A light flashes through an empty and dusty apartment, just like a laser scanning an object. Wherever the light touches, the dust and grime miraculously vanish. Instead, new furniture, kitchen utensils, and other household items appear out of nowhere. At last, the light bundles together a few centimeters above the new bed, taking the shape of a human male. Seconds later, the young man born from the light falls onto the bed and wakes up from the sensation.
"What happened just now? I felt like falling."
He's disoriented, not knowing where he is. Even worse, he does not know who he is. A soft purple glow seems to linger inside his mind. As he concentrates on this feeling, he has a bizarre vision of a book floating gracefully in a dark space.
Ryu Seiya's "Plot"-Diary is written on the cover, and the soft purple glow emanates from it.
"Is that my name?"
He searches his memory while running his fingers through his dark hair. His warm brown eyes light up in recognition as he remembers.
"So, my name is Ryu Seiya. But why can't I remember anything else? I must have had a past and friends, or family, right? The only thing I can recall is my name, and only after reading it on the cover of this so-called diary."
The weight of his realization hung heavy in the air. As he ponders the implications of a book entering his mind and presumably deleting most of his personality and memories, it lightly shakes and opens to the first page.
[Congratulations, Host, for activating the "Plot"-Diary System]
Instantly, a flood of knowledge is pressed into his brain. It isn't uncomfortable. It's a very alien feeling, as if such information transfer is not natural and violates the intangible laws of existence itself. Curiously, all this information seems to contain stories, no matter the medium, from nursery rhymes and primitive drawings on cave walls to books and movies.
But there are no real memories. Only information. After some time, the flood splits up more and more, forming an intricate network inside the space of Ryu's mind.
Above all of this, the book hovers ominously. Silently, more words appear on the page. Ryu is unsure if this is written in a real language; instead, it seems that the intention behind the symbols is directly imprinted into his consciousness.
[The Host of the "Plot"-Diary System is responsible for traveling through fictional worlds and working hard for the "Plot".
The Host is expected to compete with the various protagonists and other characters for opportunities. These opportunities represent the power of Fate and luck, which is granted through plot points to the characters by the "Will of the World". This so-called "Will of the World" represents the original intention of the story. Successfully altering the plot in a direction favorable to the Host will result in random rewards granted by the System. These are comprised of a small part of the Fate energy stolen from the protagonist or other characters. The rest of the energy is used to keep the System functions powered. For example, the cloaking of the Host's existence from the "Will of the World" is necessary to prevent forced extraction and erasure.
In addition, the Diary System grants access to copies of the diary written by the Host to selected female characters. These characters cannot disclose the existence of the "Plot"-Diary System, except when communicating with other Copy Holders. Through guiding these Copy Holders with the content the Host exposes in his own Diary, the Host can subtly influence the narrative. The Copy Holders also partake in the rewards distributed by the System. This is deemed necessary to obtain the maximum value of "Plot".]
Ryu sits up on the bed and ponders the meaning of this revelation.
"So, practically, I am an invader who forcefully changes the story and steals the opportunities of the protagonists for himself. Sounds like a scumbag thing to do, but if it helps me get stronger and not be expelled or possibly killed by the Will of the World, then I am all for it. Why is the word plot in quotation marks sometimes? Is there a deeper meaning behind this?"
Before he can keep pondering it, the diary updates once again.
[This first page will now permanently change into the Host's status page. For diary entries, the Host simply needs to think about what he wants to write, and it will be directly recorded. The tutorial is over, good luck and all the best, Host.]
"Wait! Just like that, the whole tutorial is over? You did not explain shit! I don't even know which world I am in or what my identity is here! System! Hey!"
The young man jumps up in frustration, yelling in his mind for the system to respond. But there is no answer, only the silent changing of the page.
Name: Ryu Seiya
Age: 17 (eternal)
Strength: 0.6
Dexterity: 0.5
Constitution: 0.5
Intelligence: 0.4
Charisma: 0.8
Skills:
Language: Japanese (Advanced) Lv. 3
German (Proficient) Lv. 2
"Did I… receive eternal youth? Isn't that like the endgame? The thing everyone wants, and I just get it like this, right at the start? Wait... oh no!
"He hastily searches for the bathroom in the apartment and checks himself in the mirror.
"Luckily, everything is grown as it should be. It would have been a major psychological blow to be forever fixed at elementary school age or something. But no wonder charisma is my highest stat. Whoever I was before, handsome is definitely the right description."
