Editor’s Survival Guide - Chapter 70

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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 70

 

ep13. Blood-Raining (2)

 

“I heard this from our team leader, but Apophysis refused to conduct the search.”

 

“They refused to conduct the search?”

 

I asked back in surprise.

 

Apophysis.

 

A mercenary company formed by retired members of the Special Management Bureau.

 

“Weren’t they supposed to lead Team Leader Cha’s rescue operation?”

 

As I said, this rescue operation was planned with Apophysis as the main force.

 

The reason was, of course, the Management Bureau’s chronic manpower shortage.

 

During this Concentration Suppression Period, almost all field agents from the Management Bureau were performing missions in the Special Zone.

 

Even Team 6, the reserve personnel for emergencies, was deployed to isolate “Ant Hill” and currently had no way to move.

 

That said, they couldn’t just regroup Team 1, who had barely survived “The Island,” and push them back in there.

 

In the end, the field command division asked Apophysis for help.

 

So after various negotiations, Apophysis and Management Bureau agents agreed to cooperate on the rescue operation.

 

It was just last evening when I felt relieved hearing that story, but why is the situation changing again…?

 

“The rescue team entered ‘The Island’ at dawn today, but all the communication equipment was dead.”

 

“The equipment?”

 

“Yes. So the people from Apophysis said they couldn’t do such a dangerous operation and pulled out…”

 

Sigh…

 

“Right now, only our people are waiting at the entrance.”

 

“So what happens now?”

 

“I don’t know either. To start the search, they need to solve the communication problem first, but they haven’t even identified the cause yet…”

 

In the end, it meant no one knew when the search would resume.

 

If this continues, what will happen to Cha Si-eon?

 

Are they just giving up?

 

Under the heavy shock pressing down on my head, I shook my head inwardly.

 

No, it’s too early to conclude that.

 

If it’s Team Leader Cha Si-eon, wouldn’t he manage to escape on his own, as he often mentioned?

 

Right, he’s the person who would just throw down a manual and shout ‘Citizens, do your best to escape on your own.’

 

It’s about time he showed some leadership by example and consistency between words and actions.

 

So…

 

No, that’s all nonsense.

 

The place where Cha Si-eon is now is none other than “The Bleeding Island.”

 

It’s a space where Management Bureau elites entered in platoon size and half of them became casualties.

 

By now, the reorganization period is over, so it would be active again.

 

Moreover, the more serious problem was supplies.

 

Does Cha Si-eon have enough water and food?

 

As far as I know, he has nothing except his personal canteen.

 

He might have some snacks secretly packed in his pockets.

 

Even so, three days’ worth of food would be far from enough.

 

How long could he last without being able to eat or drink?

 

“Kwak Jae-gyeom will cause another scene if he finds out.”

 

“He would, definitely…”

 

“So please keep an eye on him. If he causes trouble here again, it could really be serious.”

 

Yu-ju appealed to me with an anxious face.

 

“The disciplinary committee aside, the Rescue Team 4 people are also extremely angry… They said if Kwak Jae-gyeom acts out more here, it’ll really be dangerous.”

 

This would be the view of Yu-ju’s team leader, not Yu-ju herself.

 

I partially agreed with it too.

 

Right now, the Management Bureau didn’t have the tolerance or leisure to overlook Kwak Jae-gyeom’s violent behavior as youthful folly.

 

Kwak Jae-gyeom’s team leader was missing, but Rescue Team 4 had their team members die right before their eyes.

 

It wasn’t a situation where either side could freely lose their temper from the start.

 

But punches had already been thrown, and thanks to that, the atmosphere between teams was extremely hostile.

 

In the midst of this, even the team leader who could manage the situation or protect Jae-gyeom was absent.

 

So if things escalated further, it would really become troublesome.

 

It was certainly a valid point, but I thought Yu-ju’s worry seemed excessive and spoke soothingly.

 

“Jae-gyeom wouldn’t go that far either, he’s quite smart…”

 

Actually, I found it quite surprising that this smart guy had thrown punches at someone else in the first place.

 

But considering it happened right after coming out of “The Island,” I could understand it to some extent.

 

He must have been in a state where tension and excitement had built up to the very top of his head.

 

But by now, he would have cooled his head sufficiently.

 

I said this thinking that Kwak Jae-gyeom wasn’t such a reckless and emotional guy.

 

“No, Agent… He definitely won’t stay still.”

 

But Yu-ju shook her head vigorously, refuting my words.

 

“Long ago, it was Team Leader Cha Si-eon who rescued Kwak Jae-gyeom and brought him to Page.”

 

“…”

 

I was quite surprised by Yu-ju’s explanation.

 

And I belatedly remembered.

 

That Kwak Jae-gyeom was also a minor victim rescued after losing his family in the Special Zone, someone from Page.

 

But the person who rescued Jae-gyeom was none other than Cha Si-eon?

 

This was the first time I’d heard this.

 

And after hearing this story, Yu-ju’s concern hit me hard too.

 

Kwak Jae-gyeom is someone with deep affections.

 

That’s why when Ha Yu-ju, his Page colleague, got hurt, he was as irritable as if he’d been hurt himself.

