Editor’s Survival Guide - Chapter 193
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Survival Rules for an Editor, Chapter 193
ep26. Bodies Switching (11)
The instant Seo Do-un moved to slit his own throat.
Crack—!
Han Ji-su, standing beside him, struck the arm away.
The knife, knocked from its trajectory by Han Ji-su’s intervention.
Slice—
The sharp blade grazed Seo Do-un’s jaw and cut through empty air.
“What are you doing!”
A shout from Han Ji-su—rare in its volume.
But Seo Do-un paid no mind, swinging the knife again.
At Han Ji-su, who stood in his way.
Slash—!
Blood sprayed from Han Ji-su’s arm.
Damn it, stop!
Screech-screech-screech—!
I cried out, enduring the pain.
But my voice was still nothing more than a scratching sound.
And as if responding to my cry, something crashed down on me.
Smash—!
Bright-colored hair entering my darkening vision.
It was Kwak Jae-gyeom.
Jae-gyeom, who’d been behind me, leaped onto my back in one swift motion.
Hack-hack-hack—!
Get off! Damn it, let go!
I thrashed, strangled by Kwak Jae-gyeom’s grip.
The moment I reared up on my front legs to shake him off, my neck became scorching hot.
Screech-screech-screech—!
It felt like I’d swallowed charcoal.
Something tore through my neck and clawed at my insides.
Damn, damn, damn!
As I writhed in agony, across the room Seo Do-un raised the knife again.
I couldn’t tell if he was trying to harm himself or attack Han Ji-su.
Crack—!
Cha Si-eon caught Seo Do-un’s arm from behind, cutting short all such attempts.
“Seo Do-un!”
“Let go!”
At Cha Si-eon’s call, Seo Do-un cried out in anguish.
Finally, Cha Si-eon twisted Seo Do-un’s wrist and snapped it.
“Why are you doing this!”
“Let go! Let go……!”
Seo Do-un continued to thrash.
When Cha Si-eon pressed down on his head to subdue him, Seo Do-un, pinned to the floor, looked at me in desperation.
The moment our eyes met, something erupted within me.
Can’t lose this chance…….
I was already running.
Kwak Jae-gyeom clinging to my back, a knife buried in my throat.
Driven by an irresistible impulse, I lunged at Cha Si-eon.
But in the next instant, my vision spun.
My spine felt crushed, and my body twisted through a full rotation.
Boom—!
Then came a violent impact that shook my entire being.
In the pain, I understood.
Kwak Jae-gyeom had slammed me into the floor.
“What the hell, why are you suddenly——!”
Kwak Jae-gyeom, who’d knocked me off balance, snarled.
Why don’t you!
Why won’t you let me die!
Screech—screech—!
I voiced my anguish, but my throat produced nothing but inhuman sounds.
My entire body ached.
I couldn’t find the will to stand again.
At the moment my helplessness reached its peak.
A memory drifted before my eyes like a dream.
‘I’ was someone lost.
A person trapped in an unfamiliar space, wandering endlessly.
Where is this place?
Why can’t I leave?
Is anyone here?
Or was ‘I’ not a person at all, but a crayfish placed on a kitchen counter?
Either way, it was the same.
‘I’ couldn’t escape from here.
No matter what I tried, I couldn’t return to where ‘I’ had lived.
When ‘I’ realized this truth in this false world and fell into despair.
It came.
A hideous thing wearing inside-out, hairless skin.
It looked at ‘me’ and laughed, then shed its monster’s garb and became a woman.
—Good material.
No, don’t come. Please, don’t……!
It forced a gag into ‘my’ mouth.
Hack—hack—screech—
My tongue curled back; I couldn’t breathe.
While I gasped, my body contorted.
My eyes burned with pain as I rubbed them with both hands.
But the hands scraping at my face were no longer soft human hands.
No, damn it, damn it! How many months has it been?
Stop now, I won’t ask to be saved anymore!
Please, just let me die, damn it, Christ, stop everything, now!
Growl—screech—!
“This is insane……!”
The pale-haired human was driven back by my struggles.
But that young thing was vicious and relentless.
Crash—!
It came at my feet again and knocked me over.
As I collapsed and scratched the floor with my front legs, another human growled.
“Don’t interfere!”
A human with a familiar scent.
But who?
“Don’t interfere! I said don’t interfere……!”
“Seo Do-un, snap out of it!”
That human, pinned beneath the most threatening creature here, was screaming at me.
Who? Who is it?
The strong one on top shoved his hand into the mouth of the one beneath him.
Then the human underneath began biting and gnashing his lips and tongue before starting to bite into the larger human’s hand.
What is this?
So confusing.
Then a man with brown hair shouted.
“Kwak Jae-gyeom, get out!”
“What?”
“Let it go!”
At that man’s cry, the young thing pinning me down quickly released its grip.
Growl—growl—
Freed at last, I staggered to my feet.
My vision was clouded.
The world, drained to a sickly blue, felt distant and cold.
Everything hurt.
Pain came from every part of me that had sensation.
The gag in my mouth made it impossible to breathe properly.
I wanted to flee as I was.
Yes, run.
Run, as I always had.
I obeyed my instinct and began backing away.
Growl—growl—
There’s something important here, it seems.
……I can’t remember.
What was I doing here?