Ryu muses while admiring his face and the athletic shape of his body. He also feels that his appearance is tied to his charisma value. No need to keep track of calorie intake, what a blessing!
But wait a moment! He looks at the status page again.
"Am I... The stereotype of handsome but dumb? Why is intelligence my lowest stat? If I assume 1 is the maximum of a normal human, and 0.5 is the average. Then wouldn't this mean I am dumber than the average human? Well, I am doomed. How is someone dumb like me supposed to outsmart the protagonists and steal their stuff? I thought that was a sweet deal, but now I'm not so sure."
While scrunching his face and thinking as deeply as he can, a smile appears.
"The feature of the diary is not only the stealing of Fate, but also the influencing of various women through the diary entries written by me. If this is managed well, everything is possible. Who are the Copy Holders anyway? Sadly, there is no information about them. First, I need to find out which world I am in. Considering my skills, name, and appearance, my heritage should be a mix between German and Japanese. So I am probably in one of those countries at least."
Meanwhile, in a classroom, a beautiful young woman with long straight blond hair and light blue eyes has a confused look on her face.
"Fräulein Fortner, I asked you a question!" came the voice of an older man standing at the lectern.
"I'm sorry, Professor Kronecker! The 1968 Stuttgart Incidence, right? The victim's death was judged an accident on the grounds that murder requires intent. The defendant was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, rather than a life sentence."
"That is correct. You may sit down."
Smiling as always, Nina Fortner walks to her seat while concentrating on the diary that suddenly appeared in her mind.
'Ryu Seiya's Diary Copy? What is this supposed to be? Is it another one of my psychological problems? I just managed to overcome this weird dream, which haunted me for a long time. Luckily, tomorrow is the next session with my psychiatrist.'
The diary suddenly emits a soft purple glow, prompting Nina to refocus on it again. As she does, the diary opens, and words appear on the first page.
[Rules of Ryu Seiya's Diary Copy
Never disclose any information about the Copy of the diary or the content in it to others who are not Copy Holders. Failure to comply results in erasure from existence.
Do not act in ways that may alert Ryu Seiya to the existence of the Copy. If the System Host knows others can read his diary entries, he won't reveal his true thoughts anymore. Failure to comply results in the loss of the Copy for the Copy Holder.
Copy Holders aren't allowed to attack each other maliciously. This involves revealing secret identities, physical attacks that leave permanent damage, and similar actions. Failure to comply results in the erasure of the offending party from existence.
Whenever the Host Ryu Seiya manages to alter a point of the plot, every Copy Holder receives a reward.]
Nina sits in class and has only one thought in her mind: 'Yes, I definitely need to talk with my psychiatrist.'
But just at this moment, Nina feels like something is clutching her heart, and she seems to come infinitely close to death. Cold sweat runs down her back until she consciously makes the choice not to tell Dr. Geitel. As suddenly as it came, the feeling of dread vanishes completely.
"What the hell was that?" she whispers to herself.
Peter, who sits next to her, observes Nina with a lovestruck look and notices the change that has happened to her.
"Nina, is everything alright? You suddenly went pale, as if you would collapse any moment. Need to go to the Infirmary?" he asks her worriedly.
"No, I just remembered something terrifying, everything is okay now," she smiles assuringly at him, which leaves Peter in a daze.
"Oh, as long as you are fine," he grins back, happy to receive a smile from her.
Elsewhere, while Nina tries her best to pay attention to the lesson again, the loud sound of a wine glass smashing on the floor is heard. Eva Heinemann, who was about to tell her butler about the weird hallucination she had while drinking, sobers up immediately as the fear of death overtakes her entire being.
"Frau Heinemann, is something wrong? Please be mindful of the amount you drink, it is starting to take a toll on you," the old butler implores her.
"No, I just... Oh well, maybe you are right. I should go and try to see if Kenzo could help me out!"
The flame of obsession burns in her purple eyes. She thinks this near-death experience, due to the diary copy, could be a good excuse to once again meet her ex-fiancée, who is always ignoring her. Suddenly, a happy smile spreads on her face while she tidies up her shoulder-length blond hair and applies her signature red lipstick.
Sighing at the antics of the lady of the house, the butler goes to get the car.
Ryu Seiya takes a shower in the hope that it will help him think about some rules on how to write his diary entries in the future.
- Never reveal that you know that others have a copy of the diary. If they know that I know, the trust value of my entries goes way down.
