Editor’s Survival Guide - Chapter 42

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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 42

 

ep9. Rooting Out the Fake (3)

 

Baek Sa-ra was appointed to the Management Bureau through special recruitment four years ago.

 

She was only 21 years old at the time.

 

She was the youngest agent and the only woman among the field personnel at that time.

 

It was perhaps natural that Baek Sa-ra attracted all sorts of attention.

 

“Actually, Sara noona is just pretty when you look at her face. So there were quite a few people who hit on her when she was a rookie.”

 

Baek Sa-ra is certainly an uncommon beauty.

 

Moreover, she had just become an adult then, so it seems the people around her wouldn’t leave her alone.

 

“But since noona didn’t respond, some people got their feelings hurt for no reason. The problem was that Sara noona’s team leader at the time was among them…”

 

“Oh…”

 

Just hearing this much, it already sounds sordid.

 

A superior who hit on his team’s rookie and then got his feelings hurt.

 

As they say, you can tell ten things from seeing one – I could somehow guess what happened after that.

 

“That team leader was overly nice to her at first, but then whether he got rejected or what, at some point he started tormenting Sara noona terribly. Scolding her was basic, making her do useless things to wear her down, and picking fights with her during work for no reason.”

 

“Did Baek Sa-ra endure that?”

 

“For about 3 months.”

 

This sounds like she turned things upside down after 3 months.

 

Sure enough, it was right after Baek Sa-ra completed her 3-month probationary period and became an official agent.

 

That day too, the team leader attacked Baek Sa-ra out of habit.

 

-Why do you have that kind of expression? If you have complaints, just say so, don’t sulk there just because you’re a woman.

 

He said this while eating in the cafeteria, stopping mid-meal.

 

Not just in front of his own team, but in a place where other teams were present, as if for everyone to hear.

 

It was also a kind of showing off.

 

A lowly display that he could crush a fairly admired female agent.

 

Baek Sa-ra’s former team leader was that kind of person, and because Baek Sa-ra knew his true nature, she had silently endured it for the first 3 months.

 

-No, I don’t.

 

-What do you mean no? You’re just uselessly sensitive anyway. Are you on your period or something?

 

Moreover, this level of scolding was always happening.

 

So the situation itself that day wasn’t particularly special.

 

-You’re such a fucking princess anyway. Must be nice, having so many excuses.

 

Not special at all, just everyday-level bullying.

 

But this day was the day after Baek Sa-ra became an official agent, and the team leader should have known this difference.

 

If he had, he would have made a somewhat better choice after seeing Baek Sa-ra’s bright smile.

 

-Hey, are you laughing?

 

-Are you jealous?

 

-What?

 

The team leader chuckled as if Baek Sa-ra’s unfamiliar reaction was ridiculous.

 

Then he tried to press her again, but Baek Sa-ra acted first.

 

-If you’re jealous, let’s do it together.

 

The next moment, Baek Sa-ra’s food tray was embedded in the team leader’s face.

 

The sitting team leader fell over with his chair, and Baek Sa-ra also jumped over the table.

 

What followed was one-sided violence.

 

Baek Sa-ra climbed on top of the fallen team leader and mercilessly pounded him.

 

Then, before people around could stop her, she grabbed his hair and pulled him up.

 

The blood pooled in the team leader’s nose and mouth poured down following gravity.

 

Whether it should be called coincidental or quite malicious.

 

The spilled blood happened to wet his crotch.

 

“So visually it really looked like, you know, that kind of situation.”

 

“…So what happened?”

 

“Sara noona got disciplined and transferred teams. But well, since her official appointment was finished, she wasn’t fired. The fact that the team leader had been tormenting her was somewhat taken into consideration, and Manager Kwon Mu-seop was a team leader of another team at the time and protected her by saying he’d take her and manage her.”

 

“Did she deliberately endure until the probationary period ended?”

 

“Looking at the dates, wouldn’t that be the case?”

 

This is kind of chilling.

 

She endured because causing trouble during the probationary period would get her kicked out, then crushed him the very day after official appointment.

