Editor’s Survival Guide - Chapter 98
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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 98
ep16. Because I Made You (2)
“The core of the 「Hotel」 has been destroyed, and all personnel in that area have been evacuated. The Research Department is judging this situation as a standard Special Zone initialization process.”
“….”
“The ring that Agent Yeon Ga-ram was wearing was also destroyed before making contact with the core. So the operation failed and the ring was lost.”
It felt like plunging from reality into a dream.
At the same time, the stomach pain that had been tormenting me disappeared like a lie.
I asked back blankly in a strange sense of emptiness.
“Why? Was there some kind of mistake….”
“We don’t know. Whether there was a problem with the environment at the time, or because a different person made contact with the core, there’s nothing we can say for certain at this point.”
“….”
“And the core of 「Ant Hill」 has also been destroyed.”
“What did you say?”
I asked back in surprise at Cha Si-eon’s sudden statement.
This was definitely not good news.
But for some reason, I felt like I could breathe again.
It sounded like the core I had secured would eventually break too, just with a time difference.
However, Cha Si-eon immediately shattered my shallow hope.
“The moment the Research Department made contact to analyze the core of 「Ant Hill」, the core evaporated. This is also being judged as a standard Special Zone initialization process.”
“Hah….”
I let out a hollow laugh without realizing it.
“Haha.”
It felt like struggling desperately not to get wet in the rain, only to step right into a puddle.
The worst-case scenario I had been considering became reality, so there was no need to worry anymore.
Ah, so this is why I was nervous.
Because I was afraid this kind of result would actually happen.
“So the experimental result came out as number 2….”
I muttered in empty realization.
The Research Department had established two hypotheses about the conditions for stopping Special Zones.
1. Contact between the core and a fragment of the 「Big Cat」.
2. Contact between the core, a fragment of the 「Big Cat」, and Seo Do-un.
I naturally chose number 1, but I was spectacularly wrong.
No, thinking about it again, it wasn’t so much that I chose it as I believed in it.
Please let it be number 1.
That way I could remain as the ‘discoverer of the Special Zone closure method’.
If it was number 2, then I would become a ‘medium for Special Zone closure’.
Ah, expressing it this way makes it even more dizzying.
What the hell is this?
The core of the 「Hotel」 that Control Team 4’s Yeon Ga-ram touched while wearing the black ring evaporated.
The core of 「Ant Hill」 that the researchers touched to investigate also evaporated.
But I secured another core at the 「National Museum of Korea」.
…What the hell is this really?
“My contamination levels are normal, right.”
“That’s correct.”
“Then why is this happening?”
“I understand the confusion.”
What does Team Leader Cha know….
At that soulless consolation, I also looked at Cha Si-eon with a desolate feeling.
But Cha Si-eon, just like when he had closed the hospital room door without hesitation earlier, lightly ignored my gaze and said.
“The investigation is ongoing, so let’s wait for the results.”
“I’ve been waiting all this time and nothing has come out….”
“Actually, Analysis Team 5 contacted us.”
“Manager Oh?”
“They say they’ve interpreted the sound recorded on Seo Do-un’s smartwatch during the escape from 「Zombie Sports Stadium」.”
“Really?”
At the unexpected news, I opened my eyes wide.
When I escaped from 「Zombie Sports Stadium」.
I have no memory of it at all, but at that time I was dragged to other Special Zones for 144 seconds.
And unknown noise was recorded on my smartwatch.
But that recording has finally been interpreted.
“Can I see the interpreted content now?”
I was delighted at the thought of filling in the gaps in my memory.
But Cha Si-eon gave me another unexpected response.
“That content hasn’t been documented yet.”
“…?”
“Do you also remember the story about Manager Oh playing that recording to some Contaminated Person?”
“Yes, I remember.”
A Contaminated Person who could read Special Zone text and was cooperative with the Management Bureau.
At that time, Oh Tae-o said this about that Contaminated Person.
-They screamed as soon as they heard the recording.
-They were completely terrified, so we had no choice but to turn off the recording midway.
-Even when we asked why, they wouldn’t answer, but we’re still trying to persuade them….
“That Contaminated Person was very frightened after hearing the recording….”
“That’s right. But Manager Oh finally persuaded them, and that Contaminated Person interpreted the content.”
This is really welcome news.
Since I fell into the 「Sports Stadium」 at the end of March, this is good news I’m hearing after a full two and a half months.
“So when can I receive the interpretation?”
“There’s a condition.”
“A condition?”
“That Contaminated Person requested a face-to-face meeting with Seo Do-un.”
“Me…?”
“They say they’ll only tell the interpreted content after meeting Seo Do-un directly.”
I really couldn’t understand.
Why is everyone doing this to me?
* * *
The Contaminated Persons in my memory.
Rescuer 12 who grew multiple arms.
Teddy Bear who extended tentacles from inside a costume.
And the 「Fake Rice」 addicts who used their heads as ropes.
There are no good memories at all….
But if it’s a Contaminated Person who’s cooperative with the Management Bureau, it should be a bit different, right?
Hoping that would be the case, I visited Oh Tae-o’s research lab on the day of my discharge.
“Welcome….”
Oh Tae-o greeting us today with a haggard face that looked like he stayed up all night again.
Oh Tae-o suddenly walked toward me with unsteady steps.
Then he grabbed my shoulder firmly.
“…Why are you doing this?”
“The feeling isn’t much different….”
“…?”
Manager Oh, don’t tell me you’re already seeing me as a ‘Special Zone closure medium’?
Oh Tae-o’s touch made me feel disgusted in many ways.
But Oh Tae-o continued to fidget with my shoulder while standing.
“Acting Director Oh Tae-o.”
