Life Rebooted with Copy and Paste-Chapter 179. The White House

“Where is your guild master?”

Kim Do-Joon’s voice was sharp, his grip on Ko Cheong-Cheon’s collar unrelenting.

Ko Cheong-Cheon flinched when he met Kim Do-Joon’s eyes. Beneath the surface, fury burned, raw and unhidden. It pressed down on him, suffocating him under its weight.

Yet, he managed to steady himself because the anger was aimed squarely at Drake.

“I-I don’t know! We’re looking for him too!” shouted Ko Cheong-Cheon, desperately swatting at Kim Do-Joon’s hand.

Surprisingly, Kim Do-Joon let go without resistance.

Ko Cheong-Cheon quickly smoothed his crumpled shirt, stalling for a moment before continuing, “We haven’t been able to contact Drake since the incident. Not him, nor the other guild members at the headquarters... So, something’s definitely happened.”

He shot Kim Do-Joon a cautious glance. At first glance, the man seemed ordinary though well-built, as expected of high-ranking Hunters.

However, something about him made Ko Cheong-Cheon gulp nervously. Even as an S-class Hunter, once hailed as one of Korea’s strongest, he could not shake off Kim Do-Joon’s oppressive aura.

I already knew that he’s beyond me but...

The memory of their encounter in the Giant Woodland resurfaced. Since then, he had acknowledged Kim Do-Joon as a step above him. Even Walter, who had sparred with Kim Do-Joon, had praised him profusely.

Seeing him up close again, it wasn’t just a step.

Even if I trained my whole life, I wouldn’t stand a chance against him.

No amount of effort or dedication seemed enough to surpass this man. Was it just his own defeatist thinking? He tried to rationalize it. Maybe he had been influenced by the video from Shanghai, or by witnessing Kim Do-Joon obliterate the Root earlier.

However, as he analyzed his feelings, the truth became clear. It wasn’t mere emotion—his instincts told him this was fact.

Even so, he had to ask, “W-why are you asking about our guild master? Do you have something to do with Drake’s disappearance?”

As the highest-ranking member present, it was his duty to question, even before someone who could end him instantly.

Thankfully, Kim Do-Joon didn’t find the question annoying. He was just wary of anyone who could be collaborating with Drake, and Ko Cheong-Cheon seemed to be in the dark.

“You’re aware of the situation, right?” Kim Do-Joon finally asked.

“I’ve heard. The Information Management Bureau says Roots that were previously destroyed have started reappearing.”

“Exactly. It’s necromancy, resurrecting what’s already dead. And it’s happening all over the world.”

Ko Cheong-Cheon frowned.

“Necromancy at that scale? Is that even possible? Who could... wait.” His expression shifted. “An incident that used necromancy?”

The words "necromancy" and "incident" struck a nerve. An incident implied something deliberate.

“Yes, right. There’s a culprit,” Kim Do-Joon said, “and it’s Drake.”

The words fell like stones into a still lake, causing ripples that spread through Ko Cheong-Cheon and beyond.

“That’s absurd!”

“What’s wrong? What did he say?”

“What’s this about Drake?”

The rest of the Mercenary Guild Hunters, who didn’t speak Korean, began to take notice. They could sense something serious was being discussed about their guild leader.

Ignoring their curiosity, Ko Cheong-Cheon snapped, "That's ridiculous! You're saying Drake is the culprit? Then what about the guild members who vanished with him—are they accomplices too?”

Ko Cheong-Cheon had no patience for any translation. Drake’s disappearance, along with the other guild members, was too much for him.

Suddenly, he recalled the recent report about the guild members, who had allegedly attacked and annihilated another guild’s Hunters.

If they could just find those missing members, maybe everything would make sense. Besides, that was why he and his team had come to the airport.

“Everyone, we need to act fast!” Ko Cheong-Cheon barked at his team in English. “Cal! Wasn’t there a report of our people near the airport?”

“Uh, yeah! That’s right.”

“Then spread out and search immediately. If you find them, do not under any circumstances engage alone. Report back first! Got it?”

Despite his disbelief, Ko Cheong-Cheon couldn’t entirely dismiss Kim Do-Joon’s words. Better safe than sorry. However, as he turned to lead the search himself, something made it unnecessary.

From the shadows, a group of undead emerged, surrounding them. And at the forefront were familiar faces.

“Jane... Mason... and the others...”

It was clear even at a glance that they were dead, yet they moved.

***

Even after witnessing it themselves, they still couldn’t believe their eyes. Their comrades—strong allies who should never have fallen so easily—had returned as undead.

“How could this happen...?”

“Ko Cheong-Cheon, what do we do now?”

“Say something!”

Confusion rippled through the group. Their guild members, wearing twisted expressions, looked to Ko Cheong-Cheon for guidance.

They had braved countless dungeons together, defeating innumerable monsters. What made those victories possible was the unshakable trust they had in each other—the assurance that their comrades had their backs.

Now, those same comrades stood before them as monsters. Ko Cheong-Cheon gritted his teeth, biting his lower lip so hard that a thin stream of blood trickled down his chin.

Finally, he made his decision.

“Raise your weapons.”

This was no place to fall.

Was Kim Do-Joon telling the truth? Could Drake truly be the one behind all of this? If so, was Drake also responsible for turning their comrades into undead?

Ko Cheong-Cheon couldn’t say for sure. He wouldn’t know until he confronted Drake directly. Until then, surrender was not an option.

