Editor’s Survival Guide - Chapter 73

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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 73

ep13. Blood Rain (5)

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■ Response Manual for New Pattern ‘Broken Radio’ in ‘Region I: Amphibious Forest’

1. Basic Structure

A flat forest surrounded by fences.

The forest area is about the size of a soccer field.

Trees about 8m tall growing vertically throughout the forest, planted at 2-3m intervals.

Environment with continuous static-filled radio broadcasts.

Personnel entering this region are positioned near the fence.

2. Risk Factors

Faceless Things emerging from tree shadows

3. Escape Method

Destroy the radio installed in the forest.

However, if you fail to find and destroy the radio within 28 minutes of first hearing the radio sound, you return to the starting point.

—

Another dud.

I clicked my tongue while looking at the lush forest.

We had entered the 14th region.

And this was ‘Region I: Amphibious Forest’.

It was a region we had already cleared twice before.

I had memorized the basic information about this place through Cha Si-eon’s notebook and had directly seen how to clear it.

So I suggested, thinking it was time to pull my own weight.

“I’ll lure the Faceless Things.”

That would make it much easier for Cha Si-eon to find and destroy the radio.

I said it with the intention of lightening his burden.

But Cha Si-eon immediately shook his head.

“Don’t move, just observe.”

“Why should I do that?”

“I don’t know what variables might arise when two people move. So conserve your strength from behind.”

So he’s going to do it alone again this time?

I couldn’t determine whether this was a rational argument or insane stubbornness.

Woong- Chiii- Wooong-!

Then the radio sound echoed.

Cha Si-eon ran into the forest, leaving me behind.

Swish-!

Faceless Things rose from the tree shadows.

Thunk- Thunk-!

Cha Si-eon quickly stabbed and slashed through them as he passed.

Right, tired or not, he’s still good at this.

He’ll clear this stage easily by himself again.

But is that really the best approach?

He says he doesn’t know what variables might occur in 2-player mode because he’s only done 1-player mode so far?

If you don’t know, you should find out.

Instead of stubbornly stabbing all the monsters to death by yourself.

While I watched with displeasure, Cha Si-eon stabbed his umpteenth monster to death, stepped on it, and leaped up.

He climbed the tree with big strides like a tiger, then hurled the radio from the top to the ground.

Crack-!

The radio that had been chattering endlessly stopped its noise.

And the door that had been hidden around the fence opened.

It was the exit.

Right, why worry about that.

Great Team Leader Cha Si-eon, do whatever you want.

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■ Response Manual for New Pattern ‘Soap Bubbles’ in ‘Region H: Outdoor Performance Hall’

1. Basic Structure

An outdoor performance hall set up on grass-covered flat ground.

Tiered seating.

A Bubble-Spewing Doll in the center of the performance hall.

2. Risk Factors

Exploding Soap Bubbles.

Substances spewed from the mouth of the Bubble-Spewing Doll.

Same shape and size as regular soap bubbles. About 2-5cm in diameter.

They float in the air and explode when they touch objects or burst on their own.

The Bubble-Spewing Doll continuously spits out these bubbles.

3. Escape Method

Eliminate the Commanding Worm.

By following the black thread connected to the back of the Bubble-Spewing Doll, you can find the Commanding Worm hidden in the grass.

The Commanding Worm is in the form of a 3.5cm larva.

—

…I said do whatever you want, but I didn’t expect him to go this far.

Cha Si-eon scattered sand to detonate all the Exploding Soap Bubbles.

He boldly dove into that chain explosion, flipped over the Bubble-Spewing Doll, and traced the black thread.

It took less than 2 minutes to find and stomp the Commanding Worm hidden in the grass.

Thanks to that, I now felt like I was watching a strongman show.

When the Commanding Worm died, another door opened from the stands.

I checked the time as I went out to the garden outside the region.

The current time shown on the analog watch Cha Si-eon had given me.

2:53 PM.

It had been about 4 hours since I entered here.

And we had just cleared the 19th region.

Cha Si-eon’s speed at clearing stages was almost unchanged from the beginning.

He was clearing stages smoothly without delay or hindrance, but hmm.

Maybe because I saw him taking pills, he still seemed to be pushing himself too hard.

I handed water to Cha Si-eon as he caught his breath and asked again.

“Team Leader, are you really not tired?”

Cha Si-eon glared at me while drinking just enough water to wet his lips.

Regardless, I asked again.

“Wouldn’t it be better to divide roles now?”

“How many times do I have to tell you that staying still is helping?”

Cha Si-eon muttered briefly and shoved the canteen back to me.

Then he leaned his back against the wall and closed his eyes, and wow… damn…

Why is that guy really acting like that?

If you’re going to carry someone in a palanquin, do it properly.

If you’re going to be rude, just be rude.

He’s carrying around a perfectly capable person while throwing tantrums, so I can’t tell if I’m a precious treasure or a burden.

Of course, I don’t want to be either.

The problem is that Cha Si-eon is acting like Kim Cheom-ji who brings seolleongtang and then kicks you, and that’s very bewildering from my perspective.

