Editor’s Survival Guide - Chapter 87

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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 87

ep15. Edit! National Central Museum! (3)

Pam pa-ba-bam pam-!

Hello, prospective agents!

Today we’re going to learn about the danger levels of Special Management Zones!

The Special Zones you’ll be managing in the future are classified into 5 total levels: ‘Caution’, ‘Alert’, ‘Danger’, ‘Isolation’, and ‘Pending’.

Now, shall we examine the characteristics of each classification one by one?

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■ Caution (C) Level

1. Must meet both exploration rate of 63% or higher and survival rate of 45% or higher.

2. Secure at least 1 stable escape route or at least 2 unstable or somewhat risky escape routes.

3. Hazardous elements within the Special Zone must be at a level that non-disabled civilians aged 14 or older can sufficiently avoid with proper caution.

4. Examples: “Boardgame Cafe of Giants”, “Rainbow-Colored Cake Shop”, etc.

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Caution level zones are areas under successful control.

As long as you respond according to the manual, no major accidents will occur.

If civilians enter a Caution level Special Zone, the duty team can deploy immediately without special authorization.

So when you discover civilians in Caution level Special Zones, actively rescue them!

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■ Alert (B) Level

1. Exploration rate of 45% or higher OR survival rate of 27% or higher.

2. Secure at least 2 unstable or somewhat risky escape routes.

3. There are lethal hazardous elements within the Special Zone, but response and avoidance are possible when conditions are met.

4. Examples: “Sports Complex with Running Corpses”, “Fountain of Rebirth”, etc.

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Alert level Special Zones are areas where exploration has progressed considerably and escape routes have been secured, but the danger level of the space remains high.

Authorization is required to enter these areas.

So when you discover civilians in Alert level Special Zones, report quickly!

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■ Danger (A) Level

1. Exploration rate of 27% or higher OR survival rate of 18% or higher.

2. Secure at least 1 unstable and risky escape route.

3. There are lethal hazardous elements within the Special Zone, but survival possibilities also exist.

4. Examples: “Siren-Sounding Railway Station”, “Kids Cafe that Kills Red”, etc.

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Danger level zones are areas where casualties are inevitable.

Screening is required to enter these places.

Also, entry is not permitted unless it’s a very important matter.

So even if you discover civilians, you must judge coldly.

If you go in, you’ll just increase the body count from one to two.

Next is the most dangerous Isolation level!

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■ Isolation (S) Level

1. No escape routes secured.

2. Survival methods unknown.

3. Examples: “National Central Museum Watched by False Gods”, most Type 3 Special Zones.

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Isolation level Special Zones are areas with a 0% survival rate.

Our agents only approach Isolation level Special Zones when initializing the zones.

Isolation level Special Zones can cause mental damage just from monitoring.

So always be careful not to approach them arbitrarily.

Finally, Pending level refers to areas where exploration is still in progress or that have special characteristics.

Special Zones in early exploration stages and “The Circulating Library” fall under this category.

Now, we’ve examined the danger levels of Special Zones.

Caution level: be proactive, Alert level: be swift, Danger level: be cautious.

And Isolation level: access forbidden!

Please remember these four points!

Pam pa-ba-bam pam-!

* * *

The Mumoo Agent chatters enthusiastically today too before disappearing into the darkness.

I saw Mumoo off and spread out the materials I received yesterday.

It was the operation overview.

The place I’m entering next week is “Hotel that Selects the Real”.

The danger level was ‘Alert’, making it a relatively safe Special Zone.

So there’s no particular reason to be nervous…

Throb-

For some reason, my stomach had been constantly asserting its presence for the past few days.

I get it, I know you’re there so please stop…

I pressed on my solar plexus to try to control this unwelcome pain.

I was taking deep breaths in that position when.

Knock knock-

“Hyung, is everything okay?”

Kwak Jae-gyeom suddenly came to my room and asked about my well-being.

Having barely calmed my stomach pain, I caught my breath and answered.

“Yeah, why?”

“Team Leader says your heart rate is noisy.”

Throb-!

“Ugh…!”

“Huh? Hyung!”

It was almost settling down…!

With Cha Si-eon’s finishing blow, my stomach twisted again.

At the feeling of something clawing inside my solar plexus, I broke out in cold sweat and collapsed onto my desk.

It was all because of Cha Si-eon.

* * *

“Stress-induced gastric spasms?”

“Yes…”

When I confessed my chronic condition, Kim Woo-in tilted his head instead.

“There’s no record of you receiving treatment though?”

“It was severe when I was in high school, but I didn’t go to the hospital separately.”

“But it’s suddenly happening again? After 10 years?”

Nod nod-

At my affirmation, Kim Woo-in’s head tilted again.

“Do-un, you didn’t have these symptoms during the past 3 months when you were suddenly dragged to Special Zones and your life was hanging by a thread.”

“I didn’t.”

“So I thought you had really thick nerves, but now you’re getting stressed?”

“Even I think it’s a bit pathetic…”

“No, this isn’t pathetic, it’s important.”

When I felt awkward, Kim Woo-in even took out the candy he was sucking on and spoke seriously.

