There are some people who are so deeply enamored with fiction that they often find themselves daydreaming about other worlds beyond our material one. They insert themselves into the fantastical worlds of their favourite books, shows, and films in order to escape from the humdrum - or savagery depending on your situation - of the everyday. Authors experience this in a similar form, only the world that they want to inhabit is the one that they have created. It says a lot about an author when they insert themselves into the story, and almost always entails the question of how far into the literature should one go. Does one simply insert themselves, as is, with no regard for whether they're physical form fits or matches with their fictional world? Conversely, does one change oneself and then insert their personal avatar into the world effectively maintaining a strange status quo? Kim Se-hun goes for the later in these chapters.
Disguised as an old man, Se-hun's conversation with HLW gives us a stronger understanding of him as an author and character. No doubt there are many people who still struggle to come to grips with how HLW often acts and interacts with those around him. His personality is one that is difficult at the best of times to pin down. This makes him a hard character to like, and an even harder character to relate with. The use of a proxy narrator affords Se-hun the chance to clear the air about HLW's personality, while creating potential tangents upon which the story can springboard off of into new directions. Of all the questions asked of HLW during these chapters, the most fundamental one has proven to be the conundrum of which world to save. As of yet, there has been no outstanding issues affecting both the real world and Lucid Adventure, but given the author's insertion into the story, it would seem that we now have a better understanding of the direction he intends to go. Se-hun has already set up the ground work for this particular conflict in having real world corporations as active participants of Lucid Adventure. He has even gone so far as to have some characters comment about the surreal reality of their circumstances within the game world, with people citing how the game world feels more real than the real world. Given the difficulties of his real world living, it doesn't come across as a surprise when HLW states that he would rather save Lucid Adventure than the real world. There is a gripping naivety in his pronouncement of this statement that marks his character in a manner that wasn't readily apparent before he makes this statement. Without the real world, how can the game world possibly survive? In attempting to answer this question it becomes clear that there is still a lot more left for HLW to go through before the conclusion of his story. In a very immediate sense, there are multiple plots being juggled by Se-hun. As of yet, HLW and his companions are still slated to fight in the next stage of the tournament - a trial that is sure to prove herculean given the quality of combatants seen thus far. In preparation for these trials, we have been introduced to the concept of Hohoians, Dark has powered up significantly, Sora's Ego Sword continues to upgrade itself, several Hohoians have sided with HLW's party, and Heart Heater is aiding the trio in acquiring new skills and experience in anticipation of the battles to come. Amidst these central protagonists, Giga continues propagate their influence, Sad Smile continues to build his strength in the shadows, and we continue to be flummoxed by the relationship between the new Explorer and HLW. In the foreground of ALL this background noise, HLW's need to acquire funds to meet his quota in the real world allow him to speak with the author and pulls Sad Smile's schemes under the spotlight. The author is effectively the god of any world that they create. By their design things happen, fortune rise and fall, characters are killed, and nations are laid to rest. It should come as no surprise that when an author writes his/herself into a story of their creation, they tend to be ridiculously overpowered. The mysterious writer serving as Kim Se-hun's avatar is no less than this as he easily sets about dispatching enemies that our protagonists struggles against, while wielding a sword that our protagonist struggles to lift, all while emphasizing that he uses skills of which our protagonist has no knowledge. Let it never be said that HARDCORE LEVELING WARRIOR is a dull series! Written By: ALAN "VIENNA" SINGH
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Every week I stress that Kim Se-hun of HARDCORE LEVELING WARRIOR is an author who values uniqueness. While each manhwa artist certainly possesses their individual style when it comes to writing, drawing, and conceptualizing there are only a handful that embrace this quality so completely. SIU's TOWER OF GOD, and SAKK's HELLPER are two series that manage their unique nature to powerful effect, and Se-hun has drawn on a similar energy with his work. The recently translated double chapter of HARDCORE LEVELING WARRIOR is a testament to his specific brand of flexibility, humor, and mastery.
