Life Rebooted with Copy and Paste-Chapter 43. Still A Long Way To Go

Grr—!

A massive glaive swept past Kim Do-Joon's head. He ducked, deflecting the attack with his spear.

Thrown off balance, the orc left an opening. Kim Do-Joon's eyes gleamed as he prepared to thrust his spear.

Swoosh—

Suddenly, a spear darted out in front of him. Another orc had launched an attack. Dodging reflexively, Kim Do-Joon clicked his tongue in annoyance and retreated.

Should I just take the hit?

Belatedly, it occurred to him that he could’ve just received the blow. He could probably survive it with his passive, Invincible Body. Well, it was his first real combat since acquiring the passive, anyway. He’d need some time to get used to it.

Kim Do-Joon infused his spear with mana. Cold energy flowed from his hands to the spearhead.

— It’s too cold, you bastard!

"You can even feel the temperature?" Kim Do-Joon asked, responding to Karlish mid-parrying.

Clang—!

He moved just enough to avoid being surrounded, battling the orc horde with a single spear.

Krook! Krakla!

[Orc Warrior Dertu]

Leading his subordinates, the named orc swung his glaive at the front line.

Since Kim Do-Joon had been hurling his Lightning Spear from afar, he didn’t know there were different types of named orc. Some commanded from the rear, while others, like this one, led their troops at the front.

These kinds are the most troublesome...

As one would expect, these types were the hardest to deal with. When facing a large group, there were two main strategies: swiftly take down the leader or eliminate the weaker ones first.

I can’t deal with the subordinate orcs if the named one is at the front...

Kim Do-Joon’s skill hadn’t reached a level where he could defeat a named orc in a single blow. Moreover, the presence of a leader boosted the morale of the group, making them more aggressive than usual.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Swish!

As a result, Kim Do-Joon was constantly on the defensive. However, he was gradually reducing their numbers.

Clang!

Suddenly, an orc struck Kim Do-Joon’s forearm with a glaive from behind. A dull thud echoed, but he was unscathed. The orc seemed confused.

Good, it’s working.

Seeing the effect of his passive ability, Kim Do-Joon smirked. He’d deliberately receive the blow to test his Invincible Body. Had it not worked, his arm would’ve been severely injured.

Thwack!

Kueakk—!

As the orc was shocked, Kim Do-Joon thrust his spear and killed it. Taking down the one behind him opened up a clear path. The number of enemies had dwindled to a manageable level.

With a freer range of movements, Kim Do-Joon could finally breathe with ease. He shifted from defense to offense.

― Haha.

It went without a hitch from there.

Paying extra attention to the named orc, Dertu, Kim Do-Joon systematically took down all the subordinates. The leader, enraged, ruthlessly swung his glaive down.

Bang!

The strike was so powerful, it could split earth. But Kim Do-Joon wasn’t foolish enough to take it head-on. Besides, with no subordinates left to cover him, the orc was wide open.

The next moment, Kim Do-Joon dashed to the side, leaped up, and drove his spear into the orc’s temple.

Thwack!

The spear pierced through the skull, piercing the soft brain tissue, about to kill the named orc.

“Grr...!” Dertu groaned.

Pulling out his spear, Kim Do-Joon plunged it deep into the orc's chest, at the exact location of its heart.

Thud—

The enormous named orc collapsed, dead. The corpses of its subordinates littered the ground around it.

“Ha... ha... whew...”

Kim Do-Joon sat on the fallen named orc's body to catch his breath. He took out a cloth and wiped the blood and grease from his spear, which had become a habit of his.

“How was that?” Kim Do-Joon asked Karlish.

― Hmm.

Karlish responded with a noncommittal grunt, his tone enough to make anyone anxious.

― What was that just now? You took a direct hit to the arm but didn’t flinch. Was it magic?

“I’m not a mage. It’s a type of skill,” Kim Do-Joon explained.

― Ah, some skills are quite fascinating indeed.

Karlish spoke with a tone of admiration. Kim Do-Joon had already given him a brief explanation about skills.

― Aside from that, it seems you haven’t received formal training. Your movements seem to be honed through real combat.

“That’s correct,” Kim Do-Joon admitted.

― That’s not necessarily a bad thing. In battle, reading the flow is crucial, something that you seem to have grasped well.

Karlish started with compliments, but Kim Do-Joon didn’t let it go to his head. He was well aware of his shortcomings.

― But you still performed many unnecessary moves. It’s a common flaw of those who learn solely through real combat.

“I see,” Kim Do-Joon nodded.

