Editor’s Survival Guide - Chapter 109

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Editor’s Survival Rules Episode 109

ep17. Circulating (5)

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■ “Circulating Library” Manual Production Meeting

Meeting Date: August 29, 20XX 14:00

Attendees: 12 people total

Participants:

Field Team 3 – Team Leader Kwon Mu-seop, (Redacted) Agent, Agent Cha Si-eon

Field Team 6 – Team Leader Moon Ho-san, Agent Kim Jun-beom, Agent Park Bedro

Research Team 1 – Team Leader Gu Bon-gyeong, Researcher Oh Tae-o, Researcher Hong Mi-na

Research Team 2 – Team Leader Jo Eun-bi, Researcher Kim Ji-an

■ “Circulating Library” Response Manual (Draft)

1. The “Circulating Library” is a zero-gravity space where two massive bookshelves face each other.

The overall scale of this space has not been determined.

2. The books or records in the “Circulating Library” are presumed to be ‘the life stories of all people in the world’.

Each “Biography” is presumed to contain the lifetime information of one person per volume.

↳ Moon Ho-san: What kind of manual is all presumptions?

↳ Jo Eun-bi: If you don’t like presumptions, go conduct a comprehensive survey yourself.

3. When you open a “Biography,” you enter the memories stored within it.

The person entering will experience those memories through all five senses.

However, if you are not the subject of that “Biography,” you cannot interpret the fragmented and distorted memories.

↳ Kim Ji-an: Even if you’re not the subject, if you’re someone who understands the owner of the “Biography” well, you can interpret the fragmented memories.

↳ Cha Si-eon: I think it would be better not to include that content.

↳ Kim Ji-an: Wouldn’t it be helpful in emergencies?

↳ Moon Ho-san: There’s only been one case of that working. And it was done by (Redacted). There’s no guarantee anyone can follow suit, sis.

↳ Kwon Mu-seop: Since it’s an unverified method, let’s not put it in the basic manual and attach it as a reference.

↳ Kim Ji-an: Ah, yes. I understand.

↳ Jo Eun-bi: Team Leader Moon, please use proper titles.

4. The maximum number of people who can enter together with one “Biography” is 12, including the subject.

↳ Oh Tae-o: But is it really 12 people…? Field teams have to ride elevators with fewer people than the maximum written capacity. We should check whether the limit is based on weight or headcount…

↳ Moon Ho-san: You’re not making fun of us for being heavy, are you?

↳ Kwon Mu-seop: Let’s skip this. Unless it’s a very special case, there won’t be more than 12 people gathering there anyway.

↳ Oh Tae-o: Then when it’s close, let’s go with 12…

↳ Gu Bon-gyeong: Oh Tae-o, your mouth…!

5. To escape from the “Circulating Library,” you must reach ‘present memories’ through a “Biography.”

The escape process through a “Biography” is as follows.

– Next –

① Drop blood into the air to find your own “Biography.”

② If you have companions, connect your bodies with rope or similar.

③ Open the “Biography” and enter the stored memories.

④ Reconstruct the fragmented memories. When you correctly recall space, time, characters, situations, etc., the broken memories will take complete form.

⑤ If you succeed in reconstructing the memory, you move on to the next memory.

⑥ Repeat processes ④ and ⑤ above to travel through memories.

⑦ Memories are connected chronologically, and when you reach present memories, you emerge into reality.

※Precautions※

People with unresolved past issues or trauma should not carelessly approach their own “Biography.”

—

So this place is a library where people’s “Biographies” are stored.

And the Management Bureau’s presumed scope of ‘people’ is all humanity.

Who got whose permission to collect other people’s lives and compile them into books is unknown.

The process through which those books were created is also unknowable.

Everything is a mystery like this, but anyway, in this “Library,” people’s lives are stored in book form.

And to get out of here, you have to find your own “Biography” and ride through those memories.

There are two of us now.

Since companions are possible for “Biography” exploration, only one of us needs to suffer.

“So whose “Biography” should we follow?”

I naturally thought Team Leader Cha should take the lead.

I was just asking out of courtesy, but Cha Si-eon looked at me as if asking what I was talking about.

“Obviously we’ll go through Seo Do-un’s memories.”

“Why is that obvious?”

“Do you happen to have any memories you don’t want to face or any trauma?”

“…Not particularly.”

“Then going through Seo Do-un’s memories is correct. That way will be easier.”

“So on what basis are you making such a definitive statement?”

“Seo Do-un has excellent memory and cognitive abilities, and good metacognition too. So you’ll definitely be good at reflecting on your own past.”

That’s true.

I felt a little proud, then came to my senses and argued back.

“Still, an experienced person is better than a beginner. Team Leader, you escaped through here during the ‘National Theater’ incident too.”

Previously, when Cha Si-eon entered the “National Theater” to rescue Baek Sa-ra and me.

At that time, Team Leader Cha had come out through the “Circulating Library” with the citizens.

So naturally it makes sense for Team Leader Cha to take the lead this time too, right?

“The memories I rode out on then were another agent’s memories.”

What?

“Moreover, in terms of experience with ‘Biography’ exploration, there’s not much difference between you and me. I’ve only entered my own ‘Biography’ once, and that was 5 years ago.”

“Still, someone who’s done it even once is better than someone with no experience.”

