"Hmmm… think, think, think, Steven, think," he muttered, trying to remember any characters with red hair who were associated with devils.
"Rias Gremory?""Nah... definitely not her."He was sure of it.
"But then... who could it be?"
Just as he was lost in thought, a glowing yellow notification floated in front of him.
[Task Available]
[World: Solo Leveling – Jeju Island Arc]
[Operatives: Admin_Tarnished, RedHairedDevil, 5th_Hokage, GodWannabe]
[Objective: Jeju Island is under siege. Beru, the Ant King, and Jin-Woo are set to collide. Your mission: stir the chaos and alter the outcome—without taking sides.]
[Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆]
[Time Limit: 24 hours]
[Rewards – Success (All Operatives):+100 System Points+10% Skill Proficiency (one skill)Random Item (Common–Rare)
Individual Bonuses:Minor Ability (World-Based, Temporary)
[Death: Permanent Termination.]
"What...?" he muttered. He had just completed a mission this morning—and now another one popped up?
"What is going on…?"
And this one was a team mission?
"..."
"Hey, System... friendly fire is off, right?" he asked nervously.
[Friendly Fire: OFF]
"Phew, thank god," he muttered, relieved. At least he wouldn't get killed by any chat group members. Tsunade wouldn't do it… but that RedHairedDevil? Not sure.
As he reread the mission contents, he asked:
"System... are you sure Tsunade and that red-haired devil can stand against Beru and Sung Jin-Woo? And Light—will his Death Note even work there?"
[Yes.]
"...I mean… then it won't be that hard," he said, lying back on the bed.
His mind started racing with ideas on how to approach this mission. The only wildcard was that RedHairedDevil…
He ignored the rest of the group as they discussed the mission.
Then a new message popped up in the chat group:
[Access to initiate the mission is restricted to: Admin]
"Wait..." he said, narrowing his eyes at the screen.
"So you're not going to throw me into the mission without asking this time??"
[5th_Hokage: Hey Tarnished Guy start the mission I am itching for a fight]
[RedHairedDevil: I agree with 5th Hokage.]
"..."
"These guys are so desperate…" Steven muttered, rubbing his temple.
Right then, another message popped up:
[GodWannabe: WAIT! Don't start it. Give me some time to prepare a little.]
Steven blinked at the screen."At least someone has common sense."
With a sigh, he got up from the bed, stretching his arms above his head. The city noise of New York buzzed faintly outside his apartment window. Horns. Sirens. That one guy screaming for no reason—yep, still there.
"I'm not jumping into a mission smelling like two-day-old ramen and regret."
He walked into the bathroom, brushing his teeth while glancing occasionally at the glowing yellow notification that refused to disappear. Then came the quick shower, fresh clothes, and yeah—he even sprayed a little cologne.
"Okay, let's see what I can do..." he muttered, cracking his knuckles as he stared at the mission prompt again. "I could stick close to Tsunade, play support, maybe even let the others do the heavy lifting while I run backline ops. Things might work out."
His eyes narrowed.
"Or everything goes to hell in five seconds and I end up fighting an ant the size of a bus."
He sighed and moved the cursor over the button.
[Initiate Mission]
"...Screw it. Let's get this over with."
Click.
The moment he pressed it, a countdown appeared on screen.
[Mission Initialization – 3...]
A low hum filled the room. The lights flickered again.
[2...]
Steven felt the air get heavy, like gravity had suddenly decided to double just to mess with him.
[1...]
A flash of golden light swallowed him whole.
[Transferring to Mission World: Solo Leveling – Jeju Island Arc]
—
FWOOOSH!
The next moment, Steven's boots hit solid ground—dust and debris flying around his ankles. The scent of salt, ash, and burning flesh hit him all at once. Screams echoed faintly in the distance, the crashing of waves against a ruined coastline, and the screeches of monstrous ants swarming the horizon.
Just as he was taking in his surroundings, a sharp gust of wind slammed into the ground nearby—kicking up dirt and sand as a figure landed with force.
A tall blonde woman in a green cloak stepped out of the dust, chakra softly pulsing around her like a heartbeat. Her eyes locked on him.
"Took your damn time," she said, arms crossed, clearly unimpressed.
Steven smirked. "Well, you know… had to freshen up. Wouldn't want to meet Lady Tsunade Senju while smelling like ramen and body spray."
She froze. "...What did you just call me?"
He tilted his head slightly, playing it cool. "Tsunade Senju. That is your name, right?"
Her brows furrowed. She hadn't told anyone in the chat group her full name—not even once. As far as the group was concerned, she was just 5th_Hokage. And she sure as hell didn't remember giving it away in casual conversation.
Her eyes narrowed.
"How do you know that name?"
Steven shrugged, stepping forward like it was no big deal. "I'm the Admin, remember? Tarnished. I get... glimpses."
She scanned him with a hardened gaze, subtle chakra pulsing into her eyes. Medical-grade detection techniques. Sensory probing.
Nothing.
No chakra.
No signature.
No presence.
He was standing right in front of her, and it was like he wasn't even there.
"Impossible…" she thought. "Even the most basic civilian leaks some kind of chakra flow. But this guy… it's like he's made of fog. No trace. No pulse. Nothing."
He watched her confusion build and smiled just a little.
"You're wondering why you can't sense me, huh?"
She didn't answer. Just stared.
"Good. That means it's working," he muttered to himself.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "He's not an ordinary guy. Either he's masking himself with something way beyond Kage level, or… he's not even chakra-based."
"Relax, Tsunade," Steven said casually, looking out toward the battlefield. "I'm not here to fight you. We're on the same side..."
"You really are something else," she muttered under her breath, keeping a cautious distance. "You don't act like a shinobi, but you're not clueless either."
Steven smirked, eyes scanning the horizon. "Let's just say... I make it a habit to know more than I should."
And just then, the earth rumbled beneath their feet—distant screeches growing louder.
Tsunade's expression shifted. "Something's coming."
Steven cracked his knuckles. "Then let's welcome them."