Life Rebooted with Copy and Paste-Chapter 149. Now I’m the Master?

Leaning against a wall, Kim Do-Joon silently observed the scene. The mood in the room was mixed—some were skeptical, while others were unsure.

It was understandable, as they had no solid proof. They only gave Daniel the time of day because of the Celestial Trap.

Thanks to the wide area said trap covered, many Hunters inside the dungeon had witnessed the Ghost Slayer Division's actions firsthand. That, combined with the unusual silence from the Chinese government and the Eight Dragons Association after the S-rank dungeon opened, lent some credibility to Daniel's claims.

"Wait, Daniel," a Hunter raised his hand and asked, "I’m not saying I don’t believe you, but there’s something I’m struggling to understand."

"What is it?"

"If what you're saying is true, then that man over there was able to defeat Gao Lin, right? But is that really possible?" the man pointed at Kim Do-Joon as he spoke, and suddenly, all eyes turned to him.

"And he managed to escape the Celestial Trap with just the help of an old man who’s his companion? That’s hard to believe."

Skepticism started to spread through the room.

Kim Do-Joon scratched his cheek. Normally, he wouldn’t care whether people believed him or not. If they did not reveal Gao Lin’s and the Eight Dragons Association’s schemes, they could end up being framed as the criminals themselves.

What should I do? Should I demonstrate my skill? Normally, I don’t like showing off unnecessarily, but this situation is different.

Bang!

Daniel slapped the table to grab everyone’s attention, his voice suddenly serious. "It’s all true. The only reason we survived the attack from Gao Lin and escaped the Celestial Trap formation was thanks to Hunter Kim Do-Joon and Hunter Jecheon Seong. I swear on my country and my honor."

He spoke with conviction, as if staking his entire reputation. He understood better than anyone that the only reason he was standing there, alive, was because of Kim Do-Joon and Jecheon Seong.

However, the Hunter who had asked the question didn’t seem to be fully convinced. Other people began to speak up as well.

"It’s not impossible. I’ve seen footage of the Giant Woodland incident in Korea."

"The Giant Woodland? You mean that S-rank dungeon that appeared in Korea? What about it?"

"I saw footage of Hunter Kim Do-Joon in action there. He easily took down Ko Cheong-Cheon from the Mercenaries with a single blow."

"What? He defeated Ko Cheong-Cheon?"

The murmurs in the room grew louder, and a variety of eyes turned toward Kim Do-Joon once again. Some Hunters looked at him with newfound respect, while others seemed intrigued and eager to test their skills against him.

Just as the Hunters came from a wide range of countries and backgrounds, their reactions varied. However, noticeably, there were far fewer doubting eyes now.

So Ko Cheong-Cheon’s more famous than I thought.

In Korea, Ko Cheong-Cheon was notorious for a different reason, being a traitor who had turned his back on his homeland. In fact, the Association President practically growled whenever his name was mentioned.

Kim Do-Joon let the energy he had been gathering subside. He had been considering a sparring session to prove his strength, but with Daniel’s support, it didn’t seem necessary anymore.

"Everything I’ve said is the truth," Daniel continued. "If it wasn’t, why would the Eight Dragons Association deploy the Celestial Trap formation against us in the first place?"

"That’s true..."

The room buzzed again with heated discussions, centering around Daniel’s words. Meanwhile, Kim Do-Joon’s thoughts drifted back to Gao Lin and the strange transformation he had undergone.

He remembered the black shadow that had enveloped Gao Lin, transforming him into a demon. It was similar to Gwak Dong-Gyu’s transformation, but darker. Besides, Gwak Dong-Gyu had not been able to control shadows like Gao Lin.

Hmm... So, the difference between the two is their skill level? Maybe Gao Lin’s skill level was just much higher.

It was a simple explanation, but a crucial one. Some skills grew in power exponentially with higher levels, often beyond imagination. It made Kim Do-Joon wonder about his own skill.

The Thorn of Searshader...

He’d obtained the Shadow Binding skill rune from Gwak Dong-Gyu’s corpse, and the Thorn of Searshader was the original version of it.

Unlike most skills, this one had no level, so it couldn’t grow. Yet, the Thorn of Searshader had easily and effortlessly severed Gao Lin’s shadow.

Then, is it simply the difference between an original and a copy? So, no matter how much a copy’s level increased, it could never surpass the original? But what does an “original” even mean?

Kim Do-Joon wondered why some skills had the original version and copies.

Does having an original mean that there had once been an owner of that skill?

It was a question that had crossed his mind before, but no answer had ever presented itself. And he knew well that thinking about it now would not change that.

Kim Do-Joon glanced down at his shadow. The shadow stirred slightly, almost as if it were wagging its tail, like a dog greeting its master.

So now I’m the master, huh?

