Editor’s Survival Guide - Chapter 10

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Editor’s Survival Rules Episode 10

Episode 10. ep3. Hunting Humans (1)

* * *

Ten days ago.

That is, when I had just escaped from “The Siren-Ringing Train Station.”

I naturally had many questions.

So before receiving the video training, I asked Topknot various things.

“About how many people enter the Special Zone each year?”

“I cannot confirm that for you.”

“How many people have come out alive from there?”

“I cannot confirm that for you.”

“Do people who entered the Special Zone once and came out get dragged back again?”

“I cannot confirm that for you.”

But Topknot didn’t properly answer a single thing.

“Then in the Special Zone…”

“Mr. Seo Do-un.”

As if my continuous questions were bothersome, he said with a serious expression:

“Ordinary citizens entering the Special Zone is a very rarely occurring phenomenon, and the probability of it repeating for the same person is so slim it can practically be ignored. In short, what happened is something that will never occur again in Mr. Seo Do-un’s life, so please stop your pointless interest and focus on returning to daily life.”

To think he could be this rude while saying just two sentences.

His personality was surprising, but separately from that, I liked what he had firmly stated.

Something that will never occur again in my life.

Topknot had clearly declared this, and I believed those words completely.

So it was just ten days ago.

* * *

And today.

The place where I, who had been sleeping at home, suddenly woke up was a quiet hospital ward.

It seemed to be midday as the surroundings were bright.

The beds placed in the hospital ward were clean without signs of use.

And there was no one besides me.

Ah, so the Special Management Zone wasn’t just the railroad station?

No, no.

Even though this is the situation, there’s no need to conclude this is the Special Zone, right?

They said someone who was dragged away once couldn’t be dragged away again.

So it’s still too early to make assumptions. Yeah.

I thought positively and looked around.

Just then, an information board hanging on the hospital bed caught my eye.

Seeing it made me smile broadly.

Hahaha.

When I tried to read the letters on the information board, my eyes hurt as if they’d be gouged out.

Here, this seems to be that place. Hahaha.

I wanted to cherish daily life…!

Smack-!

I struggled silently then slapped my own cheek.

It’s maddening and infuriating, but let’s face reality for now.

It seems I’ve been dragged here again somehow.

A place similar to but different from the previous railroad station.

This was unmistakably a hospital.

Maybe because it was the second time, I wasn’t as confused as the first time.

Just the thought that I was screwed gently washed over me.

And last time I was at least properly dressed.

I’m barefoot right now.

The t-shirt and shorts I’m wearing are thin enough for mosquitoes to pierce through.

Like this, even a graze would be fatal, so what should I do?

Should I look for patient clothes or something to put on?

No, I know what kind of stuff is lying around here.

Last time there was a siren that would crush you to death just by hearing it.

So there might be clothes that suck your blood just by wearing them.

Then what should I do?

The rule book.

First, I need to find the rule book while being as careful as possible.

If that Topknot does his job properly as arrogantly as he acts, there should be a rule book here too.

I started searching the hospital ward where I had woken up.

But I couldn’t see any paper I could read here.

Where should I go to get one?

Would there be one at the hospital lobby or information desk?

I carefully opened the door to the hospital ward.

I could see the corridor of the empty hospital wing, and there I discovered the nurse’s station.

Normally, nurses are stationed at the nurse’s station in hospital wards day and night.

But now even that place was completely empty.

Maybe there’s a rule book there?

I approached the nurse’s station with hope.

But there was nothing I could read there either.

This place seems to be a bust too.

No, how much does printing cost anyway?

When printing once, print a bunch and scatter them around everywhere!

Ring ring ring-!

Just then, I suddenly heard a bell sound from behind me.

Startled, I turned around to see a landline phone on the desk ringing.

A phone is ringing here?

I frantically looked around, worried something might jump out.

Fortunately, there were no suspicious movements.

Only the phone’s ringing echoed through the silent hospital.

I waited for the sound to stop, but the ringing continued endlessly.

I became somewhat anxious and just left the spot.

Whether by coincidence or not, as soon as I left the phone, the ringing stopped too.

Feeling somewhat eerie, I continued walking and came across another nurse’s station.

But.

Ring ring ring-!

As soon as I approached, the phone there also started ringing.

What? Did it ring because I approached?

Ring ring ring-!

The phone kept ringing.

Following that sound, my heart also started pounding.

I hesitated then discovered an elevator and headed toward it.

I was about to press the down button without thinking, then flinched and stopped.

Would the elevator be safe?

Elevators are regular subjects of all kinds of ghost stories and traps.

Ring ring ring- Ring ring ring-!

Even while I hesitated, the phone’s ringing persistently continued.

The elevator doesn’t seem like a good choice at all.

Should I rather escape to the stairs?

If I run away? Won’t there be phones on other floors?

There are few places with as many phones as a hospital.

And if this ringing sound follows me to other floors, that would be even more terrifying.

After much deliberation, I returned to the nurse’s station.