While the criticism might have seemed typical, coming from a spear master, the words carried weight.

― Do you know how weapons are forged?

“...How are weapons forged?” Kim Do-Joon asked, puzzled by the sudden question.

― To make stronger, tougher weapons, craftsmen repeatedly hammer and temper the steel. Day and night, they tirelessly remove impurities to create high-quality iron.

“...”

— You are no different. To master the spear of the God of Storms, you must become the spear. Eliminate unnecessary movements and sharpen each action

Kim Do-Joon nodded, fully grasping Karlish’s point. It was essentially a roadmap for his training, indicating the direction he should take.

"So, should I start with the basics? Like practicing a thrust ten thousand times?" Kim Do-Joon asked, thinking of scenes from novels and movies.

— Huh? Ten thousand thrusts? What is that?

Karlish replied with an incredulous gasp.

"Um... Isn't that how you solidify your stance? With repetitive training?" Kim Do-Joon clarified.

— Repetitive training is necessary, but jumping straight into it can be counterproductive. If anything, it might reinforce bad habits. Besides...

Karlish paused before continuing.

— There's something you urgently need to correct.

"What is it?" Kim Do-Joon's eyes widened.

Being criticized was one thing, but urgently? Did he have such a dangerous habit?

— It’s your mana.

"My mana?" Kim Do-Joon looked surprised.

— Not only do you have a decent amount of mana, you even have the rare Yin energy. Moreover, your mana channels are exceptionally well-formed.

Isn’t it more of a trait of an Awakener rather than something that I developed myself?

Kim Do-Joon let that slide for now.

— But your mana control is terrible.

"Is it that bad?" Kim Do-Joon asked.

— Yes. You use mana like an apprentice mage discovering a new spell.

How odd. Kim Do-Joon thought he had been using his mana just fine.

— You see that rock over there? Channel your mana into your spear and strike it.

"Yes, sSir," Kim Do-Joon complied without question.

As he channeled his mana, a cold energy enveloped his body and extended into his spear. He thrusted at the rock.

Crack!

The spear punctured the center of the rock, leaving a basketball-sized hole. It was a blow that could easily obliterate the upper body of a person.

— It’s too straightforward! Now, surround your spear with more mana. I'll give you a proper demonstration.

Following Karlish’s direction, Kim Do-Joon poured more mana into his spear, unsure how much was needed. Karlish did something with the mana, then redirected the mana back into Kim Do-Joon's arm.

"Huh?"

Kim Do-Joon noticed something strange with the returned mana.

The mana had split into hundreds, perhaps thousands, of threads, like deeply embedded plant roots. The solid chunk of mana had completely disintegrated.

Each thread of mana permeated Kim Do-Joon's arm and shoulder, causing an immense, almost explosive pressure.

— Stop hesitating and strike! You can't maintain this kind of mana yet.

"Yes, Sir!" Kim Do-Joon responded and thrust at the rock again.

The spear blasted forward, and the threads of mana moved as if having a mind of their own, spinning and drawing a trajectory around the spear.

Bababam—!

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The house-sized rock was obliterated in an instant, leaving a massive spiral mark, as if it had been drilled through.

"This is..." Kim Do-Joon began, astonished.

— That's the first form you need to master.

Thump! Thump!

Kim Do-Joon's heart pounded. He couldn’t believe such an incredible strike had been produced by his own hands and mana!

It felt like his eyes had been opened. Was this how a frog felt upon seeing the sky outside the well?

— You can do it on your own too.

"Really?" Kim Do-Joon asked, still in awe.

— Of course. That's why I'm here.

Karlish said, looking pleased. Seeing his student's enthusiasm was rewarding.

Of course Kim Do-Joon was also thrilled, but Karlish toned down his excitement.

— First, let's practice splitting your mana into ten threads.

Kim Do-Joon had a long way to go before he could fully master this technique.

***

That day, Kim Do-Joon managed to split his mana into three strands. Specifically, splitting, maintaining, and moving three strands were his limit.

“Ha... ha...”

Kim Do-Joon laid sprawled on the ground, exhausted from depleting his mana.

— The only way to improve this sensation is through repeated practice. Whether it takes ten thousand times or a hundred thousand, you must keep going.

Karlish spoke beside him.

“Whew... Okay, I got it,” Kim Do-Joon replied.

Even with just three strands, Kim Do-Joon felt a significant improvement in efficiency. He was basically redirecting the wasted mana to reinforce the necessary areas.

Mana...

After a quick moment of thrill due to his recent achievement, Kim Do-Joon was lost in thought. Once his excitement subsided, he lowered his voice and asked Karlish a question.

