Life Rebooted with Copy and Paste

With his right hand, Kim Do-Joon swung the knife toward Nereid’s face. His opponent’s childlike appearance didn’t deter him in the slightest. The boy’s eyes were cold, calculating, erasing any doubt that he could possibly be human.

Nereid smirked as if to say, “What can you do with that small knife?”

However, just before the blade struck, he clicked his tongue and snapped his head aside. The knife left a long scratch along his cheek as it sliced through the air. Kim Do-Joon didn’t let that moment go to waste.

[One of the effects of the Knife can be copied and pasted onto the Water Lord.]

Kim Do-Joon’s eyes flickered, about to reduce Nereid’s Spirit Affinity. But soon, he tightened his grip on the knife, eyes widening in surprise.

Wait, what’s this?

The solid earth and rock beneath his feet began to boil, as if something was bubbling up from beneath.

“Ugh!”

With a sharp motion of his hand, Nereid summoned a torrent of water. It struck Kim Do-Joon with the force of a crashing waterfall, hurling him across the battlefield.

“That knife... it’s not just any ordinary weapon, is it?”

The wound on Nereid's cheek began to bubble and fizz. A second later, the flesh filled in as if nothing had happened.

Kim Do-Joon twisted himself mid-flight, landing smoothly on his feet. He quickly recovered, shifting into a defensive stance. Thanks to his training with Jecheon Seong, this evasive maneuver was second nature to him now. He didn’t even practice it—he was just sent flying one too many times during their sparring sessions.

Whatever.

He remained ready, coiling himself to intercept any attacks that came his way. His mind, however, replayed the message he had just seen.

[One of the effects of the Knife can be copied and pasted onto the Water Lord.]

1. —

There was no effect for me to copy-paste.

Even though the knife clearly had - 132 Spirit Affinity effect. He’d encountered this kind of situation once before.

It was back when I implanted the Ice Core into my body, when I tried to see if I could implant another Core with a different element.

Back then, he realized that he couldn’t create a second Core with a different element. The skills were there, but they couldn’t be copy-pasted or overlapped. The conclusion was simple: it was impossible to wield two elemental Cores at the same time.

This effect cannot be copy-pasted onto him.

Nereid, the Spirit King, was far too powerful to be affected by a simple Spirit Affinity modifier.

There’s nothing else then.

Kim Do-Joon narrowed his eyes. One of the cards he had been relying on had just been rendered useless.

He sighed. In truth, he knew for a fact that it wouldn’t work.

— I don’t know what method you’re using, but whatever you did to Naiyel won’t work on him. The power known as Spirit Affinity is merely a vessel through which beings other than spirits accept the power of spirits. Therefore, it holds no meaning for the spirits.

Just like Vulcanus said, it didn’t work. That knife was merely a test. While the result was expected, it wasn’t entirely useless.

“You’re quite the fascinating human, aren’t you? What’s with that knife? How did it manage to hurt me?”

— Spirits can’t be harmed by ordinary weapons. To deal any real damage, you'd have to envelop your attacks in mana, but that’s hardly any different from simply attacking with mana alone.

These were the hints Vulcanus had given about how to defeat Nereid, a spirit of immense power. Using mana was the most straightforward solution, but in a battle of raw mana power, Kim Do-Joon knew he’d lose.

No one here had the overwhelming energy to match Nereid. Hence, what he needed was a unique weapon that could strike down a being born of nature itself.

[One of the effects of the Knife can be copied and pasted onto the Iron Staff of the Non-Gold Lotus.]

[Item effects available for copy-pasting:]

1. Spirit Affinity Level - 132

[The item effect has been successfully copied and pasted.]

Kim Do-Joon pulled out the Iron Staff, transferring the knife’s skill into it. The Lightning Spear wasn’t suitable for direct combat, while giving this ability to Karlish would’ve been a waste. He raised the enchanted weapon and pointed it at Nereid.

Nereid blinked, watching the process unfold.

"Huh, some strange little trick you’ve got there," he mused with a faint smile. "Alright, I’ve decided that I won’t kill you. There are too many questions I want to ask."

Nereid’s innocent appearance could’ve fooled anyone, but Kim Do-Joon knew better. His smile was as deceptive as his words.

