Editor’s Survival Guide - Chapter 50

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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 50

 

ep9. Identifying the Fake(11)

 

Short hair. And gray combat uniform.

 

Because of these two incongruous elements, I was a beat late in recognizing Cha Si-eon’s face.

 

And after recognizing Cha Si-eon’s face, I realized like being struck by lightning.

 

That thing was the National Theater’s special dangerous entity, “Alpha”.

 

Cha Si-eon, no, “Alpha” charged at Baek Sa-ra.

 

“Alpha” closed the distance in an instant and kicked Baek Sa-ra’s body with a spinning motion.

 

Crash-!

 

Baek Sa-ra guarded with her arms, but it was useless.

 

Baek Sa-ra was pushed back almost as if thrown.

 

Baek Sa-ra grabbed the armrest of the spectator seats before falling.

 

Then she pulled her arm to dodge “Alpha’s” attack that came flying again.

 

Swish-!

 

Baek Sa-ra slashed the thing’s shoulder with her knife.

 

But it didn’t even flinch.

 

“Alpha” pressed Baek Sa-ra again, and Baek Sa-ra retreated while keeping it in check with her knife.

 

That’s when it happened.

 

Thud-!

 

Another special entity dropped from the backstage area.

 

It was also wearing a gray combat uniform.

 

Jet-black hair, and Kwak Jae-gyeom’s face that never smiled.

 

It was “Delta”.

 

That thing, “Delta” also rushed toward Baek Sa-ra.

 

“Ms. Baek Sa-ra, behind you!”

 

I shouted, but Baek Sa-ra didn’t look back.

 

No, she seemed to already know that “Delta” had appeared.

 

But she couldn’t afford to look away with “Alpha” in front of her.

 

Just as “Delta” was about to attack Baek Sa-ra from behind.

 

Bang-!

 

With a single gunshot, “Delta” stopped abruptly.

 

Faint smoke rose from the muzzle of the pistol I was holding.

 

I said I had practiced shooting.

 

Unfortunately, I failed to hit “Delta”.

 

But it seemed I succeeded in diverting those things’ attention.

 

The bullet that missed and embedded in the wall.

 

“….”

 

“….”

 

Sure enough.

 

“Delta” began running toward me with a murderous intent.

 

Ugh, Jae-gyeom, I’m your hyung…!

 

“You idiot…!”

 

When I ended up being chased by “Delta”, Baek Sa-ra lamented.

 

Then, as if venting her frustration, she stabbed her knife into “Alpha”.

 

“Go backstage!”

 

Baek Sa-ra, who barely shook off “Alpha”, ran toward the stage while shouting.

 

I also ran toward the stage from the entrance where I had been standing.

 

Just before “Delta” could pounce on me, Baek Sa-ra and I met in front of the stage.

 

Baek Sa-ra snatched the gun from me.

 

Then she shot “Delta” right in the chest.

 

Bang-!

 

Jae-gyeom got shot…!

 

Baek Sa-ra turned her body and fed a bullet to “Alpha” who had already caught up.

 

Bang-!

 

Good, a headshot.

 

After giving “Alpha” and “Delta” one shot each, Baek Sa-ra dragged me over to the backstage area.

 

There was no need to ask where we were going.

 

The National Theater’s special dangerous entities “Alpha” and “Delta”.

 

They were given individual codes due to their high danger level, but their essence was ultimately “Fake Humans”.

 

So we had to go to the outdoor terrace where the “Hazmat Suit” was.

 

Because that entity was the natural enemy of the “Fake Humans”.

 

But getting there wasn’t going to be easy either.

 

When we crossed over behind the stage curtains.

 

Clatter-clatter-clatter-!

 

The incomplete “Fake Humans” hanging from the steel frame were flailing their limbs and struggling.

 

The steel structure shaking wildly from hundreds of entities struggling.

 

Some of them managed to break the ropes they were hanging from.

 

Then they ran on their limbs and attacked us.

 

Ugh, these things too…!

 

Right, from their perspective, we were the villains who shot their mother and set fires.

 

Baek Sa-ra aimed her gun at them, then seemed to change her mind and pointed her arm upward.

 

Bang-! Clang-! Screech-!

