Editor’s Survival Guide - Chapter 59

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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 59

 

ep11. Stealing the Five Senses (4)

 

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■ “Ant Hill that Steals the Five Senses” Escape Guidelines

 

Survive for 29 hours.

 

If you endure for 29 hours, you will return to reality.

 

However, several fatal dangers exist in this place.

 

Please familiarize yourself with the following content to ensure your safety.

 

[Major Risk Factors]

 

1. Cold

 

The temperature in this area is -1°C. Be cautious of hypothermia.

 

2. “Ant Threads”

 

White threads covered in mucus scattered between trees and pathways.

 

They have strong adhesive properties that easily stick to clothing or skin, and are very tough, making them difficult to cut even with knives or scissors.

 

While melting them with fire is possible, ordinary lighter flames won’t have much effect.

 

If “Ant Threads” stick to your body, quickly escape even if you must cut away clothing or skin.

 

Randomly shaking the threads to remove them will only cause more entanglement.

 

If caught by these “Ant Threads,” you cannot return to reality even after 29 hours.

 

Additionally, if “Ant Threads” touch your skin, bodily transformation may begin.

 

3. “Execution Ants”

 

“Execution Ants” are dangerous entities that roam this hill and bite humans to death.

 

They are ant-shaped creatures reaching 1.8m in length, characterized by highly developed sickle-shaped fangs.

 

These fangs can easily sever human bones.

 

There are 28 of these entities in total, and they track humans as prey.

 

The human detection range of “Execution Ants” is approximately 100m, and most locations in this 2㎢ Special Zone fall within their detection range.

 

While it’s possible for two or more adults working together to kill an “Execution Ant,” such actions are not recommended.

 

The practical methods for surviving “Execution Ants” are as follows:

 

1. Find the “242 Stone Towers” scattered throughout the “Ant Hill.”

 

2. Touching these “Stone Towers” will carve a red mark on your wrist. Only one mark can be carved per “Stone Tower,” and the “Stone Tower” that grants the mark will collapse.

 

3. “Execution Ants” cannot attack people bearing this mark. However, the duration of this mark ranges from a minimum of 21 minutes to a maximum of 50 minutes.

 

4. Find a new “Stone Tower” and renew your mark before the current one disappears.

 

5. Repeat the above actions for 29 hours to survive the “Execution Ants.”

 

Well then, good luck.

 

—

 

In summary, it’s a life-or-death game of tag.

 

You must find “Stone Towers” while avoiding traps and monsters.

 

For 29 hours continuously, even while deprived of one of your five senses.

 

Survival chances vary greatly depending on which sense you lose.

 

Especially if you lose sight, the situation becomes desperately difficult.

 

“I can’t see anything.”

 

And of all people, Manager Kwon Mu-seop got stuck with that.

 

-Rescuer 6 is already catching the scent and coming. Let’s move to a “Stone Tower” first.

 

To make matters worse, the pursuit has begun.

 

-The nearest “Stone Tower” from your current position is 80m away. Another “Stone Tower” is 130m further from there.

 

“Manager, please take my hand.”

 

I urgently grabbed Kwon Mu-seop’s arm and pulled.

 

But he had so much luggage that he couldn’t get up properly.

 

“I’ll just get up by myself.”

 

Kwon Mu-seop awkwardly balanced himself and stood up alone.

 

But then.

 

“Manager, there’s a tree next to you…!”

 

Thunk!

 

Kwon Mu-seop hit his head on the tree and sat back down.

 

This is serious. What should I do about this?

 

While I was fretting, Yun U-jeong spoke.

 

-Do-un, if the manager becomes a hindrance, you can just abandon him.

 

“You’re joking, right?”

 

I was so incredulous that I asked back with a serious expression.

 

Then Kwon Mu-seop laughed carelessly.

 

“Stop teasing, Deputy Manager. Do-un is being serious right now.”

 

I found this comment even more absurd.

 

He can’t even stand up by himself, yet what…

 

“Do-un, put this on first.”

 

In this urgent situation, Kwon Mu-seop rummaged through his luggage and pulled something out.

 

It was a lightweight padded jacket.

 

“It’s below freezing here, you need to maintain your body temperature well.”

 

I was a bit dazed that a necessary item suddenly appeared.

 

I put the padding on under my vest and extended my hand to Kwon Mu-seop again.

 

“I’ll support you from the side.”

 

“Hmm, I feel a bit embarrassed being looked after like this…”

 

-The manager is getting senior citizen treatment.

 

“Look at this, this is definitely going to go on for a while.”