 

“But it doesn’t end here.”

 

“Did that team leader get revenge or something?”

 

“No, that’s not it. You know, periods happen once a month.”

 

“Don’t tell me…”

 

As I covered my mouth, Jae-gyeom nodded solemnly.

 

“At first, that team leader was also angry and said he wouldn’t let it slide. But since she had already moved to another team, he couldn’t touch her, and exactly one month later, Sara noona went to find that team leader directly.”

 

“Went to find him and?”

 

“According to witnesses, she said ‘You should do it this month too’ and suddenly kicked him in the face, so that person was carried away covered in blood again, and his barely healed nose bone was broken again.”

 

“…That was the end of it, right?”

 

“No… She continued like that for a whole five months. Every month when that day came, she’d go find him and beat him up, then beat him up again.”

 

Baek Sa-ra, that’s too much…!

 

Why? Why go that far?

 

I desperately tried to activate my hope circuit amid shock and horror.

 

“Well, at least she stopped before six months.”

 

“It wasn’t that Sara noona stopped, but that team leader resigned.”

 

So she drove him out in the end…

 

“Getting beaten on scheduled days was one thing, but the nickname ‘Field Menstruation Man’ spread widely throughout the Management Bureau. Because of that, he developed depression and social phobia, so in the end…”

 

Ah, this was the meaning.

 

If you get marked by Baek Sa-ra, even men have periods.

 

“Anyway, after that, no one approached Baek Sa-ra anymore. It’s a field survival rule passed down only through word of mouth that seniors always tell rookies when they come in.”

 

Kwak Jae-gyeom looked at me as if asking if I understood.

 

I understood Baek Sa-ra’s violence.

 

But I didn’t understand anything else.

 

“But is it okay for employees to fight like that? You said she got disciplined at first.”

 

“Of course it’s not okay.”

 

“Then why did the team leader quit?”

 

That team leader was in the wrong, but Baek Sa-ra’s subsequent actions were also excessive.

 

No matter how special a group it is, could such behavior be tolerated?

 

No, insubordination is punished more severely in the military.

 

And the Management Bureau is an organization that handles firearms, no different from the military.

 

“I also heard this from seniors, but Sara noona seems to have caught that team leader’s weakness.”

 

“What weakness?”

 

“I don’t know that far. But well, since he was the type to hit on his subordinates, he probably had many things that could be held against him.”

 

Right, people don’t do just one thing.

 

So what does it come down to?

 

That team leader had done something wrong enough that he couldn’t even whimper when getting beaten on scheduled days, and Baek Sa-ra used that weakness to abuse that person every month?

 

…This is really chilling.

 

“The older guys said Sara noona seemed to actually enjoy it.”

 

Just hearing about it, it seems that way.

 

How else could someone go beat up a person on a scheduled day every month?

 

It wasn’t even acting impulsively due to heated emotions.

 

She calmly scheduled days and beat someone up according to plan.

 

Even while holding a weakness they couldn’t resist.

 

“Sara noona doesn’t attack anyone without reason. But when there is a reason, how should I put it, she’s kind of like a demon. You saw it, right? How she handled the prisoners in the Special Zone.”

 

I saw it. And I heard it.

 

-They just look human, but they’re all vicious murderers. If you pity them, how do you think the innocent victims who died or their families would feel?

 

-So never sympathize with them. The people who come to me are humans who deserve to fall into hell anyway.

 

“There are quite a few missions where the Exploration Team works together with prisoners. But usually they really hate that work. Bluntly speaking, it’s execution, and no matter how bad someone is, if you talk with them and get acquainted, you develop some human feelings. But Sara noona has none of that at all.”

 

“I see….”

 

“Well, I’m not trying to badmouth Sara noona, just letting you know. Noona is especially favorable toward you, hyung, but she’s really not originally a gentle person.”

 

I nodded in agreement.

 

Certainly, she does seem particularly lenient with me.

 

Why? Did she like the role-play of being a ‘lifesaver’?

 

I thought for a moment, then asked Jae-gyeom back.

 

“Aren’t you pretty close with Baek Sa-ra too?”

