Solo Panicking

Unfamiliar Familiarity

Morning light streamed through the thin curtains of my new apartment, waking me from a restless sleep. I groaned and sat up, my body aching from exhaustion and the mental toll of the previous day. For a brief, blissful second, I had forgotten everything—forgotten that I had somehow landed in the world of Solo Leveling. But the unfamiliar sight of cardboard boxes and the faded beige walls reminded me all too quickly.

This was very real, not a strange dream. I got out of bed slowly, still half hoping I'd wake up from this nightmare, but my feet hit the cold floor, confirming my unwanted reality.

"Ack-! Okay, okay..."

I muttered to myself, trying to shake off the remnants of anxiety.

"First things first. Let's see what I have to work with."

I rummaged through the boxes, unpacking clothes, toiletries, and household necessities. There was nothing extraordinary here, just the bare essentials. As I picked up the papers from the backpack, I sat down to sift through them. A lease agreement, some utility bills, and—what was this?

It was the ID from earlier, a government-issued ID with my face on it, but the name wasn't quite right. It wasn't exactly my name, but a close approximation of it, like a translation. Now that I think about it, I'm even able to speak and understand Korean as well. Everything about the situation felt off like I was playing someone else's life while still being myself. This wasn't just an accident—someone or something had planted me here with all the tools I needed to live. But why? What could be so important for me to be here?

Before I could lose myself in more spiraling thoughts, my stomach growled loudly. Right. Breakfast. Food. That was one normal thing I could control...

"Crap, I need a new charger as well," I say to myself before standing up and walking towards my new wallet.

Grabbing the wallet, I decided to head out and explore the area. The streets were just as busy as yesterday, filled with people moving about their lives without a care in the world. Despite the overwhelming rush of it all, there was something almost comforting about the noise—like a soundtrack to normalcy that I so desperately craved.

I found a small convenience store nearby and picked up some instant ramen, bread, and a couple of other essentials. My eyes wandered to the magazine rack near the register. There he was again, Choi Jong-in, this time gracing the cover of a Hunter-related magazine with the headline, "Korea's Top S-Rank Hunter Discusses Future Dungeon Outbreaks."

My heart clenched as I looked at the magazine cover, feeling a slow but steady rising panic, reminding me yet again that this world wasn't just strange, it was dangerous. I couldn't just go about my day like I used to. There were places where people like me wouldn't last long. Places where a single mistake could mean death.

I paid for my items (and a new charger!) and hurried out of the store, feeling that familiar unease bubbling in my chest again. The streets, the people, everything around me felt suffocating. My mind whirled with thoughts of dungeons, monsters, and the inevitable destruction that would follow in the next year.

'The best way to survive is to not go near or in the gates. I doubt I'm awakened so that won't be hard.'

As I made my way back to the apartment, I caught sight of a small group of people gathered around what looked like an announcement board. Curious, I slowed down, edging closer to read what was posted.

It was a recruitment notice for Hunters. They were looking for volunteers to help with dungeon cleanups and low-level raids. My breath caught in my throat as I skimmed the details. These weren't major dungeons—the type that Sung Jinwoo or other top Hunters would be involved in—but still, they were dangerous enough. The thought of entering a dungeon, even a low-level one, sent a chill down my spine.

'Nope! No way,' I thought. 'There's no way I'm getting involved in that.'

But even as I walked away, the knowledge that I was powerless here lingered in my mind. The more I thought about it, the more that helplessness gnawed at me. I had knowledge—knowledge that could be valuable in this world. But I had no strength. No awakening magic to protect myself. No power to change anything. Just a regular old human, ignoring the fact I come from another world.

Back at the apartment, I stared at the unopened ramen package, my appetite lost. My gaze drifted to the key on the table and the address written on the slip of paper. This apartment felt like a start, a place someone had set up for me. I was meant to be here, but for what reason? Was this my chance to change something? To rewrite the story? Or was I meant to simply survive, like a background character in the chaos?

"I mean everything is going to be restarted anyways so what needs to be changed?" I say aloud in my quiet apartment

With a deep sigh, I set the food aside took out the new charging cord and plug, and finally plugged my phone in. Hopefully, I won't need to buy a new one. While waiting for my phone to charge, I stared at the ID, maybe it was time to find out more about who I was supposed to be here. It can't be a coincidence that this was already prepared for me. If this life had already been prepared for me, then maybe there were answers waiting to be uncovered. This couldn't be good, can it?

But there's something else as well, one thought kept nagging at the back of my mind. I couldn't avoid Sung Jinwoo forever.

"I mean I doubt I'm living right next door to him. So I could possibly never run into him! Is it really avoiding if we never meet?" I say aloud, sounding a bit more delusional than I meant to.

I groan while placing my face into my hands, "I just put it out into the universe didn't I? Fuck!"

My stomach growled in the next moment,

"..."

"Ok food first, panic about the future later"

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Thanks for reading! I going to try to update at least once a day while I'm still very into solo leveling but we shall see. If you have any suggestions on something you would like to see or for something for me to fix that would be great!