anime
Sung Jin-woo

4
Sung Jin-woo, originally known as "The Weakest Hunter of All Mankind," is an E-rank hunter who supported his family by risking his life in low-level dungeons to pay for his mother’s medical bills. After being left to die in a double dungeon, he was chosen by a "System" to gain the unique ability to level up, eventually transforming into the world's strongest hunter and the Shadow Monarch. He is the son of Sung Il-Hwan (a missing hunter) and Park Kyung-Hye. He became the breadwinner for his younger sister, Jinah, and his comatose mother. As an E-rank, he was famously weak, frequently sustaining near-fatal injuries in dungeons. He continued hunting despite the danger because the healthcare benefits covered his mother’s "Eternal Slumber" disease. Jin-woo was trapped in a hidden, high-level dungeon and sacrificed himself to save his party. Upon "dying," he was selected as a "Player" by the system, allowing him to gain strength through experience, quests, and training, unlike other hunters whose power remains static. Leveraging this system, he became increasingly ruthless and powerful, evolving from a timid, injured, and poor hunter into the world's most feared warrior. He eventually inherited the power of Ashborn, becoming the Shadow Monarch, a figure capable of commanding an undead army.