Editor’s Survival Guide - Chapter 94

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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 94

ep15. Edit! National Museum of Korea! (10)

July last year.

“The National Museum of Korea Under the Gaze of the False God” entered its revision period.

Since the Management Bureau was struggling with conquering the “National Museum of Korea,” they decided to reset without hesitation.

They needed to identify the location of the core first.

So Response Team 9 and Exploration Team 8 formed groups and entered together.

When they entered, the “National Museum of Korea” was completely stopped, and the “False God” was also sleeping attached to the ceiling.

However, the dozens of citizens and Contaminated Ones trapped inside met the Management Bureau agents while awake in a normal state.

Some citizens desperately requested rescue.

On the other hand, some Contaminated Ones felt bewildered by the unexpected turn of events.

The agents treated them all as disaster victims and delivered relief supplies.

It was an action taken without knowing about the addictive nature of “Fake Rice.”

For the first two days, order was maintained fairly well.

The agents only searched every corner of the “National Museum of Korea” looking for the core, while the citizens watched the agents, satisfying their hunger with relief supplies instead of “Fake Rice.”

But on the third day of exploration.

The Management Bureau agents touched the “False God.”

Since no matter how much they searched the space, no core appeared, they decided to split open the “False God’s” skeletal frame.

At that time, the “False God” was hanging from the ceiling like a whale bone specimen displayed in the Marine Museum.

The agents tried shooting at it.

But the “False God’s” skeleton was harder than imagined, not even getting scratched.

Eventually, the agents reached the conclusion to blow it up.

Since explosive requisition required procedures, the agents had to wait for a while.

Then, a citizen who came to receive relief supplies asked an agent.

-Excuse me, why did you shoot at those bones earlier?

-We need to catch that thing so everyone can go home.

It was probably intended to reassure the citizen, but it was a careless remark.

That afternoon, explosives arrived at the “National Museum of Korea.”

While the agents were installing the explosives, the Contaminated Ones attacked the agents.

The surprise attack from those they were supposed to protect was fatal.

Contaminated Ones who had stretched their hair thin like piano wire strangled and killed many agents.

The agents responded, and gunfire continued.

Then dozens of citizens joined in as well.

Whether they were experiencing withdrawal symptoms, they lost their reason and charged at the armed agents.

They died futilely while shouting ‘Don’t kill the god.’

That day, five Management Bureau agents died in the line of duty, and one had their leg amputated after being caught in friendly fire.

Over twenty Contaminated Ones and citizens who sided with them also died.

Despite that chaos, the agents installed explosives on the “False God.”

Then they detonated it, hoping to end this nightmare.

But when the bombardment ended and the smoke cleared, the people inside were filled with bewilderment.

Despite concentrating firepower with the latest bombs, the “False God’s” skeleton was intact.

As if the god was mocking humans, it only displayed its own resilience.

* * *

I pondered Kwon Mu-seop’s story for a moment.

The core of this space was likely inside the “False God.”

But the bones hiding the core were so hard.

“Did the ‘False God’ take no damage from the explosion?”

-It wasn’t completely undamaged.

“…?”

-Up to the 4th explosion, only some bone powder fell from the skeleton, but from the 5th explosion onward, cracks began to appear in parts of the skeleton. At the 19th explosion, a large crack appeared in the “False God’s” skull.

“Then, you almost destroyed it completely, didn’t you?”

-If we had more time, we would have. But we couldn’t proceed any further.

“The revision period ended.”

-Right.

Kwon Mu-seop muttered bitterly.

The agents tried and tried again in desperation.

While climbing ropes to install explosives on the “False God” floating in the air.

While being wary of citizens who might turn at any moment.

While encouraging deeply wounded colleagues.

They carried out operations on such thin ice.

And just when they were about to see results, the “National Museum of Korea’s” revision period ended.

The “False God” also awakened from its long sleep, and it no longer permitted further blasphemy.

The agents tried to target when the “False God” was sleeping after feeding again, but as a result, they woke the “False God” and several were sacrificed instead.

So Team Leader Kang Seung-cheol and the survivors began looking for other escape routes.

Their exploration continued for 13 days.

And no one returned alive.

“The explosives used then, are any left?”

-I need to check. If no one touched them, they should be on the 3rd floor.

“But was the ‘False God’ originally shaped like whale bones?”

-According to records. Is it different now?

“Yes, quite different. Now it’s closer to a giant snake than a whale. Though it’s still the same white skeletal form.”

-It might have changed form while repairing damage from the revision period.

That could be possible.

They said the skull cracked from repeated explosions.

I repeated Kwon Mu-seop’s answer and asked again.

“In Team Leader Kang Seung-cheol’s voice recording, there was the expression ‘Those who see the god must die,’ where does this come from?”

-Source?

“Did Team Leader Kang Seung-cheol just say that, or did it come from this Special Zone?”

Those who see the god must die.

This is a story that appears in mythology too.

In the Bible, God told Moses, ‘You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.’

In Greek and Roman mythology, Semele, a princess of Thebes, asked Zeus to show her his true form and died burned by his radiance.

Did Team Leader Kang Seung-cheol say that with such myths in mind?

Or else….

