The moment Lin Yuan stopped choking on the potato, the blue window chimed again—like an impatient secretary.
DING!52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEfHd024DR
[Would you like a quick tour of the Celestial Orphanage System™?]52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqYRDdJOG9
[Yes] — [No, let me painfully guess] — [Is there a refund policy?]
Lin squinted.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDrdFhpBOv
—"Do you come with customer service or just sarcasm?"52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9AMMg926Kp
[Yes.]
He rolled his eyes and tapped [Yes].
Immediately, new windows sprouted like weeds in a summer garden.
[Main Functions Unlocked:]52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI5QcFiJmEP
• Celestial Store52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLRmcstKuh
• Card Extraction & Fusion52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbWuZMxypi
• Talent Gacha Roulette52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3aC9Arl5Ff
• Director's Inventory52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFX93oPFo9j
• Beginner's Pack (Unopened, Procrastinator Detected)
The store caught his attention.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgN2KvGm32
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.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHwq50V1iOm
[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.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡacQVdpeReJ
[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.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgGt1jMJZHN
"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.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNdirnHZ2b
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!52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAM7UfbwdTb
[Congratulations! You've received:]52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUk4GETVukW
• 1x Golden Roulette Ticket (High-Rank Talent Guaranteed)52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH9n6htFVYm
• 3x Moderate Satiety Potatoes™52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYg3cyswGNT
• 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.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQisKe4He8
The system grew theatrical as it hovered toward the roulette.
DING!52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41QqWBYmp9
[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...52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqvDaQcZg14
Tic...52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3prRULNsy
PING!
[Congratulations! You've obtained:]52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsaZHR5jhY
Skill: Jade Emperor's Eye52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6UkHXgkMI
Type: Divine Talent / Cosmic Perception52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEwiTs7j9FV
Grade: ???52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvAwnGlmB0
Bound to Host
Lin blinked.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX1kNyvfwEb
"...Do I have an eye now?"
The system unfurled like a proud parent at a science fair.
[Skill: Jade Emperor's Eye]52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCunW5n7Vvl
Passive Effect: Vision of Potential52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05407oPNU5
You can see hidden talents, emotional imbalances, and cultivation affinities in anyone you directly observe.
Active Effect: Revelation of Destiny52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7gLdrvlgv
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.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOse29Q2AP0
He felt... chosen.
He had always believed people could be more than they appeared.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBu4SrzQJB
Now he could see it.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1Q0XOBFXy
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]52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2liu8zM9E
Rank: Mortal Grade (Upgradeable)52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXAFlUcIUIm
Effect: Stabilizes spiritual energy. Improves focus, recovery rate, and sleep quality. Removes minor demonic influence and bad breath.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcnmrlcEoY
[Note: A solid foundation for beginners. Also good for anxious orphans.]
Lin approved. Impressive.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ8nVDcgXwt
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.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisYoQLFZLt
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.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhD5PxZ36N
—"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.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygdTX1m17S
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]52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBswyrRaJb
[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]52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4j2Yt2fCwL
Race: Human52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DAe8murdS
Profession: None52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZdIbl3En9
Talent: —52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZj3EZ4VKrR
Status: Restless / Loyal
[Name: Roman]52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3eMSnl0Q2I
Race: Half-Elf (Hidden)52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSHe706Yea
Profession: None52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUJj79LBU4
Talent: —52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4trJYc4ndu
Status: Clever / Distrustful
[Name: Ben]52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqC21PqeYyC
Race: Human52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXkkZo3WnK
Profession: —52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4lmZCazbB7
Talent: [Elegance]52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMeKCDeTB0B
Type: Social / Charisma52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQIfPqdkxyr
Description: Enhances presence, persuasive speech, and adaptable behavior. Ideal for mediation, infiltration, or leadership.
[Name: Xiao Lian]52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ448z1Ggz9n
Race: Veilblood/ Human52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwdqeRH0S9
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.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYtwLZLoiIQ
The story of the orphan master had just begun.