 

“I go to the salon with her.”

 

Kwak Jae-gyeom showed off his blonde hair with a somewhat proud face.

 

Ah, that’s right.

 

I heard that the salon costs for Exploration Team members who have infiltration missions and Kwak Jae-gyeom are paid from the Management Bureau budget.

 

To think this guy’s blonde hair is maintained with tax money….

 

But rather than being close because they go to the salon together, I think they’re just close because he’s Kwak Jae-gyeom.

 

This guy’s sociability was already confirmed at our company.

 

Jae-gyeom has this country dog-like aspect where he welcomes anyone and gets along well with everyone.

 

And isn’t someone who opens up to a country dog and is favorable to their lifesaver just an ordinarily kind person?

 

As I was thinking this, Jae-gyeom added.

 

“Well, Sara noona is also somewhat lenient with Page juniors.”

 

“Page?”

 

When I asked back about the unfamiliar term, Jae-gyeom made an ‘oops’ expression and covered his mouth.

 

What’s with this reaction?

 

“Uh, I think it would be better to hear this directly from Sara noona. It’s not just my story.”

 

How unusual for Jae-gyeom, who has an automatic commentary function, to hold back his words.

 

He can talk about Baek Sa-ra’s rampage since it’s a Management Bureau survival rule, but this is personal talk?

 

When I looked at him questioningly, Jae-gyeom casually added.

 

“If you’re curious, ask her casually later. If you ask, hyung, she’ll probably tell you.”

 

* * *

 

Whether it was physical training or mental studying, the principle was the same.

 

Learning through repetition.

 

Then naturally applying it.

 

I simultaneously pressed on Jae-gyeom’s knee and shoulder.

 

Then Jae-gyeom, who had been standing with his head wrapped around mine, immediately staggered.

 

Having finally knocked the guy down, I climbed on top and struck his face directly.

 

Thwack-!

 

My palm strike and the helmet Jae-gyeom wore collided, creating a spectacular impact sound.

 

If it had been his bare face, his nose would have bled at least.

 

“Well done. You’ve gotten much more used to it now.”

 

Baek Sa-ra, who had been watching, spoke in a satisfied voice.

 

Hehehe.

 

At the rare praise, I was secretly pleased.

 

But learning has no end, and people must always be humble.

 

“Jae-gyeom, escape.”

 

With Baek Sa-ra’s instruction, I was suddenly lifted into the air.

 

Jae-gyeom had thrust his pelvis up and flung me to the side.

 

Jae-gyeom immediately took position above me, and our positions were reversed in an instant.

 

“But you need to concentrate until the very end. Otherwise you’ll be counterattacked like this. Since Otter doesn’t have an advantageous weight class either, you should always think of finishing with the first strike. With the intention to kill rather than die. Understood?”

 

Baek Sa-ra was gently brutal as always today, and thus today’s training ended.

 

It’s already been 3 weeks since I started basic training.

 

Perhaps because my stamina has improved somewhat during this time, I don’t become unconscious like before even after training ends.

 

Is this what it means to become stronger?

 

If I continue training like this, wouldn’t strangling Cha Si-eon’s neck also be possible!

 

I closed the locker door while imagining a wonderful future.

 

Then as I turned to leave the changing room, the lights suddenly went out.

 

A power outage?

 

The moment I looked up in surprise, I realized I was sitting in an unfamiliar space.

 

“…!”

 

It started again.

 

I quickly looked around.

 

First, the place I was sitting was one of many seats lined up.

 

Comfortable but cramped seats.

 

And a stage visible beyond the dim darkness.

 

I immediately recognized the identity of this space.

 

Almost simultaneously, a message appeared on my smartwatch screen.

 

-Entered 「National Theater That Identifies Fakes」.

 

-Discard all items except clothing, shoes, smartwatch, and earpiece.

 

-Thoroughly hide your Management Bureau affiliation.

 

But what does this mean?

 

To discard my belongings?

 

As I was confused by the unexpected instruction, a new message arrived.

 

-This Special Zone has been taken over by a Contaminator.

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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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