Solo Leveling: Monarch of Knowledge (What If)

With this chapter i think i reached a satisfying point, so now i will stock up for Patreon.

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(Thursday, May 16, 2026 – 11:34 PM)

The walk back was quiet, the city's nightlife passing by in a blur of lights.

His mind wasn't on the hunters at the E-Rank gate or the streets of Alessandria, it was on his next step.

By the time he reached his apartment, he had already made up his mind.

Stepping inside, he locked the door, took off his shoes, and changed into comfortable training clothes, loose-fitting sweatpants and a sleeveless shirt.

Unlike before, there would be no stretches tonight.

[Host, sit down.]

Adam lowered himself onto the floor, crossing his legs as he let his arms rest loosely on his knees.

[Now, breathe.]

His brow furrowed slightly. That was it? Just breathing?

Still, he had learned not to underestimate anything. If Awà told him to breathe, then there had to be a reason.

Adam let Awà guide him as he took a deep inhale. A slow, measured breath.

Then another.

But soon, he realized, this wasn't normal breathing.

The pattern was deliberate, structured, almost like an intricate machine working in precise synchronization.

The more he inhaled, the more oxygen flooded into his system, saturating his blood, pushing through every artery, every capillary. His heart began to accelerate, its rhythm shifting from a steady drumbeat to a pounding war drum.

More blood. More oxygen. More pressure.

Then came the heat.

His core temperature began rising rapidly, sweat forming quickly as his entire circulatory system worked overtime.

His heart, a muscle like any other, was being pushed beyond its limits.

Then, it ruptured.

A sharp, splitting pain shot through his chest as his cardiac muscles tore under the strain.

His vision blurred, his body convulsing slightly, but before complete failure..

The nano machines rebuilt it.

Cell by cell. Stronger. Denser. More efficient.

The pain was immediate, unbearable. Worse than yesterday.

His veins stretched, expanding under the increased blood flow. The walls of his arteries thickened, adapting to the violent new rhythm. His lungs burned, feeling like they would collapse, only to be restored, their capacity forcefully expanded.

It wasn't just his heart. Every organ, every tissue, every system was being rebuilt in real time.

The pain was all-consuming. His muscles trembled. His skin was drenched in sweat. His white scleras turned bloodshot, veins standing out against his skin like a network of pulsing cables.

And yet, he refused to fall.

[Pain is one of the greatest tools to forge willpower, Host.]

Awà's voice was calm, clinical. She wasn't offering comfort, she was observing, measuring, ensuring the process was absolute.

Adam gritted his teeth, his entire body shaking violently.

His very existence felt like it was on fire.

But he endured.

Even as his heart ruptured and rebuilt again.

Even as his organs screamed for relief before being reborn stronger.

Even as his bones ached under the strain of an oxygen-flooded system, their density shifting to accommodate the new load.

Pain was the price. And he was paying it in full.

....

(Friday, May 17, 2026 – 6:00 AM)

Adam had been breathing for hours.

The cycle had continued, unrelenting, throughout the entire night. His heart ruptured and rebuilt itself over and over, his lungs expanded, shrank, and expanded again, his veins stretched and adapted to the new oxygen levels that forced their way through his system.

Pain had become his entire world, but he never once stopped.

Only when the first light of dawn crept through his window did Awà's voice ring in his mind.

[Host, the session is complete.]

His body trembled, muscles aching in a way that went beyond exhaustion. Every fiber of his being felt like it had been torn apart and put back together.

Slowly, Adam uncrossed his legs, his breath still heavy. His skin glistened with sweat, his body overheated from the intense metabolic process.

He pushed himself up, unsteady at first, before walking into the bathroom.

The moment the cold water hit his skin, he exhaled deeply. The sensation was almost shocking after the hellish heat his body had endured.

The water ran red for a moment, micro-tears in his skin, blood from ruptured vessels, waste products from cells that had been completely broken down and rebuilt.

He let the water cleanse him before drying off and heading straight to bed.

The second his head hit the pillow, he was out.

....

(Sunday, May 19, 2026 – 8:32 AM)

His eyes opened to silence.

The soft glow of morning light filtered through the window, casting long shadows across the room. Adam lay there for a moment, his mind catching up to the fact that it was no longer Friday.

Frowning, he turned his head toward the clock. 8:32 AM.

His brows furrowed as he sat up.

'Awà… why did I sleep this long? What about my training?'

[Rest is also training, Host.]

She continued before he could respond.

[For two days, I used controlled mana exposure to repair and reinforce your genetic makeup. Breaking it down was necessary, but restoring it correctly was just as important.]

Adam rubbed his temple, processing. Two whole days…

'And what about my awakening?'

[I have temporarily halted it for now. Raising your mana affinity while keeping you unawakened will yield better results in the long run.]

He exhaled deeply before swinging his legs over the edge of the bed.

His body felt… different.

Stronger. Lighter. More coordinated.

Standing up, he headed straight for the bathroom.

The moment he pulled off his clothes and stood in front of the mirror, he could see the difference.

His once faint, barely defined muscles were now more visible, his shoulders broader, his chest and arms carrying more tone. He wasn't massive, but compared to his previous office-worker body, the change was noticeable.

His height had increased again.

[180 cm.] Awà confirmed before he even asked.

Adam rolled his shoulders, feeling the subtle shift in his posture.

Without dwelling too much, he stepped into the shower, letting the warm water run over him.

The soreness from his training was completely gone. Every part of him felt brand new.

Once he was done, he dried off and threw on some casual clothes.

Stepping into the living room, he sat down on the sofa, letting everything settle in.

....

(9:04 AM)

Adam picked up the remote control, pressing the power button. The TV flickered to life, the screen illuminating the room with the morning news.

A serious-looking male news anchor sat at his desk, the station's logo rotating in the corner. Behind him, a blurred hospital scene was displayed.

"We begin with tragic news regarding the E-Rank gate that appeared on Thursday evening in Alessandria. While initially considered low-risk, the dungeon proved far deadlier than expected."

Adam's eyes narrowed slightly.

"At approximately 3 AM on Friday, during the final phase of the raid, the hunting party suffered severe casualties. Five hunters lost their lives, and the others were critically injured. Survivors are currently receiving treatment at Alessandria General Hospital."

The screen transitioned, revealing an interview segment.

The camera cut to a woman seated in a wheelchair, her face bearing new scars, her expression a mix of exhaustion and grief. Bandages covered parts of her arms and shoulders, but the most striking detail was her missing legs.

The D-Rank squad captain.

[Angela Conti.]

The caption read beneath her name.

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