From now on, I am Jeong-woo Cha.
Second Life Ranker is a Korean webcomic that has been compared as very similar to Tower of God
, and the main protagonist very similar to Solo Leveling.
One day, Jeong-woo Cha is informed that after being missing for 5 years, his twin brother's body had been found, and his personal effects delivered to him. Among his brother's possessions is a broken pocket watch that displays in Jeon-woo's mind a record of his brother's time in The Tower, a different world with fantastic powers and opportunities, and a world where his brother was betrayed and killed by those closest to him.
Adopting the moniker of 'Cain', Jeong-woo Cha enters the Tower with a mask on, vowing that everybody that betrayed his brother would die by his hand.
The web novel version can be read on Wuxiaworld here.
Tropes:
- The Ace:
- Just a month after entering the game, Yeon-woo achieves the first rank of the tutorial at the first attempt. As the story progresses, he is regarded by many players for his outstanding skills and abilities. Yeon-woo ranks first on the first 21 floors of the tower (with the exception of the 10th floor where he is ranked second to Edora). Yeon-woo was able to achieve this thanks to the memories of his twin brother who knew about the various secrets across the many levels of the game.
- Jeon-woo was one of the leading players of the Obelisk, and under his leadership, Arthia had become the 9th ranked group in the tower.
- The highest ranked player of the tower, All For One's power far surpasses the combined might of the nine leading clans.
- Ambition Is Evil: Leonte wanted to rule over a clan of his own. He commissioned Bild to create the Philosopher's Stone, which meant sacrificing hundreds of players to do so.
- Anti-Hero: Yeon-woo fiercely prioritizes clearing the floors of the tower over everything else. While he is capable of mercy, Yeon-woo has difficulty in trusting people after what had happened of his brother.
- An Arm and a Leg:
- Bild loses his left arm to Yeon-woo.
- Baha loses his left arm in an explosion caused by Leonte. Later Yeon-woo amputates his remaining limbs before killing him.
- Asshole Victim:
- Bild horribly slaughtered hundreds of players to manufacture the Philosopher's stone, until Yeon-woo crushed the Arang Clan.
- Even after being turned into a ghost, Leonte shamelessly admits to Yeon-woo about backstabbing his brother. Yeon-woo is not pleased.
- Backup Twin: Yeon-woo had inherited his brother's memories as well as his Dragon Physique.
- Berserk Button: Yeon-woo has many:
- Seeing Bild who was present when his brother was stabbed and was dying on the ground infuriated Yeon-Woo and made him state that Bild’s death will be the first gift he gives to his brother. The reason behind his rage is that Bild was smirking at his brother when he was stabbed and dying on the ground.
- Also, hurting Henova whom his brother was so fond of to the point of calling him father will earn the one who did it a painful death.
- Trying to use him in some sort of a scheme like Jang the half brother of Edora and Phante did to get back at his siblings will earn you quite the beating.
- Best Served Cold: If the situation permits it, Yeon-woo will torture an ex-Arthia member and reveal his face to them in their dying moments.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Baha comes across as a charming young man. In reality, he is power-hungry man who will betray anyone to get his way.
- Blade Enthusiast: Yeon-woo prefers knives and swords. He decided not to bring guns or any firearms because he would run out of ammunition.
- The Bus Came Back: After the tutorial stage, Kahn returns at the 20th floor and teams up with Yeon-woo.
- Cain and Abel: Yeon-woo is the Cain to Jeon-woo's Abel. Yeon-woo is much more calculating and ruthless compared to his brother, who was an affable person who cherished his friends and valued teamwork. Unlike the original Cain, Yeon-woo and his brother cared for one other. Interestingly, Cain was Yeon-woo's nickname in the army and he goes by that pseudonym in the game as well.
- The Chessmaster: Yeon-woo comes up with a plan to instigate fighting between several monster tribes, so that the Akasha snake becomes more stronger. Afterwards, Yeon-woo harvests the snake's power to increase his own.
- Combat Clairvoyance: Edora possesses this ability, rare even among her tribe. She can analyse any ability. The only downside is that she can view everything only from her perspective and thus has blind spots.
- Cool Mask: Yeon-woo always wears one to avoid being identified, as he is identical to his dead twin brother and doesn't want people to make the connection between them until its too late.