 

Yun U-jeong endlessly joking around.

 

Kwon Mu-seop muttering carelessly.

 

They don’t understand the situation.

 

Is this really the time to be so relaxed?

 

What are they trusting to act like this…

 

“Deputy Manager, you can give us directions, right?”

 

-Oh my, making me work at this early hour. Turn on the body cam.

 

Kwon Mu-seop stood up again and turned on the body cam attached to his chest.

 

Then he asked Yun U-jeong back.

 

“You said Rescuer 6 earlier, right?”

 

-Yes, your current location is the D-6 Area.

 

“Then it must be the trail entrance.”

 

-Let’s see you move after a long time. Go straight in the 2 o’clock direction.

 

“Do-un, let’s go.”

 

Kwon Mu-seop finished the conversation and took a big step forward.

 

Then he began running without hesitation.

 

What?

 

I was surprised and followed behind him.

 

At first I chased him clumsily, but soon became flustered and ran with all my might.

 

Even so, I was barely keeping pace with Kwon Mu-seop.

 

This is impossible. Is he really running?

 

The thing about not being able to see ahead, was that perhaps a joke?

 

Just as I was having these doubts.

 

Crash-!

 

Kwon Mu-seop, who was running ahead, tripped over a tree root and fell.

 

“Deputy Manager…”

 

-Ah, sorry. I was drinking water for a moment.

 

Kwon Mu-seop sighed and got up.

 

Having stumbled once, you’d think he’d hesitate, but he started running again at the same speed.

 

Rather than being able to help him, I was busy just trying to keep up.

 

-Continue straight, ascending stone stairs section, turn at 11 o’clock direction 5m ahead.

 

Yun U-jeong guided the way like a navigation system, and Kwon Mu-seop kept moving forward.

 

-Stop!

 

Skrrrr-!

 

Kwon Mu-seop came to an abrupt halt, his military boots scraping against the gravel.

 

Then he asked back in an unperturbed voice.

 

“Why?”

 

-Number 8 “Ant” is approaching, and it’s pretty fast.

 

“How fast?”

 

-I don’t think there’s enough time to hit two “Stone Towers.”

 

“Then let’s do one first.”

 

Kwon Mu-seop ran without caring that an “Ant” was coming.

 

After following him up the hill for a while.

 

A small stone tower came into view.

 

It was a stone tower with small stones stacked roughly on top of a large stone, the kind you’d commonly see while walking mountain paths.

 

“Do-un, touch it.”

 

I’d like to let the person who can’t see go first.

 

But I didn’t have the nerve to say such things while gasping for breath.

 

I placed my hand on the “Stone Tower” as instructed.

 

Then the “Stone Tower” crumbled like dust and a red band appeared on my wrist.

 

A mark like being tied with rope. Is this the brand?

 

Now I’m safe even if “Ants” appear.

 

The problem is Manager Kwon Mu-seop, but I didn’t have time to ask what he planned to do.

 

“Deputy Manager. Please tell me the direction and distance of numbers 6 and 8.”

 

-Number 6 is 130m at 7 o’clock direction, number 8 is 60m at 10 o’clock direction.

 

“Please keep reporting number 8 “Ant’s” position.”

 

Kwon Mu-seop spoke calmly as he set down his gear.

 

Then he took out something like a round rod and attached it to the gun barrel.

 

Is that a silencer?

 

-24m, 22m, 19m, 17m…

 

Meanwhile, number 8 “Ant” kept closing the distance.

 

Rustle-

 

At the sound that finally reached us, I looked up.

 

It was on the hill.

 

It was literally an ant.

 

Like a sculpture by an observant artist, a terrifyingly enlarged ant.

 

The “Ant” waved its rebar-like antennae and charged toward us.

 

“Manager…!”

 

Pft-!

 

Just as I was about to shout, one of the “Ant’s” eyes exploded.

 

Pft- pft-pft-pft-!

 

With suppressed sounds, legs flew off, the head burst, and the “Ant” became riddled with holes.

 

Kwon Mu-seop was calmly sniping with his silencer-equipped gun.

 

I looked back and forth between Kwon Mu-seop and the dying “Ant” in bewilderment.

 

The Deputy Manager had given him direction and distance.

 

But even so…?

 

-Number 8 “Ant” silenced.

 

Kwon Mu-seop finally stopped shooting at Yun U-jeong’s declaration.

 

Watching him casually blow away the smoke from the silencer, I asked in amazement.

 

“Manager.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“You really can’t see, right?”

 

“Would I lie about something like that?”