A small smile tugged at his lips, the thought oddly comforting.

No concrete conclusions were reached that day in the bar. Most of the Hunters decided to wait and see how things would unfold, and Daniel seemed content for now, having gotten his story out there.

Later that afternoon, a formal response arrived from the Chinese government along with the Public Security Bureau and the Eight Dragons Association.

***

This makes no sense!

Yang Huai, the guild master of the Black Dragon within the Eight Dragons Association, led a group of public security officers and his subordinates to surround the Grand Carlton Hotel. The chaos began just a day ago.

Gao Lin is dead and the Celestial Trap was breached?

But then again... if it was that old man...

Yang Huai remembered the video he had seen with Gao Lin before, where the old man splitted the Root. If that video was real, then maybe Gao Lin’s death was also true.

The next head of the Eight Dragons Association should be me, of course.

With that thought, Yang Huai moved quickly. He did not even bother to hide the complaint filed by Daniel—something he would have normally kept under wraps to quietly deal with later. Instead, he stirred everything up, aiming to seize the advantage in the ensuing chaos.

“What’s all this commotion?”

“Didn’t you hear? The head of the Eight Dragons Association is dead!”

“Hah! What nonsense...”

“Yang Huai’s here with a whole squad because of it!”

“Yang Huai? The Black Dragon’s guild master? Wait, I see him!”

Yang Huai smirked as he watched the commotion spread. At this point, it didn’t matter whether Daniel’s claims were true or not. If they were, he could use the chaos to claim the position of head. And if not, he would leave a good impression on Gao Lin when he returned, having been the first to act in seeking vengeance.

Either way, one thing was certain.

Those bastards won’t get away with this!

He had already confirmed that the Celestial Trap had been deployed, and it was undeniable that many of the Ghost Slayer Division forces had been taken down by Daniel’s raid team.

"Yang Huai! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Right on cue, Daniel and his party burst out of the hotel. Yang Huai narrowed his eyes and scanned their faces. There was Daniel, the raid leader, along with his friend Tyler, and a few foreign Hunters, including the Korean, Kim Do-Joon.

Phew... The old man isn’t here.

Yang Huai let out a quiet sigh of relief. As long as that old man was not present, there was nothing to fear.

Puffing out his chest, Yang Huai shouted, “You’re all under suspicion of murdering numerous members of the Ghost Slayer Division forces! Cooperate peacefully!”

"I already told you! Your side attacked first! Don’t you know that whoever draws the sword first in a dungeon dies without making someone guilty?" Daniel explained.

"Do you have proof?"

"What?" Daniel was shocked.

"Do you have proof that the Ghost Slayer Division attacked you first?" Yang Huai asked again.

Daniel’s mouth fell open, stunned. Did Yang Huai really expect them to prove that they, a hastily formed raid team, had attacked the Eight Dragons Association’s own forces on their home turf? It was absurd.

"Are you seriously saying that we attacked you first, Yang Huai?" Daniel asked.

"Why is that so hard to believe? It sounds plausible enough to me. Don’t you agree?" Yang Huai replied.

"Yes, absolutely!"

One of Yang Huai’s subordinates nodded enthusiastically. Of course, no one in Yang Huai’s crew would dare disagree with him.

The ridiculousness of it all made Daniel pound his chest in frustration. Sure, Gao Lin had attacked first, but now that he was dead, the responsibility had shifted. In this upside-down situation, Yang Huai’s accusations could stick, framing them as the aggressors.

Thud.

Suddenly, something hit Daniel. He glanced down and saw a small pebble by his feet.

“Murderers!”

“What did you do to Master Gao Lin?!”

It had come from the crowd of Chinese citizens gathered behind them. Someone had thrown a rock at him. Daniel, nearing S-rank, didn’t even flinch from something so insignificant. Instead, his face twisted in anger.

Is this another of the Eight Dragons Association’s tricks?

Judging by the growing murmur in the crowd, it seemed word was already spreading that they had attacked Gao Lin and his forces.

I’ve already contacted the US headquarters but...

He had no idea when help would arrive. For now, the situation looked bleak.

“Kill them!”

“Mr. Yang Huai! Cut those bastards’ heads off!”

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“Cut their limbs and drag them through the city!”

The crowd’s cries grew louder, filled with hate. Even the public security forces, who would have normally dispersed the onlookers, stood by silently.

The US headquarters won’t just sit still.

Ha! I can just kill you right now and bury the truth.

The tension between Daniel and Yang Huai mounted. Daniel nervously eyed Yang Huai, who fiddled with his sword, and glanced at Kim Do-Joon.

"Hunter Kim Do-Joon, what should we do? Escaping seems difficult..."

