Summary
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InSolo Leveling, Sung Jin-Woo can extract the shadows of his fallen enemies, giving them a chance to serve under his name and honor. However, the shadow extraction skill also has restrictions that limit its true form and potential. And because of this, many are wondering why Jin-Woo did not extract Goto Ryuji’s shadow inSolo Leveling.
Jeju Island becomes the perfect stage for the first public appearance ofSung Jin-Woo’s army of shadows. From Igris to Iron, along with the rest of his shadows, they face off against the mutated ants that have overrun the once-thriving island. But before Jin-Woo arrived on the battlefield, many hunters had already died on the scene, including Japan’s strongest hunter, Goto Ryuji.
This section contains spoilers from theSolo Levelingmanhwa and novel.
How Did Goto Ryuji Die on Jeju Island?
The Final Moments of Japan’s Strongest Hunter
Goto Ryuji was Japan’s strongest hunter who offered to help Korea in their fourth attempt to raid Jeju Island. He was one of the 16 S-rank hunters who braved thecalamity that is the Ant Queenand her countless children. Along with nine other members of the Draw Sword Guild, Goto Ryuji did his part in drawing out the ants from the Queen’s nest for the sake of the Korean hunters.
In reality, Goto Ryuji was collaborating with Shigeo Matsumoto, the chairman of the Japanese Hunter’s Association. They planned to drive the Korean hunters to their death by entrusting them with the core part of the raid, which was highly unusual for the Japanese hunters who loved showing off. True enough, in the middle of the raid, Goto ordered his team to withdraw from the battlefield until unexpected problems arose.
“Goto Ryuji. He’s definitely no ordinary man."—Go Gun-Hee
The existence of the Black Ant, otherwise known as the Ant King, destroyed Japan’s dishonest scheme in an instant. Goto, brimming with confidence, fought the Ant King alone, with a plan to slice up his opponent into hundreds of little, fine pieces. However, he misjudged the true strength of the Ant King, leading to his tragic demise. As soon as the Ant King moved, Goto’s severed head also hit the ground. Too bad, staying with Goto throughout the raid was far from the perfect way for the Japanese hunters to survive.
The Impact of Goto Ryuji’s Death
Goto Ryuji’s death, along with the deaths of his guild members, revealed thedishonest scheme of Shigeo Matsumototo the Korean Hunter Association, especially to Chairman Go Gun-Hee. After losing Goto, Shigeo went to Korea in the hopes of recruiting Sung Jin-Woo. He was even willing to give up Japan’s share of all the magic crystals from Jeju Island in exchange for Jin-Woo.
Naturally, Shigeo’s plans failed as Go Gun-Hee was already aware of the real situation. He even had evidence of the dishonest scheme which Jin-Woo recovered from Jeju Island. It was a black box, the size of a stamp, that was attached to a communication device. By using an MP3 player, Go Gun-Hee played the sound file extracted from the box in which Goto Ryuji’s voice can be heard.
“This man is the only hunter that can rival Liu Zhigang in Asia."—Go Gun-Hee to Goto Ryuji
Later in the story, Japan will face an even greater dilemma than the Jeju Island disaster.A giant gate will appearin the middle of the streets of Tokyo, forcing the Draw Sword Guild and the rest of the guilds in the country to seek help from neighboring nations. With Goto Ryuji gone, Shigeo Matsumoto’s downfall will become inevitable.
Why Didn’t Jin-Woo Extract Goto Ryuji’s Shadow?
He Could Have Been a Powerful Shadow
Unlike Min Byung-Gu, Jin-Woo did not extract Goto Ryuji’s shadow on Jeju Island even afterdefeating the Ant King. It was quite unusual, considering Jin-Woo’s tendency to extract powerful creatures to join his army. That said, many were curious why Jin-Woo never thought of using Goto Ryuji’s shadow, as he could have been a powerful servant capable of leading his army.
The reality is that it was not possible for Jin-Woo to extract Goto Ryuji at all. As revealed in theSolo Levelingnovel, particularly in chapter 123, his remains were nowhere to be seen. While Jin-Woo detected traces ofGoto Ryuji’s remaining magic energyin the vicinity of the island, he was unable to find his body. Without a body, Jin-Woo couldn’t extract Goto’s shadow at all.
“His attacks aren’t something that I can’t avoid."—Sung Jin-Woo to Goto Ryuji
Because of this, Jin-Woo assumed that the Ant King had completely devoured Goto Ryuji and absorbed his strength. After all, Jin-Woo instantly noticed how the Ant King imitated Goto’s speech pattern during their first encounter, which could explain why the Ant King could speak human language in the first place. In the end, all Jin-Woo could do was tut to himself at Goto’s ultimately meaningless death before he left the island.
Goto Ryuji could have been a powerful shadow soldier, placing him on the same level as Iron, Tank, or even Igris inSolo Leveling. However,extracting a human’s shadowstill felt morally questionable, regardless of their strength. It’s disrespectful to the dead, although Jin-Woo never outright confirmed whether he was against the idea. After all, Jin-Woo extracted Hwang Dong-Soo’s shadow later in the series.