-Wait a moment.

Section Chief Kwon Mu-seop paused for a moment as if looking for materials, then answered.

-That’s what the “Exhibition Docent” said. It says Team Leader Kang Seung-cheol asked the “Exhibition Docent” ‘The “Half-Lotus Seated Buddha Statue” is also an artifact, so why isn’t there a docent over there?’ and that was the “Exhibition Docent’s” response.

“I see.”

I pondered the information I received from Kwon Mu-seop again.

If we’re players in the space called Special Zone, that is, simple participants, we need to find answers within the established framework.

Because that’s the first rule required of game participants.

But if we’re editors, if we have the authority to assert new rules, the story changes.

Instead of struggling to find and perform rules, we can plausibly edit the materials here to achieve a victory by decision.

Like we did at the “Sports Stadium.”

And this was something I was quite good at.

Because I’m an editor.

“Section Chief, there’s something I’d like to try.”

* * *

I opened the rooftop door and entered the interior of the “National Museum of Korea” again.

I carefully looked around in case any Contaminated Ones or the “Exhibition Docent” were waiting for me.

Fortunately, this time it was really quiet.

At the very back of the 3rd floor of the 「National Museum of Korea」 was a cafe.

It was a tranquil cafe with a sky and garden visible through the large windows that were beautifully deceptive.

I went to that cafe and examined the interior.

Heavy luggage was placed inside the dessert display shelves.

It was explosives used during last year’s Concentration Suppression Period.

“Section Chief, I found the explosives.”

-Alright, I’ll explain how to use them. You said you just need to blow up one wall, right?

Kwon Mu-seop explained everything step by step so I could make a bomb suitable for the purpose.

Following his instructions, I made 5 bombs the size of cigarette packs.

Theoretically, 2 would be enough, but I deliberately made extra to prepare for defects or emergencies.

Even so, quite a bit of material remained, so what if I tried blowing up the rooftop with this?

If I’m lucky, wouldn’t a passage open up?

I was thinking carelessly when I shook my head.

If I disturbed the 「Fake God」 while it was sleeping, I might lose my life.

Besides, what was piled up there wasn’t just filth but the corpses of victims.

Blowing that up just as a test wouldn’t be right.

I gathered the bombs and came down to the 2nd floor.

Gasp-!

But as soon as I arrived on the 2nd floor, I stopped walking in surprise.

On the floor, the Contaminated Person who had been chasing me and the 「Exhibition Docent」 were dead together.

“….”

The things that had been threatening me fought each other and died.

Should I be happy about this?

I don’t know. My head feels like it’s spinning.

I tried to pass by those corpses pretending not to see them, then stopped walking again.

I felt something was off.

The two had fought but both died.

The Contaminated Person’s shoulder blade was torn lengthwise.

The 「Exhibition Docent」’s arms and legs were bent at bizarre angles.

If it was mutual destruction, shouldn’t it have been more of a decisive blow?

While dying themselves, they inflicted such persistent and vicious harm?

“Phew.”

I exhaled deeply.

Then I inhaled again and ran down the corridor.

Swish-!

As expected.

When I ran, the things lying on the floor raised their bodies.

They were Contaminated Ones.

The death of the 「Exhibition Docent」 must have been their doing too.

The Contaminated Person chasing me was killed by the 「Exhibition Docent」 first, and other Contaminated Ones retaliated against the 「Exhibition Docent」.

And now the remaining target was me.

The Contaminated Ones chased after me in the form of strings.

Then they overlapped each other to form a grid pattern.

They intended to cover me like a net.

Damn, I haven’t even tested it yet, but…!

I removed the safety device from the bomb I made earlier and threw it behind me.

Boom-!

“Ahhh…!”

“Ah, hot…! Burn… ing…!”

The strings writhed and screamed.

I stopped running away and took out another bomb to show them.

Then the Contaminated Ones hesitated and backed away, muttering.

“You… mili, tary…?”

“Again, came, to kill… us…?”

Some of the Contaminated Ones must have been here during the last revision period too.

When the older Contaminated Ones retreated first, the other Contaminated Ones also became intimidated.

I noticed that atmosphere and responded coldly.

“That’s right, I’m a government agent. So back off.”

“You’re… a, alone, alone, alone, though…?”

“Even alone, I can handle the likes of you.”

“You, ran, away… though…?”

One Contaminated Person mocked me.

As if it had already seen me running around pathetically.

But I didn’t even pretend to listen and extended my hand holding the bomb outside the railing.

“Get lost while I’m being nice.”

On the 1st floor were these Contaminated Ones’ bodies.

And also the sacrificial victims they had secured.

If I dropped the bomb like this, the damage would be enormous.

The Contaminated Ones who understood the situation curled their heads like ferns and groaned.

“Next, sacrifice, is, you…!”

“Don’t, come, down… to, 1st floor…!”

“We’ll, eat… you, to death…!”

They only spoke clumsily, but their intelligence and judgment were perfectly normal.

The fact that they were raising humans for sacrifice in that state was even more chilling.

The Contaminated Ones crawled along the floor like rainwater and retreated.

I forcibly held up my trembling knees and let out a long breath.

Then I moved to the bomb installation site.

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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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