The moment Lin Yuan stopped choking on the potato, the blue window chimed again—like an impatient secretary.
DING!70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9tNOxZzQxj
[Would you like a quick tour of the Celestial Orphanage System™?]70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcwZTvm91Uj
[Yes] — [No, let me painfully guess] — [Is there a refund policy?]
Lin squinted.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjc5ZQZKFzG
—"Do you come with customer service or just sarcasm?"70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0EQ4P1wnak
[Yes.]
He rolled his eyes and tapped [Yes].
Immediately, new windows sprouted like weeds in a summer garden.
[Main Functions Unlocked:]70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvRbCYtz7a
• Celestial Store70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNNkKnIc5Q9
• Card Extraction & Fusion70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvPGmJQPhWF
• Talent Gacha Roulette70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDFRRWVHYr0
• Director's Inventory70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY37Smf5tDz
• Beginner's Pack (Unopened, Procrastinator Detected)
The store caught his attention.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUIMv5y8JuM
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.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3MtybKIgt
[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.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhLBTj0xxCU
[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.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ4Lgh0axiQ
"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.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtrmDd6HYM
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!70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7rhesMqXX
[Congratulations! You've received:]70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8uL2UJyBRU
• 1x Golden Roulette Ticket (High-Rank Talent Guaranteed)70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbb8JMjajXS
• 3x Moderate Satiety Potatoes™70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDy2GGbgT13
• 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.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGOfR8lspC
The system grew theatrical as it hovered toward the roulette.
DING!70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLk6VCEhvE
[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...70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyrnkJNPxN
Tic...70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3go4WhJlsS
PING!
[Congratulations! You've obtained:]70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb0u3lqBRH6
Skill: Jade Emperor's Eye70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGl5E0XsaF5
Type: Divine Talent / Cosmic Perception70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnk5wPTAq6O
Grade: ???70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGCydIyDiLl
Bound to Host
Lin blinked.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWx44KtxNBn
"...Do I have an eye now?"
The system unfurled like a proud parent at a science fair.
[Skill: Jade Emperor's Eye]70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7Pe2v0eSd
Passive Effect: Vision of Potential70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGUhzPumrB
You can see hidden talents, emotional imbalances, and cultivation affinities in anyone you directly observe.
Active Effect: Revelation of Destiny70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2rnizH0R7
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.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxyomgwSFGL
He felt... chosen.
He had always believed people could be more than they appeared.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sinvQzCAn
Now he could see it.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bFXnOzu8o
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]70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZo86MNKdzM
Rank: Mortal Grade (Upgradeable)70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegBo59ldTc
Effect: Stabilizes spiritual energy. Improves focus, recovery rate, and sleep quality. Removes minor demonic influence and bad breath.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPlJegtZ5v
[Note: A solid foundation for beginners. Also good for anxious orphans.]
Lin approved. Impressive.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZeIi0meISb
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.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XiqO6Vite
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.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNrOJZq2a5
—"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.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwo92wHrtKA
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]70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlnX4wYOXCW
[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]70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfP6F4J03al
Race: Human70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQ0mSxcyiw
Profession: None70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3XF0VZSvX
Talent: —70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNqQZ89AF6
Status: Restless / Loyal
[Name: Roman]70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0OXfHQ43C
Race: Half-Elf (Hidden)70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtqUjKs9Vbx
Profession: None70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SvZdadFPR
Talent: —70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0qOyOr52mJ
Status: Clever / Distrustful
[Name: Ben]70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡniVI3IjRJn
Race: Human70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2LFeP7NGg
Profession: —70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6BJaABNirH
Talent: [Elegance]70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzPl3C65NwG
Type: Social / Charisma70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCUdPUzNcCF
Description: Enhances presence, persuasive speech, and adaptable behavior. Ideal for mediation, infiltration, or leadership.
[Name: Xiao Lian]70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ulLZxtHLg
Race: Veilblood/ Human70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPksXdpiWfB
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.70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzt1B68rfl
The story of the orphan master had just begun.
and then Add to home screen.