As the guild master of the Black Dragon, Yang Huai was highly skilled in swordsmanship. If he decided to pursue them, they would not escape easily—at least not here in Shanghai, his stronghold.

However, Kim Do-Joon remained calm.

"Escaping isn’t that difficult."

"Sorry?"

Daniel blinked in surprise, staring at him with wide eyes.

We’re completely surrounded, though?!

Then, it hit him—who they had fought just yesterday, and the escape they had pulled off after breaking through an impossible blockade. Compared to Gao Lin, Yang Huai was a level below. And compared to the Celestial Trap, the current blockade by the Eight Dragons Association and public security was like a flimsy net, full of holes.

“The issue is... I see,” Kim Do-Joon muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “If they wipe out all traces inside the dungeon and insist it was our fault, this could turn into a diplomatic nightmare.”

If all the evidence was erased, it would be impossible to prove who attacked first. While suspicions would remain, solid proof would be gone. And without that, things could escalate into a political conflict.

Honestly, I’m not sure how this will play out.

Kim Do-Joon was not familiar with the ins and outs of politics or diplomacy. In those matters, he was no more knowledgeable than the average person.

If he had to guess, the U.S. wouldn’t sit by quietly, and the same went for Korea. However China, having lost Gao Lin and their elite Ghost Slayer Division, would likely raise their voice even louder. They would not just let such a heavy loss go.

Things are about to get really complicated... Maybe I should consult with President Son Chang-Il.

As these thoughts raced through his mind, the standoff between their group and Yang Huai continued, with neither side willing to budge. The gap between their positions was too wide, and neither was willing to concede a single inch.

“Hey! It’s Gao Lin!”

Suddenly, a murmur rippled through the crowd.

“What?”

“Who did you say it was?”

“Look at this! Someone’s filming Master Gao Lin!”

The commotion grew louder as the crowd whipped out their phones. Someone had started a livestream, and it was quickly spreading through social media. On the screen was Gao Lin, standing in front of the Black Dragon guild’s headquarters in Shanghai.

“It really is Master Gao Lin!”

“For real?”

“He’s really alive?”

“He’s alive!”

The crowd’s joyful chatter spread like wildfire. Daniel, who understood enough Chinese to catch the gist, turned pale. Even Kim Do-Joon, who didn’t fully understand language, knew something was wrong after hearing Gao Lin’s name being repeated several times.

“What’s happening? Perhaps...” Kim Do-Joon muttered.

“Gao Lin... he’s alive,” someone confirmed in a hushed voice.

Daniel quickly pulled out his phone to check the livestream, while Yang Huai peered over one of his subordinate’s screens. Yang Huai’s face scrunched in displeasure, as if his plans had been thrown off. Kim Do-Joon, now looking at Daniel’s phone, could not believe what he was seeing either.

“This doesn’t make any sense...” Kim Do-Joon muttered.

He had stabbed Gao Lin through the heart. Not only that, but he had unleashed a powerful energy blast that should have completely incinerated him.

Is it possible he had grown a second heart after becoming a monster?

Kim Do-Joon quickly shook his head. His senses were sharp enough to detect even the faintest heartbeat in battle. If Gao Lin had a second heart, he would have noticed.

“He’s alive!”

“Master Gao Lin is alive!”

“Praise be!”

The crowd erupted in cheers, celebrating the news.

Yang Huai, shrugging nonchalantly, said, “Well, now that the leader is back, we can just ask him about the instigator. I’m sure he’ll clear things up.”

“He’ll say we started the fight of course!” Daniel snapped.

“Then that settles it,” Yang Huai replied with a smug grin. “You don’t think the leader of the Eight Dragons Association would lie, do you?”

“You bastard...”

The fact that Gao Lin was alive was a huge blow. He was not just the leader of the Eight Dragons Association but a symbol of hope for all of China.

However, suddenly, the atmosphere shifted.

“Wait... what’s going on?”

“Something’s happening...”

“What is that?”

On the livestream, Gao Lin’s movements became strange. He stomped his foot, and dark shadows spread from where he stood, expanding in every direction.

“What... what is that?!”

“The Black Dragon guild’s headquarters... it’s being swallowed up!”

Everything in the area, including the roads, buildings, cars and even people were being consumed by the creeping darkness.

―W-what is going on? Aaaahhh!

The person streaming the video tried to flee, but they were swallowed by the shadows. The screen went black, and a message popped up.

[No Signal]

The livestream cut off with this final message. A massive black shadow shot up into the sky, piercing through the clouds. It rose from the direction of the Black Dragon headquarters, so large that it was visible miles away, even from the hotel where they stood.

Suddenly, a message appeared.

[Planet V2 – FRD48295]

[The growth of the World Tree has been confirmed.]

[The Stem phase has ended. The Branch phase has begun.]

Everyone across the world could see the same ominous message.