Summary
The world of manhwa covers many genres, ranging from fantasy and magicto sci-fi and thrillers. With the popular dungeon/gates/monsters/towers trope, it offers a unique insight into fighting monsters in the modern world. However, some regression and reincarnation manhwa solely focus on the modern world, where protagonists gain access to unique cheat skills or systems that only they can use.
Thesemanhwa with modern cheatsoccur in familiar environments, yet they introduce intriguing twists that set them apart from typical tales. They embed extraordinary abilities within a realistic framework that takes readers on a compelling journey with a fresh and captivating perspective on the modern world. Some of these modern world-focused manhwa showcase how protagonists gain a unique advantage to achieve otherworldly feats without the need for fantasy elements.
10Debut Or Die
System Threatens The Protagonist To Debut Or Meet His Demise
Ryu Gunwoo falls to his demise after spending his night getting drunk after failing the civil exam. Then, he wakes up in a rundown motel in another body that he doesn’t recognize. Thinking he has been reincarnated and may have gotten superpowers, as often portrayed in web novels, he tests his theory and shouts out ‘status window,’ anda system indeed appears. However, it has only one mission for him - either to debut as an idol or say goodbye to say his second.
Debut or Dieis a beloved modern world manhwa related to the entertainment industry. The protagonist’s entire journey is to ensure his survival bytrying to debut as an idol. As a result, he tries to get shortlisted by an agency and make himself stand out. The system helps him gain new skills and abilities but only if he makes the effort himself. Ryu is also witty and clever and knows how to get his way with or without anyone’s help. Readers have also commended the light novel for being well-written.
9Lookism
Ability To Freely Switch Between Two Bodies
Park Hyung Suk has spent his life at the bottom of the food chain due to his unattractive appearance and short and overweight stature. Throughout his seventeen years of life, he has been discriminated against and bullied in school. Eventually, he decided to switch schools when the situation only worsened. A few days before his transfer, he wakes up in a body entirely different from his. What’s more, his previous body is still lying beside him on the bed. Here, he quickly realizes that he can switch between bodies at will.
Lookismis a great manhwa set in the modern world, where the protagonist can switch between his original body and a handsome one.It also got an anime adaptationin December 2022 and is available on Netflix. Park is a down-to-earth protagonist, tackling real-life issues as best as possible. When he wakes up in a different body, he experiences the opposite of everything he had experienced. As a result, it is all new to him, and it helps build his personality. Apart from that, the other characters are also well-explored and have good depth and backstories.
8IRL Quest
Living In The Modern World With A Gamified Existence
Owan Ha is an avid gamer who gets bullied by his classmates to grind and score popular in-game items for them. One day, one of the bullies forces him to grind for an exclusive rare item or get beaten in front of his crush. He spends countless hours relentlessly until he eventually gets the item, only to die from exhaustion. However, he regresses to one week earlier in his classroom and finds that he has inherited all the skills and abilities of his game character. What’s more, he starts receiving quests in real life.
IRL Questis a breath of fresh air among other popular manhwa fixed on particular gates, monsters, dungeons, or fantasy genres. There is no demon lord to be defeated or monsters to be killed here. Thisfantasy manhwa with cheatsis just Owan Ha completing quests he starts receiving in real life after having died previously due to exhaustion. The system he gained only helps him get stronger byfending off bullies and standing up for himself. The other characters are interesting enough, and the manhwa has some good comedic moments, too.
7Perfect Surgeon
An Artificial Intelligence Network Gets Absorbed By The Protagonist
Hyunjun Jang is living a mundane existence, as he has to give up his life of becoming a doctor to take care of his ailing mother. One day, his friend invites him to witness the next big thing in the medical field, but a freak accident causes him to absorb an artificial intelligence network into his body. When he wakes up, he realizes that he can communicate with the network and that his senses have been sharpened. Hyunjun also discovers that he has gained unlimited access to all the medical knowledge, which incites him to pursue his forgotten dream.
Perfect Surgeonis essentially a cheat system manhwa where the protagonist can perform medical and surgical miracles with the help of the Artificial Intelligence network. However, compared to similar titles, the AI network only acts as a guide instead of doing the work itself. Hence, most fans of this modern setting manhwa commend the protagonist due to his hardworking persona. The art is beautiful, and the plot has a decent pace, so the story never becomes boring. On top of that, the other characters are well-written and help support the protagonist’s dream of becoming a well-renowned doctor.
6Rescue System
System Helps The Protagonist (A Firefighter) Save Lives
Soohyuk Kim is a firefighter who dies while saving people’s lives. When he thinks his life is over, he regresses to his rookie days. He starts seeing a mysterious pop-up window that urges him to rescue more people in this life. Immediately, he remembers all his past life events in detail and swears upon himself not to let the events repeat themselves.
With only 73 chapters,Rescue Systemis considered one ofthe best manhwa with cheats. Soohyuk gains a system that only helps him save lives, as always. On top of that, he can acquire skills and abilities that make him overpowered. Plus, his past life knowledge comes in handy when he tries to prevent tragedies to save those he couldn’t. The manhwa has a great concept centered on character development that melts people’s hearts. The ending is also well-received, wrapping up the manhwa nicely.