- 80% truth and 20% lie. Make most of the statements verifiable and use a small amount to manipulate for the desired outcome.
- Behave like the diary system forces me to write at least 100 words daily to maintain the illusion of true inner thoughts. If only relevant plot points are recorded in the diary, it will be highly suspicious. Therefore, I include filler entries about daily life to make it appear as though I'm genuinely using it as a diary.
'Those rules seem good enough for the start. Let's try to make a meaningless, but truthful, first entry to begin with.'
The women's copies start to glow again in their minds, alerting them to a new entry.
[Is this how the diary works? Oh yes, it writes by itself just by thinking about it; how neat. At least even if this weird diary system forces me to write about my experiences, it won't be lost or peeked at by others.]
A young woman's green eyes light up with interest behind her big, round glasses.
'This thing is utterly curious. What kind of existence would be able to place something like this in my mind? Are those promised rewards real?'
Lotte Frank plays with her bangs, smiling as she observes the page in her mind.
[Just as I woke up, this weird diary appeared in my mind and is forcing me to write at least 100 Words about my life every day. What kind of stalker is this thing? Why would you need to invade my privacy?!
I just read the introduction to the System, which instructs me to modify events in the existing timeline and document my experiences within it. What does the diary get out of this? I'm not sure, but the promised rewards are very intriguing! But just with this, the so-called tutorial is over. Can it not give me some more information or something?
At least give me my memories back! I only know my name is Ryu Seiya and that I am half German and half Japanese from the looks of it. Oh, and on the topic of looks, I am super handsome! That at least counts for something.
Sadly, this diary does not even have a basic picture posting function, so I can't capture my glorious youth forever. Ugh, good that this thing is in my mind. If someone reads this, they will think that I am a real narcissist.
I've just found out that I can't erase what is already written. Oh well, having my black history always available on the first page in my mind is an embarrassing feeling for sure. Okay, I guess that was not the best test for how the diary works.]
'Should be innocent and truthful enough, right?' Ryu ponders how his first entry will be received. It is time to find out where and when in the plot he is right now. Most urgently, he needs money for food and clothing.
A young Vietnamese woman reads the diary while applying a bandage to an older patient with a twisted ankle.
'So the owner of this mysterious diary came into this world knowing only his name and that he had a mission? Is this a combination of amnesia and a delusional disorder? Most likely the grandiose type of delusional disorder, believing himself to be the savior of the world. Well, not like I am a psychologist, but even if these diagnoses are true... How did his diary end up in my head? Is the flood of patients finally causing me to collapse mentally? Is it my delusion?'
Questioning her sanity, Rung invites the next patient with a smile and gets to work.
[After scouring the apartment, all I could find were a few things that were very conveniently placed on the kitchen table. The system obviously arranged those when I transmigrated here. My ID lists my birthday as March 23, 1978. The address is Fischergasse 8 in Heidelberg, Germany. Finally, I know where I am located.
I have the skill Language: German at Lv. 2 in my status page, so I can at least communicate here. Still don't know which year it is exactly, though. Together with my ID, there were 100 Deutsche Mark of paper money in a wallet. Good, at least I won't be starving in the short term. Additionally, there was a property deed for the apartment, which states that it was passed down to me from my deceased parents.
Perhaps I should investigate whether they exist or if they are merely a cover-up for the System's operations. If they are real, at least perform some memorial services at their graves regularly to thank them for letting me use their home.
Lastly, I have a certificate of my graduation from Hauptschule. Which, to my knowledge, is one of the lowest possible school qualifications in Germany. Well… The status page indicates that I have an intelligence value of 0.4, which is presumably below the average of 0.5 for most humans. No surprise I could not graduate from a better school.
Luckily, there is a dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, and a fully stocked kitchen with all the necessary utensils. Most likely inherited from my "parents". Yet there is only one set of clothes, one bath towel, and one pair of shoes, as well as no food. Suddenly, I feel the 100 DM won't be enough. Alright, time to go outside, search for information, and shop for some essentials.]
Lotte: "The system rates his intelligence? How does this even work? If 0.5 is the average, is 1 the limit? Will I receive my own status page if the promised rewards arrive? How else am I supposed to track them? Too curious! Please keep updating! And at least now I know that guy is in Heidelberg, which is not too far away. Should I take a train there during the holidays? But the diary warned me not to act in ways that could alert Ryu to the existence of the copy. If I suddenly show up and he recognizes me, what would happen? But am I even someone who can be recognized? Those System rules are seriously such a killjoy!"