Because I’m not Cha Si-eon’s sick wife.

So why is he pouring this ridiculous overprotection and irritability on me?

By your standards, because I’m weak and unreliable?

As if you’re any better when you’re on the verge of death from overwork.

I don’t understand what foolish thing you’re doing alone.

Don’t tell me this is a situation where I’m supposed to be moved by the sight of that back?

Let’s say, giving you every benefit of the doubt, that you’re overexerting yourself to cover my share too.

Should I get all wistful saying ‘don’t sacrifice yourself for me,’ or should I whistle saying ‘thanks for the free ride’?

Either way of thinking about it is absurd.

But what can I do.

If you insist on struggling by yourself.

Who knows, maybe you’re achieving self-realization through battling yourself.

I decided to watch and see just how far you’d go.

But in the very next stage, I got to see the true extent of that stubborn person’s capabilities.

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■ Response Manual for New Pattern ‘Night Flood’ in ‘Gallery 1, Zone D’

1. Basic Structure

Long corridor format, 4m wide and 450m long.

Seven frames on the walls, water endlessly pouring from the frames.

Entire floor submerged except for a section at the starting point.

Water depth unknown.

2. Risk Factors

Water filling the corridor and intermittently occurring whirlpools.

Unknown where things sucked into whirlpools go.

If whirlpool is too strong, dropping a silver ring weakens the torrent.

3. Escape Method

Move from starting point at corridor end to opposite end.

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Whoooosh-!

The sound of waterfalls echoed through the space.

And waves glittering rapidly in the darkness.

Through them, I could gauge the presence of water filling this place.

‘Gallery 1, Zone D’ had the same spatial structure as ‘Zone E. Gallery 2’.

However, instead of photos, large frames hung on the walls.

And those frames were mercilessly spewing water like dam floodgates.

The corridor floor churned with water, and it was even dark all around.

So a fear like watching waves crash in a pitch-black night sea washed over me.

This was my first time entering Zone D after 20 attempts.

So I was inwardly tense, but hmm. It was pointless.

Splash-!

Look, there goes Team Leader Cha Si-eon jumping alone into that black water again.

I leisurely watched the light advancing steadily through the water.

The light briefly disappeared in the middle, probably at a whirlpool section.

Did about 5 minutes pass in that state?

The surroundings brightened and the water pouring from the frames stopped abruptly.

The water that had been surging throughout the corridor instantly evaporated, revealing the floor.

I walked step by step along the dry path like the Israelites in Exodus, heading to the end of the corridor.

At the door at the opposite end, Cha Si-eon was waiting for me, soaked from head to toe.

And so, back to the garden.

We each went to our preferred areas and silently took our positions.

I was quietly looking at the floor when water that had dripped from Cha Si-eon’s body slowly spread across the ground.

But that water was red.

…It was blood.

“Team Leader, are you injured somewhere?”

“No. It’s an old wound that reopened.”

“Then you’ve been moving with an injured body this whole time?”

At my surprised question, Cha Si-eon let out a long breath.

It was a blatant warning, meaning don’t make a fuss.

…What the hell are you really doing.

“Team Leader Cha Si-eon.”

I couldn’t stand it anymore and started to speak, but Cha Si-eon didn’t even pretend to listen.

So I ignored him too and continued what I had to say.

“I’ll be frank with you. I’m questioning whether you’re making rational judgments right now.”

Only then did Cha Si-eon open his eyes and look at me.

“I know I’m an important person at the Management Bureau. But how does you overexerting yourself alone help my survival?”

“…”

“If I could see some hope, I’d understand the overexertion, but look at the current situation. We’re just going in circles within the areas, aren’t we? If repeating this infinitely is the solution, shouldn’t we rest properly and share the load appropriately?”

At my question, Cha Si-eon only let out a long sigh.

His tone was tired and annoyed.

So I drove the point home before Team Leader Cha could lose his temper again.

“If my thinking is wrong, please tell me why you’re running alone and what specific plan you have for dealing with this. Then I think I could follow along too.”

“Hah…”

Cha Si-eon pressed his eyes with his hand and took a deep breath.

Then he forced himself to speak.

“The Big Cat is targeting me. I already encountered it at dawn, and when the ‘Blood Rain’ falls, it will come for me again.”

“…”

“So we must get out of here before then.”

Why are you only telling me this important information now…?

I was flustered by the unexpected revelation, then collected myself and asked back.

“If the situation is that urgent, why are you doing everything alone?”

“Because we might not find the exit.”

“…?”

“We might not be able to escape before the ‘Blood Rain’ falls. No, that’s highly likely. So when it’s time for the ‘Blood Rain’ to fall, I’ll separate from Seo Do-un. From then on, Seo Do-un will have to manage alone. That’s why I’m telling you to conserve your strength while you’re with me.”

The unexpected sentences slowly sank into my head.

After mulling it over once, I asked back with bewilderment.

“Are you planning to die?”

“I’m not ruling out the possibility.”

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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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