5: Chapter 5: Are those with non-essential professions unfit to participate in combat assessments?

The third hour after the accident ended.

The entire Jiangcheng No. 3 High School was still in a semi-lockdown state.

Caution tape had been set up around the sports field.

Personnel from the Abyss Processing Bureau were moving back and forth, testing for contamination.

But the student forum had already exploded.

"F-Rank Repairman Repairs Abyss Rift"

"A-Rank Thunder Spear Knight's Contribution Crushed"

"Shen Tingxue Personally Testifies for Lin Jin"

Posts were popping up one after another.

They couldn't be deleted fast enough.

And at this moment.

In the school infirmary.

Lin Jin was leaning against the hospital bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

The aftereffects of overdrawing his mental power were more severe than he had imagined.

His head felt like someone had hammered it hundreds of times.

"You look like you're about to die."

Chen Ye was sitting nearby, peeling an apple.

Lin Jin closed his eyes: "Thanks for your encouragement."

"I'm serious." Chen Ye's face was solemn. "The look on your face back at the plaza was like a corpse coming back to life."

Lin Jin couldn't be bothered to respond.

What he cared about more right now was the Maintenance Log in his mind.

Ever since the Hand of Rules officially activated.

Many things started looking different to him.

For instance, right now.

The air conditioner on the infirmary wall had a line of translucent prompts hanging over it in his eyes.

[Target: Old Cooling Equipment]

[Fault: Filter Clogged]

[Repair Difficulty: F]

[Repair?]

Lin Jin: "..."

Absurd.

Can he really repair anything?

He looked over at Chen Ye's shield.

[Target: D-Rank Standard Shield]

[Fault: Slight Crack on Left Load-Bearing Point]

[Estimated Time to Collapse: 7 Days]

The corner of Lin Jin's eye twitched slightly.

This ability was practically an occupational disease.

"Brother Jin."

Chen Ye suddenly lowered his voice.

"Tell me honestly."

"What exactly is going on with that repair of yours?"

Lin Jin opened his eyes.

"If I said I don't know either, would you believe me?"

Chen Ye was silent for two seconds.

"If someone else said it, I wouldn't believe it."

"But since you said it, I believe you."

Lin Jin's heart skipped a beat.

He didn't continue to explain.

Because even he hadn't fully figured out the Hand of Rules yet.

Just then.

The infirmary door was pushed open.

The Homeroom Teacher walked in.

But it was different from before.

This time, the look of "pity" was gone from his face.

Instead, it was a bit complicated.

"Lin Jin, how are you recovering?"

"It's alright."

The Homeroom Teacher nodded.

Then he was silent for a few seconds.

Suddenly, he sighed.

"Regarding today's events... I misjudged you."

Chen Ye's eyes lit up instantly.

"Teacher, do you finally admit that Brother Jin is awesome?"

The Homeroom Teacher glared at him.

"Less cheek."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Lin Jin again.

"But don't be happy too soon."

"The Department of Education is currently debating your profession quite a bit."

Lin Jin was not surprised.

"Because I'm F-Rank?"

"No."

The Homeroom Teacher shook his head.

"Because you don't seem like an F-Rank."

The air went slightly quiet.

Lin Jin narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Normal Repairmans can only repair machinery and equipment."

"But what you repaired today was a dungeon formation."

The Homeroom Teacher lowered his voice.

"Many people suspect that your profession has undergone a special mutation."

Lin Jin didn't speak.

Because he was right.

The Hand of Rules was clearly not something a normal Repairman could have.

The Homeroom Teacher continued:

"There's one more thing."

"The Jiangcheng Combat Academy has started accepting applications for early assessment today."

Chen Ye sat up abruptly.

"Combat Academy?"

That was the top-tier vocational academy in all of Jiangcheng.

For ordinary students, getting in was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

And the early assessment was something only the elite could participate in.

"Brother Jin must go!"

Chen Ye said excitedly.

"After today, who would dare to say that a Repairman can't fight?"

The Homeroom Teacher's expression, however, was a bit awkward.

"That's exactly the problem."

"The academy just sent out a notice."

"F-Rank Life Professions... do not qualify for battle assessments."

The air went silent instantly.

Chen Ye's expression changed immediately.

"What do you mean?"

"Brother Jin saved the whole school's lives today!"

"Now you're telling me he doesn't even have the qualification to take the exam?"

The Homeroom Teacher gave a bitter smile.

"This isn't something the school can decide."

"The Combat Academy's rules have always been like this."

"Life Professions are defaulted to the logistics system."

"Especially F-Rank."

Chen Ye was so angry he almost slapped the table.

"Bullshit rules!"

"Then how can someone like Zhou Heng, who almost killed the whole school, get in?"

The Homeroom Teacher couldn't respond.

Because that was the reality.

Professional rank.

Decides everything.

Lin Jin didn't have much of a reaction.

He had actually guessed it long ago.

