The Logmaster - Chapter 9

From this time onwards, Omiichi began using his free time to repeatedly conduct experiments that he called “testing” the [additional] features.

The main target was that cocky junior, Tanaka. I figured that even if something a little strange happened to him, it would be okay.

Test 1: Verifying character count and time limits for additional posts

There is no specific character limit displayed on the [Add] form.

As a test, I wrote out a fairly detailed (and slightly unfortunate) scenario of Tanaka’s actions the next day, from his morning commute to his home at night.

Result: The post was successful without any errors.

However, what happened was about 70% of what was written.

Small details and inconsistent parts were omitted or subtly altered.

(…, if you cram too much text into the system, the accuracy drops, perhaps due to the limits of processing power…)

Test 2: Possibility of posting about life or death

There were moments when he felt the urge to simply write something like “Tanaka will have an accident” or “Iiyama will get sick”, but the incident with Tomaru crossed his mind, and he was unable to act on it. He could only guess that words that directly suggest death or content that contains murderous intent were probably filtered out by the system, or that the price of the Chains, if they were carried out would be immeasurable.

Result: Not verified

(…I can’t do it…this is ethically questionable, and first of all, it’s too scary…)

Test 3: Possibility of posting unrealistic events

To start with, I wrote in Tanaka’s [Additional] section, “During my lunch break, I picked up a 10 yen coin near the office.”

Result: The next day, Tanaka actually found a 10 yen coin on the street and exclaimed quietly, “Lucky!” (Check [History]).

Next, I wrote, “During my lunch break, I picked up an attaché case containing 100 million yen in cash near my office.”

Result: When I tapped [Save], the message “Error: Reality alteration has exceeded its acceptable range” appeared, and I was unable to post.

(…I see. So even if it’s possible to manipulate a little bit of good or bad luck, it’s impossible to create miraculous events that completely ignore the laws of physics and accepted social conventions…)

Test 4: Possibility to overwrite or cancel posted content

First, he posted and saved the message “At 10:00 a.m., I got 10 yen more in change from the vending machine” in Tanaka’s [Add] item. Then, he immediately tried to post the message “At 9:00 a.m., I found a 100 yen coin in my desk drawer” on the same day.

Result: When I tried to save the 9 o’clock post, I got the message “Error: A confirmed event already exists within the specified time range,” and I couldn’t overwrite or add to it. “Once you post something, it can never be changed or undone. What’s more, it seems you can’t insert an event that occurred earlier in the timeline. If you don’t use this carefully, you could end up with irreversible changes.”

Test 5: Effective period of additional effects

First, Tanaka posted in the [Additional] section, “20 hours later, the rice ball I bought at the convenience store had twice as much filling in it.”

Then, every few hours, it will try posting at a time further in the future (e.g., 25 hours later, 30 hours later).

Result: The first “Onigiri 20 hours later” was posted and executed without any problems. However, posts beyond the range of effect of that post (probably around 21-22 hours into the future) were not accepted with the message “Error: Outside range of effect.”

“So, one post can only have an effect for about 21 hours. To manipulate the future beyond that, you need to post multiple times at different times.”

Through these “tests,” Shinichi gradually came to understand the characteristics and limitations of the [additional] function. It was a thrilling but deadly risky task, like that of a trainer trying to tame a dangerous wild animal, or a bomb disposal team searching for a way to defuse an unknown bomb.

However, human desires seem to be like a bottomless swamp.

Once he had a comfortable daily life and his position within the company was stable, Omiichi’s curiosity about the further possibilities that the site had once possessed began to grow again. In particular, the “additional” function that he had supposedly once sealed away.

My desire to learn more about its limitations and laws grew stronger each day.

(There’s a limit to what can be achieved by just testing Tanaka…)

When it comes to his junior, Tanaka, he doesn’t feel as guilty even if he adds a little misfortune to his life.

However, I couldn’t bring myself to carry out any experiments that would ruin his life or any dangerous tests that would put his life or death at risk.

In the unlikely event that something irreversible were to happen, you would be too close to the person involved.

Besides, it was true that the Tomaru incident continued to ring alarm bells deep in his heart.

I need a target that is less risky. Someone who is less connected to me and wouldn’t affect me if something were to happen. Someone I can add to the list.

With this twisted way of thinking in mind, Omiichi comes up with an experiment: to verify the conditions under which a name would be added to the “Human” list.

Looking at the lists so far, they are people that we recognize and that the other person is likely to recognize us to some extent. But what about strangers?

During his lunch break and after work, he wandered around the office looking for a target, and his eye fell on a dirty-dressed, middle-aged homeless man who was always sitting aimlessly on a park bench.

(That person…)

One day, Omiichi mustered up the courage to approach the homeless man and offer him a can of coffee.

“Um… if you don’t mind.”

The homeless man looked suspicious for a moment, but accepted it without a word.

“Excuse me, but may I ask your name?”

“…Sato Yukio, though.”

The man whispered his name.

“Mr. Sato, is that you? My name is Ayuma. Could you talk to me for a bit?”

After that, we exchanged a few minutes of casual conversation, and then Omiichi left the place. He immediately took out his smartphone and opened a website. He checked the “Human” list and…

“Yukio Sato” … [History]

(…Added!)

Once a person meets someone and there is a certain degree of mutual recognition, they are added to the list. With this, a “safe” test subject had been found. A cold smile formed on Omiichi’s lips.