Life Rebooted with Copy and Paste

As a massive hand descended with overwhelming force, Alcyone held onto Hylasa and braced against the crushing pressure.

It wasn’t some divine power or a spell; it was raw, unrelenting strength.

Alcyone clenched his teeth. He recognized the power all too well. After all, it belonged to his sibling.

“Vango!” he snarled. “How... How are you here!”

—What a sight this is, Alcyone.

Vango’s voice reverberated from high above, like a thunderous echo across the mountains. Vango, the last of a supposedly long-extinct race, looked down on him.

—For someone who vowed to merely observe, you’ve decided to get involved quite personally. What wind stirred you?

“Your atrocities have gone too far, Vango. Even I can’t stand idly by anymore,” Alcyone sneered, cutting through the tension.

Vango scratched his face, his expression genuinely puzzled rather than mocking.

—That’s strange. We've crossed that line ages ago, yet all this time, you've done nothing but stand by and watch. Why even bother stepping in now?

Alcyone fell silent. Vango was right. If he had wanted to interfere, it should have been long ago, before their father’s death. Instead, he had remained passive only to now denounce their misdeeds as if he were above them.

Just one reason...

Their father had accepted death with the same indifference as life. However, Kim Do-Joon wanted to live. Although Alcyone could not explain why, Kim Do-Joon radiated a vibrancy that set him apart—something alive and untamed. Perhaps, that was why Alcyone had chosen to follow him without question.

Alcyone smiled bitterly. Deep down, he knew the real reason.

Being bound by chains naturally played the biggest role.

Alcyone turned to Hylasa with a determined expression. “Hylasa.”

Shaking her head before he could continue, she snapped, “No!”

Alcyone frowned, frustrated. She was as stubborn as ever. Who had she inherited that from?

“I’m sorry,” he said, placing a firm hand on her shoulder, "but you don’t have a choice.”

His power surged into Hylasa, igniting the energy within her. The air around her began to boil, waves of wind swirling and roaring like an unleashed storm.

With a deafening hiss, razor-sharp gusts slashed out in all directions, tearing through the massive hand as if it were made of tofu.

—Hmm?

Vango’s hand disappeared in an instant. Then, Hylasa was flung skyward by Alcyone’s force, propelled high into the heavens. For a fleeting moment, she looked back at him.

Go. Don’t turn me into a fool who can’t even keep one promise.

Alcyone’s resolve reached her. Biting her lip, Hylasa turned and fled.

While watching apathetically, Vango began regenerating his destroyed hand.

—Ushas, the girl is running away. Shouldn’t we chase after her?

Ushas frowned for a moment but then shrugged and smirked. “Too much effort. She’s too fast, so just let her go.”

He then turned to Alcyone, grinning wickedly. “Besides, this is within my expectations. I was just hoping for Alcyone to stay. He’ll be useful.”

Alcyone’s eyes narrowed.

“I’ll never help you,” he spat. “I’ve already pledged myself to someone else, and I have no intention of betraying him.”

“That’s fine, that’s fine,” Ushas said nonchalantly, snapping his fingers.

Alcyone tensed, his senses on high alert as he waited for an attack. However, nothing happened.

Alcyone couldn't hide his confusion. What’s going on?

As if reading his mind, Ushas said, “When Father died, we siblings divided his power. It was sweet and intoxicating—the kind that rots your teeth if you have too much.”

“What's your point?” Alcyone growled.

“I didn’t just sit around after that,” Ushas said, his tone dripping with menace.

“What—”

Before he could finish, a dark, robed figure hurled Alcyone into a wall.

Alcyone's eyes widened in disbelief. He had failed to detect the robed figure, whose agility and speed were leagues beyond even Vango or Ushas. It now stood before him, its hand gripping his throat.

“Thanks to Father’s pitiful sacrifice,” the robed figure sneered, “I’ve perfected this. It’s strong enough to handle even a resurrected Father.”

Alcyone choked, his vision blurring as an overwhelming force began draining him. He could feel his essence—his very being—flowing into the robed figure like a river. For him, a being of pure spirit, losing his power meant losing his very existence.

Feeling as though his soul itself was being drawn into the void, his vision began to darken rapidly. As his consciousness faded, an image flickered in his mind.

F-Father...

His father's gentle smile and kind face were his final thoughts.

The robed figure released him, letting his limp body fall to the ground.

Thud!

Alcyone’s lifeless eyes stared blankly into the void.

—Just like that, another of my siblings has passed away.

“Don’t act like you care,” Ushas sneered at Vango, whose tone carried a feigned sadness. “Here. Take this.”

