The moment Lin Yuan stopped choking on the potato, the blue window chimed again—like an impatient secretary.
DING!203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqu4PjIyzmu
[Would you like a quick tour of the Celestial Orphanage System™?]203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bFtFSoTlH
[Yes] — [No, let me painfully guess] — [Is there a refund policy?]
Lin squinted.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWAhnp7GKMP
—"Do you come with customer service or just sarcasm?"203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFuSAgl5Hn
[Yes.]
He rolled his eyes and tapped [Yes].
Immediately, new windows sprouted like weeds in a summer garden.
[Main Functions Unlocked:]203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBmbuyEnVn
• Celestial Store203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfK25FJq6x
• Card Extraction & Fusion203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9XKQGd2em
• Talent Gacha Roulette203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7jB72TklAK
• Director's Inventory203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhP7RGFrg2d
• Beginner's Pack (Unopened, Procrastinator Detected)
The store caught his attention.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Y8bMYKcSm
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.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTg87cHRSQN
[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.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHcaGypZ5x7
[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.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPcu5EXUdC1
"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.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCspAuGPWw
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!203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZqkCHbCDu
[Congratulations! You've received:]203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQmeIIgkRry
• 1x Golden Roulette Ticket (High-Rank Talent Guaranteed)203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE75QgUpFoi
• 3x Moderate Satiety Potatoes™203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDbap1MAvY
• 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.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdm190F1363
The system grew theatrical as it hovered toward the roulette.
DING!203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxItKmMCwa
[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...203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQuyt6ninjF
Tic...203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl0J5k2HfLL
PING!
[Congratulations! You've obtained:]203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5KQwpHco0X
Skill: Jade Emperor's Eye203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpXt2Pis9z
Type: Divine Talent / Cosmic Perception203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9iM5M7SEh
Grade: ???203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OA5pl7etX
Bound to Host
Lin blinked.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOGTllPLYd
"...Do I have an eye now?"
The system unfurled like a proud parent at a science fair.
[Skill: Jade Emperor's Eye]203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEoSz8pKVEV
Passive Effect: Vision of Potential203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi1sPrvSEIl
You can see hidden talents, emotional imbalances, and cultivation affinities in anyone you directly observe.
Active Effect: Revelation of Destiny203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoqBzhFDMj6
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.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFo8gSkrn9I
He felt... chosen.
He had always believed people could be more than they appeared.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozivRp3ZkE
Now he could see it.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiADyJWPzWN
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]203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFlP45NFlO
Rank: Mortal Grade (Upgradeable)203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOCTfUOsw3
Effect: Stabilizes spiritual energy. Improves focus, recovery rate, and sleep quality. Removes minor demonic influence and bad breath.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7GslyVdPi3
[Note: A solid foundation for beginners. Also good for anxious orphans.]
Lin approved. Impressive.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZCFveu26X
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.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTra2tU3x5w
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.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC2zpieRMhD
—"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.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2SRxc2LqT
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]203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTnMfYGytg
[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]203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhRUzhIUbQ
Race: Human203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡphh0zb1dK4
Profession: None203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0CIBij8kiX
Talent: —203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdFbuca7mX
Status: Restless / Loyal
[Name: Roman]203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8rDBOUYKES
Race: Half-Elf (Hidden)203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDEOSwyzcv
Profession: None203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ92dRBKcJyu
Talent: —203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZaKck8JLx
Status: Clever / Distrustful
[Name: Ben]203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsbVmKyxf2
Race: Human203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8YuN0xR3f
Profession: —203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTmoorMxS8k
Talent: [Elegance]203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9bnD39ifc
Type: Social / Charisma203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbua8chJb5D
Description: Enhances presence, persuasive speech, and adaptable behavior. Ideal for mediation, infiltration, or leadership.
[Name: Xiao Lian]203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcc2L6FZBWH
Race: Veilblood/ Human203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjNdSKc9U7H
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.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2cE7wGitZ
The story of the orphan master had just begun.
and then Add to home screen.