The moment Lin Yuan stopped choking on the potato, the blue window chimed again—like an impatient secretary.
DING!459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUlfeKA8fH
[Would you like a quick tour of the Celestial Orphanage System™?]459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDS6FePrff6
[Yes] — [No, let me painfully guess] — [Is there a refund policy?]
Lin squinted.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HX7Ehaeit
—"Do you come with customer service or just sarcasm?"459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJ8k97Dqrz
[Yes.]
He rolled his eyes and tapped [Yes].
Immediately, new windows sprouted like weeds in a summer garden.
[Main Functions Unlocked:]459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwlwlpcXQs
• Celestial Store459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHdVqhzz8l
• Card Extraction & Fusion459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLrbJfzUTCC
• Talent Gacha Roulette459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡArDNRjjTkq
• Director's Inventory459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyCG98Ee5Mq
• Beginner's Pack (Unopened, Procrastinator Detected)
The store caught his attention.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4aHWYv9ANC
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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIDmkCLOio
[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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWpEOH2fa7
[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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwboCyo8mw0
"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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ74pC7Z4vWC
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!459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ziF7MKLTn
[Congratulations! You've received:]459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPQvwjvV9B6
• 1x Golden Roulette Ticket (High-Rank Talent Guaranteed)459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qGTB2DbLH
• 3x Moderate Satiety Potatoes™459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUgoG05BIU
• 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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCLI40JZH3
The system grew theatrical as it hovered toward the roulette.
DING!459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNTNrR6qSW
[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...459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHuHeACPLpX
Tic...459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgsVdQxpdx
PING!
[Congratulations! You've obtained:]459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY9SOnXVMLV
Skill: Jade Emperor's Eye459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNL9oct6WT
Type: Divine Talent / Cosmic Perception459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHcUmzUo1Sq
Grade: ???459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOvp9efRIO
Bound to Host
Lin blinked.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgF8BGBDe9b
"...Do I have an eye now?"
The system unfurled like a proud parent at a science fair.
[Skill: Jade Emperor's Eye]459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡasL06hEaYM
Passive Effect: Vision of Potential459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuteHcecr3m
You can see hidden talents, emotional imbalances, and cultivation affinities in anyone you directly observe.
Active Effect: Revelation of Destiny459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoy73reoEKO
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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyc3junYMw
He felt... chosen.
He had always believed people could be more than they appeared.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWhyo2gjI0u
Now he could see it.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4yo5mV9NdJ
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]459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZvUow4Ktf8
Rank: Mortal Grade (Upgradeable)459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0Ri2xWqP3
Effect: Stabilizes spiritual energy. Improves focus, recovery rate, and sleep quality. Removes minor demonic influence and bad breath.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLj4C17Owjf
[Note: A solid foundation for beginners. Also good for anxious orphans.]
Lin approved. Impressive.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYA2ebQq9CL
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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡASXOzXTVGm
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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4bktNqVls
—"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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZwYEP8ZrC
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]459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzajkC78YUA
[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]459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoVQjlx7eH
Race: Human459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4haOOcqLl
Profession: None459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnnyf78Eb32
Talent: —459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XCd0b5ZwB
Status: Restless / Loyal
[Name: Roman]459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPzTXaQ8rK
Race: Half-Elf (Hidden)459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQdlVt1PJ04
Profession: None459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBeutM0gcV
Talent: —459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzIuIMThsbw
Status: Clever / Distrustful
[Name: Ben]459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwFPcTHaQJ
Race: Human459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrSHbCBdNxq
Profession: —459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSwT2gvLOS
Talent: [Elegance]459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBnpVGbTzU
Type: Social / Charisma459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3SUNjnzOTw
Description: Enhances presence, persuasive speech, and adaptable behavior. Ideal for mediation, infiltration, or leadership.
[Name: Xiao Lian]459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhcYlpGs6Uv
Race: Veilblood/ Human459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcolaildoqZ
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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8DqiCJyQO
The story of the orphan master had just begun.
and then Add to home screen.