 

After hearing a metallic sound, the steel frame tilted, unable to bear the weight and struggling of the “Fake Humans”.

 

Crash-! Boom-!

 

The steel frame collapsed and crushed the “Fake Humans”.

 

Baek Sa-ra didn’t stop there and even set fire to the stage curtains.

 

Click, whoosh-!

 

…Right. Since we’re already targets, there’s no need to be careful.

 

Moreover, when the flames blazed up, the “Fake Humans” left us alone and rushed toward the fire.

 

Then they began extinguishing the fire with their whole bodies.

 

This performance hall might be closer to their ‘main body’ rather than their ‘mother’.

 

We ran again, leaving that chaos behind.

 

When we were climbing the stairs to go to the 3rd floor.

 

Screech-

 

“Duck!”

 

Baek Sa-ra’s shout came along with a sharp friction sound.

 

Crash-!

 

Right after, something like a giant beast pounced on me.

 

It was the black-haired Kwak Jae-gyeom, “Delta”.

 

“Ugh!”

 

“Delta”, who had descended on a rope, crushed me completely, and I slid up the stairs like a sled.

 

My mind went hazy from the feeling of my whole body being shattered.

 

But that was only for a moment.

 

Crunch-!

 

I woke up in horror at the sensation digging into the back of my neck.

 

“Uh, uaaaah!”

 

“Delta” bit me.

 

No, it was trying to eat me.

 

The teeth digging in mercilessly and the hot liquid that poured out.

 

I was going crazy not knowing whether it was the thing’s saliva or my blood.

 

Taking a big bite and pressing with my jaw, I couldn’t breathe.

 

The sensation of being strangled was both desperate and strangely cozy, and on that precarious tightrope, I somehow remembered.

 

A hanged man made of white rose petals.

 

Did you feel like this back then too?

 

If so, perhaps this end would be like father, like son.

 

I felt my consciousness fading and let the strength drain from my flailing arms.

 

The next moment.

 

Bang-!

 

My body spun around, and in an instant my eye level changed.

 

And in my grasp was Delta’s hair, smashed into the floor.

 

“Huk, heok… huk…”

 

I gasped for breath without understanding what had happened.

 

I almost died.

 

Did I do this?

 

I was bewildered, but this wasn’t the time to wonder about it.

 

Delta was still moving.

 

Damn, this monster…

 

I barely managed to overcome it, but I was no match in terms of strength.

 

I had no choice but to run, but where was Ms. Baek Sa-ra?

 

Just as I was looking around for Baek Sa-ra.

 

Thud-!

 

Something fell hard in front of me.

 

…It was Baek Sa-ra.

 

“Ugh…”

 

Baek Sa-ra groaned in pain.

 

Looking up, I saw Alpha looking down at us.

 

-Move to 10 o’clock direction!

 

Then an instruction came from my smartwatch.

 

The voice sounded a bit strange, but I helped Baek Sa-ra up and moved toward 10 o’clock.

 

There was a passage leading underground in that direction.

 

Thump-!

 

Alpha finally came down to the 1st floor.

 

-Left corridor, go into the dressing room and lock the door!

 

I ran without even knowing where the dressing room was.

 

Then I just closed and locked a door.

 

But this door wasn’t even an iron door, just a wooden one.

 

The only locking mechanism was a crude button attached to the handle.

 

If creatures like Alpha or Delta twisted and broke it, it would easily shatter.

 

Then we’d be like rats trapped in poison.

 

Click-!

 

I heard the sound of someone grabbing the door handle from outside.

 

It must be Alpha.

 

Click, click, clickclickclick-!

 

Every time the door handle shook, my knees trembled too.

 

I stared at that door and desperately prayed to someone.

 

Please, please…!

 

After a while like that.

 

The door remained closed, and the noise stopped.

 

“Ha…”

 

I sighed and slumped down on the spot.

 

This dressing room was also part of the performance hall.

 

So maybe it couldn’t break it.

 

Thank goodness, I survived…

 

As I let out another long breath, a voice came from my smartphone.

 

-Do-un.

 

Now I could tell whose voice this was.

 

-Well done. To hold out this much against Alpha and Delta. Si-eon and the others are coming now, so let’s hold out just a little longer.

