Start at Solo Leveling: Instant Death Touch!

Yon-Woo stood in front of the unregistered dungeon gate with his hood pulled down over his face. Low-ranking Hunters often found ways to get in, like using fake IDs, paying off people quietly, or even lower-ranking guild members with bad values. It seemed like Yon-Woo was being more careful. He bought a temporary pass from a minor guild member who was high on cheap alcohol and easy money. It wouldn't hold up under close inspection, but that's not a problem. He had no plans to stay for long.

 Yon-Woo let his senses get used to the dungeon's atmosphere once he got inside. The air smelled damp and rotten. Along the cave walls, thick roots curled up and moved a little, as if they were living. He saw a few Hunters moving ahead of him in groups. They were quiet and focused as they talked. As beginners, they were eager but careless. He kept his distance and watched as they fought.

 They fought a pack of dungeon dogs as a pair. Blades flashed. A man with a spear pushed forward, and the edge of his weapon touched the side of a beast. A woman with two knives charged at the throat of another wolf. The kills were awkward, but they worked. Yon-Woo narrowed his eyes as he saw their mistakes: shaky steps and wasted moves. It wouldn't be hard to fit in.

 His main goal was to see how well he could do in a fight. It would die right away if he reached out and touched something, but that wasn't enough. He had to hide it and make it part of normal fighting. A fake crash, maybe.

 He saw a lone dungeon wolf standing on the edge of the fight, not wanting to get involved. Wonderful. Yon-Woo moved with studied ease and put himself in its way on purpose. When it charged, he turned his body just a little, letting its nose touch his bare wrist.

 It died before it even hit the ground when the animal fell in the middle of its jump.

 Yon-Woo quickly rolled to the side and put his hand on his shoulder, as if he had just barely escaped an attack. No one was paying attention to him. The other Hunters were fighting too much. He felt a rush of strength go through him right away. The wolf's power wasn't very strong, but even half of it made his body feel a little stronger.

 It worked.

 Yon-Woo felt better and kept working on improving his method. He set himself up so that monsters could touch his bare skin during fights. The monsters died quickly and no one noticed. As it dove toward him, something that looked like a bat screeched and touched his face. One more drop, and another kill without a sound. Every time, the power he gained built up slowly over time.

 Something wasn't right with the Hunters around him, but they couldn't put their finger on it. It looked like the monsters were dying too quickly. Someone talked about a support affect that couldn't be seen. Yon-Woo smiled under his hood.

Yon-Woo flexed his fingers and felt a small change in how strong his grip was. It wasn't much—just a few dozen low-level monsters gathered together—but it was there. His muscles felt denser, and his moves were a little faster. He was almost at the top of what a normal person could do. Still, it wasn't enough.

 He was still weak.

 His skill let him take away half of his target's physical strength, but these underground monsters weren't very dangerous. Slowly, their strength added up and just barely pushed him past what an unskilled fighter could do. It was time for something stronger.

 But right now, being quiet was more important.

 The group of low-level Hunters moved deeper into the cave. Their slow, careful pace showed how little experience they had. Yon-Woo stayed near the edges and blended in with the people who were still behind. So far, it had been too easy. His plan worked. With a flick of his hand and a small move to the right, he stopped another monster in the middle of an attack. Still, no one had doubts about it.

 Still.

 Then there was a voice that broke the quiet.

 "Hey."

 Yon-Woo took a quick look up. A Hunter, a thin guy with sharp eyes, stood in front of him. His nametag said Han Gil, and he wasn't looking at the dungeon dogs ahead like the others were. He looked Yon-Woo right in the eye.

 "I've been watching you."

 Yon-Woo kept a neutral look on his face. "Yeah?"

 "You don't fight very often, but you're still here." "You didn't get hurt or come close." "Isn't that strange?" Han Gil spoke in a relaxed way, but his eyes were fixed on something. "What's your rank again?"

 Yon-Woo got a chill down his spine. He thought that people would eventually notice, but not so quickly. He couldn't afford to be really suspicious—not yet.

 He laughed out of nervousness. "D-Class. "I understand when to move." He tapped his head. "Good instincts, I guess."

 Han Gil didn't seem to be persuaded. "That so?"

 Another Hunter yelled before Yon-Woo could answer. "Monsters incoming!"

 A group of dungeon wolves snarled as they came out of the darkness. The Hunters got ready for fight. Han Gil paused. For a moment, his instincts overrode his suspicion.

 Yon-Woo saw his chance.

 As the wolves charged, he quickly moved and hid behind another Hunter. One lunged at him, giving him a great chance. He let its claws rub against his arm, which was out in the open.

 Death right away.

 The wolf fell down in the air. For everyone else, it looked like it went too far and landed wrong. A lucky break.

 Yon-Woo let out a breath, but Han Gil's eyes met his again when he turned around. Something the man saw. Not sure, but enough to keep an eye on things.

 Yon-Woo snapped his tongue. Okay. Not far enough.

 He had to work on his act. The next time, a simple dodge won't work.