2: Chapter 2: The whole school was laughing, but he was the only one who saw the crack.

"Lin Jin, you should return to your formation first."

The Homeroom Teacher tried his best to make his voice sound gentle.

Unfortunately, when someone is disappointed, even the gentlest tone cannot hide it.

"It's not like there's no future for a Repairman. Major guilds now need logistics; equipment maintenance, mechanical upkeep, and battlefield supplies are all legitimate career paths."

This was put very politely.

Translated, it meant: Forget about the Combat Academy, find a logistics class, and live a decent life.

Chen Ye was unconvinced: "Teacher, the job rank isn't everything. Lin Jin is second in the school for his academic courses, and his mental power test was very high too."

The Homeroom Teacher glanced at him: "Chen Ye, be realistic."

Be realistic.

These four words were like a brick, slapping the spirit out of anyone.

Lin Jin, however, didn't hear it.

His attention was entirely on the countdown.

[00:08:41]

The black crack was slightly thicker than before.

The array in the Awakening Plaza is a protective facility, responsible for isolating the professional fluctuations generated during awakening.

If it were just normal wear and tear, it wouldn't be at a disaster level.

The problem lay in the four words in the prompt.

Abyss contamination.

Lin Jin looked towards the podium.

The principal, the dean, and the people from the Department of Education were all there.

If he went over now and said the array was about to explode, would anyone believe him?

The answer was obvious.

No.

A student who had just awakened as an F-rank Repairman claiming that the school's highest-level awakening array was broken.

It sounded like raving after being traumatized.

But the countdown wouldn't wait for anyone.

Lin Jin took a deep breath and walked towards the podium.

Chen Ye quickly chased after him: "Where are you going?"

"To report a repair."

"Report what?"

"The Awakening Plaza."

Chen Ye was stunned: "You're starting work right after awakening?"

Lin Jin ignored him.

As soon as he reached the warning line, he was stopped by the teacher in charge of maintaining order.

"Student, return to your formation."

"Teacher, there's a problem with the base of the awakening stone."

The teacher frowned: "What problem?"

"The array core is providing power in reverse, abyss contamination is seeping in, and it will erupt in about eight minutes."

The teacher was silent for a moment.

Then he reached out and touched Lin Jin's forehead.

Lin Jin: "..."

The teacher sighed: "I understand you're in a bad mood, but a failed awakening isn't the end of the world. Go back and rest, don't affect the students behind you."

Someone behind heard the commotion and started laughing again.

"He doesn't really think he can repair the Awakening Plaza just because he's a Repairman, right?"

"He's getting into character pretty fast."

"The first job for an F-rank class, repairing the school array, hahahaha."

Zhou Heng also looked over.

The students around him laughed the loudest.

"Master Lin, how much does it cost to repair the array once?"

Lin Jin glanced at them but didn't curse.

He just lowered his head to look at the countdown.

[00:07:36]

The crack had already crawled from the base to the edge of the awakening stone.

Normal people couldn't see it.

He could.

Shen Tingxue suddenly walked over.

"Did you really see a problem?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it made the surroundings quieter.

Lin Jin was a bit surprised: "You believe me?"

"I don't believe it," Shen Tingxue looked at him, "but you don't look like you're joking."

This sentence was more useful than belief.

Lin Jin reached out and pointed to the base of the awakening stone: "There, the third circle of runes, the color is deeper than the other places."

Shen Tingxue looked in the direction he pointed.

Her Ice Phoenix Mage had just awakened, and she was extremely sensitive to energy fluctuations.

A few seconds later, her expression changed slightly.

"It is a bit off."

The teacher heard Shen Tingxue speak, and his expression changed too.

He could ignore the words of an F-rank Repairman.

He couldn't completely ignore the words of an S-rank Ice Phoenix Mage.

The teacher turned to report.

Soon, an Education Bureau Commissioner wearing a gray uniform walked over.

He scanned Lin Jin, then looked at Shen Tingxue.

"You say there's a problem with the array?"

Shen Tingxue nodded: "The energy flow is a bit abnormal."

The Education Bureau Commissioner frowned and took out a detector.

He pointed the instrument at the awakening stone; the values on the screen were all normal.

The Education Bureau Commissioner's expression turned cold.

"The awakening array just passed its annual inspection; there won't be any problems."

Lin Jin said: "The detector checks the outer stability value; the contamination is in the core."

The Education Bureau Commissioner looked at him: "What is your class?"

Chen Ye couldn't help but say: "What does a class have to do with judgment?"

The Education Bureau Commissioner ignored him.

Lin Jin said calmly: "Repairman."

"Rank?"

"F."

The Education Bureau Commissioner put away the detector.

His attitude explained everything.

"Student, Awakening Day is high-pressure, I can understand that. But without evidence, don't create panic."

Lin Jin looked at the countdown.

[00:05:12]

He asked: "What if I can repair it?"

The Education Bureau Commissioner looked as if he had heard something absurd: "Do you know what level of equipment an awakening array is? Let alone you just awakened, even a formal array engineer cannot touch the core without authorization."

Lin Jin nodded.

"Understood."

He turned and walked away.

Chen Ye quickly followed: "Are you giving up?"

"No."

"Then what are you doing?"

"Finding tools."

"Are you really going to repair it?"

"Otherwise what?" Lin Jin glanced at him, "Wait for it to explode?"

Chen Ye swallowed hard.

He had known Lin Jin for three years and had rarely seen him this serious.

"What do you need me to do?"

"Help me stop people."

"Stop who?"

"Whoever tries to stop me, you stop them."

Chen Ye was stunned for two seconds, then suddenly laughed.

"Deal."

"Anyway, I'm a D-rank Shield Warrior; I'm not good at anything else, but I'm quite professional at taking beatings and scoldings."

Lin Jin found a set of old maintenance tools outside the equipment room.

A wrench, screwdriver, and insulated pliers.

As soon as he picked up the rusty wrench, the prompt in front of him refreshed again.

[Compatible tool detected]

[Hand of Rules pre-activated]

[Basic maintenance plan now viewable]

The world changed in his eyes.

The Awakening Plaza was no longer just a plaza.

Beneath the ground, rune circuits crisscrossed like blood vessels.

Most of them were already stained black.

The contamination was backflowing.

[00:02:47]

There was no time to apply.

There was no time to explain.

Lin Jin carried the wrench and walked towards the awakening stone.

"Lin Jin!"

The Education Bureau Commissioner noticed his actions and shouted sharply to stop him.

"What are you doing?"

Zhou Heng also laughed: "Are you really getting into character? An F-rank Repairman wants to repair the awakening array?"

Lin Jin didn't stop.

Shen Tingxue suddenly raised her hand.

An ice wall fell, blocking the two teachers rushing towards Lin Jin.

The whole crowd was in an uproar.

The Education Bureau Commissioner's expression changed: "Shen Tingxue, do you know what you are doing?"

Shen Tingxue looked in the direction of the countdown.

She couldn't see the numbers.

But she could feel the air getting colder and colder.

It wasn't her ice.

It was the deathly cold before an abyss crack opened.

"Let him try."

She said.

Lin Jin had already walked to the front of the awakening stone.

The last ten seconds of the countdown.

[00:00:10]

Nine.

Eight.

Seven.

The black crack expanded suddenly.

All detectors screamed at the same time.

The color drained from the Education Bureau Commissioner's face instantly.

"Oh no!"

"Array core contamination!"

It was too late.

The awakening stone shattered with a boom.

A pitch-black crack opened in the center of the plaza, like an eye opening.

The Abyss had arrived.