The moment Lin Yuan stopped choking on the potato, the blue window chimed again—like an impatient secretary.
DING!56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx1P4zstEX6
[Would you like a quick tour of the Celestial Orphanage System™?]56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5cvah8NYE
[Yes] — [No, let me painfully guess] — [Is there a refund policy?]
Lin squinted.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4skB3bowka
—"Do you come with customer service or just sarcasm?"56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGkm5lgPItE
[Yes.]
He rolled his eyes and tapped [Yes].
Immediately, new windows sprouted like weeds in a summer garden.
[Main Functions Unlocked:]56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7mfGhEWFyH
• Celestial Store56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIW52UXzpHi
• Card Extraction & Fusion56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Imp0nlTJ6
• Talent Gacha Roulette56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZ3YvLnAwO
• Director's Inventory56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwIQpdOIUB
• Beginner's Pack (Unopened, Procrastinator Detected)
The store caught his attention.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡioWe9tpuDw
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.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJaSwzXOJ3
[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.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUD9MYe3b06
[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.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyXi2PN2UsG
"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.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTrYmTQWWxE
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!56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKotNsZBhUh
[Congratulations! You've received:]56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc5kVJCWGZI
• 1x Golden Roulette Ticket (High-Rank Talent Guaranteed)56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9tb4qTXKS
• 3x Moderate Satiety Potatoes™56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4GdO0GEdjE
• 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.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7xirQOlWf
The system grew theatrical as it hovered toward the roulette.
DING!56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPphcoVPzAN
[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...56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSA0PMmgaR9
Tic...56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgrXm0baGw
PING!
[Congratulations! You've obtained:]56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjVVK6CJmS
Skill: Jade Emperor's Eye56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxFn0J6LGu
Type: Divine Talent / Cosmic Perception56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShdltuHHLn
Grade: ???56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvH0Xwy2935
Bound to Host
Lin blinked.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxo2Gh2GkS3
"...Do I have an eye now?"
The system unfurled like a proud parent at a science fair.
[Skill: Jade Emperor's Eye]56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PgSlmXtaR
Passive Effect: Vision of Potential56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMmo0DgFFU
You can see hidden talents, emotional imbalances, and cultivation affinities in anyone you directly observe.
Active Effect: Revelation of Destiny56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1Y6ynK1sW
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.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyFbmRt2Lkf
He felt... chosen.
He had always believed people could be more than they appeared.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNrYnQp23U
Now he could see it.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYAgLD9JQ6
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]56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5kfYLLeF0G
Rank: Mortal Grade (Upgradeable)56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqqHhOW12wp
Effect: Stabilizes spiritual energy. Improves focus, recovery rate, and sleep quality. Removes minor demonic influence and bad breath.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uXvlqOqVc
[Note: A solid foundation for beginners. Also good for anxious orphans.]
Lin approved. Impressive.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmg11s5jEUA
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.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgqJ512Kca
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.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEglgin72lY
—"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.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9gIrbhr2F
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]56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5qj03kwsK
[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]56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGsCidg97U
Race: Human56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7aUfQIigTn
Profession: None56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq830cKGwB1
Talent: —56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVJ7aMM5TX
Status: Restless / Loyal
[Name: Roman]56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigEUsnD0Cg
Race: Half-Elf (Hidden)56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJgriGGYhD8
Profession: None56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV1q4ca5hVg
Talent: —56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3p2n6EZGit
Status: Clever / Distrustful
[Name: Ben]56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWY1Ml63dER
Race: Human56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvDVhOEUgyg
Profession: —56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHwhSUeEMrM
Talent: [Elegance]56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5Aid6q4BH
Type: Social / Charisma56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0z9g4PNaof
Description: Enhances presence, persuasive speech, and adaptable behavior. Ideal for mediation, infiltration, or leadership.
[Name: Xiao Lian]56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJx34eDUxq6
Race: Veilblood/ Human56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡif9bSOUzb6
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.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgLceDqss0T
The story of the orphan master had just begun.
