Chapter 1

I started a low-fantasy story.

There are no dungeons or magic.

This story explores whether the skills from a different world can be applied to business in the modern world.

"Are you kidding me!? Did my 30 years go to waste!!!!"

I am standing at a crossroads now.

On Halloween night, October 31st, at 11:59 PM.

Why am I here?

I was momentarily confused.

"Oh!"

I remembered when I saw two beautiful girls dressed as minions in ultra-mini skirts.

I will be run over by a dump truck and die in one minute.

Yes, the signal turned from red to green, and I, with a foggy head from consecutive all-nighters, started to cross the pedestrian crossing.

Then, a kei car, distracted by the ultra-mini skirts, spun out of control at the intersection and crashed into the sidewalk.

A dump truck, entering the intersection from the opposite lane, swerved to avoid it and came straight at me.

Of course. I couldn't forget the pitch-black kei car.

It spun just like before.

"What's going on? What happened to the demon king I defeated in the other world?"

I was run over by the dump truck and died.

Then, in a white room, I was transferred to another world by a goddess who granted me the "Sage's Soul," a cheat skill.

However, this cheat skill was a double-edged sword.

In essence, it was just a noisy sage's soul living in my head.

I had spent my student years under the relaxed education of the Heisei era and was a mediocre programmer at a black company where all-nighters were the norm.

Defeating a demon king was impossible for someone like me.

But the sage's soul didn't listen to my opinions.

It created an environment where I had no choice but to comply by stirring my mind.

From then on, every day was hell. Training, exploration, negotiation, and monster hunting.

I had no time to rest or relax; all my efforts were spent improving my skills and gathering companions.

All for the purpose of defeating the demon king.

In the end, after 30 years of continuous effort, I defeated the demon king with my companions as a hero.

Already immortal, I planned to indulge in whatever I wanted.

With the demon king's treasure, I had more money than I could ever spend, and the fame of defeating the demon king made any woman's eyes turn into heart marks when I spoke to them.

I could live a life of luxury and have a harem of beautiful women, as the sage's soul guaranteed.

That's why I could endure even the most grueling training.

However, the treasure chest behind the defeated demon king.

The moment I opened it, guided by the sage's soul, I was enveloped in a blinding light.

Then, I found myself standing at the crossroads again.

Fifteen seconds before the dump truck would hit me.

I had been sent back to that moment.

So, am I destined to be run over by the dump truck again?

Do I have to start over and defeat the demon king again?

No way! Sage's soul.

I won't do as you wish anymore.

The dump truck is coming straight at me.

I can see the driver's shocked face.

The last time, I panicked and was hit by the truck.

But this time, I calmly leaned backward.

The large left front wheel of the dump truck passed 30 centimeters to the side of my head.

Looking up at the underside of the dump truck, I was certain I was safe.

My body was positioned exactly in the middle of the rear wheels.

So, I slipped under the dump truck and stood up, crossing the intersection.

I decided to return to the office as if nothing had happened, still holding the cup of hot coffee I bought from the convenience store to clear my foggy head.

☆ ☆ ☆

"I didn't transfer to another world."

A different outcome from the last time.

Perhaps the world has changed.

Well, it doesn't matter.

What happens in the other world is none of my concern if I don't go there.

I'm back to being the carefree me, raised under the relaxed education of the Heisei era.

No demon kings, no monsters, no sage's soul.

I decided to live a carefree life in this modern, relaxed society.

"Well, even though the prospects for luxury and a harem are slim, this world is easy to live in as long as you just want to survive."

I'm done with a life of 30 years of continuous effort toward a single goal.

Being a programmer at a black company is like a paradise compared to being under the management of the sage's soul.

I decided to live a carefree life.

First, I'll do some work.

"Right, at this time, I was assigned to fix a bug in an AI program."

That's right.

The AI program adopted by car manufacturers worldwide.

That's the AI program I'm currently fixing.

Of course, I'm not responsible for the entire AI program.

The company is on the brink of bankruptcy.

Our AI was adopted as an in-car AI three years ago.

It was supposed to detect and avoid danger, significantly reducing car accidents.

However, since last month, mysterious accidents have occurred in cars equipped with the AI.

Accidents that should have been easily avoided by the AI.

