The Logmaster - Chapter 16

That night, Omiichi returned to his cheap apartment and stared blankly at the ceiling.

How will they find the colleagues who framed Yoshi and get revenge?

As I was absentmindedly thinking about this plan, I suddenly noticed that the screen of my smartphone, which I had left in my bag, was faintly glowing with the notification light flashing.

(Now that I think about it, I think I received some kind of notification…)

I was so shocked by Yoshi’s death that I didn’t have time to check my smartphone after that.

Pick it up and unlock it.

Then, a badge indicating an unread LINE message appeared. When I opened it, sure enough, it was a message from the red-lettered account, “⚪︎.”

“21 chain fragments obtained. 4:12”

The time shows the exact time that Yoshi-san fell to his death from the footbridge. Just like Sato-san. It seems that his death was what gave him this “fragment.”

(Fragments…? And what exactly are chains? Last time Satou-san got 11 fragments, but this time he got 21 fragments…? What on earth is this system…?)

The mystery only deepens.

The Help section on the site didn’t provide any further information.

As Omiichi looked at the LINE chat screen, a thought suddenly occurred to him.

(…Does this mean… if I send a message, I might get a reply?)

I have no idea whether the other party is a human, an AI, or something completely different. But instead of just sending me notifications one-way, maybe I can have a conversation with it? I’ll give it a shot.

Feeling a little scared, but with an irrepressible sense of curiosity, Omiichi typed out a simple greeting into the message field and tapped the send button.

Omiichi: “Hello.”

Immediately after sending the message, my heart began to beat faster.

There was a mixture of anticipation and anxiety that there was no way I would get a reply, and what I would do if I did get one. A few seconds felt like an eternity.

Then, without a moment’s hesitation, the message was marked as read, and a reply came.

⚪︎: “Good evening.”

“…?! It’s back!”

At the unexpected response, Omiichi almost cried out loud. Could they have a conversation? Who on earth was this person? Suppressing the trembling of his fingers from excitement and nervousness, he typed out the question he wanted to know the most.

Omiichi: “What are chain fragments?”

The reply came quickly, but it wasn’t a direct answer.

⚪︎: “Lv1 Question: I will need to use one shard to answer. Is that okay? Yes/No”

(…Lv1? Do I have to use fragments to answer the question? What’s a level? …If I answer Yes to this, someone won’t die again or anything, right…?)

For a moment, Tomaru’s face flashed through his mind.

However, this time it’s not “chains” but “fragments.” The units are different.

Plus, if there was just one… even if something were to happen, the damage might be minimal.

No, more than that, I have a strong desire to solve this mystery.

Omiichi replied with trembling hands, “Yes.”

Omiichi: “Yes.”

⚪︎:

Chain fragment = 1 human lifespan

Chain fragments x 100 = 1 chain

*Use is by the chain unit.

“

“…Lifespan…1 year…?”

The shocking information left Omiichi speechless. Then, like pieces of a puzzle, the events of the past began to come together.

(In Tomaru’s case, she consumed one chain. In other words, does that mean she consumed 100 years of her lifespan at that point…?)

(In Sato’s case, he “obtained 11 fragments.” If he hadn’t had the accident, would he have been able to live another 11 years?)

(And Yoshi-san “gained 21 fragments.” He had 21 more years to live…? If it weren’t for the happy future I added…)

The mysterious “chains” and “fragments” have begun to reveal their true identities, albeit vaguely. They are a numerical representation of a human’s lifespan. And the power of the site may be a system in which lifespan is exchanged as a price or reward.

(If that’s the case, then the “10-chain” of the [Edit] function has a lifespan of 1000 years…?! That’s ridiculous…!)

As my understanding of the issue deepens, I am once again horrified by the sheer power of the site and the heavy price it can exact. But at the same time, new questions arise.

Omiichi: “What are the conditions for obtaining the chain fragments?”

⚪︎: “Level 2 Question: I will need to use 10 shards to answer. Is that okay? Yes/No”

(…Level 2? The consumption has increased to 10…? Does the consumption change depending on the difficulty or importance of the question…?

I have 31 fragments. Even if I use up 10, I still have some left. I want to know the answer.

If I don’t know, I won’t be able to use this power safely in the future.

Omiichi replied with determination.

Omiichi: “Yes.”

⚪︎: “If you add or edit the future and the person dies earlier than their original expected lifespan, the chain fragments will be given to you according to the difference (the number of years of lifespan shortened).”

“…I thought so…”

He had a vague idea. Was it something like “borrowing a lifespan in advance,” the result of his interference with the future and his premature death?

(However, any attempt to intentionally kill someone is blocked by the system. In other words, intentionally collecting a large number of fragments is not that easy…)

Both Sato’s death and Yoshi’s death were the result of an unintended “accident” on Omiichi’s part.

An unexpected death, within the limits of what the system allows.

That would be extremely difficult to trigger on purpose.

There were a lot of other things I wanted to ask. What was the identity of “⚪︎”? What was the purpose of the site? Details of other functions such as [Edit], [Delete], and [Operation]…

However, I was hesitant to waste precious “Chain Fragments” every time I asked a question.

Besides, if the consumption increases every time the level goes up, I can’t ask careless questions.

(…Now is not the time to gather information. First, we should try to see what we can do with these fragments we have obtained.)

Omiichi closed the LINE screen.

His mind had completely changed from the confusion and guilt he had felt earlier, and now it was filled with a new plan and the cool-headed determination to carry it out.

Yoshi hadn’t asked him to do this. He didn’t know if Yoshi wanted revenge or not. But that didn’t matter to Omiichi anymore.

He now had the just cause of clearing Yoshi-san’s name, and the power to carry it out.

Although it is a distorted form, it is his idea of ​​”justice” and a form of rebellion against this unreasonable world.

He began to feel like an “agent” for the people who had been unjustly oppressed.

(First, we need to identify the people who framed Yoshi-san. If we thoroughly investigate his [history], we should be able to find his name and the circumstances at the time…)

And what about after he found them? That cold, dark smile appeared on Omiichi’s lips once again.

The “experiment” that was to follow tomorrow would be far more daring and dangerous than anything he had done before, and he no longer cared about the possibility of catastrophe that awaited him in the future.