The moment Lin Yuan stopped choking on the potato, the blue window chimed again—like an impatient secretary.
DING!157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFTSX5L8FY
[Would you like a quick tour of the Celestial Orphanage System™?]157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8ARtvnNFg
[Yes] — [No, let me painfully guess] — [Is there a refund policy?]
Lin squinted.157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TE0alVqhj
—"Do you come with customer service or just sarcasm?"157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv8VFnfBbIf
[Yes.]
He rolled his eyes and tapped [Yes].
Immediately, new windows sprouted like weeds in a summer garden.
[Main Functions Unlocked:]157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcCJ3vcP6rd
• Celestial Store157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFZv6cYWlT
• Card Extraction & Fusion157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzj7w6KLEQx
• Talent Gacha Roulette157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2E0O2EIb4R
• Director's Inventory157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0DmknELg7
• Beginner's Pack (Unopened, Procrastinator Detected)
The store caught his attention.157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAdsvJguvt
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.157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCon9JmcBb
[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.157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡylDtI1vAz0
[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.157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXc88odyOd
"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.157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zyo7ZFTZq
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!157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmGzVwJMVKn
[Congratulations! You've received:]157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXvj7IoZEX
• 1x Golden Roulette Ticket (High-Rank Talent Guaranteed)157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbv4XNMEFEL
• 3x Moderate Satiety Potatoes™157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohQkLqEKdF
• 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.157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqwbf8wzYNw
The system grew theatrical as it hovered toward the roulette.
DING!157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMy1VM4j5Gs
[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...157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzqjjRneKv
Tic...157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIrBpy8UdET
PING!
[Congratulations! You've obtained:]157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cn1zBxSkA
Skill: Jade Emperor's Eye157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaCnH2maBs
Type: Divine Talent / Cosmic Perception157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDxa8cQSgG5
Grade: ???157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwnhC7DnsG6
Bound to Host
Lin blinked.157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvs3ttDKglm
"...Do I have an eye now?"
The system unfurled like a proud parent at a science fair.
[Skill: Jade Emperor's Eye]157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSXowKx1eeQ
Passive Effect: Vision of Potential157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6caztqOFL
You can see hidden talents, emotional imbalances, and cultivation affinities in anyone you directly observe.
Active Effect: Revelation of Destiny157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13mJIMVoxK
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.157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBG9DGvyPIm
He felt... chosen.
He had always believed people could be more than they appeared.157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YFGB2n465
Now he could see it.157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSYrxAkUq4
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]157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXlR8VYBM7J
Rank: Mortal Grade (Upgradeable)157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLUUQRbOos5
Effect: Stabilizes spiritual energy. Improves focus, recovery rate, and sleep quality. Removes minor demonic influence and bad breath.157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhSCR2vTTL
[Note: A solid foundation for beginners. Also good for anxious orphans.]
Lin approved. Impressive.157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYMGhZu4JG
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.157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgVwhHMhVW
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.157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1sJVSOE3cp
—"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.157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkj5M7JIe5t
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]157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp8HFEg6TNR
[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]157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFTMs4COeq
Race: Human157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDMVlBfb1t
Profession: None157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHo3zLJ03IQ
Talent: —157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡykGOQYz8He
Status: Restless / Loyal
[Name: Roman]157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmro1y2lu0L
Race: Half-Elf (Hidden)157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhyG1pKbAw
Profession: None157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqzCVH0vUZ
Talent: —157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgijRclLwL
Status: Clever / Distrustful
[Name: Ben]157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyRRRqwJUmw
Race: Human157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhW113yy2QM
Profession: —157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPndadghR6t
Talent: [Elegance]157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp0AQSC1a3z
Type: Social / Charisma157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9doi1CP2t9
Description: Enhances presence, persuasive speech, and adaptable behavior. Ideal for mediation, infiltration, or leadership.
[Name: Xiao Lian]157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSSYRHyPky
Race: Veilblood/ Human157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNV5FO1sAGS
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.157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGB1XPRHyz1
The story of the orphan master had just begun.