With a terrible feeling, I glared at the phone, then steeled myself and picked up the receiver.

Click-

The ringing stopped.

But I couldn’t bring myself to put the receiver to my ear.

So I was hesitating awkwardly when it happened.

From beyond the receiver, I heard a familiar voice.

-Seo Do-un?

A voice so excessively businesslike that it sounded confrontational instead.

It was Topknot’s voice.

I hurriedly put the receiver to my ear.

At the same time, an utterly unreasonable accusation flew at me.

-Why are you there?

“Are you asking me that?”

I asked back not because I wanted to argue, but because I felt wronged.

I didn’t even register Topknot’s informal speech.

Honestly speaking, I thought I was saved now.

“Where is this place? What happened?”

-It’s a Special Management Zone. We just confirmed that Seo Do-un has re-entered the Special Zone.

“But you said that wouldn’t happen!”

-It shouldn’t happen normally.

I gritted my teeth.

I held back my desire to curse with great difficulty.

There were mountains of things I wanted to argue about, but surviving and getting out came first.

“Then what should I do now? Where’s the rule book?”

-It’s still being produced.

“Still being produced?”

-Seo Do-un, a rescue team will be deployed this time. Just survive until then without dying. We have things to confirm with you.

“Are you saying I can die if there’s nothing to confirm…?”

No answer. Was that silent affirmation?

It was absurd but I wasn’t angry.

A rescue team was coming, and that was all that mattered.

-I’ll now read you the precautions for that Special Zone. Can you memorize them?

“How much is there?”

-Half the amount of the Train Station rules.

The amount was too little.

Did that mean it was less dangerous?

Or did it mean there wasn’t much known information?

Probably the latter.

Considering they said the rule book was still being produced.

-I’ll read the same content twice repeatedly. You are currently in Special Zone “Human Hunting Hospital”.

Topknot began reciting the survival rules.

The combination of the place noun ‘hospital’ and the modifier ‘human hunting’ seemed absurd, but…

I forced that vicious explanation into my head for now.

—

■ “Human Hunting Hospital” Escape Guidelines

“Human Hunting Hospital” is a general hospital-type Special Zone where the dangerous entity “Moving Gun” that actively kills humans roams.

The survival methods identified so far are as follows, so please refer to the content below to survive the dangerous entity and search for escape routes.

-Next-

1. Cover your face.

“Moving Gun” tracks and kills targets whose faces it has seen as top priority.

2. Do not stay in one place for long.

“Moving Gun” detects locations where humans have been hiding for a long time. The shortest time “Moving Gun” succeeded in detecting humans was 9 minutes and 50 seconds.

3. Do not go to open areas.

“Moving Gun’s” range exceeds the straight-line distance of that Special Zone.

4. If “Moving Gun” approaches, hide and stop moving.

“Moving Gun” judges surrounding situations through sight and hearing, but has poor vision and hearing, and especially cannot identify parts of humans other than faces well.

If “Moving Gun” is nearby, hide, or if you cannot hide, minimize your movements. If you’re lucky, it might recognize you as an object and pass by.

5. Utilize surrounding cover but consider exceptional situations.

“Moving Gun’s” bullets generally cannot penetrate walls.

However, some high-power rounds fired at regular intervals can penetrate concrete walls and floors.

The firing conditions and cycle of those rounds are currently under investigation.

6. “Moving Gun” repeats active and rest periods in 43-minute cycles.

During the 43-minute active period, it actively hunts humans, and during rest periods, it stops completely.

However, to transition from active to rest period, it must hunt at least one person.

“Moving Gun” that exceeds its activity cycle without hunting enters indiscriminate shooting, and this state continues until at least one victim occurs.

—

“…This seems more dangerous than last time.”

-That’s not the case. The random crushing triggered by siren sounds in “Train Station” is unavoidable, but “Moving Gun” here can be sufficiently dealt with.

Oh, is that so?

Well, that’s why the rescue team is coming.

-It will take about 70 minutes for the rescue team to enter. I’ll now explain Seo Do-un’s survival strategy. “Moving Gun” is currently stopped and will resume activity in 14 minutes.

“Does that mean someone died 30 minutes ago?”

-That’s correct. There are currently 5 people in the Special Zone where Seo Do-un is located, besides yourself.

So I should join up with those people until the rescue team arrives?

I naturally thought this way.

But Topknot spoke as if he had read my mind.

-Avoid contact with them as much as possible.

“Avoid contact?”

I asked back because I didn’t understand.

Then Topknot paused briefly before speaking.

-You’re well aware of the serious crime that occurred in “Train Station”.

The serious crime that occurred in “Train Station”.

He must be talking about how some crazy bastards killed people for money and stuffed them in item storage lockers.

I immediately understood what Topknot was hinting at.

That’s why I became even more anxious.

“Why are you bringing that up now?”

-Those criminals are in the same space as Seo Do-un right now.

Topknot’s voice, still monotonous as always.

But for me, it was an unprecedented bolt from the blue.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————