Solo Leveling: Banishment of the Anomaly

As Jake walked along the glowing green path, fragments of memories began to emerge around him, floating like wisps of light in the dark expanse.

They were familiar—scenes from his childhood, fleeting moments of laughter with his family, quiet days spent with his siblings, and even awkward yet cherished high school experiences.

Each memory tugged at his heart, bittersweet and warm, but there was also an underlying ache.

"These are all… mine," Jake whispered, his voice trembling as he reached out to one of the fragments.

His fingers passed through it like mist, leaving him with nothing but a faint longing to linger in those moments a little longer.

But then, the scenery began to change.

Along the sides of the path, massive crystalline pillars emerged, glowing faintly in the darkness.

Inside each pillar were unfamiliar people—frozen, unmoving, their features sharp and unnervingly clear.

Jake's breath hitched as he stopped in his tracks.

"Dude, this is getting creepy," he muttered, swallowing hard as his eyes darted from one figure to the next.

"Why are there… people? And why are they here? This is my soul… right? This... doesn't really make any sense!"

Jake forced himself to keep walking, though unease gnawed at him.

The faces in the pillars seemed to follow him, even though he knew it was impossible.

His steps faltered when one pillar caught his eye—inside was a scene straight out of a horror movie he'd once watched.

"Shit!" he yelped, stumbling backward.

"For goodness' sake! What's with that timing?!"

Though he couldn't feel the cold in his current form, Jake shivered involuntarily.

The eerie image replayed in his mind relentlessly, coupled with the oppressive darkness around him.

It only made the situation WORSE.

Truth be told, Jake despised scary movies.

He grimaced as a distant memory surfaced—a day when his older sister had forced him to watch one with her, threatening to tattle on him if he refused.

He'd endured it, but the grudge had lasted nearly a day, and he hadn't spoken to her out of sheer spite for hours.

Shaking his head to banish the memory, Jake muttered to himself, "This is my soul. There's no way anything here could hurt me."

He continued onward, the pillars becoming more frequent, their haunting presence impossible to ignore.

Then, as his gaze flicked to one particular crystal, his face darkened.

Inside was a familiar face—the bully who had teased him frequently in school.

Jake clenched his fists, his brows furrowing as anger and annoyance swirled within him.

"How come even your ugly mug is stuck here? What kind of messed-up place is this?"

"My questions just keep piling up, and I still don't see the end of this damn path!"

Hours—or what felt like hours—passed before Jake's surroundings changed again.

The path led to a circular platform, illuminated by a soft, ethereal glow.

For the first time, the oppressive darkness gave way to a warm light.

Jake's breath caught in his throat.

In the center of the plaza stood more crystalline pillars—taller and more vivid than the ones before.

And inside these…

His eyes widened as he staggered forward, his heart pounding.

"No… it can't be," he whispered, his voice shaking.

It was his family.

His mother, his father, and his siblings—each of them encased in glowing crystals, their eyes closed as if they were sleeping.

Their faces, their clothes… every detail was achingly familiar.

Jake ran helplessly toward them, his trembling hands reaching out before he fell to his knees.

"Ma… Pa…"

His voice cracked, the weight of his emotions overwhelming him.

"I… I'm so sorry…"

He reluctantly placed a hand on his mother's crystal, his fingers trembling against the cool surface.

Memories flooded his mind, more vivid than any he'd seen before.

He saw her, exhausted and covered in sweat, holding him for the first time after his birth.

Her smile was radiant, her voice soft and trembling as she whispered, "Thank you… Thank you for being born, my child. With me here, no one... no one will ever harm you."

Jake's entire form trembled as the memory unfolded.

He gritted his teeth, his chest tightening with unbearable grief.

"I-I'm so sorry... for being such an unfilial child. I'm sorry for causing so much anger and pain... I never wanted to..." he whispered.

"H-how... would you and Pa react if you knew I was gone? I must have been pronounced dead, right?"

"Even if I return, would you still accept me? The thought... of being rejected really terrifies me..."

He pressed his forehead against the crystal, his translucent body trembling as if he were on the verge of breaking.

"I never should've made that wish… I didn't know it would lead to this…"

But no tears came. No matter how much he wanted to cry, to let it all out, he couldn't.

It was as if his soul refused to let him have that release.

Suddenly, as he knelt there, the ground trembled beneath him.

Jake's head shot up as he turned to face the source of the disturbance.

In the middle of the platform, a massive mysterious obelisk began to rise.

It glowed with a mixture of green and blue light, its surface translucent and smooth.

At its core, suspended in the center, was a single leaf.

Jake stared at it, awestruck.

The leaf radiated an aura unlike anything he had ever encountered.

It brimmed with life—pure, vibrant, and overwhelming.

Its presence was grander than that of any S-rank hunter, more profound than any power he had witnessed.

He stepped toward it, his voice barely a whisper as a single word escaped his lips: "…Eternal Leaf…"

Jake didn't know why he said it.

The words came unbidden, as if pulled from the depths of his very soul.

But as he gazed upon the leaf, he felt it—a connection, a sense of purpose.

Whatever this was, it was important.

And he instinctively knew, deep down, that this was only the beginning of something far greater than himself.

... and maybe it holds the key to returning to his world.