Life Rebooted with Copy and Paste-Chapter 24. Belling the Cat

Following Kim Do-Joon’s first interaction with the boss monster, a peculiar transactional relationship developed between them.

Whirrr...

Whirrrr...

Every meal, Kim Do-Joon would roll a fresh can to the creature, and the creature would fill it with Raygium and roll it back to him in return.

"Ah, um... thanks," Kim Do-Joon called out while maintaining his distance.

"..."

Unfortunately, Kim Do-Joon’s attempts to engage in conversation were only met with silence.

"Xie xie."

Even speaking in the foreign languages he knew was no use. The creature's silence persisted.

Kim Do-Joon felt awkward and uneasy like he had been left alone with an acquaintance's friend whom he had just met.

While trading with the creature, Kim Do-Joon conducted various experiments. He tried giving the can outside of mealtime, but, as if it wasn’t hungry, the creature showed no interest and returned it unopened. Kim Do-Joon also tried giving several cans at once, but the creature only ever ate one at a time.

It seemed one can per mealtime was the maximum amount. If more had been acceptable, Kim Do-Joon could have accumulated a sack of Raygium by now.

As another experiment, Kim Do-Joon tried giving a can of meat, but it was returned unopened. The creature seemed to have detected the smell through the can.

He also discovered that the amount of Raygium it gave him varied with the type of can provided. Sweetcorn, a popular choice among Hunters that was made from dungeon corn, seemed to delight the creature. Though it remained expressionless, it returned one and a half times the usual amount of Raygium, which suggested satisfaction.

Did this mean sweetcorn was exceptionally tasty?

***

Wary of surprise attacks, Kim Do-Joon avoided sleeping in the creature’s presence. Instead, he stayed up trading with the creature for two nights before he returned home.

Naturally, he fell asleep as soon as he plopped on the bed. After a short nap, Kim Do-Joon created a Divine Potion.

[Divine Potion]

Description

- A potion imbued with divine elements.

Rarity

- Rare

Classification

- Potion

Effect

- It can be applied to a weapon, giving it the divine element for 10 seconds (single-use).

Before selling it, Kim Do-Joon tried copy-pasting its effects onto himself.

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

[The Divine Potion has been destroyed.]

[The transferred ability will be adjusted according to the item's classification.]

Additional Effect

- Skill: Divine Enchantment (single-use). Duration of 10 seconds.

Unfortunately, the copy-pasted skill was nearly identical to the potion. Looking purely at the redundant effects, he might as well just use the potion.

- Divine Potion x 3

Kim Do-Joon had three potions left after using one in the copy-pasting process. With a combined worth of about three million won, he had earned a substantial amount for just two days' work.

Making money is good...

However, clearing the labyrinth remained his top priority. In modern times, strength translated to money.

Considering high-ranking Hunters earned billions monthly, he saw no reason to stop now just because he had made three million won in two days.

I’ve formed a strange relationship with the creature, but I still don’t have a clue about its name.

Eliminating the creature also seemed impossible, though. There were two paths to clearing the labyrinth, but both seemed impassable; one was a pitch-black tunnel, while the other was blocked by a massive boulder.

A week passed, then another. During this time, Kim Do-Joon cleared lower-tier dungeons to build his record. Guilds continued to contact him to recruit him, but he just kept declining all offers. He remained fixated on clearing the labyrinth.

Kim Do-Joon also entered the labyrinth two more times. While he did obtain enough Raygium to make ten more divine potions, he made no further progress on the hidden quest, much to his chagrin.

The creature remained unchanged, idly toying with stones or bone fragments. Meanwhile, Kim Do-Joon meticulously explored the chapel, scrutinizing the murals on the walls and the upper floors of the Temple. He inspected every corner, heightening his senses to the maximum, but he still failed to find even a single book or diary.

In the end, he returned to the boss room, stared at the creature for a while, and then simply returned to Earth.

It was only on his third entry into the labyrinth the next week did something finally change.

Huh?

