The moment Lin Yuan stopped choking on the potato, the blue window chimed again—like an impatient secretary.
DING!211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0j4QwP3jo3
[Would you like a quick tour of the Celestial Orphanage System™?]211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBL7MSAhJXR
[Yes] — [No, let me painfully guess] — [Is there a refund policy?]
Lin squinted.211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0X1cO2sl40
—"Do you come with customer service or just sarcasm?"211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjK5i1LtCtv
[Yes.]
He rolled his eyes and tapped [Yes].
Immediately, new windows sprouted like weeds in a summer garden.
[Main Functions Unlocked:]211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIZkgs8WWi
• Celestial Store211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDQJwop7Zr
• Card Extraction & Fusion211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGpfW6ZS6b
• Talent Gacha Roulette211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wR15vd3xl
• Director's Inventory211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88Uqs2zkxl
• Beginner's Pack (Unopened, Procrastinator Detected)
The store caught his attention.211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8N2hZZguHw
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.211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4j1KrtFRa
[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.211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjttrIFGow
[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.211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIignD8dLd
"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.211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8vpDDltKH
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!211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizktVview4
[Congratulations! You've received:]211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNujiezr0w
• 1x Golden Roulette Ticket (High-Rank Talent Guaranteed)211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpgkMw7gu0
• 3x Moderate Satiety Potatoes™211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9tUYGsbxP
• 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.211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrv4NT2z9gm
The system grew theatrical as it hovered toward the roulette.
DING!211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSN9gU7wS5q
[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...211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbm9E87HcFF
Tic...211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrRBtFLR9rC
PING!
[Congratulations! You've obtained:]211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡerTk35337n
Skill: Jade Emperor's Eye211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEORupOlwHt
Type: Divine Talent / Cosmic Perception211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOcP757plK
Grade: ???211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcOvCWqncNT
Bound to Host
Lin blinked.211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhJXJSkSpK
"...Do I have an eye now?"
The system unfurled like a proud parent at a science fair.
[Skill: Jade Emperor's Eye]211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwOcYUVhqK
Passive Effect: Vision of Potential211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBjjcp4Crs
You can see hidden talents, emotional imbalances, and cultivation affinities in anyone you directly observe.
Active Effect: Revelation of Destiny211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65OaLxZJ3H
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.211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAdIQmSxvo
He felt... chosen.
He had always believed people could be more than they appeared.211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qKg0hlrJr
Now he could see it.211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Q5uO39mz3
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]211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjf2vaPka8
Rank: Mortal Grade (Upgradeable)211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNXU5IaISh
Effect: Stabilizes spiritual energy. Improves focus, recovery rate, and sleep quality. Removes minor demonic influence and bad breath.211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03J7pMm3HR
[Note: A solid foundation for beginners. Also good for anxious orphans.]
Lin approved. Impressive.211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGPs5o2WMn
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.211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhFLhQEnrLb
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.211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwrGZOXX20Y
—"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.211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPJcBfPkwbm
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]211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQrM6xMStO
[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]211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgGUrR8vn4
Race: Human211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJOn4Xt0gb
Profession: None211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7e3pLwm2L
Talent: —211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0COfnirCB
Status: Restless / Loyal
[Name: Roman]211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQfzvt68jE
Race: Half-Elf (Hidden)211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDruDgXm32a
Profession: None211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡznxx8zpUA8
Talent: —211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdhtBDHDaOY
Status: Clever / Distrustful
[Name: Ben]211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrK729GLtx3
Race: Human211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJH7d8uKSS
Profession: —211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQq5xgmPf6
Talent: [Elegance]211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8YmsZwIgy
Type: Social / Charisma211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBgrP0K4bNT
Description: Enhances presence, persuasive speech, and adaptable behavior. Ideal for mediation, infiltration, or leadership.
[Name: Xiao Lian]211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNZWr5d6T5
Race: Veilblood/ Human211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqVqgXvHc9m
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.211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqmygeWTZAP
The story of the orphan master had just begun.
