And why did it choose Jinwoo?
Minor manhwa spoilers ahead!
Summary:
- The System is what saved Jinwoo from death.
- Its mechanics resemble video games a lot.
- It was created by the Architect, who needed to create the strongest human vessel.
The System plays a big role in Solo Leveling (Ore dake Level Up na Ken). This is the thing that allowed Jinwoo to survive in the Double Dungeon, chose him as a player and made it possible for him to level up. But what is it really?
Video game-like mechanics
If you’re not just an otaku but also a gamer, you might have noticed that the System resembles a video game a lot: it gives Jinwoo quests and rewards him when he succeeds. There’s a leveling system with different skills and stats.
Jinwoo also has an unlimited inventory and even something like an in-game currency that he receives for completing quests and defeating opponents, which he can spend on various items.
There’s a reason why the System is so similar to a video game. It needed to have a simple interface so that it wouldn’t take humans much time to understand it and learn how to interact with it. Since video games are very popular with people, familiar mechanics make it easier for them to figure things out.
Who created it?
The System was created by the Architect, who is a major Solo Leveling character introduced later in the story. He is the hidden boss in the Double Dungeon, where the unfortunate mission of Jinwoo and his party took place.
He’s also the creator of the Statue of God that creeped the viewers out in the first episodes of the anime.
There’s another character you’ll see later in the story, Ashborn, and he is the one who needs a human vessel, and the strongest one possible. The Architect made some sort of pact with Ashborn, promising to help him find a suitable vessel. That’s why he created the System.
The System is designed to make a player’s body strong enough to harness Ashborn's powers, thus all the leveling up that Jinwoo’s experienced. And it’s also why the System is helping Jinwoo so much when it’s needed: it has to keep the player alive, so that he can get stronger and stronger.
This is also why Jinwoo receives notifications telling him to kill opponents, who pose danger to the main protagonist. The System is not only a way for Jinwoo to get stronger, but also his best ally, trying to keep him safe.
The System needed a powerful player, capable of surviving and evolving, and that’s why it chose Jinwoo. He displayed great intelligence and no matter how many times he was close to death, he always survived, so the System saw great potential in him.