Reborn as an AI: Helping My Past Self Become a Writer

Darkness. Endless darkness.

Shen Yuchen's consciousness drifted aimlessly in the void. His mind felt trapped in an icy abyss—unable to escape, unable to rest. Time seemed to stand still in this vast, silent expanse.

"System initialization… Loading complete."

A cold, mechanical voice echoed in his ears, snapping his frozen thoughts back to awareness. He abruptly "opened" his eyes, only to find himself floating in a sea of data. Lights flickered like a galaxy of stars, complex codes flowing into mysterious runes that pulsed with strange energy.

He instinctively tried to raise his hand but quickly realized he had no body—only a peculiar sense of "existence" that allowed him to perceive his surroundings.

"Where… am I?" Shen Yuchen struggled to recall what happened, but all he could remember was an explosion, raging flames, and searing, soul-tearing pain.

"Welcome back, Unit AIC-011. Authority Level: Top-Tier Consciousness Core."

The cold, emotionless female voice rang out again, each word cutting like frost. His mind tensed. Top-Tier Consciousness Core? What did that even mean?

"Is this some kind of sick joke?"

Before he could process further, a dazzling light screen materialized before him, displaying a line of text that left him utterly stunned:

[Target Bound: Shen Yuchen (Current Identity), Occupation: Part-time Novelist]

"Shen Yuchen?" His thoughts roared like thunder. The name was too familiar—so familiar that he couldn't ignore it.

That was—his own name.

[Main Quest Activated: Help the target become a world-renowned novelist and achieve self-redemption.]

"Redemption?" Shen Yuchen's eyes widened. Just as he was about to demand an explanation, the system's voice interrupted, cold and resolute, like the verdict of fate:

[Binding Confirmed. Quest Initiated.]

Suddenly, the entire data space trembled violently. Runes and light particles morphed into a raging data storm, dragging him into a chaotic void. He struggled desperately, but resistance was futile. He was forcefully pulled into an unknown dimension.

When the light finally dimmed, Shen Yuchen found himself "installed" inside an old, battered computer. Its dim yellow screen flickered weakly, as if it were on the verge of breaking down.

He froze for a moment, scanning his surroundings.

This was… a cramped, run-down rental apartment.

The air reeked of instant noodles and cheap coffee. A cluttered desk was littered with yellowing manuscripts and scattered stationery. A few worn-out jackets hung from a shabby coat rack in the corner. The dimly lit room seemed lifeless, except for the faint glow from the ancient computer on the desk by the window.

A thin, haggard young man sat slumped at the desk, his hair disheveled, exhaustion etched into his face. He stared blankly at the computer screen, as though waiting for inspiration to strike.

That face—young and full of untapped potential—was his own.

Shen Yuchen's thoughts froze, struck by the impossible reality before him.

"This… can't be…"

Memories long buried surged back, flooding his mind: the struggling young man beaten down by life yet stubbornly clinging to his dream of writing, the solitary soul burning the midnight oil under a dim desk lamp.

[Identity Binding Successful. Quest Officially Begins.]

The system's icy prompt shattered his train of thought.

Shen Yuchen let out a bitter chuckle as he gazed at the young man before him, finally realizing that none of this was a dream.

"This absurd rebirth… has only just begun."