The moment Lin Yuan stopped choking on the potato, the blue window chimed again—like an impatient secretary.
DING!19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxzk45tRtP6
[Would you like a quick tour of the Celestial Orphanage System™?]19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CkjavtWJf
[Yes] — [No, let me painfully guess] — [Is there a refund policy?]
Lin squinted.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtqpolNSfc1
—"Do you come with customer service or just sarcasm?"19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDaKCTRFDwz
[Yes.]
He rolled his eyes and tapped [Yes].
Immediately, new windows sprouted like weeds in a summer garden.
[Main Functions Unlocked:]19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUPJ6CiGoS
• Celestial Store19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW2OKrOkUgr
• Card Extraction & Fusion19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxEVn6c2p5
• Talent Gacha Roulette19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vPP26egvz
• Director's Inventory19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqEnaM9uzT
• Beginner's Pack (Unopened, Procrastinator Detected)
The store caught his attention.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkyAfKUVLJy
He touched it. The window expanded with a glow that screamed You're broke, but window shopping is free.
Inside? Everything.
There were rice sacks. Smartphone batteries. Cultivation manuals with names like Heaven-Crushing Palm of the Lonely Sun God stacked next to self-help books like 7 Habits of Highly Effective Hermits.
"...Is that pepper spray?" Lin blinked. "Right next to Meteor Spell?"
The system pinged helpfully.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHD1qlWkEF
[Everything you need to survive, thrive, or traumatize your enemies.]
Sure. Why not.
The Card Extraction and Fusion tab looked deceptively simple: a pair of glowing gloves, a circular altar, and a suspiciously dramatic chant in the background.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNX5KAXgE0D
[Extract Potential. Fuse Talents. Create Legends.]
It reminded Lin of a cheesy ad. But the explanation was... impressive.
Apparently, every being had buried potential—sometimes dormant, sometimes cursed. The system could extract those as cards. Think Pokémon, but with higher emotional trauma. Then you could merge them, refine them, or imprint them onto a kid like spiritual sticker albums.
Lin paused.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP8AwIw4QpE
"Wait... so I can customize each orphan's growth like they're RPG characters?"
[Disclaimer: Please refrain from treating children like collectible cards. You are still legally responsible.]
Lin snorted.
Then he saw the Talent Gacha Roulette.
The interface was... flashy.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcN4XX0DfQN
A massive wheel spun before him, icons ranging from low-level skills like [Quick Nap] to mythical ones like [Phoenix-Born Bloodline]. Right now, it was grayed out.
He figured he'd tidy up the shack first and go pick up the kids who had agreed to leave the city with him. Until he remembered...
"The Beginner's Box!"
He opened it.
DING!19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0mtDy03yI
[Congratulations! You've received:]19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWsTrq68Lq
• 1x Golden Roulette Ticket (High-Rank Talent Guaranteed)19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmmZ59AyyJ
• 3x Moderate Satiety Potatoes™19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPbciCjOqn
• 1x Underwear of Resilience (Stain-Resistant)
Lin stared.
—"More potatoes? And... this is supposed to be my lucky underwear?"
[You don't get it. Stat bonus: +3 Endurance, +5 Dignity Recovery.]
He ignored the insult. For now.
But the Golden Ticket... that was different.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEa5quShBge
The system grew theatrical as it hovered toward the roulette.
DING!19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOenfuUFiuY
[Activating Talent Gacha with Golden Ticket...]
The wheel spun. Faster. Brighter. So flashy it reminded Lin of those shady online slot ads.
Then it slowed.
Slower...
Tic...19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡviu4X1LuaE
Tic...19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgIZ9Z8HLx
PING!
[Congratulations! You've obtained:]19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Mkfl2QrZM
Skill: Jade Emperor's Eye19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtC5Jl2SheE
Type: Divine Talent / Cosmic Perception19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmqUMPRw2D
Grade: ???19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9O66JOQNWb
Bound to Host
Lin blinked.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39OxDbJmkz
"...Do I have an eye now?"
The system unfurled like a proud parent at a science fair.
[Skill: Jade Emperor's Eye]19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlUm0Fvyvz
Passive Effect: Vision of Potential19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88GGAeiCwu
You can see hidden talents, emotional imbalances, and cultivation affinities in anyone you directly observe.
Active Effect: Revelation of Destiny19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2QPfcBOjje
Once per day, through deep focus, glimpse fragments of a person's possible futures. Use sparingly. May cause headaches, emotional damage, or existential crisis.
Warning: Overuse may deplete mental reserves. The system is not responsible for accidental prophecy addiction.
Lin sat back, reading through the ability.
For the first time in seventeen years, he didn't just feel lucky.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6MuhjAS0KF
He felt... chosen.
He had always believed people could be more than they appeared.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCrHrYkm6i
Now he could see it.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUDhqWYnVH
And more importantly—he could shape it.
