Author's Preface
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Chapter 1 — Wronged
*"Every debt must be paid."*
— First Law of the Ledger
The city was dying. Everything was on the brink of destruction.
Buildings flickered like broken reflections. The roads twisted in a way that defied logic.
The moon had divided into dozens of stacked images, each hanging in the sky at a different angle.
While all this was happening, a man ran desperately through the empty streets.
His white coat had long been stained with a mixture of dirt and blood. Blood dripped from the fingers holding on to a tattered leather ledger, chained shut with rusted iron.
He looked at himself and realized his left arm was gone.
His body screamed with pain, yet he never looked back. There wasn't time for that.
He knew what was behind him.
"Faster... faster." He gritted his bloodied teeth and ran, ignoring the pain that wracked him.
A deep sound rang in his ears.
*WARNING*
*:Ledger Integrity: 2.91%:*
As if that wasn't enough, another notification flashed.
ERROR
Mm:Reality Synchronization Failed.:
His voice came out hoarse. "Not now... just a bit farther."
Unfortunately, time was up. Lightning tore the sky open.
Six figures stepped slowly out of the crack, unhurried.
They had no reason to hurry — the prey had already been nailed.
Each wore a white mask carved with unfamiliar symbols. They carried an aura so overwhelming and chaotic that the cracked streets beneath them crumbled to dust, unable to bear even a fraction of their presence.
One of them chuckled. "Administrator, where else can you run to now?"
The wounded man laughed bitterly. His voice betrayed his confident expression — every breath scraped his lungs like glass.
Still, he kept running. "Why do you people still insist on calling me that..."
The second mask raised a jet-emerald spear, pointing it at him. "The Ledger has judged you guilty. You are a major participant in the system's corruption."
The figure's voice boomed like thunder. "In fact, you are the origin of every glitch."
The man lowered his eyes to the old ledger in his hand and sighed. "...If only that were true."
He halted and faced them, deep in thought.
Struggling was futile. Running — where exactly? Nowhere. Even if he tried, it was too late.
He hid the book, then closed his eyes briefly.
Black particles crawled across space. A rusted sickle slowly emerged in his hands as his eyes snapped open, glowing white.
He spoke in a low but powerful voice. "Even though I should perish..."
Footsteps sounded on the road — this time not running, but advancing to fight.
He roared. "I will take one of you down."
One of the masked figures frowned. "Arrogant. Let's see how long you last."
The first spear moved. The two powers clashed, and the world vanished.
A deafening shockwave tore through the city.
The man appeared hundreds of meters away, crashing through buildings before skidding across broken, half-shattered tiles.
He coughed violently. Blood splashed across the cover of the chained ledger he still held.
It trembled — slightly, then visibly — as though something inside had awoken.
WARNING
:Administrator Authority Revoked.:
:Debt Overflow Detected.:
:Outstanding Balance: Unknown:
For the first time, real fear crossed the man's face.
He stared at the book and sighed. "...So it's finally here."
The six masked figures descended around him, tactically forming a cage. This time, there was no escape route.
The first mask stepped forward, metal boots clanking against the earth. "Any final words?"
No response came.
The wounded man looked upward, eyes drowsy with exhaustion, demanding nothing but rest.
His gaze wasn't on his enemies. He stared at the shattered sky, then murmured, "If someone eventually finds this... don't trust the Ledger."
He slowly pulled the chains from the tattered book. One by one, the locks shattered.
The city stopped moving. The wind disappeared. Time itself seemed to hold its breath.
Every remaining system in the world pinged simultaneously.
FATAL ERROR
Administrator Process Terminated.
Searching for Backup Host...
The man's pupils slid downward as he smiled faintly, one last time.
The figures, realizing their predicament, roared in unison. "No — stop him!"
But it was too late.
The final chain snapped.
A blinding black light erupted from the ledger, swallowing everything in its path — the six masked figures, the city, even the sky.
The last thing the dying man heard was a voice that belonged to no one.
:Host Found:
Identity Verification Failed.
User Record Missing.
:Proceeding with Emergency Installation...
"Wait — what? I programmed a contracted successor. What do you mean, record missing?"
No answer came.
...
Somewhere, far away, an ordinary young man opened his eyes.
For the first time since the creation of the Ledger, reality had made a fatal mistake.