the room. The mana Jinwoo radiated wasn't anything like he felt before. He wasn't the same anymore, that's for sure.

"Jinwoo? Damn buddy, what happened? Did you go through a second awakening or something like that? The mana you radiate is amazing," said Naruto. It was at least as much as Joohee's mana. That would mean he would be at least a B-Rank. He could literally see the dark blue-black mana that surrounded him with Naruto's perception.

"Huh? You notice that?" asked Jinwoo, a little embarrassed. "We actually wanted to apologize because we couldn't come yesterday. Yesterday was a dungeon break where we were, and since no other hunter was in the near environment, we had to act fast. It was a very close shot, but in the middle of the fight, I suddenly went through a second awakening, suddenly becoming much stronger. The dungeon was a D-Rank, and I was able to kill all the monsters with Joohee's help alone," said Jinwoo.

"Wow… so you had to go with the surveillance team to the hunter association to let yourself get reevaluated?" asked Naruto, curious. Naruto always wished for Jinwoo to be a miracle. The lad didn't deserve the life he lived to far. He was doing everything to get money for his mother's medical bills and his sister's education. He willingly walked on death's door for years so his sister could live a normal life, going to school and studying in the future.

"Yeah, the chairman of the hunter association even oversaw the reevaluation of my rank. It was kind of scary, to be honest; having the chairman watching me was intimidating. You can't believe how strong he is. His presence was absolutely overwhelming," said Jinwoo.

Joohee nodded at Jinwoo's statement. "Yeah. I had already met one or two S-Rank hunters, but the chairman was on another level. I couldn't even breathe the first time I saw him," said Joohee.

"I believe you both," said Naruto. "So you two also had an unusual day, huh?" He chuckled a little bit at the situation. "So, what rank are you now? B-Rank? A-Rank?"

Jinwoo scratched his cheeks. "Well… I am an A-Rank hunter now," said Jinwoo. Naruto smiled at his friend's response. It was always like this. He was a little bit shy, even when he faced death multiple times. He surely was a gentle soul, just like Joohee. Maybe that was one of the reasons both became so close in the first place.

"Congratulations, buddy! Now you can get money far easier with less risk!" said Naruto with a big grin that almost looked like the grin of a fox. Jinwoo smiled, a little embarrassed, scratching his cheek with one finger.

"Well… I still can't believe it, to be honest. I know I am stronger now, but I still feel like before, even when I am now an A-Rank hunter," said Jinwoo.

"Don't worry about that. Just be yourself," said Joohee, taking Jinwoo's hand in hers. Naruto began to grin knowingly, observing the two. He knew at one point something would happen between the two, and it looked like it finally did. The two were made for each other, and now that Jinwoo was a lot stronger, he could protect Joohee even in higher ranked dungeons.

This would make sure Joohee's mental strength would continue to grow until she wouldn't have any problem facing higher level dungeons with Jinwoo or someone else. Naruto was really glad those two weren't at the double dungeon he encountered. This would have truly destroyed their lives in more than just one way.

Jinwoo looked at Joohee and blushed, smiling at the woman who was at his side even in his weakest moments. He didn't know how he deserved to have Joohee at his side, but he promised himself that he would protect her at all cost. This was the least he could do after everything she did for him.

"Thanks, Joohee," said Jinwoo.

Naruto's face became straight when both lovebirds looked at their friend who was sitting on the hospital bed. "So… what exactly happened, Naruto?" asked Jinwoo, still holding Joohee's hand while he talked to the one friend he could always count on.

Naruto never talked badly about Jinwoo. He always supported him and even taught him some martial arts skills he knew. Naruto was a Fighter-Type Hunter who didn't use any weapon. He only used his body to attack because he had learned martial arts from his father when he was younger. Naruto actually wasn't from Korea but from Japan. He only came to Korea a few years ago when his father managed to get a new job here with a good paycheck. Both of Naruto's parents sadly died already and he was now the last one of his family. But he never gave up and kept walking on the path he chose for himself.