Perhaps his determination was contagious, because the others began to brandish their weapons as well. Though their faces betrayed anguish, their hands were steady.

Just as they were about to move, someone stepped forward to block their path. It was a slender woman.

She had arrived on the same flight as Kim Do-Joon. Recognition flickered in Ko Cheong-Cheon’s eyes as he recalled the information he had read.

“Hunter Yoon Si-Ah?”

He remembered her from the files on Kim Do-Joon’s guild. The records described her as an S-class support Hunter, but they contained little else—no notable achievements, no significant incidents.

In other words, she was untested.

“Step back! Those undead were once Mercenary elites! There’s no way a single support Hunter can handle them—”

“Wait.” Kim Do-Joon interrupted him.

Ko Cheong-Cheon turned to him, bewildered. Why was he stopping Ko Cheong-Cheon? Didn’t he see the danger she was putting herself in?

However, Kim Do-Joon had his reasons.

Siwelin...

Kim Do-Joon could see the fury she tried to conceal. Though her expression remained composed and her movements careful, a fiery rage simmered beneath the surface.

Siwelin’s gaze swept over the undead Hunters before her. Yes, she had seen this before. Back in the temple, her comrades had suffered the same fate.

Warriors who had fought alongside her on the battlefield, only to fall to the enemy and return to attack their own. They had been forced to strike them down.

One by one, even those who had shared breakfast with her just that morning, had all fallen by her hand. Afterward, she had to gather the mangled bodies and lay them to rest.

No amount of spilled blood could wash away the sorrow of those days. Siwelin raised her hand, her lips moving soundlessly.

Then, a glow began to emanate from her outstretched palm. With every silent phrase she uttered, the light grew brighter, more intense.

That is...!

Kim Do-Joon was the only one who could see it clearly. The light wove itself into intricate patterns, forming the shape of a wing behind her back.

It wasn’t comparable to the full might of the Ten Wings of the Holy Spirit Lord, but its presence was undeniable, its significance clear. Finally, the light surged upward.

Whoosh!

A curtain of radiant light spread across the area, enveloping everything in its glow.

“Ah!” gasped the onlookers.

“What the hell is going on?”

It was a massive purification ritual.

Ko Cheong-Cheon, in all his decades as a Hunter, had never seen anything like it. This was unprecedented, absent from any historical records or footage.

The curtain of light swept the undead away en masse. The sheer magnitude of the divine power was overwhelming. Even Shin Yoo-Sung, renowned for his divine power, couldn’t compare to this. Moreover, the nature of her power was entirely different.

While the energy of Shin Yoo-Sung and other healing Hunters often evoked the sterile, clinical atmosphere of an operating room, Siwelin’s mana was like the warm, gentle sunlight of a spring morning.

The brilliance gradually faded. Though the light hadn’t reached the entirety of the airport, it had eradicated every undead within its range.

What remained on the runway were the bodies of their fallen comrades.

Thud.

Ko Cheong-Cheon’s hands trembled as he took in the sight. Finally, he understood why Kim Do-Joon had stopped him.

The bodies of his comrades were unscathed, not a single mark upon them. They laid in peace, their expressions serene, as though they had simply fallen asleep for eternity.

If it hadn’t been for Yoon Si-Ah, the only way to deal with the undead would have been to hack their bodies into pieces until they could no longer move. That was the only method available.

They would have had to incinerate the remains and present the ashes to their grieving families, unable to bear the shame of showing the mutilated corpses.

“Thank you.”

Ko Cheong-Cheon bowed deeply to Yoon Si-Ah, a woman who looked half his age. His gratitude was heartfelt and sincere.

The other Hunters nearby followed suit. Though bowing was not a common practice among them, they imitated him, understanding it was the only way to express their profound thanks.

A short while later, after the bodies had been recovered, Kim Do-Joon spoke, “Ko Cheong-Cheon, take me to the White House.”

***

In the control tower of the White House, President Nicholas Logan was reviewing reports from across the nation. The sudden crisis had caught everyone off guard.

Compared to the early days when the Roots first emerged, the defense systems were much more robust, allowing them to manage the situation.

However, Nicholas Logan’s brow furrowed.

This won’t hold.

The reports indicated that they were fending off the attacks better than expected, thanks to the coordinated efforts of the military and the Hunters. However, it was a temporary reprieve.

The enemy forces were relentless, surging forth endlessly. To make matters worse, they were weaponizing fallen allies, turning them into undead.

At this rate, he understood that a chain reaction was inevitable.

Once one location is breached, the collapse will be rapid.

Something needed to be done before that happened.

But how? We’ve tried everything.

One option was to launch another dungeon raid to destroy the Roots directly. However, every attempt to send Hunters into the dungeons had failed. The reanimated Roots spewed out an unending horde of undead, barring entry to any living beings.

Then, he thought about destroying the Roots. They had bombarded the Roots with overwhelming firepower, but to no avail. Like other high-tier dungeon phenomena, the Roots seemed impervious to conventional weapons, as if existing in another dimension entirely.

Then came an urgent message.

—Mr. President, Mr. Ko of Mercenary is requesting a meeting. He’s accompanied by South Korea’s Hunter Kim Do-Joon.

“Hunter Ko Cheong-Cheon?”

Of all times, why now?

Logan’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. The next words, however, made him bolt upright.

—Mr. Ko claims to know who’s behind this crisis.

“Let them in immediately!” Logan’s command echoed through the room.