"Maybe I’ll just cut off your legs first?" He continued, his eyes gleaming with malice. "No, no, you’re too dangerous. I’ll take your arms too, so you can’t escape."

Suddenly, a massive dragon, made entirely of water, descended from the sky at his command.

“...!”

Kim Do-Joon leapt to the side, narrowly dodging the creature as it crashed down. The impact left a gigantic crater in the ground, sending shattered rock and dirt flying in all directions. He evaded the larger debris, but the fine dust and sand were impossible to avoid completely.

[You have received a Superior Regeneration effect.]

Nevertheless, his minor wounds healed instantly, his skin knitting together as if nothing had happened. Nereid chuckled softly at the sight.

"I’m not even surprised you have a healing ability.”

After all, Nereid had already witnessed so many of Kim Do-Joon’s tricks. Besides, he possessed similar abilities himself.

Kim Do-Joon had already made up his mind.

I’ll hit him with the non-regenerating.

He settled on the only effect he could copy-paste to Nereid—his next best chance.

“Let’s see if you can dodge this.”

Nereid grinned, flicking his fingers. Instantly, several thin streams of water snaked across the ground like serpents, slithering toward Kim Do-Joon. Wherever they touched, the earth was sliced clean through.

Is this the same attack as before?

Wasn’t that the same water blades from Elsar’s gem? Back then, it had broken through his Invincible Body like nothing.

“Keugh...”

Kim Do-Joon dodged the incoming attacks. However, more followed in rapid succession, sometimes all at once, other times from unexpected angles. Above all, the water dragon approached him with a wide open mouth, ready to strike at any moment.

Ping.

Nereid shot bullets with pinpoint accuracy at him, each one timed perfectly to catch him in a moment of vulnerability—whenever he slowed, or was forced into a corner.

It feels like I’m fighting an army, not just one opponent.

Every attack felt like it had its own intelligence, working together to trap and overwhelm him.

What a foolish human.

Nereid sneered at the sight of Kim Do-Joon struggling.

You dare oppose me when you can barely handle this?

Nereid had a different plan in mind. Drenched from dodging the relentless water attacks, a water droplet slowly climbed up Kim Do-Joon’s cheek, inching toward his ear.

That single drop of water carried Nereid’s consciousness. Once inside Kim Do-Joon, Nereid could do anything—inject poison, inflict unbearable pain, or even pierce his brain with a small arrow.

Finally, Kim Do-Joon slowed, his foot paused briefly. Nereid seized the opportunity. All of his previous attacks converged at once, crashing down on him. The water droplet was just about to slip into his ear.

Nereid smirked, his eyes wide with anticipation.

Pzzzz—

At that moment, the entire world turned white, frozen solid.

“What the heck?” Nereid was shocked.

The massive water dragon, the swirling blades, and even the water soaking Kim Do-Joon's clothes—all froze into a frost-covered stillness.

How is this possible?

Nereid's eyes widened in disbelief.

All the water had been under his direct command, imbued with his very essence! Now, he could entertain the possibility of evaporating it using the Heart of Flame, but freezing it would require power on his level. From Kim Do-Joon’s earlier battle with Naiyel, Nereid found out that the man had ice mana, but nothing of this magnitude?

"But ho—" Nereid couldn’t finish his sentence.

Thwack!

Kim Do-Joon charged forward, shattering the frozen world with a single, powerful strike from his staff. The Iron Staff slammed into the Nereid, driving the air from his lungs as he collapsed to his knees.

The blow alone was devastating, but it wasn’t just the physical damage. The icy mana coursing through the staff spread rapidly through him, threatening to freeze him from the inside out.

[One of the effects of the Knife can be copied and pasted onto the Water Lord.]

[Item effects available for copy-pasting:]

1. Non-regenerating

Now is my chance!

Kim Do-Joon’s eyes flashed with determination. Nereid had been far too careless, treating their battle like a game, leading to this brief window of opportunity.

[The item effect has been successfully copied and pasted.] [The Knife has been destroyed.]

The Knife embedded in Nereid's shoulder disintegrated into ashes. Then, Kim Do-Joon flicked his fingers, shooting a small flame that hovered nearby into the sky. That tiny flame, no larger than a thumbnail, rapidly expanded, growing into a massive fireball.

— Step aside!