Jinwoo always looked up at Naruto. He was like a big brother to Jinwoo, looking out for Jinwoo and encouraging him to do things others would mock him for. He gave Jinwoo the courage to step further than he would ever be able to alone.

"To be honest… I don't have many memories of the time we entered the second dungeon inside the double dungeon. All I knew was that the second dungeon wasn't a usual dungeon. It was kind of a puzzle where someone had to solve multiple tasks. But I can't remember anything else. I only remember giant statues, the giant temple when we entered, and afterward how I woke up yesterday," said Naruto. He told them anything in a shorter version, leaving out the nasty parts. They didn't need to know the exact details of this hellish experience Naruto went through.

All three talked for 30 minutes before the sliding door opened. Naruto, Jinwoo, and Joohee looked at the person who walked into the room. "Mister Woo?" asked Jinwoo, surprised.

"Hello, Hunter Sung. I see that you are acquainted with Hunter Uzumaki as well," said Jinchul, looking through his sunglasses. "I am here to give you your updated Hunter ID." Jinwoo looked at the new ID card he got, smiling. He really was an A-Rank hunter from now on!

"Thank you for personally delivering me my new ID, Mister Woo. I know how much you have to take care of," said Jinwoo.

"Do not worry about this. I am not only here to deliver your new ID, Hunter Sung. I am also here to speak with Hunter Uzumaki over a certain matter that needs to be discussed," said Jinchul.

"There is still something?" asked Naruto, confused. "I thought we already discussed everything yesterday when you visited me with your colleague."

"This has nothing to do with the previous matter, Hunter Uzumaki," said Jinchul. "But I would welcome it if we could discuss this in private."

"Oh," said Jinwoo, looking at Joohee. The two lovebirds got the hint pretty quickly that it was time to go. "When will you leave the hospital, Naruto? Let's go to our usual place to celebrate when you are free to go."

Naruto grinned at Jinwoo's question and said, "For sure! I can leave the hospital in about two days if nothing changes with my condition."

"Ok, we will visit again. Take care, Naruto," said Jinwoo.

"It was nice to see you again, Naruto. I hope you stay healthy and don't push yourself too hard," said Joohee with a gentle smile. Naruto smiled and nodded. "I promise," said Naruto.

Joohee nodded, satisfied. She knew that Naruto would never break a promise, so she could leave without any worries about him pushing himself too far during his time in the hospital.

Naruto watched as his visitors left the room, leaving him and Jinchul Woo alone. Jinchul remained silent during their goodbyes. He was professional, as always. "So, Mister Woo, what did you want to discuss?" asked Naruto with a more neutral expression on his face.

"Someone wished to meet you, but so far, we have stopped this person from meeting you since there were a few things we needed to confirm for ourselves," said Jinchul.

"Someone wants to meet me? Is it someone else from the hunter association?" asked Naruto.

"No. It was someone on the back-up team who discovered you lying on the altar," said Jinchul.

"Uhm… okay? Why does this hunter want to meet with me, and why didn't you simply let this hunter visit me?" asked Naruto.

"There were a few dungeons that needed to be cleared first, and the hunter in question was asked to clear those dungeons first with her guild. There would also be the information that the hunter in question is an S-Rank Hunter. If you didn't know it, S-Rank hunters always get monitored because of their importance for our country," said Jinchul.

"What? An S-Rank hunter?" asked Naruto, confused. Why would an S-Rank hunter want something from him? Well, he knew an S-Rank hunter personally, but the S-Rank hunter in question had already retired and was now living a pretty normal life as a bartender. Naruto had visited his pub a few times, and they became good friends. Naruto drank at the bar while the S-Rank hunter poured him a few drinks from time to time.

"Yes. Right now, the hunter in question and her guild are dealing with an A-Rank dungeon that needs to be cleared before a dungeon break could occur," said Jinchul.