Se-hun has been introducing us to a wide range of concepts that populate the world of Lucid Adventure. In traditional RPG format there are a range of classes for PCs to undertake at their leisure, but each class is enhanced by a personal attribute that is locked into place upon character creation. The concept of classes and attributes is not a new one, but in Se-hun's hands they become something all together fantastical in nature. The very idea of personalized attributes is an intoxicating one as it allows for an infinitesimal combination of character abilities and skills regardless of class. Making these inherent abilities still more complex, Se-hun has personal attributes sealed for each character until they have completed an unspecified task or action. This generally makes figuring out one's personal attribute a significant hassle for new players, and in some cases proves itself to be a formidable obstacle for any user attempting to rise up in the rankings. While this certainly sounds good on paper, the real world implications of having so much variability are difficult if not impossible to process by current technological standards. Even if contemporary technology did allow for this level of customization at a root level, players would still be baffled and frustrated by the inability to easily acquire their attribute. Fortunately, Se-hun thinks of these exact same issues, and so there are characters whose special attribute revolves around helping others acquire their special attribute! Simple, but ingenious. Beyond variation, Se-hun's take on class and attributes serves a secondary purpose as it brings together otherwise unrelated elements of the story. Dark and Pooh Upooh share the Dark Mage class, Sora and Lila are both Fighters, and Armes and the heterochromia touched belle are both Explorers. Ironic how Se-hun is exploring his way into webtoons and the leader of the guild that inspired HLW to good deeds is lead by a explorer. These shared classifications have allowed for the current main cast of characters to expand their range of capability by learning from their contemporaries. These secondary characters that share classes with the central protagonists have subsequently become critical players in aiding HLW, and thus driving the plot. How this will factor into the newly minted heterochromia character remains to be seen as HLW and friends sort out Pooh Upooh's quest. The twists and turns of HARDCORE LEVELING WARRIOR don't stop with fresh concepts. Sad Smile has proven himself to be a crafty villain, and his role in bringing about the end of Zara Guild is an awe-inspiring accolade. It comes as no surprise then that he has no intention of being content with his position as lord of Cobalt Castle. Proving that greed has no limits, Sad Smile's machinations slowly begin to overlap with those of the mystery woman that murdered HLW during the very first chapter. He reveals his design in taking a cursed weapon crafted from Lazie's horn - a horn that the mystery woman had cut from Lazie herself in order to obtain the ire of a devil. From his discussion with Little Beard we know that he intends to face his former allies, Giga, but to what ends and with what aid is something that has yet to be made known to us. It is, however, glaringly apparent that the weapons crafted from Lazie's horns are powerful items with an unspecified set bonus. Upon receiving the sister weapon crafted from these devil horns Dark's powers increase significantly in addition to nullifying the curse of the lake. Though Se-hun has yet to touch on how skill levels and leveling in general operates within Lucid Adventure, it can be assumed from Dark's battle against Axe Beard that they dictate the speed at which skills can be employed. This method of increasing character capability is yet another callback to traditional RPG paradigms as items play a crucial role in dictating the overall capabilities of a single user. Se-hun's use of items as an augmentative force additionally allows Dark to grow without having to throw the protagonists into a variety of missions to achieve the same effect via leveling. Kim Se-hun clearly has an overwhelming passion for game design, and his concepts feel incredibly fleshed out. HARDCORE LEVELING WARRIOR is really what it says on the tin even if you remove the titular protagonist because leveling up is one of the most commonplace aspects of RPGs. Really any hardworking character striving to become a legend in Lucid Adventure could have been made to hold the unofficial title of Hardcore Leveling Warrior. Instead of doing this, Se-hun place a strong emphasis on having a character named HLW perhaps because it speaks to his own personal creed. Only hard work is rewarded. There are many times when people struggle to hold to this belief, but Se-hun's story battles against this ideology. Even in the most adverse of circumstances we must get up and do what we can. Whether the results are desirable or not we have to move forward and keep trying is what Se-hun appears to be getting at as he explores HLW in the boundaries of his manhwa. How will things develop from this stage? Where is the leader of the Beard Gang? Perhaps we'll find out next chapter! Written By: ALAN "VIENNA" SINGH It doesn't take much for these last two chapters of HARDCORE LEVELING WARRIOR to wrap up to a point that readers have been anticipating for a long time. What with Constance's "betrayal" laid bare, Armes fate clarified, Sad Smile's acquisition of Cobalt Castle revealed and the fact that much of this story has taken place in the past, left little room for any kind of speculation. Suffice to say that things did not go well, and in a surprising twist our protagonist is not nearly as villainous as he was first made to seem. I didn't mind these developments, but they were certainly more outside of the box than I had initially anticipated. But that's what you get when you read Kim Se-hun's series, because at the end of the day that is exactly what it's all about. Thinking outside of the box.
