Life Rebooted with Copy and Paste

A blazing red dragon perched himself on the auditorium roof, his breath rumbling with fire. Strangely, that flame no longer felt ominous to Kim Do-Joon, perhaps because of the Flame Heart’s Fragment growing within him.

Hopefully the auditorium doesn’t collapse.

Briefly, he was worried Vulcanus would crush the auditorium with his weight. But he quickly dismissed the thought because there was no time.

“Is this about that promise we talked about before?” Vulcanus asked in a deep, rumbling voice.

"Yes," Kim Do-Joon nodded.

In exchange for restoring Naiyel’s Spirit Affinity, Vulcanus had promised Kim Do-Joon two things. One was the Flame Heart’s Fragment, and the other was a favor, whatever it might be.

"Very well. I accept," Vulcanus said almost dismissively, as if he already made up his mind.

Kim Do-Joon blinked in surprise.

"But... I haven’t even told you what it is yet."

"You can start now," Vulcanus replied nonchalantly. "I’m listening.”

The order seemed messed up, but Kim Do-Joon wouldn’t complain. Less formalities meant things could move faster.

"Alright, I guess I should start by explaining why we’re here, then."

"Go on."

Vulcanus settled himself, lowering his head onto the ground. His massive chin rested against the floor, as if he were simply lounging in front of a grand fireplace.

Meanwhile, outside the auditorium, murmurs spread among those who decided to leave when the dragon claimed the roof as his seat. Vulcanus didn’t force anyone out, but no one wanted to stay.

"He’s... talking to a dragon..."

"What kind of monster is that?"

"Wait, can monsters even talk?"

"Don’t call him a monster! That’s the King you’re talking about!" someone exclaimed.

"The King?"

Somehow, Sallyon had inserted herself into the crowd, proudly regaling them with tales about Vulcanus. Although she was mostly heaping praises on him, one key piece of information caught everyone’s attention. Kim Do-Joon wasn’t talking to a dragon monster, but a being called the Spirit King.

Once that realization dawned on them, the students looked at Kim Do-Joon and Vulcanus with wide, awestruck eyes. They had never even seen an ordinary spirit before, and here they were, face-to-face with a Spirit King.

I wonder if I could talk to the Spirit King too?

It’s true what they said, an S-rank Hunter has impressive connections...

Top rank Hunters really live in a completely different world, huh...?

While the students marveled from a distance, Kim Do-Joon had already begun explaining the situation to Vulcanus.

After listening quietly, Vulcanus remained thoughtful for a moment, before finally speaking.

"It’s likely the root of the World Tree," he said.

"The root?" Kim Do-Joon echoed, looking confused.

Did he mean a dungeon?

But Kim Do-Joon already knew that from the start. What mattered now was understanding how this root was different from other roots.

"I’ve seen many dungeons... I mean roots before," Kim Do-Joon said, "but none of them have ever pulled entire pieces of our world into them like this."

"They probably used an empty root.”

An empty root?

"The roots of the World Tree absorb the remnants of other worlds. What you call ‘dungeons’ are just places filled with those remnants.”

Kim Do-Joon remained silent, listening carefully.

"Whoever kidnapped you probably used an empty root," Vulcanus continued. "Normally, these roots absorb nutrients from other worlds. If the root is empty, it will naturally start to pull things in. They must have used it as a passage to connect your world to theirs."

Kim Do-Joon wasn’t sure if he fully understood, but he’d roughly grasped the explanation. An empty root had absorbed the academy into itself, connecting it to another part of the World Tree. Whether or not that was possible was beside the point. Right now, there was a more urgent question to consider.

But who would have done that?

Kim Do-Joon's mind raced. Vulcanus' words made it clear that someone was behind this event—an enemy.

No wonder the elves attacked so quickly...

Barely six hours had passed since they had arrived in this strange land, yet the elves already launched an attack. At first, he assumed they’d simply stumbled upon the academy by accident while patrolling, but now it seemed much more calculated. Otherwise, the elves would’ve shown more confusion. After all, a chunk of another world had just materialized in their territory.

If anything, the elves probably had known all along.

“You’re wondering who’s behind it all, aren’t you?” Vulcanus asked, reading Kim Do-Joon’s expression.

