Editor’s Survival Guide - Chapter 120

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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 120

ep18. Rescuer (4)

Weeeeeeeng-!

Kuwoong- Kung-!

This commotion really happens again just when I’m about to forget it.

More than that, wouldn’t it be better to change this siren sound?

It sounds too much like the sound from the “Train Station,” so it’s creepy.

Since the report I was reading was also related to the “Train Station,” I felt a bit strange.

But since it wasn’t the first time, I turned my eyes back to the report.

—

■ Conclusion

New phenomena in the “Train Station” have been confirmed.

1. Phenomenon of arbitrary entry into the “Train Station” when mentioning the (Redacted) Agent or accessing documents written by the (Redacted) Agent.

As a result of a comprehensive investigation, from January 14th to February 18th, 20XX, a total of 56 employees mentioned the (Redacted) Agent or viewed documents written by the (Redacted) Agent.

Among these, personnel who mentioned the (Redacted) Agent or viewed documents with similar or higher frequency than the victims of Case 1, Case 3, Case 4, and Case 5 numbered 19 including the victims, with a damage occurrence rate confirmed at 36.84%.

2. When individuals related to the Special Management Bureau enter the “Train Station,” a “siren sound” occurs.

This “siren sound” occurs consecutively without following the 47-minute rule.

This phenomenon continues until all Management Bureau-related personnel who entered the “Train Station” die.

■ Follow-up measures to prevent additional damage

1. All documents written by the (Redacted) Agent shall be blinded.

2. All data including photos and videos of the (Redacted) Agent shall be blinded.

3. The name of the (Redacted) Agent shall be deleted from all internal and external documents.

4. Speaking the name of the (Redacted) Agent is prohibited, and all mentions of them shall be refrained from.

5. Special Management Bureau personnel are strictly prohibited from entering the “Train Station.”

—

It wasn’t just meetings that lacked completeness.

Reports were the same way.

The reports only listed phenomena as they were and response methods.

They didn’t explain why these things happened or what the meaning of these phenomena was.

They didn’t interpret carelessly or attach opinions.

For instance, they all avoid mentioning together that both the point when abnormal phenomena occurred in the “Train Station” and the point when the “Fake God” took the form of snake bones were both after the intervention of the intensive suppression week.

Well, this would be right for them.

Leaving room for interpretation in every margin is a technique that authors use.

They shouldn’t piece together real-world events that haven’t been clarified yet like that.

So I understand speaking only of observed phenomena as dryly as possible.

But such things make you feel powerless without realizing it.

Like a child who is required to follow countless rules but doesn’t know the meaning of those rules, you only develop paranoid vigilance.

Weeeeeeeng-!

Kuwoong-!

“…”

By the way, today seems a bit severe?

Siren sounds that intermittently reach me even while reading the report.

Is this the third or fourth time I’ve received a ‘Nuruk Two’ alert?

Still, until now it seemed to end within 10 minutes.

Now it’s been going on for over 30 minutes.

Is this really okay…?

Before I knew it, it was close to midnight.

Jae-gyeom wasn’t home either, and the artificial sky outside the window was just pitch black.

The moment I looked toward the bed, thinking I should go to sleep.

Weeeeeeeng-!

The siren sound came again.

Was it because I was almost dragged to the “Train Station” and nearly died last week?

I instantly got goosebumps and my neck became stiff.

…This won’t do.

Feeling like I’d have nightmares if I fell asleep like this, I left the residence and headed to the lounge.

But in that lounge I casually visited, I encountered an unexpected person.

“Oh, Do-un.”

Manager Kwon Mu-seop, who was sitting in the lounge and spotted me.

Why is the manager here?

“Hello, Manager.”

I greeted him, a little surprised.

Manager Kwon Mu-seop was sitting alone at a table.

And in front of him were two unopened canned drinks.

They seemed to be from the vending machine in the lounge, but what were they?

If it were drinks, the manager’s office refrigerator would be stocked with various types.

“Are you here alone?”

“Ah, I’m waiting for someone.”

Then wouldn’t it be fine to just call them to the manager’s office?

Seeing him waiting here means it’s one of the Field Team employees anyway.

A manager who bought canned drinks and is waiting for a late-night chat.

Ah… um…

“Do you want something to drink too?”

To me, who was inwardly fearful, Kwon Mu-seop just kindly offered his card.

Since it’s polite to accept when a superior offers, I silently took it and got a drink.

As I was about to return the card, Kwon Mu-seop suddenly said to me.

“It’s late, but thank you, Do-un.”

“Pardon?”

“For finding Team Leader Kang.”

“…Not at all.”

“I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to burden you, but there are many things I’m grateful to you for. In various ways.”

Kwon Mu-seop’s voice as he said this was as gentle as always.

So I suddenly became curious about Manager Kwon Mu-seop’s inner thoughts.

Manager Kwon Mu-seop seemed to have had a close relationship with Team Leader Kang Seung-cheol too.

Such a person died and returned in an incomprehensible form from an incomprehensible space.

