[Rejected Again]

"Dear Mr. Lin,

We regret to inform you that your manuscript does not align with our publishing interests at this time. We encourage you to continue refining your craft and wish you the best in your future endeavors.

Sincerely,

—[Redacted] Publishing House."

Lin Xian stared at the rejection email for a long time, his fingers trembling slightly on the mouse.

He had lost count. Was this the 16th rejection? The 20th?

It didn't matter.

Click. Delete.

The rejection vanished from his inbox like dust in the wind, but the bitter taste remained in his mouth.

He glanced at the stack of handwritten drafts piled on his desk—countless sleepless nights, endless edits, thousands of words that would never see the light of day.

"Maybe I really wasn't meant to be a writer."

His apartment was dark, the only light coming from the dim glow of his laptop screen. Outside, neon signs flickered, painting the small room in a dull blue hue.

Lin Xian sighed, running a hand through his messy black hair. He had tried everything—fantasy, sci-fi, cultivation, even romance—nothing worked. His writing was either "too niche," "too unconventional," or "lacking mass appeal."

His fingers clenched into a fist. "What do they want? The same recycled garbage?"

It was suffocating.

The industry, the expectations, the sheer unfairness of it all.

Ding!

Another email popped up.

> "Your outstanding debt has exceeded the repayment deadline. Please clear the balance immediately."

His lips curled into a self-mocking smile. Of course. Even in rejection, life kept kicking him while he was down.

He stood up, his chair creaking from the sudden movement. His gaze wandered to the small window overlooking the city skyline. The rooftop of his apartment complex wasn't far.

"Maybe... I should just end it."

A ridiculous thought. But the more he stared at that rooftop, the more tempting it became.

No more struggle. No more humiliation. Just... peace.

[The Rooftop]

The night air was cold against his skin.

Lin Xian climbed to the highest point of the building, staring down at the bustling streets below. Cars passed by, people walked on oblivious to his existence.

Would anyone care if he was gone?

The thought made his chest tighten.

Just as he took a deep breath and prepared himself—

He saw someone else.

A girl.

She stood on the opposite end of the rooftop, dangerously close to the edge. Her figure was small, her long hair swaying in the wind. Unlike him, she wasn't hesitating.

She was about to jump.

Lin Xian's instincts kicked in before he could think.

"Wait—!"

He lunged forward, his body moving on its own. His fingers barely caught her wrist, yanking her back just as she lost balance.

But—

He miscalculated.

The momentum of his pull was too strong. The girl stumbled backward, but Lin Xian's foot slipped—

He fell.

Wind roared in his ears. His vision blurred. The last thing he saw was the horrified expression on the girl's face, her mouth open in a silent scream.

Then—darkness.

---

[The Awakening]

Lin Xian's eyes snapped open.

The first thing he noticed was—

He wasn't dead.

The second thing—

This wasn't Earth.

Above him stretched a sky filled with twin moons, casting an eerie glow over a vast, endless city of floating structures. Strange, luminescent runes hovered in the air, shifting between forms he didn't understand.

The air smelled different—too clean, too rich, as if filled with something unnatural.

His body felt... light. Stronger.

Then—

[Ding!]

A robotic voice echoed directly in his mind.

> "Author System Activated."

"Welcome, Host."

Lin Xian froze.

What... the hell?