The moment Lin Yuan stopped choking on the potato, the blue window chimed again—like an impatient secretary.
DING!33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcV2Kr2ObnV
[Would you like a quick tour of the Celestial Orphanage System™?]33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnabrimgGG
[Yes] — [No, let me painfully guess] — [Is there a refund policy?]
Lin squinted.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qSKGNPZp3
—"Do you come with customer service or just sarcasm?"33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzokfOzyxu
[Yes.]
He rolled his eyes and tapped [Yes].
Immediately, new windows sprouted like weeds in a summer garden.
[Main Functions Unlocked:]33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsqHEhBTZ8
• Celestial Store33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVb2DLEwwyb
• Card Extraction & Fusion33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6iNJuQsjwc
• Talent Gacha Roulette33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xdBvR4D6T
• Director's Inventory33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qzTJFdOEY
• Beginner's Pack (Unopened, Procrastinator Detected)
The store caught his attention.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxjVrMf0YHF
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.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mf226F00D
[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.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOiGYhVszf
[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.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSY8yYH8hJ8
"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.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgg0j4txpP9
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!33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgG4HAau00
[Congratulations! You've received:]33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0Yx73GqTR
• 1x Golden Roulette Ticket (High-Rank Talent Guaranteed)33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtrr6wJX4qD
• 3x Moderate Satiety Potatoes™33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJS8rJPble
• 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.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6zipRc9Dp
The system grew theatrical as it hovered toward the roulette.
DING!33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXRDfQhz55M
[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...33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡccbLzGCdfw
Tic...33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfL3FdPY2tB
PING!
[Congratulations! You've obtained:]33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbl0cxxM2Z
Skill: Jade Emperor's Eye33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTm04XK4Q6M
Type: Divine Talent / Cosmic Perception33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvavipuTnT3
Grade: ???33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRu4eOJnMSM
Bound to Host
Lin blinked.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0XxlZDIqr
"...Do I have an eye now?"
The system unfurled like a proud parent at a science fair.
[Skill: Jade Emperor's Eye]33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzGSw38jsT9
Passive Effect: Vision of Potential33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6INVRzIiU
You can see hidden talents, emotional imbalances, and cultivation affinities in anyone you directly observe.
Active Effect: Revelation of Destiny33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwfu01UZ6j
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.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6qpNlGkCK
He felt... chosen.
He had always believed people could be more than they appeared.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMuLbv2tWk
Now he could see it.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGv0oNcot7T
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]33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgG5EMSDnc
Rank: Mortal Grade (Upgradeable)33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlftrHjwkHS
Effect: Stabilizes spiritual energy. Improves focus, recovery rate, and sleep quality. Removes minor demonic influence and bad breath.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsfORqFOVu
[Note: A solid foundation for beginners. Also good for anxious orphans.]
Lin approved. Impressive.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MzAzHmM3x
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.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp8cUizgflg
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.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXrh1jwDe58
—"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.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzU7h1vQEQ
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]33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBO3IXd5EGU
[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]33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihqfFoPA7Z
Race: Human33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbw1A5KA0Nu
Profession: None33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡItc1cbGmas
Talent: —33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OFPpPCQPg
Status: Restless / Loyal
[Name: Roman]33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDbPzWyUWuL
Race: Half-Elf (Hidden)33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsM65AsJ207
Profession: None33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQODXfC2QI
Talent: —33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5pzQUIa9k
Status: Clever / Distrustful
[Name: Ben]33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZRYHA6evke
Race: Human33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfIV1JCkut
Profession: —33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvWtdUaEcH
Talent: [Elegance]33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5tYZqVEvu
Type: Social / Charisma33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHKw8OQNo0R
Description: Enhances presence, persuasive speech, and adaptable behavior. Ideal for mediation, infiltration, or leadership.
[Name: Xiao Lian]33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjvxVpTuLz7
Race: Veilblood/ Human33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Dgwp4CiZ4
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.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCnaMQjtON
The story of the orphan master had just begun.
然後按「加至主畫面」