The moment Lin Yuan stopped choking on the potato, the blue window chimed again—like an impatient secretary.
DING!192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCYsAKovdp
[Would you like a quick tour of the Celestial Orphanage System™?]192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2wrsJ4n7P
[Yes] — [No, let me painfully guess] — [Is there a refund policy?]
Lin squinted.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamNk05R3GN
—"Do you come with customer service or just sarcasm?"192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVR7wlcdGx
[Yes.]
He rolled his eyes and tapped [Yes].
Immediately, new windows sprouted like weeds in a summer garden.
[Main Functions Unlocked:]192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8qtKKyS7O
• Celestial Store192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEuTiVZf2ST
• Card Extraction & Fusion192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEzfFKpsIf
• Talent Gacha Roulette192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJPXvODBjhs
• Director's Inventory192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcaGiTd6U6X
• Beginner's Pack (Unopened, Procrastinator Detected)
The store caught his attention.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkZ1REmTNW
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.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1vIwWUHlj
[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.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqU2blcpzw3
[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.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9Jg0IudBt
"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.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwx8GgrrEE8
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!192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡICTKudTlkl
[Congratulations! You've received:]192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdb86mw2vwY
• 1x Golden Roulette Ticket (High-Rank Talent Guaranteed)192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA51MKFCCQ6
• 3x Moderate Satiety Potatoes™192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5IQTFZK3E0
• 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.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQQE6IgjTp
The system grew theatrical as it hovered toward the roulette.
DING!192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZfra2gB9k
[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...192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdIlRAMDTy
Tic...192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7u0GNsduQJ
PING!
[Congratulations! You've obtained:]192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkIjoYFx0z
Skill: Jade Emperor's Eye192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8I8ZESQHN
Type: Divine Talent / Cosmic Perception192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs77bSqqhJb
Grade: ???192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxdjOfue9d
Bound to Host
Lin blinked.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofypWuGRg7
"...Do I have an eye now?"
The system unfurled like a proud parent at a science fair.
[Skill: Jade Emperor's Eye]192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5zgh9kkGD
Passive Effect: Vision of Potential192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRGXE2pBbrU
You can see hidden talents, emotional imbalances, and cultivation affinities in anyone you directly observe.
Active Effect: Revelation of Destiny192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWWtyaLYXK
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.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0iWclnU9cg
He felt... chosen.
He had always believed people could be more than they appeared.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRxxvN9i60
Now he could see it.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgCX1HRk7xt
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]192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtykT0RulGO
Rank: Mortal Grade (Upgradeable)192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6o4EOcIjs
Effect: Stabilizes spiritual energy. Improves focus, recovery rate, and sleep quality. Removes minor demonic influence and bad breath.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfC2E37SS98
[Note: A solid foundation for beginners. Also good for anxious orphans.]
Lin approved. Impressive.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyD190GwNuS
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.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5NvOBm94nb
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.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKRljppCMrF
—"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.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjM3mtXwllE
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]192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn7vy5Qao0i
[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]192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcVicem0m6o
Race: Human192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8xmJwYH17
Profession: None192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJ0LrfOljX
Talent: —192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUiTyZC7a44
Status: Restless / Loyal
[Name: Roman]192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSE3lnGdpXT
Race: Half-Elf (Hidden)192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7nlH9J8lqF
Profession: None192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ92IFkmLxmK
Talent: —192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgbNemTQcz1
Status: Clever / Distrustful
[Name: Ben]192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrDSyDXo4s
Race: Human192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9btZMS6x53
Profession: —192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4TVo9Q0Dae
Talent: [Elegance]192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG25iGmbVVl
Type: Social / Charisma192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2DXPNxjhr
Description: Enhances presence, persuasive speech, and adaptable behavior. Ideal for mediation, infiltration, or leadership.
[Name: Xiao Lian]192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUH49ONakC
Race: Veilblood/ Human192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ4gXWxA6Ls
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.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkdjzf5Kh9n
The story of the orphan master had just begun.
