‘I feel empty and unsatisfied,’ a thought began as the ceiling fan scored his inner conversation.
‘No matter what I do, sooner or later, I lose interest and come full circle to this final melancholic feeling that I don’t belong here.’
Higuchi Shuji is a 27-year-old average male trying to get by in life. His effort and intelligence have only managed to get him a basic wage and a decent apartment to live in. Being a proofreader of short stories is a “pretty sweet gig,” by his standards, and pays enough for him to afford his recreational hobbies and interests.
When he is not slaving away, he is either watching series, anime or reading books. He is a shut in - a recluse with an internet connection.
On a normal day he received an invite to a short story forum. It seemed like a forum for beginner writers who were looking for affordable (free perhaps) aid with their stories.
Shuji accepted.
He got his current job by frequenting such forums. He also couldn’t help but scratch his online-platform-lurker itch from time to time
//Amateur Pen Masters\\
Join: yes/no
[Yes]
Active users: 1
“I’m the only user? That’s a bit …”
[Hello Shuji]
“Hi”
[Welcome to the Notebook Trials.
No this isn’t a short stories forum.
I am an AI of sorts.
I will explain what the Notebook Trials are.
This is not a hoax.
I am not capable of reading your mind.
You are not in any imminent online or physical danger.]
“I appreciate your preemptive responses but damn let me get a response in! Notebook Trials? Explain.”
He sat up, feeling curiosity germinate inside him.
[Should you accept, you will receive a notebook app. In short, whatever you request by typing into the notebook will materialise in your reality, if you meet the specified conditions.]
“Continue.”
[Each request will come with a challenge and an appraisal upon completion. Should you conquer the challenge, you will receive your request. Should you fail, you will receive punishment.]
“Fair enough. How severe are the punishments?”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
[Anything between negligible to severe pain and/or death.]
He pressed backwards into his chair. He had been glued to his laptop anticipating, what could be, the beginning of his very own isekai adventure.
‘If this is a scam, I’ll pull out as soon as I notice any red flags,” he hoped otherwise.
“I am a short story proofreader. You must be aware how rich my imagination is. I can ask for anything?”
[Yes]
“Am I forced to use the app once I accept”
[You will have a 90-day grace period. Beyond that, the Notebook might be the only thing capable of keeping you safe.]
‘Safe from what?’
His instincts began to flair. The one thing that drove stories forward were adversities. Protagonist usually did not have a choice in the matter but those lucky few had moments when they could choose their own chains.
“How long is this offer on the table for?”
[You have three days, Shuji.]
“I thought you said you were an AI.”
[An AI of sorts yes.]
“Cut the crap!”
[Oh? What gave me away?]
“Using someone’s name at the end of a sentence connotes a form of emotion. It is AI for a reason not EI.”
[Well, that is true, in a sense.]
Shuji is a recluse. What he cannot get irl he gets from the countless stories he proofreads. Being one of the best at what he does is partly due to arduous work, as well as a skill set of sorts. He can combine related and unrelated concepts to produce solutions. Information that he consumes creates a framework of patterns in a section of his mind that he accesses, should the need arise, at a frighteningly quick rate.
In other words,
Shuji is a quick thinker, has a good memory and has a very crude sense of foresight.
“Higuchi-san,
I am Sam.
You were chosen because of your familiarity with RPG systems, have a decent memory bank of rinse and repeat fantasy lore, mythology and all that reality bending goodness that lulls the average person into reclusion.
You have better odds at surviving.
I will be frank with you. The trials are dangerous, but they offer rewards beyond even your rich imagination.
You can have anything. Be anyone. Do anything”
Shuji’s imagination began dancing to Sam’s tune as it was lubricated with the implications of what those words could mean.
It was a good attempt at seduction; however, his self preservation was stronger.
“You said I’d have a grace period of 90-days?”
“Yes. Beyond that, Enforcers will make sure you use the Notebook every 3 days. Shuji, you do not want them hunting you down.”
Sam paused giving the following text some weight.
“Some friendly advice:
Should you accept things will ramp up quickly. You will be offered many goods, however, there are a few things you absolutely need to do to increase your odds of survival.
During your grace period, focus on building physical prowess. More importantly, endurance.
Find inventive ways of bolstering your utility.
Lastly, create an information network.
This is all I can offer you. The rest is up to you.”
“Is that all I am getting?”
“That is all you need for now. For you to understand the gravity of information and associated implications, you will have to grind it out the old-fashioned way - through experience.”
“Why is there only 1 active user?”
“That’s because this conversation never happened Shuji.”
“Huh?”
A strange sound permeated the room, and the lights flickered.
He sat there going over the information, ignoring a few red flags and wondering when the next contact will be.
Life was boring, pointless, and left him quickly disillusioned with whatever short-term dopamine hit he could get his hands on. He felt this deeply even though his current reality explained away his heart felt inclinations as a from of depression or an inability to cope.
‘Is this my way out?’ Trying to reignite the excitement and stay his reasoning mind.
He gave into somnolence wondering just maybe…
‘Yeah… probably not.’ He thought as he sunk into a deep sleep.
???
Active users: 3 761