The creature had crafted something from the stones and bones it had been handling.

Is that a bell?

It looked like a small bell attached to a short stick and decorated with other bone fragments and decayed leaves. The creature carefully placed it on the altar and began to pray.

Kim Do-Joon rubbed his eyes, staring in disbelief at the creature's actions. However, he wasn’t seeing things. The ghoul knelt and clasped its hands together in a gesture that almost seemed devout.

An undead praying wasn’t unheard of. After all, many undead creatures worshiped evil gods or demons. What shocked Kim Do-Joon was the blue flame that engulfed the praying ghoul.

Whoosh—

Kim Do-Joon quickly identified it as the flame of purification. He had seen it countless times while fighting the ghouls.

Kim Do-Joon was speechless.

Despite the absurdity of the situation, his instincts worked quickly. Realizing that this was a crucial clue that he should not miss, he immediately scrutinized the creature.

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Seeing the ghoul’s flesh burn with a foul odor, Kim Do-Joon concluded that the flames were indeed the flames of purification that divine power caused.

The creature’s charred skin twisted but healed almost instantly, revealing a regenerative ability comparable to a troll shaman.

Hmmm... Its regenerative ability isn’t perfect, though...

Its skin blistered and burst repeatedly, leaving dark burn marks and turning its already filthy skin even more grotesque.

Wouldn’t it hurt?

Kim Do-Joon looked at the creature's face, but its expression remained unreadable despite now being cloaked in flames. One thing was certain. Unlike other ghouls, which writhed in pain and screamed upon being engulfed by the flames, this one remained motionless. It knelt quietly, hands clasped together in prayer.

While it was the typical pose of someone praying, it emanated an inexplicable sense of reverence. Kim Do-Joon wondered if the ghoul could feel pain, and, if it did, why it endured such suffering in silence.

So, it’s an undead creature that inflicts divine power upon itself to do self-harm?

Kim Do-Joon was baffled. How was that even possible? More importantly, what was the reason behind it?

Heedless of his bewilderment, the ghoul’s prayer continued. Even from a distance, he could feel a warm aura filling the chapel.

As he watched the blue flames dance around the creature, a thought crossed his mind.

Could this be the way to defeat the creature?

For some reason, the ghoul had suddenly started praying. The divine power generated by its prayer was tearing it apart, but its regenerative ability was counteracting the damage. What if that regeneration were to disappear?

He could easily tell what would happen if one of the two opposing forces—the encroaching flames and the regenerative power—were to vanish.

The creature might self-destruct.

With everything seemingly falling into place, Kim Do-Joon felt as though he had found the answer. It was as if even the unrepairable items in the courtyard had been part of some grand plan. However, he still had one lingering concern.

What if the creature attacks me when I touch it?

Kim Do-Joon worried that making contact with the boss creature to use his copy-paste skill would turn it hostile. He tensed up, feeling like a mouse trying to bell a cat, hoping not to wake it.

Ready to use his return skill at a moment's notice, he pulled out the Corroded Cape of Faith from his inventory, which seemed the least threatening. He then cautiously approached the ghoul.

Fortunately, the monster didn’t react to his advances. Moreover, the heat from the flames of purification did not affect him since it did not harm living beings.

“Stay focused. If anything feels off, retreat immediately. At least I won't die in one hit,” he whispered to himself, trying to stay calm. Then, he reached out with his right hand and gently touched the ghoul's shoulder.

It worked!

The ghoul continued its prayer, undisturbed. Kim Do-Joon was not sure whether it could not stop or chose not to react, but it was a favorable sign.

Huh?

Swoosh—

Suddenly, the blue flames climbed up his fingers and spread across his body. He then felt an unusual heat, and his vision blurred. Kim Do-Joon tried to pull his hand back, but his body did not respond, as if it had been switched off.

Overwhelming drowsiness took hold of him. He tried to resist, but it was futile. This was not something one could simply fight off.

Kim Do-Joon quickly passed out.

***

Kim Do-Joon opened his eyes to find himself in the middle of a battlefield.