At the butcher counter in the "Müller Lebensmittel" shop in rural Ruhenheim, Elsa sits behind the counter, bored beyond belief.
'I don't care if you're not that smart. But if you are as exceptionally handsome as you wrote, please take me away from this boring remote place! There is nothing to do here except wait for death. Heidelberg? I think I saw it on TV once. It should be a city. I want to experience city life! At least this diary can be my secret entertainment while on the job.'
Nina: "He is here in Heidelberg? Does that mean the plot is happening here? Or is it because it is my psychological problem and this is the reason the diary writes about where I am? This is getting scary, but every time I want to consult someone about it, it feels like death is inevitable. Will I never escape this thing in my head? Hopefully, when I wake up tomorrow, it will be gone. Just perfect that I have Aikido practice this afternoon. Beating those guys up always relieves stress."
[Walking around the streets, I came to one definite conclusion. I feel like there is a mandatory smoking law for middle-aged men here. Fucking disgusting and damaging to your health, don't they know how high the risk for lung cancer is when you are a heavy smoker? And why are so many guys wearing suits that are totally loose? And the hairstyles… No, I can't keep complaining about the aesthetics, or this diary will be full in no time. Maybe bad fashion is just part of the culture here?]
Reading this, Eva, who is arriving back home after not being able to see Dr. Tenma, has her mood lifted a little.
'Well, not everyone can be as stylish as me, right?'
Smiling, she pours herself another glass of wine.
[After spending most of my money, I got myself two sets of clothing, which are at least somewhat acceptable, and a few cans of food. Why only canned food? Well, I have no memories and don't know how to cook. And getting all the spices and such would be way over my budget. So here I am, forced to feed my perfect body with such food. Oh, the heartache! Perhaps I should try to find a girlfriend who is skilled at cooking, or enroll in a cooking class after I earn some money. Now let's read the newspaper I got while shopping. Hopefully, it can give me some more clues about my exact situation.]
Ryu sits at the dining table holding his chin and reviewing his latest entry.
"What should I do with the information I got? It is just as expected, my low intelligence will be a big hurdle in this world."
Sighing, he gets up to make himself some food while pressing his brain for ideas on how to approach the mission of stealing Fate from the characters. The main problem is that he refuses to compromise his morals to gain rewards.
Ryu Seiya has to admit to himself: "I seem to have a little hero complex here. That makes things harder, but perhaps the rewards will also be better due to the increased difficulty? Yeah, I keep telling this to myself until I believe it!"
As the sun dips below the horizon, the diary in the minds of the Copy Holders glows once more.
[It seems like it is getting natural for me to write in this diary. Is it a subconscious coercion that forces me, or am I just lonely in a foreign world and need a place to voice my thoughts without causing suspicion? Whatever it is, now that I have recognized through the newspaper in which world I am, keeping my plans on how to deal with everything happening in the future in a safe place is very practical. After all, which place is safer for information than your mind, right?]
The women with a copy: "Yes, totally safe and no information leak at all."
[First of all, the date. Today is the 13th February of 1995. Which means, according to my ID, I'm legally still 16 years old. The problem starts with the news article about a series of murder cases throughout Germany. Four middle-aged couples were killed, and the only remaining suspect, Adolf Junkers, was shot dead last Friday. Considering all the clues I have gathered so far, this world should be the world of "Monster", which also has a sequel novel called "Another Monster: Investigative Report". I seem to remember the story very clearly, but my personal memories are gone or obscured. Now that Junkers has already died, less than two months remain to prevent the next murder.]
Lotte widens her eyes in shock.
'This guy claims our world is a story he knows? Does this mean he truly knows the future and is trying to prevent murders? I always liked playing detective, but isn't knowing the future kind of cheating? Are there real monsters in this world, like vampires or something? Are vampires going around murdering people now, or why would the story be titled like this?'
Eva Heinemann's gaze, meanwhile, is fixated on the name Adolf Junkers. This is the patient she saw Dr. Tenma run after last Friday, when her pursuit failed as her heel broke. But she heard the three gunshots from the building and saw a beautiful blond man leave after that.
'Does this story involve me and Kenzo Tenma? And that young man? Why else would the name of the victim help Ryu Seiya come to such a conclusion? And we were all present at the incident. Is this the real reason why I have this diary in my mind? Am I just a character in a story?'
Lying back in bed, she decides to read more before forming her own opinion.