“Do-un, you’re not originally a whiner, and you were someone who took good care of yourself, but suddenly you’ve hit the brakes. This is something we need to seriously examine.”

I’m grateful that you put it that way.

“How did you end up with gastric spasms when you were a student?”

“It was academic stress, you know.”

“I also saw the background check done on Do-un when he was hired. You know?”

At my light response, Kim Woo-in also spoke casually in passing.

It meant he already knew most of the circumstances, so don’t bother beating around the bush.

“Haha, yes…”

“So, how did you handle it before?”

“I just endured it until it subsided.”

“Can you really endure something like that by just enduring it?”

“Actually, I did get into some trouble because of that…”

I smiled sheepishly like a kid caught hiding a mistake.

Then I hurriedly added.

“But right now it’s not as severe as it was back then. It’s just a stabbing pain that comes and goes when I forget about it…”

So I was trying to get by with it moderately, but some bastard was monitoring my heart rate…

“When did it start hurting this time?”

“It hasn’t been long. I think it first happened during the last joint meeting.”

“What do you mean a few days, it’s already been a week. No, if you had this kind of problem, you should have talked about it right away. Why are you enduring it? Are you trying to follow Team Leader Cha’s example?”

“Well, I thought it was temporary…”

At the question about following Team Leader Cha’s example, I felt self-loathing and made excuses.

“Has anything been particularly bothering you lately?”

“Hmm…”

I carefully retraced the past days.

But nothing particular came to mind.

It was frustrating and humiliating.

I seem to be stressed about something, but I can’t even guess the reason.

I’m an editor…

Someone who can interpret characters, whether others’ or my own.

At this rate, my editor’s ego is going to cry.

“Ugh…!”

I searched for reasons under pressure.

But there was no way I could suddenly find what I hadn’t found in the past few days.

Kim Woo-in, who had been waiting, gently pressed me.

“Are you unable to speak because there’s nothing, or because there’s too much?”

“I think it’s both.”

“Both?”

“There are many things that bother me, but not all of them are particularly new.”

I admitted with some sense of defeat.

Kim Woo-in put the candy he was holding back in his mouth and asked back.

“For example?”

“The biggest one would be getting dragged to the Special Zone without notice.”

“Well, that’s directly related to life and death.”

“But thanks to the Management Bureau’s support, I’ve been living well so far, and I’ve adapted quite a bit, so I think it’s too late to be stressed about it now.”

“I don’t think there’s such a thing as being too late when it comes to safety issues, but actually I think the same way. What else?”

“The expectations from people around me are a bit burdensome.”

“So you feel pressured?”

“No. Just because people have expectations of me doesn’t mean I necessarily have to meet them.”

“That’s a good attitude. And also?”

“Otter Rescue Association activities. That pops up whenever I forget about it…”

“The otter idolization is in progress, this must be really burdensome.”

“Yes… definitely…”

“But there’s nothing you can do about the Otter Rescue Association. It’s already an irreversible trend.”

“I thought so too, so I decided to just separate myself from the otter. It would be petty to interfere with people having fun in this harsh place, so I’d rather think of it as a club for people who like otters.”

“That’s a wise decision.”

Kim Woo-in and I nodded at each other in agreement.

The conclusion was clean, but it was far from the purpose of this conversation.

Kim Woo-in, noticing this, came to his senses and asked back.

“Do-un, how’s your relationship with your handler?”

Cha Si-eon?

Until recently, he was an uncomfortable person to deal with.

But after learning he was Cinderella, I became quite comfortable with him.

“Not bad.”

“Then what about your roommate?”

Kwak Jae-gyeom?

Jae-gyeom is, well, comfortable and nice.

The kid absolutely refuses to do recycling though.

Sometimes he comes into the living room with his shoes on.

He leaves moisture and steam in the bathroom after washing.

And he’s Cha Si-eon’s loyal lackey, but he’s a decent guy.

“I’m getting along well with my roommate too.”

“Then why the hell are you sick?”

“That’s what I’m saying…”

At Kim Woo-in’s question, I just smiled.

It’s already been 3 months since I joined the Management Bureau.

I had spent an entire spring here and was now welcoming summer.

During that time, I experienced all sorts of things and got hurt in various ways.

But I was getting by reasonably well.

Despite the sudden disasters, I was slowly finding clues to solutions.

“I think the situation is much better compared to before.”

It should be, but I don’t know why this is suddenly happening.

“So I’m wondering if the tension is finally being released…”

I was self-deprecating about my pathetic conclusion.

Kim Woo-in looked at me for a moment, then slowly spoke.

“I know Do-un is someone who handles himself well. I also know you’re deep.”

What are you trying to say with this kind of cushioning?

“It’s strange to say this to someone who’s doing well, but honestly, you’ve seemed too fine up until now.”

“…”

“It’s naturally good if you endure well. But if that’s not the case, you need to deal with it accordingly. Whether it’s illness or injury, early treatment is always best.”

“I think that’s right.”

Since it was an undeniable statement, I nodded humbly.

Kim Woo-in said to me lastly.

“Your body is sending signals right now, so take this opportunity to ask yourself.”

“Ask what?”

“Whether you’re really okay, and if you’re not okay, what’s causing it.”

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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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