“Of course. Do you have any idea who it could be?” Kim Do-Joon asked, hoping that Vulcanus would have some insight.

After all, the Stem was his domain. Besides, someone powerful enough to cause such chaos should be limited and also on his radar.

“This forest is also known as the Forest of Frostcloud, led by an elf named Elsar. She’s well-known because of her younger brother, Eldora.”

“Eldora?” Kim Do-Joon echoed.

“Have you heard of him?” Vulcanus asked him.

Kim Do-Joon had killed Eldora with his own hands.

But wait... If Eldora was Elsar’s brother, then...

“Do you know the name Aquila?” Kim Do-Joon asked.

“Aquila is one of Elsar’s spirits,” Vulcanus confirmed.

Kim Do-Joon nodded grimly. Then, Elsar must’ve been the elf who had appeared on Hwaseong, summoning the cloud giant, Aquila. He was starting to piece the identity of their enemy together.

“Then, it’s safe to say Elsar is the one who kidnapped us, right?”

“Likely. However...” Vulcanus trailed off.

“However?”

“Even as their leader, Elsar couldn’t have done this alone. No single elf, no matter how powerful, could retrieve an empty root from the World Tree. Someone must be backing her.” Vulcanus clicked his tongue, frustration flaring in his fiery eyes. “And I have a good idea who it could be.”

The flames at the edges of Vulcanus’ mouth roared intensely, reflecting the deep hatred in his voice.

“Nereid, that damn bastard!” Vulcanus' eyes flashed with fury. “If Nereid is involved, I won’t hold back. I’ll definitely help you.”

Vulcanus’ firm words reassured Kim Do-Joon. As they said, “The enemy of your enemy is your ally,” albeit Vulcanus hadn’t been an enemy to begin with. Still, having a common enemy helped solidify their bond, strengthening their alliance.

“Alright then...” Kim Do-Joon began, trying to gather his thoughts on what to do next.

However, before he could finish, Vulcanus’ gaze sharpened, scanning him from head to toe.

“It seems like the Heart of Flame has settled in you well... Hmm?” Vulcanus' eyes widened slightly as he examined Kim Do-Joon more closely.

Something more than just the energy of the Heart of Flame emanated from him. Previously, Kim Do-Joon had a cold, icy aura that resembled muddy water. But now, the power of Ice Crystal within him had grown exponentially. Not only was the amount of energy much greater, its purity even rivaled the Heart of Flame.

What happened to him?

Vulcanus wondered if humans could really improve this fast. He quickly realized the answer was a no. No other humans around Kim Do-Joon had a similar aura. This man was different.

Even Vulcanus, who rarely paid attention to such things, couldn’t help but feel intrigued. Regardless, they were still deep in enemy territory, so that curiosity could wait for a bit.

“Since your Heart of Flame has grown this much, I’ll teach you something useful,” Vulcanus said.

Then, he stretched his massive, clawed hand toward Kim Do-Joon. Any ordinary person would have fled at the sight of a gigantic claw lunging toward them, but Kim Do-Joon stood firm. He sensed neither malice nor hostility from Vulcanus.

The next moment, the tip of Vulcanus’ claw gently tapped Kim Do-Joon’s forehead. Suddenly, a familiar message appeared in front of him.

[You have learned the Skill: Flame Totem.]

***

“What did you just say?” Elsar's voice trembled with disbelief.

“I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s the truth!” one of her comrades insisted.

“We all saw it! Isn’t that right?” another elf chimed in.

“Absolutely! It was really him!”

Elsar stared at the group in front of her, utterly dumbfounded. They were the elves she had tasked with monitoring the humans they had successfully abducted. Although they’d lost a few comrades during the capture, largely due to an unexpectedly powerful human among them, the operation had still been a success.

To avoid any unnecessary risks, Elsar had ordered them to observe from a distance until they could devise a proper plan. But now, they were telling her something truly unprecedented had happened.

“Are you even listening to yourselves?” she snapped. “Why on earth would Vulcanus descend here? He knows full well this land is under Nereid’s protection!”

“Exactly! That’s why we rushed back to tell you!” The elf who had led the scouting mission beat his chest in frustration because she refused to understand.

They didn’t seem to be lying, but what they were saying was simply unbelievable. Everyone knew about the longstanding feud between Vulcanus and Nereid.