 

This was Section Chief Kwon Mu-seop’s voice.

 

-Is Sara okay?

 

I looked over at Baek Sa-ra beside me.

 

Baek Sa-ra answered calmly.

 

“I was struck in the head by Alpha. My vision is a bit blurry but it’s recovering. It seems to be a temporary condition.”

 

-Okay, both of you focus on getting yourselves together for now.

 

“Yes.”

 

I interjected at the end of their conversation.

 

“Section Chief, can we hold out with this door?”

 

-Unless there’s a special exceptional situation, they won’t break that door. Those entities’ primary mission is to protect the Theater.

 

“Then could we use this performance hall’s structures to trap them?”

 

Right now we were in a situation where we locked the door from inside so they couldn’t get in.

 

So if we just reversed the positions?

 

Wouldn’t they be trapped inside?

 

-No, those guys are pretty smart too, so they won’t just stay trapped quietly. Si-eon will be there soon, so don’t overdo it. Do-un, you should get treated first.

 

At the mention of treatment, I suddenly realized my own condition.

 

My neck and face were covered in blood like a corpse attacked by a vampire.

 

“Otter, please sit down.”

 

Baek Sa-ra called me.

 

This dressing room was lined with makeup tables.

 

When I sat in the chair in front of one, Baek Sa-ra knelt on the floor and examined the wound on my neck.

 

“Ugh…!”

 

“I need to disinfect it, so please bear with it a little.”

 

Baek Sa-ra said as she poured a stinging liquid on my neck.

 

I had wondered why someone coming to fight was wearing a fluttering long skirt.

 

But everything from small bombs to disinfectant was coming out from inside it.

 

After pouring the disinfectant, Baek Sa-ra wiped my neck with a handkerchief.

 

When the blood was wiped away, clear teeth marks were revealed.

 

…I won’t be able to eat with Jae-gyeom for a while.

 

Seeing that guy’s healthy teeth would probably make my neck sting.

 

The special dangerous entities of the National Theater that I’d only heard about were much more brutal than I had imagined.

 

The identity of these guys was Fake Humans created from the memories of agents who were sacrificed here, that is, devoured.

 

These things appeared about a year ago.

 

They were a serious threat even from the Management Bureau’s perspective.

 

So they launched several subjugation attempts, but to no avail.

 

The previous entities modeled after Kwak Jae-gyeom, Beta and Gamma, were successfully captured and eliminated, but they were regenerated not long after.

 

That’s how the identification code came to be the current Delta.

 

The conclusion reached at this time was that the National Theater had already secured personal data on Cha Si-eon and Kwak Jae-gyeom.

 

And it liked these two people quite a bit, so when they disappeared, it would immediately create them again.

 

The fortunate thing was that it couldn’t make multiple copies of the same entity simultaneously.

 

If you think about a dozen or so creatures like Alpha swarming around, that would really be cheating…

 

This possibility of additional production was troublesome enough, but the bigger problem was that they were sometimes spotted in other Special Zones too.

 

So the Management Bureau took what they considered extraordinary measures.

 

Those were Cha Si-eon’s long hair and Kwak Jae-gyeom’s blonde hair.

 

In a place where life and death are decided by split-second judgments, mistaking an enemy for an ally is truly fatal.

 

So to create a moment of dissonance or unease, they changed both men’s styles to something unconventional.

 

…When I heard that explanation from Jae-gyeom, I really thought it was complete nonsense.

 

But experiencing it firsthand, it actually makes sense.

 

Anyway, we survived being targeted by those entities.

 

As Section Chief Kwon Mu-seop said, we did incredibly well.

 

While I was having this mental victory, Baek Sa-ra let out a soft sigh.

 

Then she stepped back from me and muttered.

 

“I forgot that Otter uses guns like that.”

 

Guns? Ah, come to think of it, this situation is similar to the “Hospital” incident.

 

The fact that I fired a gun I couldn’t even hit with and got involved in Baek Sa-ra’s battle.

 

…Hmm, am I going to get scolded again?

 

I was cautiously reading the mood when unexpected words came from Baek Sa-ra’s mouth.

 

“I’m sorry.”

—————
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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