The Dragon of Blazing Flame emerged, spewing a breath of scorching flames toward Nereid.

Fwooooom!

Nereid looked up, his face twisted in terror, as the fiery dragon descended upon him. Kim Do-Joon had already backed away, watching the scene unfold from a safe distance. Inside the towering column of fire, Nereid’s silhouette writhed and shrieked.

"Ahhh! Aaaah!"

His small, dark figure twisted in agony, burning within the inferno.

***

The sky had torn open was the most apt description. In the auditorium, the teachers huddled together with the students, shielding them while keeping a wary eye on the sky.

"This is..."

What emerged wasn’t a terrifying monster, but an elderly man with a calm and gentle expression. And following behind him was a group of familiar faces, often seen on TV.

"This way! They are all over here!" shouted Son Chang-Il as he led the rescue team into the auditorium.

The Hunters quickly assessed the situation, positioning themselves protectively around the students. They exuded an air of confidence, as if no threat could harm anyone under their watch.

“The rescue team is here!” “We’re saved!”

Tears of relief streamed down the faces of the students. Thanks to Kim Do-Joon, they had been safe up to this point, but no one knew when things might take a turn for the worse, or how long it’d take before they could escape this nightmare.

Now, the long-awaited rescue had arrived, and joy washed over them. Amid this emotional scene, hardly anyone paid attention to the elderly man.

The old man, Jecheon Seong, along with Siwelin and Bo-Mi, made a beeline for someone in particular, Kim So-Eun.

“Sis! Grandpa! Bbo-Mi!” Kim So-Eun cried out, breaking free from the arms of Kwon Soo-Young. She ran toward them, throwing herself into Jecheon Seong’s embrace.

She hugged Siwelin around the neck and stroked Bo-Mi’s cheek.

“Okay good. You’re safe,” Jecheon Seong sighed in relief, patting her gently.

She was unscathed, which brought a wave of peace over him. But then, his eyes caught sight of her necklace. He didn’t know what it did, but he instantly recognized whose aura it was.

That kid...

A strange feeling welled up inside Jecheon Seong. Seeing Kim Do-Joon’s deep affection for this child stirred something in him. He wasn’t sure why, but Kim Do-Joon’s protectiveness struck him as admirable. Neither of them were his blood relatives, but somehow, it felt right.

It seems like he’s not here...

He didn’t even need to scan the area with his senses. If Kim Do-Joon had been nearby, he’d have been the first to rush to Kim So-Eun's side the moment the sky opened up. The nearby teachers clearly seemed to be searching for Kim Do-Joon as well.

“Excuse me, have you seen Hunter Kim Do-Joon?” Son Chang-Il asked one of them.

The teacher shook his head. All he knew was that Kim Do-Joon had left earlier to attack the enemy’s leader.

“Are you saying he went into enemy territory?”

"Yes, but I’m afraid I don't know the exact location..."

Rumble—

Suddenly, a deep rumble shook the sky.

Black clouds began to gather, swirling ominously above, as if the heavens themselves were angry. Jecheon Seong looked up at the clouds, then turned his gaze toward where they were converging.

“Take care of So-Eun for me,” he said to Siwelin.

— Leave her to me!

Siwelin responded confidently, pounding her chest in assurance. Jecheon Seong trusted her completely. With a faint smile, Jecheon Seong launched himself into the air, pushing off the ground with incredible force.

"Sir! Where are you going?" shouted one of the Hunters, alarmed by the sudden departure.

He immediately reported it to Son Chang-Il, who made a swift decision.

"Leave just enough people here to guard the auditorium. Everyone else, follow me! We’re going to support Hunter Kim Do-Joon!”

He quickly set off, leading the other Hunters in pursuit of Jecheon Seong.

***

At the heart of the swirling black clouds, two figures faced each other. It was Kim Do-Joon and Vulcanus, now in human form.

— I’ll kill you! I’ll drown this entire region in fire and ash!

A voice thundered through the sky. The very air around them was thick with murderous intent, as if the entire world had turned against Kim Do-Joon and Vulcanus.

However, the two men stood calm.

"Like I said before, losing one avatar won’t stop him. Now the real fight begins. Are you ready?”

“Yes,” Kim Do-Joon responded, steady and dauntless.

He readied himself for battle, fully aware that the true challenge had only begun.