 

Then what about Cha Si-eon?

 

If to Kwak Jae-gyeom, Cha Si-eon wasn’t just an overbearing workplace superior but the lifesaver who rescued him as a child?

 

If that person was in danger while trying to save him once again?

 

And if even that person’s rescue operation was suspended…

 

“…There’s no way he’d stay still.”

 

Oh no.

 

I finally understood Ha Yu-ju’s worry.

 

“I understand. I’ll keep an eye on Jae-gyeom.”

 

Perhaps choked up by my words, Yu-ju just nodded several times.

 

Then she added in a slightly hoarse voice.

 

“Please be careful too, Agent.”

 

“Me?”

 

“Yes, of course he probably won’t do that to you… but just in case, be careful not to clash with people.”

 

Yu-ju said this while looking around the empty waiting room as if checking for eavesdroppers.

 

“Everyone’s nerves are on edge. At times like this, big fights can break out for no reason.”

 

Big fights at the Management Bureau – I’d never even thought of such a thing.

 

But seeing the thin ice atmosphere in the field division, I could understand Yu-ju’s concern.

 

Team 1 had failed all their missions.

 

The “Big Cat” fragment secured during the 12th engagement was also lost during the 13th engagement.

 

Their original mission of initializing the Special Zone was also ambiguously suspended, and “The Bleeding Island” successfully completed its awakening.

 

The only achievement was repelling the mercenary individuals “Gardener” and “Echo.”

 

But this wasn’t even Team 1’s main mission, and compared to our side’s losses, it was too meager a result.

 

Moreover, this disastrous failure occurred amid expectations that the war with the Special Zone could be ended.

 

The gap between hope and despair was shockingly deep.

 

With such a painful failure, the Management Bureau’s atmosphere was utterly depressed, silently boiling like a bomb that could explode at any moment.

 

“Yes, I’ll be careful. The atmosphere does seem like it’ll be tense for a while.”

 

When I added with mixed feelings, Yu-ju looked at me quietly.

 

Then she spoke in a much lower voice.

 

“It’s not for a while.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“It’s not for a while, this is the Management Bureau’s original atmosphere, Agent.”

 

This time my gaze stopped on Ha Yu-ju.

 

Ha Yu-ju looked at me for a moment, then muttered with a dejected expression.

 

“Rather, the atmosphere has been excessively good since you came, Agent. For a while.”

 

* * *

 

I came out of the break room carrying the snacks I received from Yu-ju.

 

Then I crossed the empty corridor with quick steps.

 

Surely no one would do something so reckless, but if someone told Jae-gyeom about the search suspension, I’d need to stop them.

 

I walked anxiously with this worry in mind, then sighed thinking what am I even doing.

 

I hated this chaotic atmosphere.

 

I also hated the aura of death that kept clinging no matter how much I tried to shake it off.

 

I hated my position of being neither insider nor outsider, awkwardly wandering around in the midst of all this.

 

So I walked through the empty corridor at my usual pace, thinking unrealistically.

 

Is Cha Si-eon really alive?

 

Baek Sa-ra said he would naturally be alive.

 

She had boldly declared without any playfulness or exaggeration that he would be stubbornly attempting to escape on his own.

 

But, well.

 

Even if he’s still alive in this situation, how much longer can he hold out?

 

Isn’t it time to abandon false hope and gradually face reality?

 

I found it strange that I was thinking about this so calmly.

 

So I asked myself.

 

If Cha Si-eon dies, how would I feel?

 

Sorry to say, but it probably wouldn’t affect me much.

 

I don’t know him well enough to mourn his death.

 

We’ve been face to face for 3 months, but that’s all.

 

Even if something really bad happens to him, I don’t think I’d be particularly distressed.

 

Rather, changes to my situation, like ‘who will be in charge of me from now on?’ would concern me more.

 

Regrettably, and fortunately, Cha Si-eon wasn’t particularly important to me.

 

Thanks to that, I gained the privilege of being able to survey this situation without fear or desperation, but damn.

 

Thinking that someone I know might die still feels pretty bad.

 

Even if he does die, I wish it wouldn’t be like this.

 

Setting aside Cha Si-eon himself, for the sake of the people around him too.

 

So I hope he comes back alive if possible…

 

Just then, the brightly lit white corridor suddenly became dark.

 

“…!”

 

But I didn’t even have time to panic at the sudden change in lighting.

 

I made eye contact with a man sitting on the floor.

 

…It was Team Leader Cha Si-eon.

 

“Uh…?”

 

As I discovered Cha Si-eon and panicked, Cha Si-eon pressed against the floor and lunged at me.

 

With the intimidating presence of a tiger pouncing, I stepped back and urgently shouted.

 

“Team Lead…!”

 

But, damn.

 

Before I could even finish one word, Cha Si-eon grabbed me by the collar.

 

Then my body floated up and the world turned upside down.

 

Thud-!

 

After the fun weightlessness, impact rushed through my back.

 

At the same time, I realized I had been mercilessly thrown down and silently screamed.

 

Hey, you bastard…!

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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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