“Can I ask you something?”

— What is it?

“Do you know about a disease where a child is born with an excessive amount of mana?”

— Hmm...

Karlish fell silent for a moment, searching through his knowledge. After a brief pause, he replied.

— I'm not too sure...

“If such a disease exists, could you cure it?” Kim Do-Joon asked.

— Why do you ask? Do you know someone with such a condition?

“...It's my daughter,” Kim Do-Joon replied.

— ...

Karlish remained silent for a while, sensing the weight of Kim Do-Joon's words.

— Without seeing her first, I can't say anything for sure.

Karlish finally responded after a long silence.

With that, Kim Do-Joon immediately returned home.

“Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” his daughter, Kim So-Eun, greeted him cheerfully as soon as he arrived.

A smile naturally spread across Kim Do-Joon's face.

“So-Eun, can you take a seat here for a moment?” Kim Do-Joon asked.

“Okay!” Kim So-Eun replied.

Kim Do-Joon, not wanting to waste any time, sat down in his room without even washing up. He placed Karlish in Kim So-Eun's hand.

“What’s this? A stick?” Kim So-Eun asked curiously.

“It’s something I use for work. Just hold onto it for a moment,” Kim Do-Joon explained.

“Okay,” Kim So-Eun replied.

After a brief pause, Karlish spoke.

— I'm sorry, but I can't tell anything. The only thing I can say is that... this child has no mana channels at all.

"Mana channels?" Kim Do-Joon echoed.

Kim So-Eun tilted her head, puzzled by her father's conversation.

“Daddy, who are you talking to?”

“Huh?” Kim Do-Joon looked surprised.

— I'm speaking so only you can hear.

Momentarily impressed by this ability, Kim Do-Joon silently patted Kim So-Eun's head. She smiled and nuzzled her head against his hand.

— Mana circulates along pathways. Everyone, even untrained people, have these pathways to some extent, but your daughter has none.

"Oh... Is that... so?" Kim Do-Joon replied.

— It's just my speculation, but if you can create pathways for your daughter as you did for yourself, she might get better. I have to admit that your pathways are remarkably well-formed.

Kim Do-Joon smiled bitterly. As he had thought earlier, he didn’t create such mana pathways on his own, but through his Awakening. Although Kim So-Eun was registered as an Awakener, she wasn’t a real one.

So, he knows a bit about the condition... but there’s no practical solution yet.

“Daddy, I have something to ask for.”

Kim Do-Joon was lost in thought, feeling down when Kim So-Eun suddenly tugged at his hand.

“What is it?” Kim Do-Joon asked, quickly masking his concerns.

“I want to go to kindergarten,” Kim So-Eun said.

It wasn’t an unexpected request. Going to kindergarten had been on her bucket list that he saw earlier.

“Kindergarten...” Kim Do-Joon repeated thoughtfully.

Of course, he wanted to send her if she wished. He took her out of the hospital hoping she’d learn about the world by interacting with other children and people.

But a regular kindergarten won’t work.

As an Awakener, Kim So-Eun couldn’t attend regular kindergartens or elementary schools due to the risk of accidents.

The choice was clear. She had to attend the kindergarten affiliated with the academy, which had retired Hunters or specially trained teachers.

“Alright. How about we go check it out tomorrow?” Kim Do-Joon suggested.

“Really!?” Kim So-Eun exclaimed, her eyes filled with excitement.

“Really!”

“Yay! Si-Ah! Si-Ah! Daddy said I can go to kindergarten!” Kim So-Eun cheered, waving her hands in joy as she ran off to find Siwelin.

Kim Do-Joon watched her run off with a bittersweet smile. Even as she found joy and happiness in such small things, the reality of her condition lingered like a thorn in his heart.

***

“Burying my face in your chest~...”

In Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do, a man was stumbling down a dark street, humming to himself. His unsteady steps suggested he was heavily drunk.

“Tonight, I want to cry~... oh, oops!”

The man tripped over a rock and fell. Shaking his head, he pushed himself up from the ground.

“Huh? What is this?”

The man noticed that the ground felt off. It felt like asphalt, but it looked entirely different. It was pitch-black like a dark void, pulling him in. He rubbed his eyes, thinking he might be seeing things, but the ominous sight remained.

Looking up, he was even more startled.

“What the...!”

The man fell back in shock. The entire visible ground was now charred black. Driven by an unknown fear, he fled back the way he came.

It wasn’t until morning that the blackened ground was discovered, sparking widespread concern.