 

Kwon Mu-seop burst into laughter.

 

Meanwhile, Yun U-jeong chimed in.

 

-At this rate, we can save more “Stone Towers.”

 

“Yes. I was worried since it’s been a while, but it’s going better than expected.”

 

Their nonchalant conversation made me even more confused.

 

Perhaps seeing my expression, Yun U-jeong giggled and said.

 

-Do-un, that place is originally the Manager’s Front Yard.

 

“Front yard?”

 

-It’s the area he was in charge of when he was Team Leader. Back then he wasn’t blind like now, so he went in and out almost like it was his own home.

 

Huh…

 

-Manager, number 6 “Ant” is 30m at 7 o’clock direction.

 

Yun U-jeong cut off the small talk and reported again.

 

Pft-pft-pft-pft-pft-!

 

Another “Ant” turned into a honeycomb.

 

Once might be considered coincidence.

 

But doing it consecutively like this…

 

-You’re still not dead, Manager.

 

“Hahaha, in what sense?”

 

-Oh my, your skills of course. What else could it be?

 

“Are numbers 7 and 9 coming too?”

 

-Yes, they’re running with their eyes rolled back. It’ll take about 3 minutes and 9 minutes for them to arrive.

 

—

 

While it’s possible for two adults working together to kill “Executioner Ants,” such actions are not recommended.

 

“Executioner Ants” are connected in numerical order.

 

If one is attacked or killed, other entities connected to that individual will sense it and attack you.

 

—

 

“Executioner Ants” have the habit of coordinating and retaliating.

 

But even that, for a human with a gun, especially for a human named Kwon Mu-seop who can hit targets without seeing, well, how should I put it.

 

It was actually a convenient habit.

 

Numbers 7 and 9 “Ants” who came seeking revenge for their kin also ended up boarding the express train to heaven.

 

Number 10 “Ant” had also departed, but it would take about 15 minutes to reach us.

 

Kwon Mu-seop fanned away the smoke from the silencer with his hand and asked.

 

“Deputy Manager, what time is it now?”

 

-Current time is 1:02 AM.

 

“Hmm, so we didn’t even sleep for 2 hours.”

 

That’s right.

 

We had lain down to sleep after 11 PM.

 

“Do-un, want to try setting this up? I can’t see.”

 

Kwon Mu-seop lowered his gun and handed me the long gear strapped to his back.

 

Clang-!

 

Gear wrapped in waterproof cloth that made metallic sounds.

 

When I opened it, some kind of framework was waiting to be assembled.

 

It was a lightweight tent for one person.

 

“Spread that out and sleep 4 more hours. That way you can last 29 hours.”

 

“Manager, did you know we’d be dragged here?”

 

“No way.”

 

“Then how could this….”

 

I couldn’t continue speaking and looked back and forth between Kwon Mu-seop and the tent.

 

Kwon Mu-seop smiled with his gaze distant, as if he really couldn’t see.

 

“I have pretty good instincts.”

 

Is this something that can be explained by instincts?

 

Suddenly, two scenes came to mind.

 

Kwon Mu-seop’s name written multiple times on the monthly outstanding agent list.

 

Cha Si-eon maintaining an upright posture specifically when looking at Kwon Mu-seop.

 

…Haven’t I been greatly misunderstanding Section Chief Kwon Mu-seop?

 

Then Section Chief Kwon Mu-seop took out his notebook as if something had occurred to him.

 

But then he suddenly hesitated and made a serious expression.

 

“Why, what’s wrong?”

 

“I forgot that I can’t see.”

 

Kwon Mu-seop looked dejected as he put his notebook back.

 

Excuse me, Section Chief. Could you please pick one thing to stick with?

 

-Section Chief, just in case, let’s set up camp in front of the next “Stone Tower.”

 

“Yes, that would be safer. Do-un, the ring Sara gave you should work here too. I’ll try to make sure you don’t need to use it, but keep it in mind.”

 

Watching Kwon Mu-seop efficiently push things forward, I realized again.

 

Section Chief Kwon Mu-seop wasn’t reckless or unreliable.

 

He was just capable.

 

Someone who could give his subordinates a free ride even in the Special Zone.

 

I stared at Kwon Mu-seop’s back as he walked ahead, feeling as if I were under some spell.

 

We had been climbing the hill for about 10 minutes.

 

-Both of you stop!

 

At Yun U-jeong’s shout, we came to an abrupt halt.

 

-There are “Ant Lines.”

 

“Ant Lines”?

 

Then, a faint groan reached our ears.

 

“Please save me….”

—————
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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