The moment Lin Yuan stopped choking on the potato, the blue window chimed again—like an impatient secretary.
DING!29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHNFRFqGTa
[Would you like a quick tour of the Celestial Orphanage System™?]29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqMP6cat8o
[Yes] — [No, let me painfully guess] — [Is there a refund policy?]
Lin squinted.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp65FGGoDCC
—"Do you come with customer service or just sarcasm?"29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG6ijaDJeku
[Yes.]
He rolled his eyes and tapped [Yes].
Immediately, new windows sprouted like weeds in a summer garden.
[Main Functions Unlocked:]29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHQAZ1NXgP
• Celestial Store29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7GdTNFT4a
• Card Extraction & Fusion29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGmpYA2UWk
• Talent Gacha Roulette29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDreej1Frk
• Director's Inventory29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYhFShWAMr
• Beginner's Pack (Unopened, Procrastinator Detected)
The store caught his attention.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKtlQxzyPvW
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.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkvILU8fSk
[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.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFPdWrL1JC
[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.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡItfeauVFtg
"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.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KhgXT4fKJ
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!29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1yC0pM2MJ
[Congratulations! You've received:]29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCdzL6c9qc
• 1x Golden Roulette Ticket (High-Rank Talent Guaranteed)29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy56PRVLGMZ
• 3x Moderate Satiety Potatoes™29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gy54OtMk5
• 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.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFulgYfjbJt
The system grew theatrical as it hovered toward the roulette.
DING!29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HcPNuFsFW
[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...29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDbC3QvC0Fz
Tic...29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UEc7oqtJW
PING!
[Congratulations! You've obtained:]29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCyu5UfSVhK
Skill: Jade Emperor's Eye29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwOjv1fNmaq
Type: Divine Talent / Cosmic Perception29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKX4NWsa01s
Grade: ???29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo34kCTF0d2
Bound to Host
Lin blinked.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6xMDprF1I
"...Do I have an eye now?"
The system unfurled like a proud parent at a science fair.
[Skill: Jade Emperor's Eye]29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWe5lDk0YX
Passive Effect: Vision of Potential29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIsJuuBitDb
You can see hidden talents, emotional imbalances, and cultivation affinities in anyone you directly observe.
Active Effect: Revelation of Destiny29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBAgF4MbWlf
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.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WLiiJ9IgB
He felt... chosen.
He had always believed people could be more than they appeared.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeVzdw4GZ69
Now he could see it.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW809tdXTwG
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]29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjSVR5NJXhL
Rank: Mortal Grade (Upgradeable)29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVdsgrNjVC
Effect: Stabilizes spiritual energy. Improves focus, recovery rate, and sleep quality. Removes minor demonic influence and bad breath.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxzewTXAUY
[Note: A solid foundation for beginners. Also good for anxious orphans.]
Lin approved. Impressive.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQxnPZf3iq4
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.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5P7mJsEaco
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.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7fNrpEFB4
—"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.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvaySa56QKz
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]29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4bORbs7bzg
[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]29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfC8gcuUxRS
Race: Human29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XfkBtOOzs
Profession: None29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMFeudGjCF
Talent: —29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEvr2Aa3HTs
Status: Restless / Loyal
[Name: Roman]29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfsze197Tf9
Race: Half-Elf (Hidden)29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1JvQ3ZEk1
Profession: None29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGO2cnkzhx0
Talent: —29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuttTJwsJ10
Status: Clever / Distrustful
[Name: Ben]29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxamALuh1J
Race: Human29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQGLsDFRK9
Profession: —29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxldPNxURnv
Talent: [Elegance]29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTIhY8fFUX
Type: Social / Charisma29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0BpJLKEHc7
Description: Enhances presence, persuasive speech, and adaptable behavior. Ideal for mediation, infiltration, or leadership.
[Name: Xiao Lian]29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoU8agqS2da
Race: Veilblood/ Human29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDUvZamhvP
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.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrNbHD3qNU
The story of the orphan master had just begun.