Moreover, after expelling the Flame Heart’s Fragment from his body, Vulcanus had weakened significantly. He wouldn’t have the strength to enter the Frostcloud Forest, Nereid’s territory—and yet, here he was, according to her comrades.

“We need a plan immediately. There must be a reason he’s here!” one of the elves pressed.

The word “reason” struck a nerve, and Elsar’s eyes widened as realization hit her. The entire point of this operation was to eliminate the human Nereid had warned them about. However, she’d overlooked something.

Oh shoot... Right...

Elsar’s heart sank. Didn’t Nereid mention losing a contracted spirit because of that human, and it all happened in Vulcanus’ domain? Elsar’s thoughts spiraled as she pieced together the truth.

The reports from her comrades, Vulcanus’ presence, and Nereid’s hatred all made sense. Vulcanus was here because of that human.

He’s come all this way for just one human?

Elsar couldn’t believe it, but the puzzle pieces were falling into place. Vulcanus, the Flame Lord, had entered enemy territory—Nereid’s territory—risking open conflict, all to protect this human.

How important is this human to him?

She looked down at her fingers, which she’d banged on the edge of the desk a few minutes ago. She didn’t even realize she was trembling. Slowly, the enormity of what she had done dawned on her. She had dragged this human into her territory—into the heart of the forest she was supposed to protect.

Nereid and Vulcanus' feud, a clash that had been simmering for ages, had reignited because of her actions. Even if she had followed Nereid’s orders, she had still set the stage for what could become a full-scale war.

No, now’s not the time to dwell on that... The damage is done, so we need a plan.

Elsar took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing thoughts. With Vulcanus’ sudden appearance, everything had been turned upside down. What was once a straightforward mission to kill a few humans had now escalated into the beginning of a proxy war between two lords.

Her comrade was right about them needing a solid plan.

But what kind of plan could possibly work?

Her thoughts were still a jumble of confusion and fear.

***

Ha...

Kim Do-Joon exhaled softly as he found himself deep in the woods, a bit of distance from the Academy. Thanks to Vulcanus standing guard over the place, he could wander outside without any worries. Moreover, it was also the perfect opportunity for him to test his new skill.

Flame Totem.

With a thought, a towering pillar of fire appeared before him. He could adjust its size at will—be it massive, towering over his head, or as small as his finger.

Hmm... Alright, it doesn't seem like the size affects its power.

After playing around with it for a few moments, Kim Do-Joon noticed that the radiated energy remained constant no matter what. The only change seemed to be the sense of intimidation the larger ones brought. However, that was not a big deal for him at this point. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

The primary function of the totem was more than just sheer intimidation. It could sense the surroundings and feed him information.

Nice, I can see well.

Kim Do-Joon smirked as the image of the Academy’s auditorium entrance floated into his mind. Before walking into the forest, he had set up a Flame Totem there, and even now, from a distance, he could clearly picture the area. Although the image wasn’t crystal clear, far from a photograph, being able to distinguish basic shapes and colors was good enough.

What is this color difference? Is this... thermal imaging?

He wasn’t sure what dictated the color scheme, but it didn’t matter. All in all, the Flame Totem served as a security camera that allowed him to remotely monitor any locations.

The only downside is that it consumes energy when it’s being summoned and while it’s active...

Kim Do-Joon noted the steady drain of mana as the Flame Totem remained active. It didn’t surprise him—if anything, it would be absurd if it required no mana to maintain.

Oh well, I can manage.

He wasn’t concerned. Thanks to his mana breathing technique, he regenerated mana three times faster than normal people. His maximum mana capacity was far larger than most, so this minor drain barely affected him. Scattering the totems everywhere would have been a problem. Of course, he wasn’t planning on doing that.

Besides, that’s not all this totem can do.

He couldn’t wait to test the other feature of the Flame Totem, which was far more impressive than remote sensing. He summoned another one in front of him, the fiery pillar crackling with heat.

Without hesitation, he reached out and touched it. Although the flames burned bright, they didn’t harm him, just like the Lightning Spear.

With a slight push, he pressed his hand deeper into the Flame Totem.

Swoosh.

His hand slid effortlessly into the fire, and before he knew it, he was being pulled through. In an instant, he was no longer in the woods, but standing right at the entrance of the Academy’s auditorium.