- Crazy-Prepared: Before attempting his Speedrun on the tower's first ten levels, Yeon-woo spends one month at the dwarf Henova's place. He requests for the Eyes of Gyges so that he can quickly locate hidden treasures on the first ten floors. It pays.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Yeon-woo dishes it on a frequent basis. He defeats Phante twice and later defeats Phante's half-brother, Jang.
- The Cynic: Yeon-woo is always skeptical of people around him. It makes sense because trusting people was exactly what got his brother killed. Nevertheless, he is friendly with Kahn and Doyle. He also considers Phante and Edora as his siblings.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Yeon-woo never knew his father because he died in an accident when Yeon-Woo was very young. His mother was suffering from a terminal disease and his brother entered the Obelisk to obtain a panacea, an all cure medicne for their mother, but he did not tell his family anything about it as he thought it was not going to take long. However, while Jeong-woo is doing his best to get the cure their mother passed away. Unable to cope with the depression, Yeon-woo joined the army and fought in Africa. During his time there he noted that he seemed to be looking for a place to die in. After five years of no contact, Yeon-woo discovered that his brother was literally backstabbed.
- Deader than Dead:
- Leonte was murdered on the 16th floor by Yeon-woo and turned into a ghost. Afterwards, Yeon-woo fed Leonte's ghost to his minions.
- Like Leonte, Bahal's soul is consumed by Yeon-woo's undead minions.
- Defeat Means Friendship: Phante and Edora become friends with Yeon-woo after the latter defeated them at the last minute. They help Yeon-woo clear some levels.
- The Dividual: Kahn and Doyle are always together. Which is why Yeon-woo is surprised that Kahn is alone at the 20th floor.
- Dramatic Irony: Baha offers to recruit Yeon-woo, not realizing that he is Jeon-woo's vengeful brother.
- Et Tu, Brute?: Jeon-woo was killed by five people. Among them were his ex-girlfriend, Viera June, and Leonte, his closest comrade.
- False Friend: Jeon-woo considered Leonte his best friend, but was backstabbed and murdered by him.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Phante is a hammy person while his younger sister Edora is much more focused.
- The Ghost: On the 21st floor, Yeon-woo expects All For One's shadow as the final boss of the first gate. Instead, it turns out that his shadow has been deleted. Yeon-woo is tied with All For One.
- Greater-Scope Paragon: Jeon-woo's memories are extremely valuable to his brother. Not only does it contain the secrets of various floors, but it also holds sentiments for Yeon-woo.
- Hidden Depths: Despite his military experience making him almost emotionless and used to violence, Yeon-woo recalled having a girlfriend, for a short time, while he was in Africa who had a daughter he used to cook pancakes for her. Too bad they broke up, but he recalls their time together fondly. Also, he is good with children as shown with his interaction with Sesa, his niece and that was before he knew she was his niece.
- I Work Alone: Yeon-woo usually prefers to solo floors, although he will sometimes form temporary partnerships. Later subverted when he deploys dead souls he harvested in battle.
- Kitsch Collection: Yeon-woo has a large collection of magical artefacts which are often the deciding factor of his victories.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Bild is killed by the ghosts of all the deceased players he had murdered.
- Magic Eye: Yeon-woo's draconic eyes grant him enhanced visual perception. He uses it to identify weak points and learn some skills like forging.
- Man Behind the Man: Leonte was the one responsible for Arang guild's actions during the tutorial.
- Meaningful Name: All of One's other name, Vivasbat is an allusion to the Hindu God of the Sun, Vivasvata.
- Might Makes Right: Yeon-woo believes that to be the one rule followed by the tower.
- Mysterious Stranger: Yeon-woo invokes this image and never enters his name within the system records. This is to hide his tracks and impede strangers who may come after him.
- Necromancer: Yeon-woo obtains a mysterious artifact belonging to the Black King. He can store ghosts of any slain being in it.
- Oh, Crap!: Bild begins to panic when Yeon-woo reveals his face... which is a replica of the late Jeon-woo.
- The Omniscient: Jeon-woo had the "Dream" ability with which he learnt of the secrets on various floors. However that ability was difficult to use.
- One-Man Army: Yeon-woo prefers this method instead of teaming up with people. Yeon-woo destroys all of the Arang faction in the tutorial stage. He then subdues the gang who threatened Henova's business. On the 11th floor, he kills several players who tried to start a civil war.