5Movies Are Real
The Protagonist Can Experience Any Movie Set In Real Life
Ki Man-sung has been a supporting actor for years but cannot catch his big break. However, everything changes when he is filming in a historical action film as a background extra. Whenever the director shouts ‘action,’ he is immediately whisked into the real-life version of the movie set as the events unfold as the movie demands. He is unable to make sense of reality and desperately tries to survive but dies during questioning. Just then, the director shouts, ‘Cut!’ and he comes back to reality. Everybody starts thinking of him as a genius actor who can perfectly show emotions, and his life changes.
Movies are Realisan underrated modern world manhwawhere the protagonist’s power/ability has yet to be defined. There is no regression or reincarnation, but Ki Man-sung suddenly gains this ability during a shooting. As a result, readers experience the journey of a regular minor actor turning into a superstar with little to no challenges. Many fans of the series appreciate it for its top-notch art style and beautiful storytelling. The plot is fresh and exciting, making it one of thebest manhwa with cheats.
4This Is The Law
Emperor Yeomra Gives Power To The Protagonist To Fight Corruption
Hyungjin Noh is a successful lawyer with a 95% winning percentage in his cases. While he was trying to put away bad guys, he was murdered by National Intelligence Service agents due to the higher powers in South Korea. When he ends up in hell, he realizes that Emperor Yeomra sent him to fight corruption on Earth. Then, the emperor realizes his mistake and sends him back to Earth with a unique power to protect himself this time.
This is the Lawis a fast-paced, modern world manhwa where something new happens in every other chapter. Hyungjin hardly gets a moment to rest, which means that there is no boring chapter to be found. He gets involved in various cases, which become more prominent as the story progresses. The protagonist himself is interesting as he knows how to utilize his intellect instead of his powers to get through his challenges.
3King Of The Mound
Spirit Of A Former Baseball Star And A System Binds To The Protagonist
Jinyong Lee had to give up on his dream of becoming a baseball athlete due to financial issues, a weak frame, and a combination of injuries. One day, the spirit of his baseball idol, Jinho Kim, latches onto him, and he notices a pop-up window before him. With a newfound determination and help from his idol, Jinyong returns to the field after a six-year break. This time, he is determined to make his dream come true.
King of The Moundis another short cheat system manhwa with only 77 chapters. It is a fun read that offers some great insights into the sport of baseball. The protagonist doesn’t regress or reincarnate but chances upon the system when revisiting his memories through his belongings. At that point, he had already withdrawn from the sport for six years. Hence, readers experience what it takes to return to the competitive field after a long break. The story can be fast-paced, but the protagonist makes up for it with his hardworking persona. Although he gets skills and abilities with the help of the system, the manhwa teaches readers that there are some things that only true athletes can discern by reading their opponents.
2The Boy Of Death
The Grim Reaper Gifts The Protagonist 100 Cards To Borrow Powers
Kyeong-Ho is living an unfortunate life after he loses his will to live following the death of his mother. He has no social skills, and everyone around him hardly notices his existence. Moreover, he keeps getting bullied in school, and he has no real friends to support him. Thinking that he has no real incentive to receive in life, he tries to end it but is stopped by a grim reaper. It commends his desire to die and proposes a contract to help undead souls pass on in exchange for 100 unique cards. These cards will grant him the skills and abilities of any (dead) person throughout history to help him make the most of his life.
The Boy of Deathis an interesting modern world manhwa with a unique concept. It establishes the presence of ghosts, spirits, and the Grim Reaper but introduces a fresh new take. That is when the Grim Reaper presents the protagonist with 100 cards that help him gain the skills and abilities of notable people throughout history. The manhwa doesn’t shy away from mentioning the people who existed in history instead of using variations like most other manhwa do. Moreover, the protagonist can only use his powers for a set duration, so he doesn’t become overpowered throughout the series. Readers can expect a well-grounded story with great characters and moments with this manhwa.
1My Uncle Is A Superstar
An Artificial Intelligence Robot Helps The Protagonist Become A Superstar
Woojin Lee is a factory worker who had given up his dream of becoming a singer when his brother passed away. He had to watch over his ailing mother and raise his brother’s niece. As Woojin experiences his lowest point in life, he gets a mysterious message asking him to fulfill his dream. Thinking nothing of it, he fills up the long survey and types out his dream of becoming an ‘all-round entertainer’ who can sing, act, and produce. After that, he notices a shooting star aiming at him, which turns out to be an artificial intelligence robot sent to help him realize his dream.
My Uncle is a Superstaris one of the best modern setting manhwa centered around the entertainment industry. It has around 186 chapters exploring the protagonist’s journey from being a mere carpenter to an all-round superstar. The system comes to him in the form of a shooting star, which is embeds into his body. As a result, only he can interact and converse with the artificial intelligence robot. Some can alsocompare it with theNano Machinemanhwa, as the influence of AI on the protagonist’s body is similar. Accordingly, the protagonist still must work to “raise his skill level” manually. Many fans of the series have also commended the manhwa for its romance and satisfying ending.