I don’t know, it hurts. I hate pain.
Human, human? I need to eat.
I need to eat, to bring to Mother.
But it’s dangerous, too strong, run.
Later, run now, Mother later.
Human, don’t come, don’t come……!
Screech—!
Claws, swinging, human, kill……!
I swung my front legs toward the human before me.
But before my killing intent could reach that human.
Dong—!
A bell rang out.
The sound pouring from the sky pierced my spine.
The next moment, I was falling.
Separated from my tattered body, I began to sink slowly like lead dropped in water.
……Is my body switching again?
The moment I left the monster’s form, my mind suddenly cleared.
No, I have no body now.
Naturally I had no head, no brain, yet I remained myself.
So I could observe what was happening to me.
Separated from the Body-Stealing Entity, I plummeted.
The floorboards of the Prayer Room passed through me easily.
The basement below did the same.
Below the basement came geological layers, and passing through even those was nothing but deep darkness.
Upon reaching that dark void, I could see it all at once.
A space arranged like a finely detailed miniature diorama, sitting alone in the darkness.
A sight as if a god had scooped up the world and left it floating in the void.
That was the Meditation Center where I’d been.
Even seeing the Meditation Center from outside, my body continued to sink.
I was beginning to worry that I’d lose my way.
When another space next to the Meditation Center became visible.
The darkness held not just the Meditation Center.
Many other spaces were arrayed around it.
Arranged as neatly as chess pieces before a great game, in a uniform pattern.
As my body sank deeper, their forms became clearer.
More than a dozen spaces, each of different shape.
Several of them bore forms I recognized.
No—I could identify most of them.
The Train Station, the Hospital, the Warehouse-type Mart, the Sports Stadium, the National Theater, the Hill, the Island, the National Central Museum, the Hotel, the Bridge…….
Most of the Special Zones I’d been dragged into were there.
Could all of these be Type 1 Special Zones?
I stared blankly at the Type 1 Special Zones displayed like toys.
Then I felt a bright light from behind.
I turned my gaze to look back.
There were more spaces arranged there.
Unlike the Type 1, which replicated reality precisely, these were peculiarly ornate and glittering.
Displayed like toys in a showcase—a colorful Amusement Park, a Water Park, a Cake Shop…….
Those are Type 2 Special Zones……?
I quickly began counting those dazzling spaces.
Twelve in all. Yes, they were Type 2 Special Zones.
Could this be a space where all the Special Zones gather?
If so, might there be Type 3 or Type 4 Special Zones somewhere here as well?
Perhaps the Type 5 “Little House” is also hidden somewhere here…….
I was looking around when it happened.
Suddenly my vision brightened and a terrible headache washed over me.
“Ugh……!”
I gasped, then suddenly felt something foreign in my mouth.
Something thick was lodged between my teeth.
I thrashed against the pressure, and my eyes met someone’s.
Cha Si-eon, looking down at me from above.
Only then did I understand my situation.
I was in the Prayer Room of the Meditation Center, and I’d returned to my own body.
And Cha Si-eon had shoved a glove into my mouth and was holding it closed with his hand.
I thrashed, suffocating.
“Ugh, ugh……!”
“Are you Seo Do-un?”
“Ugh-ugh-ugh-ugh! ……Uuugh!”
At Cha Si-eon’s question, I nodded desperately.
Then the hand gripping my jaw loosened slightly.
I seized the chance to shake my head and spit out the glove.
“Yes, that’s me, let go!”
My entire body felt like it was falling apart.
Cha Si-eon had one of my arms twisted behind my back, and his knee pressed down on my body.
“Seo Do-un’s consciousness has returned!”
Cha Si-eon released me and shouted.
Immediately after.
Bang—!
A sharp gunshot echoed through the air.
I tensed my aching body and looked up.
The first thing I saw was Jeong Jin-wu’s back, holding a handgun.
Next was the Body-Stealing Entity, collapsed at his feet.
Screech—screech—
Half its head blown away, the Body-Stealing Entity still trembled, not yet dead.
Jeong Jin-wu leveled the gun at its head again.
Then the Entity’s remaining eye turned toward me.
“……Don’t.”
The moment our eyes met, I gasped without thinking.
“Don’t! That’s a person……!”
But as I tried to shout, Cha Si-eon covered my mouth again.
“……!”
I turned to look at Cha Si-eon and froze.
The Team Leader’s gaze remained steady.
His motion in covering my mouth was more restraint than suppression.
And without releasing his hold on me, Cha Si-eon gave an order to Han Ji-su beside him.
“Han Ji-su, recite the Prayer Ritual.”
Han Ji-su nodded.
One of Han Ji-su’s arms was soaked in blood, and at that terrible sight, I was again robbed of words.
“Lord, grant eternal rest to those without names.”
Han Ji-su began reciting the Prayer Ritual before the Scattered Ones.
“May those without names and all who have departed this world find peace and rest through Your mercy.”
Screech—screech—
The Body-Stealing Entity moaned.
As if it understood the words of the prayer.
As if it suffered more rather than finding solace.
I watched the Body-Stealing Entity with an indescribable feeling.
“In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
Han Ji-su made the sign of the cross.
“Amen.”
Then came darkness.
* * *
When I opened my eyes again, we had returned to reality.
To that Ruins where we’d first entered the Meditation Center.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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