After non-stop action throughout the last couple of episodes, Solo Leveling takes a breather in the latest one to highlight how past wounds continue to affect the lives of people in different ways. Jinwoo’s rapid escalation in the Hunter hierarchy also comes to an unexpected and abrupt halt, and he coincidentally veers right back into the sordid past that empowered him in the first place. On the other hand, competition among Hunter organizations starts picking up pace as the emergence of a new guild gains the attention of former powerhouses.

In the previous episode, thanks to doubling up on his training stats, Jinwoo got a special loot item—the key to an S-ranked special dungeon—which will allow him to get a mysterious ‘Elixir of Life’—a cure for any form of ailment. In order to obtain it to cure his mother’s mysterious affliction, Jinwoo takes on a Cerberus,...