Of course, that kind of methodology only really works for so long before people grow tired of the perpetual switch ups. In moments like these it is almost always to the benefit of the author to return to more natural modes of plot formation. So with this idea at the forefront, it isn't a surprise that these last two chapters were decidedly predictable. Without Armes' leadership to bind them together, Zara Guild naturally disbands and is absorbed into the larger Giga Guild. Constance - who finally activated his personal attribute - ends up sending HLW and Master Swordsman chasing after ghosts as he struggles with guilt over his betrayal. In the interest of protecting her guild members, Armes proves herself to be the ever-self-sacrificing figure as she gives into Giga's demands and subsequently quits playing Lucid Adventure. And thus a true tragedy of Shakespearean proportions unfolds to its fullest before returning back to the events at hand. In a way, learning what we have from this history lesson, HLW's personality makes more and more sense. The context has elevated HLW from a simple, cool, but hateful character to someone that you feel genuine empathy for. I'll stress yet again, however, that regardless of how hurt one person might be that doesn't give them the right to go lashing out at other people. During these chapters it became abundantly clear to me that I might never be alright with some of HLW's past actions, but that's just something that I'll have to deal with on my own time. Fortunately, the central protagonists of this story care nothing for my personal feelings and are quick to handle their own problems. In seeing HLW freaking out amongst his former companions, Sora and Dark find themselves in a state of concern for their friend despite his previous barbs about their fellowship. This allows the trio to reconcile their earlier outbursts, and reunifies the team once more in time for Heart Heater to send them on a new quest. While not explicitly stated by Heart Heater, it is certain that any quest set up by Pooh Upooh must be an exceedingly difficult quest for regular users to overcome. We know her to be an exceedingly powerful Black Mage, and given her capability it is difficult to say that any task she wasn't up to completing herself was without a high level of danger. Alternatively, given her position as one of the heads of Yopi Land, there may be a level of tedium to this quest that far outstrips her need for a personal intervention. Given that our heroes fall into a lake and become level one characters, I'm inclined to say that in this particular instance it is both difficulty and tedium that forced Pooh Upooh's hand in administering this quest. Interestingly, there appears to now be a new character with a heterochromatic eye condition following around HLW for as of yet unknown reasons. Traditionally, such characters know more than they let on, and generally hang around the central protagonists as a means to branch new plotlines. They also have a tendency to be hidden badasses, so to say that I'm looking forward to her development is a severe understatement of my exultation. Over the course of these chapters, Kim Se-hun has lead readers on a round trip of Lucid Adventures history. We now have a strong understanding of the current political climate, the key players, and how their interactions have had an affect on the greater world around them. HLW, Sora and Dark are seemingly caught up in the real world machination affecting the game, and this integration speaks deeply about how reliant human beings have become on technology as a source for both work and pleasure. This paradoxical dichotomy keeps HARDCORE LEVELING WARRIOR fresh in my mind, and its characters serve as strong vehicles for turning the bland topic into something worthwhile and engaging. These ideas and methodologies have built the series into a monolith amongst manhwa series, and is sure to attract more positive attention moving forward. Written By: ALAN "VIENNA" SINGH |
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