"Hold them off! Keep firing!"

Before Kim Do-Joon could fully grasp the situation, a fully armored old knight with white hair came charging at him. Kim Do-Joon instinctively tried to dodge, but the knight passed through him.

Huh? What’s going on?

Looking down at himself, Kim Do-Joon’s eyes widened. He now possessed a ghostly, translucent body.

Is this a hallucination?

He looked around and took in his surroundings. He was standing atop a city wall, where soldiers were frantically firing arrows. Outside the wall, a horde of dark figures were surging forward. Inside, a familiar building stood.

Is that the temple?

Unlike the one that he had just been in, the temple before him was not rusted and ruined. It stood proud and intact.

Am I in the past?

Kim Do-Joon thought back. Just before losing consciousness, he had touched the praying ghoul, and the flames of purification had transferred to him. Perhaps those flames had caused this, or maybe it was something else entirely; maybe he was simply dreaming.

"Just fire already! Don't bother aiming; just shoot!"

"Hey, rookie! Don’t just shoot! Dip your arrows in holy water first! Regular arrows won’t work!"

"I’m s-sorry, sir!”

Chaotic shouting surrounded him. Barely catching the mention of holy water, he looked below the wall. Thousands of ghouls were swarming toward them.

This is insane.

At that moment, knowledge that Kim Do-Joon had no way of knowing started to pour into his mind. Was this a side effect of the hallucination?

These were the undead who had overtaken all the kingdoms and lands of humans, the fanatical worshippers of the moon. Standing against them was the last temple of Laoha, the god of sun and life.

"Hold the line! If we can hold it just a little longer, the Saintess will receive a revelation! We only need to hold on until then!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Defend the city with your lives!"

"Who said that?! Don't talk about dying, you fools! If you die, you'll become one of their soldiers!" The old knight's voice, strained and raw from shouting, echoed through the chaos.

"I'm sorry! I will remember that!"

The brave soldiers responded with determination. They were driven by a sense of duty to protect humanity's final refuge, a desperate desire to survive, and the need to protect their families within the fortress. At that moment, they seemed like an unstoppable force.

However, that did not last long.

"Sir Polman! The enemies have brought siege weapons! They're coming with catapults!" a subordinate shouted.

"What?!" The old knight's face contorted in shock, unable to make sense of the report.

The mountainous terrain should have prevented such large war machines from being transported.

"How is that possible?!" the old knight shouted.

"That’s... I don't know, sir..."

"Give me that!" Polman snatched the spyglass from his subordinate and peered through it.

And soon, his eyes widened in disbelief.

Numerous ogre zombies with their horrifying, massive decaying bodies were strapped together, carrying the catapults on their backs.

This is bad.

Even a war novice like Kim Do-Joon could see that this was the end.

"Don’t be afraid! They are nothing before the Saintess! She will come and save us!" Polman shouted.

"Let’s go—!"

The soldiers roared in unison, their morale elevated by the news of the impending arrival of the Saintess.

Thwack!

Woosh!

The catapults launched. However, their munitions were not stones.

“Kuughh—!”

Instead, the catapults hurled clusters of ghouls that were packed together like cannonballs. Some smashed into the walls, splattering on impact, but others landed among the soldiers.

“T-This is crazy!”

"Stop them! Don’t let them land on the walls! Push them off!"

The rain of corpses threw the soldiers into chaos. Only the senior knights managed to keep their wits and organize a defense atop the wall.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Corpses fell from the skies unabated, ogre zombies battered the gates, and ghouls climbed on each other’s shoulders to climb up the walls.

"We're doomed... We're all going to die..."

Morale plummeted, and the fall of the walls seemed inevitable.

Just then, a figure appeared, clad in a pure white robe embroidered with gold threads.

"Sing to the flowing blood.”

She was a being favored by the gods and adored by the world. Her clear voice cast a hush over the battlefield.

"Amraph Hresvelg, illuminate the world."

A brilliant curtain of light engulfed the battlefield.