With a quick motion, Ushas tossed something at Vango. It was a necklace adorned with small gemstones.

Swoosh!

The moment Vango caught it, he began shrinking rapidly until he was around the size of a human. However, he still stood over two meters tall, making him look like a Giant to any ordinary onlooker.

As Vango placed the necklace around his neck, Ushas ordered, “Proceed as we discussed.”

“Hmph... I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I’m not so thrilled about this. Following your rat-like schemes is hardly my preference.”

Ushas’ face twisted into a demonic snarl as he slammed his hand onto the table. “Why don’t you take on Father head-on yourself instead, then?!”

Bang!

Finding no retort, Vango pressed his lips together tightly. It was a terrifying prospect for someone with such an enormous physical form like him. Ushas was willing to take on that burden, so he had no right to complain.

“You disgusting wretch. If you value your life, shut up and follow the plan. Our opponent is Father, for heaven’s sake. Even if we give it everything we’ve got, there’s no guarantee we’ll win!”

“Fine. Let’s get this over with.”

Finally swayed, Vango left with no further objections, leaving Ushas, the robed man, and Alcyone's corpse in the room.

Ushas stared into the sky where Hylasa had fled, his eyes gradually darkening. There was no turning back now.

***

Life had mostly returned to normal.

Though parts of the city still looked like a construction site and full recovery was yet to be achieved, they had made huge progress.

The worldwide donation drive that Kim Do-Joon initiated had been a significant help. One key factor was that none of the funds were siphoned off for other purposes. The stern warning from the man who had flown around the globe on a massive dragon, eradicating undead outbreaks, ensured accountability. No organization dared to ignore it.

With transparency guaranteed, a virtuous cycle began—more people were willing to donate, accelerating recovery efforts.

In this era of change, Kim Do-Joon stood apart.

Boom!

He trained alone, swinging his spear with precision. Well, not really alone since Karlish resided within the spear.

—You’ve become more... no, you’ve grown incredibly strong. I hardly recognize you.

Karlish sounded amazed.

“Thank you,” Kim Do-Joon replied as he went on with his practice.

He had made undeniable progress. From barely managing ten mana streams back when Karlish had first met him, Kim Do-Joon had transformed. Now, he could freely manipulate thousands, even tens of thousands, of mana strands with ease. He had long since transcended human limitations.

On top of that, he possessed shadow mastery and summoned soldiers. The man could conquer the world if he wished.

“Karlish, who do you think is stronger? Me or you in your prime?” Kim Do-Joon asked.

—Hmm? Ah, well... er, I wouldn’t know. I’m quite forgetful, you see. Haha.

Despite his odd tone, Kim Do-Joon accepted the answer. Strength was not just about raw power. In a battle relying solely on pure skill, he knew Karlish’s decades of spear training would give him the edge.

Setting the topic aside, Kim Do-Joon opened up the other matter in his mind.

“I just realized that I promised to help you recover your memories, but I haven’t had the chance.”

—Nah, don’t worry about it. I’ve waited this long, so a few more years won’t make much difference.

However, a promise was a promise. Someday, Kim Do-Joon would have to fulfill it.

Kim Do-Joon started to think about how he could find Karlish’s memory. Would searching the Middle Orc Kingdom, where he had first encountered Karlish, yield any clues?

He often pondered the issue but was yet to act on it. The sprawling labyrinth required significant time to explore, and reality had been keeping him too occupied.

“Once Ushas is dealt with and everything settles down, I’ll have time. Besides, So-Eun’s illness will be cured soon. She just needs to grow a bit more.”

—That’s something to look forward to.

All that remained was confronting Ushas and tying up the final loose ends. After those had been resolved, he would finally be able to dedicate himself to searching for Karlish’s memory.

Swoosh—!

With those thoughts in mind, Kim Do-Joon swung his spear again, slicing through the air with fearsome precision. Time passed as he trained, his movements slowing gradually. Each motion became slower and more deliberate as if time itself decelerated just for him.

—Ah.

When he seemed almost frozen mid-swing, he heard a clear yet unfamiliar voice.

Kim Do-Joon stopped and turned toward it. He knew the figure approaching at lightning speed all too well—Hylasa, the Wind Spirit King, once bound to Alcyone.

She landed before him and gasped for breath, flickering faintly as though she had spent all her strength just to reach him.

Kim Do-Joon studied her closely, his expression hardening.

“Why are you alone?”

Hylasa raised her trembling gaze to meet his. Her eyes were glistening with tears.

“P-please... help us. He’s... He’s...”

Her plea, fragmented and desperate, only deepened Kim Do-Joon’s resolve.

Moments later, a massive black dragon soared over Seoul’s skyline.