"But why are you personally coming here to say this to me? I would say a message over the phone would have been sufficient enough," said Naruto.

"You made a great sacrifice and were willing to die for your comrades during the incident with the double dungeon. The chairman wanted to grant you a little bit of time to be able to recover fully. If you would be visited by the S-Rank hunter in question, you would get a lot of attention from the media," said Jinchul. "We from the hunter association wanted to give you the chance to recover fully before you were thrown into the spotlight if you chose to associate with the S-Rank hunter in question."

"Oh, I see. Yeah… I don't really like the spotlight if I can avoid it," said Naruto, a little embarrassed, chuckling nervously. "But I would never decline a meeting with someone if he didn't give me a good reason to avoid said person."

"I see," said Jinchul. "Then I will depart again and let you recover." He turned around before stopping, looking toward Naruto again. "Are you not interested in who the S-Rank hunter is?" asked Jinchul.

"Well… I just thought you didn't say the name of the S-Rank hunter for a reason, so I didn't ask for the hunter's name," said Naruto. "Besides, I will uncover the name of the S-Rank hunter who wants to see me the second I see him or her."

"I see, but this isn't a great secret. The hunter in question is the S-Rank hunter Hae-in Cha," said Jinchul.

Naruto raised both eyebrows, hearing the name of the ninth S-Rank hunter of Korea. If what he heard was true, then Hae-in Cha became an S-Rank hunter two years ago and joined the Hunters guild shortly after. She was called one of the most beautiful women in Korea. She was admired by many. Women admired her beauty and behavior, and men admired her for obvious reasons Naruto didn't need to say.

"I understand now why this would get me into a difficult position when one of the most admired hunters in Korea wants to see me. I am an average D-Rank hunter," said Naruto.

"Please, don't downgrade yourself, Hunter Uzumaki. You are more than just an average D-Rank hunter. You have strength outside of your abilities as a Hunter. You are a hero to a small group already," said Jinchul before he bowed and exited the room.

Naruto sighed, looking at the window screen that popped up when Jinwoo and Joohee walked into the room. He ignored it until now so he didn't raise any suspicion. He actually wanted to speak with Jinwoo in private, but the situation didn't allow it since Jinchul came.

[A new Quest arrived!

Title: The potential of the weak

Description: Jinwoo Sung was an E-Rank hunter who walked on death's door during his entire career as a hunter. Thanks to your guidance, he never lost hope and walked forward with strength he would never have gotten if you hadn't stepped into his life. Thanks to your friendship with him, letting his willpower never waver, he was granted a second Awakening and became an A-Rank hunter.

But this isn't the limit of his potential. Jinwoo Sung has qualified himself to become a Player as well. Meet with Jinwoo Sung privately at the marked location on the map so he can undertake his test and see if he is truly qualified to be a player.

Time: One Month.

If this Quest can't be completed, the Player will get a Penalty.]

Naruto saw something akin to a mini map open up from Seoul, the city he lived in. A red dot marked a specific location. 'So Jinwoo could also become a Player and get even stronger?' thought Naruto. He didn't really know if he really wanted to meet with Jinwoo there and let him undertake the test for him to become a potential Player. If it were anything like the experience Naruto had to go through, then he would never let Jinwoo take this test.

Jinwoo might be an A-Rank hunter now, but he was still the same old Jinwoo Naruto knew. His mind would never live through the hell Naruto experienced without being permanently damaged by traumas he couldn't overcome so easily. Jinwoo was finally happy and had luck in his life with his second awakening and his relationship with Joohee. If he took the Test so the System could see if Jinwoo was truly qualified, then everything could be destroyed.

He would have to think hard about this. 'What a drag… this just gives me a headache,' thought Naruto. He shook his head, stood up from the bed, and went down to begin his daily strength training so he wouldn't miss the daily quest. The workout would also take his mind off things.

'Let's see where this goes,' thought Naruto, beginning with his push-ups for the day.