“If the 5 years accumulated since then were normal experiences, that would be true. My ‘Biography’ will have scenes of people exploding in the Special Zone and such.”

“…”

“And when exploring ‘Biographies,’ the memory’s subject often falls into panic. To respond to that, I, as the experienced one, would be better than you as a beginner.”

“…”

“If Seo Do-un’s past memories are more fatal than bloody incidents in the Special Zone, please say so now. I’ll make a judgment.”

Frustrating, to have no words to argue back with…

Whatever my past is like, compared to Cha Si-eon’s memories of rolling around the Special Zone for years, mine would be very peaceful.

“And as Seo Do-un well knows, everything you see and hear in a ‘Biography’ is forgotten the moment you leave the ‘Library.’ So there’s no need to feel ashamed or worry about the future.”

Team Leader Cha kept saying only correct things.

So I had nothing else to say.

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■ “Circulating Library” Response Manual

6. All contents of “Biographies” cannot be taken outside the “Circulating Library.”

People will forget everything they saw and heard, and these memories cannot be revived even through hypnosis.

Records such as writing and voice recordings are also erased when leaving the “Circulating Library.”

The same applies even when using workarounds like codes.

—

Right.

What you see here doesn’t remain anyway.

Considering practical benefits, looking at my memories is correct too.

And now is not the time to put forward my personal discomfort.

“Phew…”

When I sighed in agreement, Cha Si-eon took the notebook and pen from my vest.

This guy, treating my pockets like his own pockets since earlier.

“The records won’t remain anyway, right?”

“Only the contents of the ‘Biography’ are erased. Our reactions to those contents can be preserved if we write them carefully and indirectly.”

“So you’re saying you’ll record my reactions?”

“That way I can at least report whether exploring Mr. Seo Do-un’s ‘Biography’ was easy or difficult. Don’t worry, I won’t write down anything personal. I don’t do such pointless things.”

That last comment seemed directed at me.

While I was getting worked up, Cha Si-eon scribbled something in his notebook.

Then he even pulled out a knife from my vest and looked at me.

I sighed again and extended my arm forward.

Swish-

Cha Si-eon made a light cut on my forearm with the knife.

Along with a stinging pain, droplets of blood formed on the wound.

I pressed the wound area so my blood could float in the air.

Then a fingernail-sized droplet of blood rose up hazily and separated from my skin.

The freed droplet immediately began flying in one direction.

The droplet moved at a speed slightly faster than a person running.

Cha Si-eon and I followed that droplet, using the bookshelves as ladders.

After moving like that for about 30 minutes.

The droplet that had been leisurely navigating the corridors suddenly entered a section of a bookshelf.

“That section there.”

“Yes.”

We went to the section where my droplet had entered.

But since neither the droplet nor any blood traces were visible, I squeezed the wound again.

The newly risen droplet headed toward a single book.

Then it seeped into the spine of that book without a trace.

That book is my ‘Biography’.

I pulled out the book my blood had found.

Was it just my imagination? The book came into my hands with a very familiar feeling.

The size and weight that seemed to wrap around one hand, and even the moderately soft texture of the cover.

I was wondering why this book felt so familiar when I looked at the black cover and realized.

My ‘Biography’ had exactly the same format and volume as Author Nabbit’s debut work ‘Twelve Days Later, One Day’.

Even the color and material of the cover were the same.

…The Special Zone acknowledged my fandom.

Should I be proud of this or embarrassed?

As I was feeling strange emotions about the form of my ‘Biography’, Cha Si-eon urged me on.

“Let’s begin.”

“Yes.”

I straightened the book to open it.

“…”

But when it came to actually opening the book, it wasn’t easy.

Some people enjoy looking through their old photos.

But some people don’t.

And I belonged to the latter group.

Because I generally think of my past with regret.

So I don’t particularly like examining it alone or revealing it to others.

Even though I’d forget everything once I left here, the ordeal before forgetting was still an ordeal.

So to me, my ‘Biography’ was no different from a poisoned cup.

“I’m not interested in other people’s pasts.”

Cha Si-eon spoke as if he had noticed my hesitation.

“I have no intention of reacting to illusions that won’t even remain in my memory. So focus. What’s important right now is escaping from here.”

I nodded at Cha Si-eon’s cold encouragement.

Then I opened my ‘Biography’.

“…!”

The moment I opened the book, something poured out from inside.

I couldn’t define what it was with my vocabulary.

Something resembling fog, waves, ash, the Milky Way, or darkness surged out of the book.

And instantly swallowed us whole.

* * *

We were inside a fragmented world.

This might be what it would feel like to live inside a broken computer.

Fragmentary forms floating in chaotic darkness.

And noise with everything mixed together.

Vague presences, but terrible distortion that prevented identifying what they were.

To think this is my memory…

“Are memories originally this incomprehensible?”

“Previous explorers’ reports stated that ‘the beginning was easy to get through’.”

“…”

“Mr. Seo Do-un, does anything come to mind?”

Something that comes to mind?

I looked at those forms flickering chaotically like a broken LCD screen.

Looking closely, it seemed like a person.

A person lying in bed.

And the bitter smell of medicine brushing past my nose.

No way.

The familiar smell awakened an old memory.

Half-doubting what I had recalled, I moved my lips awkwardly.

“…Mother?”

At that moment, the distorted form before my eyes regained its complete appearance.

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