Trapped in this Boring Room!

Translated by LysUltima

Loop 1

● Day 1 ●

I often read novels.

My hobby is reading books. I basically read anything. Both LNs and literary works, I don’t particularly enjoy them. Actually, I’m not interested in them at all.

I mainly read, but sometimes I write. So, for now, I decided to rewrite a novel that I had written before and post it.

The number of characters weren’t that much.

It was a story that I wrote before, and it was almost finished. A philosophical work that puts deep thought, from multiple perspectives​, on the theme of why people live.

It’s my best work.

It might not be possible to get first place as I wrote it in high school, but it’ll do well.

Or so I thought, but this computer didn’t have a writing software.

I was lost for about half a day, but it seemed that there was a built-in text editor for “Let’s Write a Novel”.

To use it, you need to register as a member.

Password, username…

It’s troublesome, but it’s better if I do it. I needed an account to get first place. The password was abcde12345, and the username was VWXYZ. ^[1]

This is good.

● Day 2 ●

In the morning, when I woke up, I saw something that didn’t exist yesterday.

A red button. It was on the corner of the desk.

There was a red button existing in that place. It’s not like my clothes won’t come off if I press the button. A cover was politely placed there.

It’s as if a nuclear missile would be fired off if the button was to be pressed.

And, on the surface of that button, this word was clearly written.

“Reset”

I don’t know what it will reset.

Just by looking at the cover and the word, only idiots will think that this will open the door.

It’s pretty worrisome… Scary to push.

For now, let’s leave the button.

● Day 5 ●

I just finished writing.

In the meantime, it seems that there is no need to worry about food in this room.

Because I don’t get​ hungry at all.
But that doesn’t mean time doesn’t pass. The internal clock of the PC was still working, and the light of the fluorescent light was adjusted in the approaching of the night. Though, it doesn’t go completely off.

Anyways, you can tell if a day or two pass.

Today is April 5th. I’ve slept​ for four times now, so I should’ve been confined on April 1st.

I mean, what did I do at the end of March?

I’ve been living by myself since forever, so my memory is somehow ambiguous.

Anyhow, it would be better to get out of here quickly. My parents will be worried, and it’s not like I don’t have to go to work.
Let’s get first place and get our of here.

Now, I’ll post.

The title is “Rhapsody of Egoism.”^[2]

All 6 chapters were posted. I looked at my masterpiece fondly. I don’t know how the rankings are decided, but I’ll get first place.
I will be leaving this room when tomorrow comes.

● Day 6 ●

The first thing that I did in the morning was to look at the rankings.

Apparently, you can go directly from the top page to the rankings.
I should see my title at the top of the rankings.

“It’s not here.”

The first place was not mine.

Second place was also different.

The third place too.

Not fourth place.

Not even fifth place.

Wait, then what place is it in?

I looked for my novel in the ranking list.

I can’t see it.

I can’t see it.
At least, it’s not within the first 50 places.

Wait a minute.

What does this mean?

Let’s think calmly.
That’s it, the rankings haven’t updated yet.

Thinking that, I clicked on refresh button on the browser, but nothing happened.

First of all, how does this site’s rankings work?

It seems that points decide the ranking…

The number one work has more than 300,000 points.

The 50th place has almost 100,000 points.

How many thousands of points are there in my novel?

First of all, how do you measure these points?

I will investigate.

At times like this, just read the manual.

And then, I understood.

There are two conditions to get points.

One, a registered user bookmarks the novel. This gives 2 points.

Two, a registered user “rates” the novel. That gives a maximum of 5 points for grammar and a maximum of 5 points for the story. 10 points in total.

In other words, 12 points can be gained per user.^[3] 

Well, that’s okay. It’s just that kind of system. There’s no problem there.

The problem was my novel’s points.

My novel’s points were… 0.

● Day 7 ●

I fainted from shock yesterday.

However, that was unavoidable.

My novel was just too refined for the readers here.

Look at this top-ranked novel. It’s an OP MC story about a dull corporate slave reincarnating into a different world.^[4]

There’s no way for people who read such a novel to understand the greatness of mine.

But, I guess, it’s okay.

I just have to lower the level.

Fortunately, there are still works that I can still rewrite. It can’t considered as a masterpiece, but it’s perfect for these guys’ level.

That’s right.

That can’t be wrong.

● Day 21 ●

It’s still 0 points.

This is the 3rd novel.

There are neither comments nor bookmarks.

Nobody even tried to read it; there’s not even a point. Perhaps, this site that looks real is actually a dummy site, and there are no readers and so on.

No, isn’t it too early to think that?

At least, I can post properly, and other author’s novels are updated, so there should be readers and authors.

● Day 23 ●
I thought of something good.
Write my current situation and post it as a novel to ask for help.

See if someone can call the police.

● Day 24 ●

I wrote it down and put it on the site. I got points

Two points.

I also got a comment.

“There is realism. Looking forward to it.”
That’s it.

For the time being, I replied, “Please report to the police quickly.”

● Day 25 ●

A warning came from a mod.

I didn’t know the details, but it seemed that I was breaking the rules.^[5]

That mod said that, if I didn’t modify or delete the content, my account would be banned.

I get it.
Gradually, I understood.

Probably, when I post a work, it’s sent to the person who confined me here, and that person reads my work.

Only after I finished posting all of my novels did I realize this; I really am a magnificent fool.

So, I’m really worried on how to get someone to report to call the police. In the form of the administration, that person tells me that it’s a rule violation.
But, you’re out of luck for me to see your weak point.

Who will ban me?

What you are doing is a crime.
You tremble in your sleep, afraid of the police.

To the person who called himself a mod, I gave a reply.

● Day 26 ●

When I woke up, there were characters, “Your account has been banned for the violation of the rules.”

I was stunned.

What on Earth happened?

While thinking that, I reached for the mouse for no special reason.

The moment I touched the mouse, the screen changed with a click sound.

GAME OVER.

That was written on the screen with red characters.

I was stunned for a while, then I moved the mouse.

Nothing happened.

It was the same when I touched the keyboard.

I won’t say yes.

No matter how much I got the keyboard, how much I got the computer, nothing happened.

I got impatient.

I did something irreparable.

But, at the same time, I thought.

GAMEOVER.

In other words, the game was over.

I can leave this place.
Thinking that, I went to the door. However, nothing changed. No matter how much I pushed or pulled, the door didn’t budge.

Nothing had changed.

Only, the PC stopped working.

It stopped reacting to anything.

Just that, but I understood that I made a big mistake.
You can never leave.

I felt that that was said to me.

What should I do?

How can I start over?

Thinking that, I looked around, and a button caught my eye.

Yes, what appeared on the day after I first came here; that red button.

Reset.

A button with that written on it.

You don’t see them much recently but, in old games they used to have reset buttons. When it’s pressed, the game machine turns off after a moment and returns to the opening screen.

Seeing that button, I thought that I was grasping on a straw.

Push it, or don’t push it?

The PC stopped working.

The door won’t open.

There is nothing else that I could do.

I hesitated for a moment, but I removed the cover of the button…

Slowly, with power, I pushed the button.

[1] Actual username is あいうえお (aiueo) or abcde in Japanese.
[2] Title is in English in the raws.
[3]

[4] The author’s making fun of his own novel, which is 1st place and about a dull corporate slave reincarnating.

[5] Authors aren’t allowed to reply to comments on Narou/Syosetu.