Although he had been in the spotlight today.

That was just an accident.

What truly determined resource allocation was still the professional rating.

"When is the registration deadline?"

The Homeroom Teacher was stunned.

"Tomorrow noon."

"Hmm."

Lin Jin pulled back the blanket and got out of bed.

Chen Ye was confused.

"What are you doing?"

"Registering."

"But they won't let you participate."

Lin Jin lowered his head to put on his shoes.

"Then I'll make them change the rules."

The Homeroom Teacher was stunned.

He suddenly realized.

From the moment of awakening until now.

Lin Jin didn't seem to have ever broken down because of being F-Rank.

Others mocked him.

He wasn't anxious.

Others denied him.

He wasn't anxious either.

Because he had always known.

He would win.

Just then.

Footsteps suddenly came from the entrance of the infirmary.

A white figure stopped there.

Shen Tingxue.

She had changed out of the school uniform jacket she wore during awakening and was wearing only a simple white shirt.

But her aura was still ridiculously strong.

The infirmary went quiet instantly.

Even the Homeroom Teacher stood up straight subconsciously.

S-Rank profession.

It was enough to be taken seriously anywhere.

"How are you recovering?"

She looked at Lin Jin.

"I won't die."

"That's good."

She nodded.

Then she spoke directly.

"I've applied for a team for the Combat Academy assessment."

The Homeroom Teacher was shocked.

"Who did you apply to team up with?"

"Lin Jin."

The air froze instantly.

Chen Ye's eyes widened like copper bells.

"What the hell?"

The Homeroom Teacher was bewildered.

"Student Shen, are you sure?"

"You are the person with the best hope of getting into the Imperial Capital Academy in Jiangcheng this year."

"There's no need to waste your spot on—"

He stopped halfway through.

Because the words "F-Rank Repairman" were now a bit hard to say.

Shen Tingxue's tone remained calm.

"I'm not wasting it."

"If it weren't for Lin Jin today, the Awakening Plaza would have already become an Abyss entrance."

"And."

She paused.

"I want to see."

"What else he can actually repair."

Lin Jin looked at her.

"You trust me that much?"

Shen Tingxue met his gaze.

"I trust results."

"Today's result is that you saved everyone."

Suddenly, no one in the infirmary spoke.

Even Chen Ye felt that the atmosphere wasn't right.

These two standing together.

Had a strangely weird feeling.

Not like a couple.

More like—

Two monsters observing each other.

Just then.

A commotion suddenly came from outside the door.

Immediately after.

A voice filled with anger rang out.

"Lin Jin!"

Zhou Heng had arrived.

His expression was extremely ugly.

Behind him followed several Zhou family students.

Chen Ye stood up immediately.

"What are you here for?"

Zhou Heng ignored him.

He just stared at Lin Jin.

"Did you know in advance that the dungeon would go out of control?"

The atmosphere in the infirmary instantly turned cold.

The Homeroom Teacher's expression changed.

"Zhou Heng, what do you mean?"

"My meaning is very simple."

Zhou Heng sneered.

"An F-Rank Repairman, how could you repair an Abyss formation right after awakening?"

"Unless—"

"He knew where the problem was all along."

Chen Ye blew up immediately.

"Did your brain get fried by lightning?"

"Brother Jin saved you, and you're biting back?"

Zhou Heng's voice grew colder and colder.

"Who knows if he tampered with the formation on purpose?"

The air suddenly went quiet.

Even the Homeroom Teacher's expression changed.

These words were no longer just causing trouble.

This was an attempt to frame Lin Jin directly.

Once confirmed.

Responsibility for the Abyss accident was enough to ruin a student.

Shen Tingxue frowned slightly.

"Zhou Heng, you've gone too far."

"I've gone too far?"

Zhou Heng seemed to be triggered.

"Today was supposed to be my Awakening Day!"

"And now everyone is talking about a Repairman!"

"Why?"

He stared fixedly at Lin Jin.

For the first time, real hostility appeared in his eyes.

"You, an F-Rank profession, why do you get to step on my head?"

The infirmary went completely quiet.

Everyone was looking at Lin Jin.

And Lin Jin just lowered his head and glanced at the Thunder Spear in Zhou Heng's hand.

The next second.

A line of fault prompts slowly appeared.

[Target: A-Rank Standard Thunder Spear]

[Fault: Energy Circuit Overload]

[Estimated Time to Loss of Control: 00:00:13]

Lin Jin was silent for two seconds.

Suddenly he looked up.

"You'd better put that spear down first."

Zhou Heng sneered.

"What, scared?"

"No."

Lin Jin said seriously.

"I'm afraid you'll blow yourself up."

Zhou Heng was stunned.

The next second.

The Thunder Spear in his hand suddenly let out a piercing screech.

Purple electric currents went wild!

"What?!"

Zhou Heng's expression changed drastically.

Boom!

The Thunder Spear exploded on the spot.