Headscratchers / Solo Leveling

• Its said that The Awaken are stuck at the level they are when they awaken and can't get any stronger. But that shouldn't be true. They're still humans. So if a Level E hunter were to go to the gym and workout, they should become stronger. Or if they ran 10 miles a day they should become faster and build up stamina. Or if they learned boxing or martial arts they're reflex should increase. They may not be able to become more "powerful" but they should still be able to become stronger.
  • 'Stronger' in the context of the story refers to their mana power level. With regards to actual strength in their bodies, no, they CAN'T seem to get stronger or build up stamina by training. We were shown a conclusive demonstration at the start of the story, that despite spending years as an active Hunter, fighting and clearing countless dungeons and attaining a huge amount of experience, Sung Jin-Woo's mana level was exactly the same as it was when he had been first evaluated years before that (pathetically low), and he was still pathetically weak as a Hunter, although still stronger than any normal non-Hunter human. If multiple years of dungeons wasn't sufficient to increase the weakest Hunter in the world's strength in the slightest measurable way, it's safe to say that no Hunter anywhere could increase their strength by training or clearing dungeons. The amount of mana in their bodies dictates their level of strength/endurance, and normal Hunters cannot increase it through any natural means. They can obviously get more skillful and dangerous by training and practicing with their abilities (such as Cha Hae-In practicing at the sword dojo), but they can't get STRONGER in an actually measurable way.
• In regards to when Sung Jin-woo's dad attacks the US. Not one person or agency in the entire world asks to review the video footage? Not one person in the US decides to review the footage themselves just to make sure what actually happened?
  • Just there is a handicap for the purpose of drama and story, and then there is just forcing stupidity on an entire planet for the sake of story and drama. This feel like that is and its just one of the more poorly written aspects of the series so far.
  • First, after the initial breakout, people in authority in the US DID review the footage. Right after the fight they confronted Hwang Dong-Su with the recordings with the clear implication that they didn't believe his story that he was a monster. However, the US obviously kept it heavily under wraps (at one point we were given some background news about 'unexplained explosion' at the US Hunter Bureau), but the US intentionally suppressed any information because that would require them admitting that they incompetently let an S-rank threat loose in the world and had no idea where it was. Second, the implication of the public presentation was that they WERE giving copies of the presentation (and footage) to everybody present, now that they decided that finding him was a higher priority than covering up their initial incompetence. In conferences like these it's pretty much standard practice to give hard copies/flash drives to all participants that include all presentation slides and videos.
• What caused those that Sung Jin-Woo brought back as a Shadow Soldier to be so loyal to him? Would people like Dong-Su and Kim Chul truly enjoy serving him?
  • It is explained by some of the shadow soldiers that become capable of speech that being a shadow under Jin-Woo gives them some unexplainable feeling of happiness and joy to be loyal and serving under Jin-Woo. As such, instead of their existence as shadows being a And I Must Scream moment, their thought process leans more towards Happiness in Slavery. This is reinforced in the revised timeline after Jin-woo uses the Cup of Reincarnation when he meets Kim Chul again before he becomes a shadow, where meeting Jin-woo again doesn't give him any inherent feeling of hate or submission, but instead happiness (to the point that Kim Chul interpreted it as a feeling of love).
• Why did Jin Woo chose to stay on Earth after killing all the Monarchs? Does he forget why humans gain power in the first place?
  • Humans gained powers because the Rulers intentionally flooded earth with Mana so it could survive the war between monarchs and rulers. In the new timeline, there is no war on earth, and so there's no need to strengthen the planet and people
• It is explained that magic crystals that are gotten from monsters can be made into weapons with mana crystals being less effective but more available. If so, why aren't they making bullets and guns from those materials? Surely a hunter carrying a magic gun would be more effective in combat than a hunter carrying a sword. Also, the government planned to use magic crystals as a power source, so it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility in that universe to create a magic crystal powered firearm.
• Is Jin-Woo's presence bringing magic back to Earth in the new timeline? Because there's strong indication of certain people developing some form of ESP.
• So the reason for the war is that the Rulers found out that they were being used by the Absolute Being as playthings for his own entertainment, but what about the Monarchs other than Ashborn? Why do they still fight the Rulers and want to destroy humanity other than being evil? Wouldn't they also want vengeance against their creator for making them constantly fight against each other and the Rulers, and be free to do whatever they want?