But first, he gestured to finally inspect the Spiritual Technique from the beginner rewards.
[Spiritual Technique: Tranquil Willow Breathing]19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBPsnEX15S
Rank: Mortal Grade (Upgradeable)19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡznotYxr3Ws
Effect: Stabilizes spiritual energy. Improves focus, recovery rate, and sleep quality. Removes minor demonic influence and bad breath.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9KUr2oDhM
[Note: A solid foundation for beginners. Also good for anxious orphans.]
Lin approved. Impressive.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7kvuTFxtN
He crossed his legs, tried the breathing for a few seconds—and immediately felt the potato digest smoother.
But this wasn't the time for enlightenment.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Nt7IEspbf
Not yet.
It was time to act.
He fortified the shack in the mountains—plugged holes, scared off pests, added a symbolic rock he declared "sacred" to make it look more mystical.
Then he stood, cracked his neck, and marched toward the city.
In the outskirts, a group of ragged children already watched him: three boys and a girl, half-starved and half-suspicious. One waved.
"Hey, Boss Lin! Did you really get the land?"
Lin grinned smugly.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCdufWaPLkn
—"Better. I got a promise of change."
They looked confused.
He spread his arms.
—"Want food? A roof that doesn't try to kill you at night? Want to be more than just survivors?"
They stared.
"Then follow me. Welcome to Dawn's Refuge."
He turned and headed back to his little wooden shack.
Behind him, steps followed—curious, hesitant, but hopeful.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW2GzinsYVp
After all, these were the kids he'd looked after for years, the ones who chose to come with him to the orphanage.
And somewhere in the back of his mind, the system hummed softly.
[Mission Progress: Recruit Your First Orphan – 1/1]19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwtOxJGQTC
[Reward: +50 Points | +1 Random Skill Unlocking Soon]
Lin Yuan smiled.
Ever since he had obtained the Jade Emperor's Eye, Lin Yuan could see it clearly.
The children were surrounded by a faint aura—one that no ordinary eye could perceive. From a distance, each one radiated a muted gray, except for the girl, Xiao Lian, who occasionally flickered with a deep violet when she thought no one was watching.
But the moment they saw him, all four were instantly cloaked in a soft blue.
It didn't take a genius—or even a divine system—to see it: these children cared.
And if the system had marked the mission "Recruit Your First Orphan" as complete, it could only mean one thing: at least one of them had potential. Something real. Something worth nurturing.
Lin turned to face them, a half-smile playing on his lips.
—"So… how have you been while I was away?"
They sat beneath the old crooked oak by the roadside, forming a lopsided circle. Between shy laughter and bursts of mischief, they began recounting their exploits: how Zhenglian had tried selling pebbles as "dragon eggs" to drunk merchants; how Roman had tricked a rooster into chasing the butcher across three streets. Xiao Lian had stolen bread—not for herself, but for a limping stray dog. And Ben… Ben had managed to get blamed for everything, smiling like it had been his plan all along.
Lin listened quietly, and then activated his skill.
DING.
Small blue screens unfolded before his eyes—one for each child. Only he could see them.
[Name: Zhenglian]19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1hNz5kHVgu
Race: Human19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrl5fpzRQNY
Profession: None19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlnulFD2eId
Talent: —19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7RXyfhzfH
Status: Restless / Loyal
[Name: Roman]19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgMOhDvO8J
Race: Half-Elf (Hidden)19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡof30j6eYA8
Profession: None19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JH5JVjXBK
Talent: —19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuh9fGvfZrq
Status: Clever / Distrustful
[Name: Ben]19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6M16vYRaMK
Race: Human19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhru6QUGD6c
Profession: —19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9CQoOV5qP
Talent: [Elegance]19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CnFO97Afp
Type: Social / Charisma19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANRtVj9Bea
Description: Enhances presence, persuasive speech, and adaptable behavior. Ideal for mediation, infiltration, or leadership.
[Name: Xiao Lian]19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXTVDJrNWd
Race: Veilblood/ Human19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUvPYsl4Fc
Profession: -Talent: [Deathweaver] (Dormant)An affinity for precision, silence, and threads unseen. The path has yet to open, but the seed is there. Latent traits suggest instinctual understanding of weakness and fate entanglement.
Lin narrowed his eyes.
—"So... a charming diplomat and a chaos artist."
He sighed. "Perfect."
Looking at them now, he felt something he hadn't felt in years—a sense of responsibility, and more than that, a calling. These weren't just orphans. They were possibilities. Pieces in a larger game. Seeds that might grow into something the world could never have expected.
And he... he was the gardener.
—"From today on," he said, the sun filtering through the leaves, "we're not just surviving. We're becoming something the world can't ignore."
The children's eyes sparkled—not just at the promise of food or shelter. But at something deeper.
A future.
The story of the slum boss was over.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6HjNvI4Bv
The story of the orphan master had just begun.
