Chapter 1 - A Shack, a Potato, and a System124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmemOvM9Sz
124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSzYdga8BL
Fengyang Prefecture, rural district of Baishan.
The cicadas song reached over the treetops as a boy, covered in mud and visibly starved, carefully plucked pluck a fruit from a dry bush.
His name was Lin Yuan, and today he had survived another day. Barely.
Years ago, Lin had been a college student in his final semester, on the verge of failing Thermodynamics for the fourth time. While lamenting his misfortunes on way home, a storm had caught him —and a very nosy lightning bolt decided to restart his story.
When he woke up, he was a baby wrapped in rags.124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8FgodisV7z
A lonely and innocent baby, abandoned next to a farmhouse in a strange world.
No tutorial. No family. No system.
Just hunger.
For years, Lin Yuan struggled to find food, shelter, and avoid dying from the flu. He became one of the many orphans wandering the dusty roads and crowded cities like they were invisibles.
He grew up observing his new surroundings and gradually remembering his past life. He learned its dangers and how to avoid them. He escaped so many slavers—and helped others escape with him—that he became a legend in the slums.
In his previous life, he dreamed of becoming an imposing CEO capable of commanding the wind and the tide. In this life, without a system in a world of warriors, he settled for being a clandestine chieftain, dodging slavers and fighting city northern gangs.
Since his rebirth, he'd wanted to change the world.124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoaTADEvcel
But the world didn't care—not about dreams, and definitely not about orphans.
At twelve, he invested every coin he'd saved into his first invention: a doorknob.124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6VUHgTDa8
It was simple, elegant, and far more practical than the clunky latch-and-bar systems common in this world. It even opened with a key.124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6UJ3BKTsnW
He imagined it might change lives.124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46e5J92VT0
And in a way, it did—just not his.
Soon, everyone in the city was using doorknobs, thanks to the an aristocratic administrator who'd kidnapped him, forced him to explain how it worked, and then sold him to a slaver for a measly three pounds of rice.
Imagine. Not even government officials could be trusted in this world... Believing the countryside had dulled his critical sense of leeches, he quickly set to work trying to escape, before... until the laxative the nobleman had given him took effect.At least he hadn't forgotten his college tricks, like sneaking out while the professor wasn't looking. He waited until no one was watching and slipped out, not forgetting to leave a "sweet and aromatic" gift for the slaver.
The life of an orphan was harsh.
At fifteen, no matter how clever or skilled you seemed, the most you could get was an illegal job at a tavern or hauling wood for scraps. At least Lin Yuan had earned some respect on the streets, thanks to his caution in back-alley fights... and the occasional satisfaction of breaking that official's windows
Sometimes, the local church handed out chicken soup in the slums. But when I asked to join the parish, or at least have them take in the younger kids, they always answered with the same smile:
—"My goddess Altea has greater plans for you."
They repeated it so many times that he almost believed them. After all, Lin Yuan has always believed in the maxim that hope is the last thing lost.
One day, when they didn't see him, Lin followed them. He wanted to finally hear what this "great plan" was. Maybe—just maybe—it would be the start of Lin Yuan's epic.
As he approached the clean marble-lined entrance, he heard them say:
—"Ugh, that lowly Lin Yuan gets more persistent every day. Can't he take a hint?"124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlWx2VLP74W
—"It's normal. For someone like him to even know how to read is impressive. He helps bring faith from the ignorant. Don't expect him to understand subtlety."124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLP8iEF9wqh
—"I hope I can gather enough faith soon. I'm sick of being around those filthy rats."
The priest listening to the rant clicked his tongue and looked at the other like he was an idiot.
—"Just a few more weeks, Julian. And if he brings the kids, we can sell them to the local slaver. Say they're in retreat and we'll pocket thousands in gold."
Julian stared at him, shocked.
—"You know, Bert... sometimes, just sometimes, you're a damn genius."
Shock paralyzed him. He felt the innocence he believed still lingered slip through his fingers. Lin Yuan left soon after, ashamed of having expected more from them.
With a long sigh, he began to think. It was something to feed the poor, even if it was for the wrong reasons. But I wouldn't resign myself to this vain life. Lin stopped bringing children from the slums to the church. Little by little, he clung to an idea:
"If no one cares for the orphans, I will. And I'll make the world regret ignoring them."
Now, at seventeen and with every coin he'd saved, Lin had done the impossible: he built an orphanage.
It was a humble wooden shack, poorly nailed together, with a small vegetable patch that looked like it was crying for help, and an outhouse that… let's just not describe.
But it was his. And he named it:
"Dawn's Refuge."
Lin named him that because after so many dark nights, he wanted to give the children a sunrise.
Lin's dream had just taken shape. He sat on the doorstep with a raw potato in his hand, the first meal he hadn't had to steal in days. Just as he took a bite, the world stopped.
Literally.
DING!
A translucent blue window floated in front of him.
[Celestial Orphanage System Activated!]
Congratulations, Director Lin Yuan!
You have been chosen as this system's host.
Tired of having no power? Want to change the world?
Don't worry—complete missions and gradually become a being even the King of the Gods would worship.
Main Mission: Turn the orphans of the world into heroes, legends, or people whose enemies cry in therapy.
Earn rewards for each achievement: learning, emotional growth, talent discovery, or skill mastery.
Warning! While this system will eventually include all orphans, its energy is currently limited by the host. The first orphans must excel in at least one area.
DING!
Welcome gift unlocked:124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYf3fWyzXXt
[Spiritual Technique: Tranquil Willow Breathing],124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5dF7W8pQQP
[Mystery Box: It's really a surprise].
Lin choked on the potato he'd been eating.
—"A system…? Now you show up? After I almost got eaten by wild dogs when I was eight?!"
The system ignored his existential tantrum and added:
Warning! Every child you take in may bring missions, chaos, or unexpected blessings.
Note: The destruction of the orphanage disables the system. Protect it well.
Lin looked at his wobbly little house, then at the glowing window, then at the sky.
—"Alright... if life throws kids at me, I'll turn them into legends. And if you make me stronger along the way, I won't complain."
A new notification popped up:
[Side Objective: Recruit your first orphan]124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnMPpKub7yt
Reward: +50 points, random skill
Lin smiled.
—"I just hope they don't smell as bad as I used to."
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