Cha Si-eon, who had also ended up standing, called out to Oh Tae-o.
Then Oh Tae-o glanced at Cha Si-eon, clicked his tongue quietly, and stepped back.
These people are still the same….
Cha Si-eon, myself, and Kwak Jae-gyeom who came with us sat facing Manager Oh at the table.
“You’ve been briefed on the situation…?”
Oh Tae-o pushed up his glasses and began speaking.
“Today we’re going to hear the interpretation of that recording directly… Do you have any questions…?”
“You said that Contaminated Person was scared when they first heard the recording?”
“Yes, that’s right….”
“But what happened suddenly? Are they okay now?”
“It wasn’t sudden, I applied filter processing when I played it for them… When I layered multiple filters, they seemed less scared….”
That’s a relief.
Manager Oh, you were someone who worked hard.
“But why do they insist on delivering the interpretation directly to me?”
“I don’t know the reason. They just said they want to….”
But still, there’s a somewhat careless side to this.
“Is it safe for me to meet them directly?”
“Yes. Ryu Dan-a is, ah. Contaminated Person 71 is not dangerous at all….”
At least that’s a relief.
As I felt relieved, Oh Tae-o added.
“Instead, they have a sensitive personality and are quite mischievous… So you need to be careful not to upset them….”
What does it mean to be sensitive but also very mischievous?
Like a spoiled brat from a wealthy family in movies?
“And there’s a dress code.”
“A dress code?”
“They said it’s their birthday soon, so you have to wear formal attire to meet them….”
I opened my mouth in surprise.
When I looked flustered, Oh Tae-o muttered with a proud expression.
“Don’t worry. I’ve prepared the clothes….”
Oh Tae-o seemed somehow proud of himself.
I couldn’t dare judge whether he was a careless person or a meticulous one.
* * *
“What are you doing?”
“I think this is my best effort.”
Kwak Jae-gyeom had turned his necktie into a traditional Korean tie and spoke confidently.
I sighed and held out my hand.
Then Jae-gyeom shyly untied his makeshift tie and handed it over.
This guy should just say he can’t do it if he can’t.
I roughly shook out the wrinkled necktie and wrapped it around my neck.
Then as I looked in the mirror to adjust the length, Jae-gyeom whispered beside me.
“Hyung, have you heard anything about Contaminated Person 71 we’re meeting today?”
“No.”
“This Contaminated Person was captured by the neighboring team last year. At the ‘Crimson Barred Maze House’.”
“Then I can roughly guess what kind of person they are?”
“Just their criminal history.”
Criminal history.
Come to think of it, they said you can’t just capture anyone just because they’re a Contaminated Person.
I casually asked while making a knot in my necktie.
“Why was this person captured?”
“They captured other missing people in the Special Zone and used them as slaves. There were over twenty victims.”
I froze-
I stopped pulling on my necktie.
This is exactly what the Contaminated Ones from the ‘National Museum of Korea’ did.
The one we’re going to meet is that kind of monster too?
“But they’re not really the threatening type either. Since being captured, they’ve been relatively well-behaved. Though it seems they went through a few handlers in the beginning.”
When I looked at Jae-gyeom through the mirror, Jae-gyeom added.
Thanks to that, the image in my head became even more complicated.
A Contaminated Person who cooperates with the Management Bureau, gets scared by recording sounds, is sensitive but very mischievous, used other people as slaves but isn’t particularly dangerous.
What kind of character is this supposed to be?
I took off the tied necktie over my head and handed it back to Jae-gyeom.
Then after adjusting my appearance, I brought Jae-gyeom, who was busy taking selfies, outside.
Outside, Cha Si-eon and Oh Tae-o were waiting.
But for some reason, Cha Si-eon was still in his work uniform.
“Isn’t Team Leader coming with us?”
“I’m going.”
Cha Si-eon answered Jae-gyeom’s question briefly.
But why didn’t he change clothes?
Didn’t he have a suit that fit him?
I looked at Oh Tae-o, not understanding.
Oh Tae-o was wearing a suit like us, but was glaring at Cha Si-eon from behind his glasses.
Hmm, seeing that reaction, it seems Cha Si-eon just chose not to wear one.
“Then follow me….”
Oh Tae-o led the way with an even colder atmosphere.
We went down from underground to further underground.
After going down for quite a while, we reached an area with solid iron doors.
In front of it, Oh Tae-o said.
“They might play some pranks. But they’re just pranks, so if you bear with it for a moment, they’ll stop on their own….”
I wish he would explain specifically what kind of pranks….
But Oh Tae-o didn’t give me a chance to ask and pressed his fingerprint on the iron door.
Beep- Click-!
The door opened with mechanical sounds.
The inside of the door was dimly dark.
As we followed Oh Tae-o and stepped inside.
There was a sweet smell.
Something like flower fragrance.
The moment I caught that scent, the dark interior suddenly brightened with a reddish glow.
Surprised, I looked up and saw red bars.
And beyond the gaps, a woman with long hair and red dress trailing down.
…She was a beautiful woman.
Like a plum blossom painting spread on traditional paper.
Deep and vivid, yet fleeting and precarious.
A woman.
I was breathless at that bewitching sight.
Her dress flowed down, revealing the woman’s white shoulders.
I thought I should look away, but somehow I couldn’t move.
As if enchanted by something, I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
Then, Cha Si-eon strode past me.
Then he kicked and smashed the red bars that stood in front of the woman.
Crack-!
“Kyaah!”
As the wooden bars shattered, the woman who had been standing gracefully let out a scream.
But Cha Si-eon paid no attention and grabbed the woman.
Then he roughly tore the woman’s clothes.
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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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