Was maintaining composure in the midst of all this because Kwon Mu-seop was strong, or because all of this was familiar to him?

Since it was a question I couldn’t dare voice, I deflected appropriately.

“I heard from Baek Sa-ra.”

“Hm?”

“That the Special Zone that was reset will be created again soon.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

“Everyone will have a hard time if you have to explore from the beginning again.”

“It’s not easy work. I just hope everyone doesn’t get hurt.”

Exchanging peripheral words without any completeness, I nodded.

But Kwon Mu-seop suddenly asked me.

“Isn’t it a bit frustrating?”

“Pardon?”

“The way the Management Bureau operates.”

I looked at Kwon Mu-seop with surprised eyes, then slowly rubbed my face with my hand.

Then Kwon Mu-seop chuckled and said.

“It’s okay, you managed your expression well this time. It didn’t show at all.”

“Uh…”

“How many employee interviews do you think I’ve conducted so far?”

“Ah.”

“Do you know what Management Bureau kids say most often around their first year?”

“What is it…?”

“I have no idea what I’m supposed to be doing.”

“…”

“I feel doubtful because there seems to be no end in sight and no answers.”

I felt inwardly stung, as if my inner thoughts had been exposed.

Manager Kwon Mu-seop laughed as if he had expected this, and I gave up thinking of excuses and let out a sigh.

“The work I used to do at least had clear results.”

“Making books.”

“Yes. Putting aside evaluations and performance, there was at least an end to each project. If you put in time and effort, it would get published.”

“But our work is a bit different.”

I nodded at Kwon Mu-seop’s question, spoken as if he knew everything.

The Management Bureau’s work is different from what I’ve been doing.

No end, no resolution, no next step.

Just being together with insane spaces of unknown identity.

And I was feeling somewhat doubtful about this situation.

Perhaps quite considerably.

“When employees say that, what did you tell them, Manager?”

“I didn’t really say anything in particular.”

“Then did you have the team leaders scold them?”

“No, the kids were being honest, so why would I scold them for that…”

Kwon Mu-seop laughed as if my assumption was absurd.

“I just told them they were right too. Instead, I told them to think about it themselves.”

“…?”

“Why their seniors are holding on.”

Manager Kwon Mu-seop spoke without being particularly solemn.

Just like choosing what to have for lunch today.

“If you understand that, then you hold on together. If not, then that’s as far as it goes.”

Kwon Mu-seop concluded with a light laugh.

Meanwhile, the siren sound that had been echoing from deep underground had stopped at some point.

* * *

That would be the Rescuer spirit that Kwak Jae-gyeom mentioned.

The reason Management Bureau agents endure this hopeless fight.

It’s not like I don’t know that either.

Noble sacrifice is a regular theme in all kinds of stories after all.

But knowing it intellectually didn’t mean I could accept it.

Questions that just pour out without any completeness.

Major accidents that explode every quarter.

Sisyphus who only repeats all of this.

Rescuers who seem to live in boiling water rather than under a roof.

Rescuers are still guardian deities.

But Management Bureau agents are human.

Humans who inevitably boil and burst when placed over fire.

So if I had a choice, wouldn’t I have packed my bags and run away long ago…?

I was having these thoughts while spending another typical day.

Ding-

An alarm went off on my tablet.

It was an alarm from an app linked to the phone I originally used.

For security reasons, you can’t use regular carrier phones at the Management Bureau.

So we use this bypass app, but who could it be…?

Someone who contacted my personal number…

I was planning not to meet anyone for at least a month.

I passively opened the app and was genuinely surprised.

The person who contacted me was none other than Author Nabbit.

-Editor, I hope you’re doing well? Sorry for contacting you suddenly. If you’re busy, you don’t have to reply, but I contacted you just in case. I’m really sorry for bothering you unnecessarily. I tried not to contact you as much as possible too… I’ll handle it on my end.

A lengthy text that wasn’t very author-like but was very much like Author Nabbit.

But the latter part was cut off, so it didn’t contain any main point at all.

I was about to reply.

Bzzzz-

But then a call came from Author Nabbit.

Wondering what it was about, I answered the phone right away.

But the call was hung up as soon as I answered.

Moreover, the text I received was deleted in real time.

-This is a deleted message.

“…?”

I stared at my tablet for a moment, then called Author Nabbit.

The dial tone continued for a long time before eventually going to voicemail.

So I hung up and called again.

This time the dial tone rang a couple times before abruptly cutting off.

The call had been rejected from the other end.

“…”

I thought for a moment, then sent a message to Author Nabbit.

-Would texting be more convenient?

When I sent the message, a speech bubble indicator appeared in the message window.

It seemed Author Nabbit was writing some kind of reply.

But that speech bubble indicator wasn’t transmitted to me.

It just kept appearing and disappearing for over a minute…

-You can talk right now, can’t you?

I sent another message.

And 30 seconds later.

Author Nabbit’s reply finally arrived.

-Yes…

It was a reply I couldn’t understand at all, why it had taken 30 seconds.

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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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