- Papa Wolf:More like uncle wolf, as Yeon-woo became fiercely protective toward his niece Sesa after he learned about her. It was to the point he stood up to a demon. And not just any demon it was the second ranked from the 72 demon pillars. He also stated he would do anything for her sake.
- Parental Substitute: Jeon-woo used to love Henova like his own father. Yeon-woo also cares greatly for him, but refuses to reveal his true face to the dwarf out of safety.
- Plot-Triggering Death: Jeon-woo's death starts Yeon-woo's journey into the tower.
- Posthumous Character: Jeon-woo is already dead at the beginning of the story.
- Pride Before a Fall: The devil Yeon-Woo made in the 23rd floor was glad to be awakened and was really thankful for Yeon-Woo. The devil’s way of repaying him was to try and turn him into a loyal servant, only for Yeon-Woo to shut it up, make it kneel then turn it into a demonic core in order to cure his niece, Sesa.
- Red Baron: Yeon-woo is known as the Hoarder by other players for his tendency to hoard all treasures and monopolize every floor. During his military service in Africa he was given the nickname Cain, which he uses in the tower to hide his real identity.
- The Reveal: All For One is condemned to remain in the 77th floor as well as prevent all players from crossing the floors above. The reason for this is to prevent the Black King from targeting anyone to become his apostle and use them to fully awaken. If the Black King awakens, it's game over for the entire tower.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Yeon-woo's entire motivation to enter the tower world is to avenge his brother and oh boy he really make a mess when he start.
- Seers: Yeon-woo can see for a certain time into the future. However the ability is too inefficient to be used frequently, so Yeon-woo seldom uses it. The future can be changed depending on his actions.
- Ship Tease: Edora, with Yeon-woo. It is implied that Edora developed a crush on Yeon-woo for his exceptional ability. Her father teases her for it and views Yeon-woo an excellent match for his daughter.
- Shrouded in Myth: Nobody really knows what All of One looks like and he's only been seen from a distance. Additionally, it is a mystery why he decided to stop climbing the tower.
- Sibling Rivalry: Yeon-Woo takes note of this before climbing the tower as his brother cleared the beginner zone in 10 days, so he decided to do it in 5 days. He states that he has his pride as the older brother.
- Starter Villain: Bild is one of the first true antagonists and the first ever Arthia traitor murdered by Yeon-woo.
- Super-Speed: All For One can move at unimaginable speeds. However, Jeon-woo believes this as a result of him training Shunpo beyond its limits, which is why Yeon-woo was eager to obtain the skill from Galliard the Elf.
- Taking You with Me: During the battle against Red Dragon, Leonte unleashes Gungnir's explosion. It drains him of his energy and allows Yeon-woo to kill him.
- Tragic Keepsake: The pocket watch Yeon-woo bought for his brother years ago. It also holds the memory of his brother in the tower which provided him with great advantage during his time in the tower and to prepare to take down the target of his revenge.
- Tsundere: Henova is a blatant example. He always swears at Yeon-woo but ends up crafting premium equipment for him. Henova is also one of the few people Yeon-woo genuinely cares for.
- Ultimate Blacksmith: Being a dwarf, Henova is renowned for his handcrafted artifacts. Both Bahal and Yeon-woo studied under him at different points of time.
- Virtue Is Weakness: Although he respects his brother's morals, Yeon-woo criticised Jeon-woo's decision to date a remorseless bitch like Viera Dune. He also doesn't understand why his brother does not bear a grudge against those who betrayed him.
- We Used to Be Friends: Kahn is dismayed that Yeon-woo never trusted them in the first place and parts ways with him. Later, Yeon-woo comes to rescue the brothers from Arang.
- Worf Had the Flu: Jeon-woo was very strong, but by the time of his death, his abilities were declining due to being poisoned by Beiruck.
- Worthy Opponent: Phante and Edora deem Yeo-woo as one, even inviting him to their village as an honored guest.
- Would Hurt a Child: To obtain the treasures of Hargann the Lizard King, Yeon-woo held his babies hostage, then proceeds to kill them and his wife. Soon afterwards, he kills Hargann without the slightest hesitation.
- You Killed My Father: Yeon-woo's main purpose is to kill every single treacherous member of Arthia for literally backstabbing his brother and destroy the eight clans that killed his brother.
