The dim glow of a streetlight seeped through the cracks in the curtains, casting an ethereal hue across the shabby apartment. Qin Tianyu stirred on his threadbare mattress, his mind slowly emerging from the depths of slumber. As consciousness returned, a sense of unease settled over him, a shadow that had been haunting him for far too long.

The relentless cycle had been his constant companion. The world outside was a cacophony of noise and urgency. It began at dawn when the alarm shattered his brief moments of tranquility. He would drag himself out of bed at 5 am, sleep still clinging to his eyes. The daily marathon had commenced.

A worn bicycle stood against the wall, a faithful steed in his relentless journey. In the pre-dawn darkness, he pedaled through the empty streets to the train station. Fifteen minutes felt like an eternity, a mere precursor to what awaited him.

The train, packed to the brim with weary commuters, offered no respite. Bodies pressed against bodies, an undulating mass of humanity. Two hours of this suffocating journey awaited him, a relentless symphony of noise and jostling.

At the office, chaos reigned. The incessant ringing of phones formed a discordant chorus, intertwined with the shouted demands of his boss. Qin Tianyu's fingers danced across the keyboard and phone as he logged in at 7:30 am, but there was no tranquility in the routine. Calls came in torrents, a ceaseless barrage that eroded his sanity. One call ended only for another to start, a relentless loop that offered no escape.

Lunch was a distant fantasy, a luxury he couldn't afford. The boss's wrath loomed larger than hunger. The clock's hands moved sluggishly as the day dragged on, inching toward the 7:30 pm release from his corporate prison. Each passing minute added weight to his weary shoulders, but his steps remained steadfast.

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By the time the evening train arrived at his stop, fatigue was etched into every fiber of his being. The convenience store greeted him, a pit stop he visited as religiously as a pilgrimage. The cup of noodles was a symbol of sustenance in a life devoid of nourishment.

Home was a cramped sanctuary, a shelter from the unending noise. He locked the world out, even his own thoughts. The noodles were consumed in solitude, a flavorless reminder of his existence. The mirror reflected a gaunt face, hollow eyes that stared back at him. Malnourished and worn thin, he was a stranger to himself.

Depression embraced him as he settled into his creaking bed, the darkness a reflection of his spirit. An alarm was set, a beacon to another day of the same relentless grind.

But then, something shifted. The suffocating monotony was interrupted, shattered by an unfamiliar sensation. When he woke, it was as if a weight had been lifted, a feeling he had long forgotten. A genuine smile tugged at his lips, unbidden.

Confusion clouded his thoughts as he surveyed his surroundings. This wasn't his room. Panic surged, his hand reaching for his phone, but it wasn't where it should be. In its place was a sense of disorientation, a new reality he couldn't comprehend.

The air seemed to shimmer, his disarray mirrored by the sudden appearance of text before him.

[DING System initiating...]

Startled, he staggered back, his heart racing. An inexplicable message danced before his eyes.

[Welcome host! You have reincarnated and been granted the idle cultivation system!]

The words hung in the air, a surreal declaration of a reality he couldn't fathom. As his racing mind tried to grasp this unexpected twist, the room itself seemed to shimmer, the walls and floor blending into a realm he had never known.

The world had changed, and with it, so had Qin Tianyu's fate.