Solo Leveling: What Is a Dungeon Break & How Dangerous Is It?

Solo Leveling is a South Korean novel series that has recently seen an anime adaptation. Arguably the most popular manhwa in the world, Solo Leveling is sure to attract a lot of attention, especially because the anime adaptation is truly great. While we’re enjoying the episodes, we have decided to cover some basic elements from the story. In this article, we are going to further explain some Dungeon-related concepts, as you are going to find out what a Dungeon Break in Solo Leveling is and just how dangerous it is. This is a reference to a recent anime moment, so we have decided to provide you with more details in this article.

A Dungeon Break happens if a Dungeon is not cleared (in time), and it can have devastating consequences

The Gates are one of the most important elements of the Solo Leveling lore, and before we actually rank them, we are going to tell you what they are. The Gates started to appear suddenly and are actually special magical portals that connect the real world to the Dungeons. On the other hand, the Dungeons themselves are places, actually fragments of the Chaos World, that can be entered through these Gates. There are several types of Gates and Dungeons – a topic we have already covered – ranging from traditional ones, especially Red Gates (and Dungeons), and Instant Dungeons. Save for Instant Dungeons, which are special, every Dungeon can – at one point or another – result in a Dungeon Break.

A Dungeon Break is a phenomenon in which the boundaries between a Dungeon and the human world are broken; this is basically when the barrier of the Gate is destroyed and what is inside a Dungeon can go outside, and not just vice versa. Originally, a Gate can only be entered from the human world, but the Monsters from within cannot get out. Unless there is a Dungeon Break. Whenever we’re dealing with a Dungeon Break, it means that the monsters from inside can exit freely and once that happens, they come into contact with the human world and slaughter civilians.

This had happened several times in the past and resulted in the deaths of thousands of people in different parts of the world, especially in the early days when humans did not know much about magic, mana, and the Dungeons as a concept. Later, of course, they became better at preventing Breaks and defending themselves in case they happened.

So, how does a Dungeon Break occur? Well, the mechanism hasn’t been explained in detail by the author, but we do know two situations in which it can happen. The first one is more straightforward and easy to understand. Namely, a Gate remains closed for a certain period of time (hours, days, etc.), which means that it is visible to humans but that it has not broken. The Hunters need to enter it and clear it in that period of time; if they fail to do so, a Dungeon Break will occur, and the monsters will enter the human world. This is rather simple to understand and to predict.

The other situation has only been hinted at, and it is not fully clear how and why it happens, but it seems that particularly strong Gates (A and S-Rank) don’t have such strong barriers and can result in a Dungeon Break more quickly than usual. This might be because of the strength of the creatures inside, which allows them to breach the barriers more efficiently. This seemingly happened in the early days. We have to warn you to take this with some reserve, as this is just our interpretation of the facts, but it doesn’t have to be correct; the author wasn’t completely clear on this aspect, so we’re just hypothesizing ourselves.

Regardless of the means, though, a Dungeon Break is always dangerous and can lead to a lot of casualties. Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!