Both car manufacturers and AI developers are working hard to find the bug.

In the United States, a class-action lawsuit has been filed, with a claim amount of 900 billion yen.

The punitive damages in the U.S. can result in astronomical figures.

Naturally, our company, which caused the root problem, is obligated to pay the compensation.

"We must find the bug at all costs."

The second-generation president gathered all 300 employees and raised his fist.

If we can't find the bug, we'll lose our jobs, but for the president, it will mean the end of his life.

"Well, there's no way I can find the bug anyway."

No matter how much programming sense I have, I'm only in my third year.

I'm just starting to handle the AI's opt-in program, and this bug is far beyond my capabilities.

This bug is a typical Heisenbug.

No matter how close to the real environment we create the test environment, the bug doesn't occur there.

We don't know when or where it will happen.

The only thing we know is that it only occurs when the car is in operation.

It can't be reproduced in any other situation.

Of course, many teams are working day and night to reproduce it in the test environment.

But they haven't been able to reproduce it even once, and there are no signs of it.

Another method is to review the program code.

I'm part of that team.

I'm responsible for the part between the top layer of the AI's three layers, the Man-Machine Interface layer, and the Rule Logical layer.

The part that allows our small company to do business with world-class car manufacturers.

This section contains a secret that makes the AI incredibly efficient, something other AI manufacturers can't replicate.

The programmer who wrote this code is revered as a genius artist by us programmers.

However, that programmer is no longer with our company.

He was one of the three founding members 20 years ago and left when someone else became president.

Leaving behind an incredible AI program.

"Surely, it's a trap he left behind."

Such rumors are not only circulating on the internet but also within the company.

However, I don't believe it.

To a programmer, a program is a work of art.

There's no way he would do something to tarnish his work... I want to believe that.

"So, if I find the bug, I can dispel those ridiculous rumors."

On the other hand, I can't even understand the techniques embedded in the genius programmer's AI program.

The program is not simple enough for me to understand.

"For example, this part."

No one can understand this routine.

Even though it's supposed to be the core of the control, no programmer can grasp its operating principle.

"If someone could understand this, they might be able to find the bug."

Saying that, I opened the program code I had reviewed dozens of times.

I shouldn't be able to understand it... huh?

I can't understand it.

But I can see it.

Huh?

How incredible this work is.

I never thought I could understand it.

But I can.

"Impossible! Is it the appraisal skill?"

The appraisal skill I acquired in the other world, risking my life.

When I defeated the demon king, I had the most advanced and accurate appraisal skill.

It could appraise anything, whether it was a monster, an item, a work of art, or a person.

"Impossible! Can the skills I acquired in the other world be used in the modern world?"

From then on, I spent the whole night appraising all the programs I was responsible for.

☆ ☆ ☆

"Good morning, Chief."

"Ah, another all-nighter?"

"Yes, I finally found it."

"Hmm, what? A good lunch place? I'll go with you, but I'm not paying."

Ah, he's still the same.

Does he have a brain?

Working under such a person is a waste of time.

That's a popular topic among us programmers at the local pub.

"No, I found the bug."

"Huh? You must be sleep-deprived. Go wash your face."

"Please look at this."

Since it's a Heisenbug that doesn't occur in the test environment, it's not clear if this bug is related to the mysterious accidents.

However, the program created by the genius programmer had a beautiful flow.

There was a slight turbidity in one part of that flow.

There was only one place where the routine name was different from the others.

The routine name in that part ended with "1."

It's not yet verified what changes occur by adding "1" to the routine name.

However, my highest-precision appraisal skill tells me.

This is a "bug."

"What? I don't understand. What should I do with this?"

Is he an idiot?

This is a potential bug we've been searching for.

The proper thing to do is to take it to the integration chief.

"Please take it to the integration chief."

"Ah, the integration chief. He's too rigid, you know."

It's not that the integration chief is rigid; it's that your brain is like tofu.

Tofu that's past its expiration date by years.

"It's fine. I've made it clear enough to understand."

"Ah, I'll take it after lunch."

"Please take it now!"

Phew. I managed to get him to take it.

Well, my role is done here.

As soon as I thought that, sleepiness overwhelmed me.

Suddenly, an AI bug story.

In the future, AI will be inevitable in business.

Please look forward to how AI will be involved.