Chương 100: THE FINAL EVALUATION (3)

Kobolds in a Goblin Rift? And a group of twelve on top of that! How is this possible?

"I have no information regarding that," Mimi replied. Of course you don't. Jimin couldn't wrap his head around the situation. But at the moment, he didn't have the luxury to even contemplate. There's no time to think about that stuff. His gaze shifted to Hye-jin. She isn't prepared to use 'Detection' as of the moment… That was when Jimin realized that he could no longer keep things completely hidden. The party's life was genuinely at stake. It was a matter of life and death, no time to hesitate.

There's no other way. Without wasting any time-"Everyone, take your positions!" Jimin shouted, his voice cutting sharply through the chatters.

"We've got incoming. A dozen Kobolds." Jimin's sudden warning surprised everyone in the party.

"What?"

"Kobolds!"

"What are you saying?"

"Wait, how do you know?" But their questions went unanswered; the situation simply didn't allow it. Because that's when the party heard the sound of raging footsteps charging from far beyond the fog. So, their focus shifted instantly. Everyone instinctively raised their guard, eyes locked ahead, waiting for the enemies to appear out of the fog.

Meanwhile, outside the Rift- BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! The Rift monitoring device started to beep suddenly, its screen flashing a bright, bleeding crimson light. The present guards, managing staff and the supervisor of Jimin's party were all startled.

"What's happening?" the supervisor said to the staff, quickly approaching the device.

"We don't know. It just detected a sudden spike in the Rift's mana," a staff member said.

"What?" the supervisor shouted in a tense tone, a cold sweat breaking out on his neck.

"You mean the Rift's danger level has increased!" The staff member didn't say anything at that moment, taking a brief look at the device screen.

"N-No… Not just that," he said, slowly turning to the supervisor with wide, unblinking eyes.

"It's… Unstable." The supervisor's eyes widened with utter horror as the realization came over him.

"Oh god…!"

The steps had grown much louder. Yu-jun, Min-su, and Gun-woo tightened their grips on their weapons. Hye-jin drew back her bowstring, a mana-reinforced arrow gleaming at the tip. Min-ji and Yuna were already preparing an enhanced fireball, while Dong-hyun stood perfectly positioned to provide quick support. While the rest focused forward, Jimin quietly summoned his new dagger and activated 'Overtime', 'Weight Distortion' and 'Pierce'. The four blades hovered around him, ready to strike any moment.

Within a split second, the kobolds emerged out of the dense fog. They charged straight at the party, completely crazed. Unlike their usual cautious nature, these kobolds were rushing forward without any regard for strategy or tactics. It was just pure madness. Even though Jimin had already alerted his party, the vicious scene and the sheer number of monsters still caught everyone completely off guard.

"What the hell!" Gun-woo shouted.

"Why do they look like that?" Min-su gasped, staring at the rabid, foaming jaws. Then suddenly- Thwack! An arrow struck the leading kobold swordsman right between its bloodshot eyes, killing it instantly.

"Focus!" Hye-jin shouted, her voice steady and demanding as she smoothly drew another arrow from her quiver.

"Stop staring and stick to the plan!" Her decisive kill did wonders to snap the party out of their daze, instantly boosting their confidence. Even in this moment of growing peril, a slight smile formed on Jimin's face as he shot his floating daggers forward. He had already resolved to believe in his party members. It would have been easy for him to unleash his full power and handle the entire pack alone, but advancing forward, they had to be able to pull their own weight.

This was a situation where he could no longer afford to play the lone savior. He couldn't just do everything and clear the Rift by himself. But Hye-jin's split-second action was enough to give him the sense of hope he desperately needed. I just need to clear the path for them. Trusting his team, Jimin went for the kobolds' backline, leaving the front to his party. As the kobolds launched their swords and spears, Yu-jun and Min-su blocked the strikes successfully.

Gun-woo thrust his spear forward, maintaining distance, piercing a kobold swordsman's shoulder. Hye-jin shot another arrow, pinning another one to a tree. Simultaneously, Jimin almost instantly cleared the entire rear half of the group by himself, his daggers swiftly piercing through the monsters' throats and chests like butter. The three frontliners cut down a kobold each, while Min-ji blasted the remaining two with her fireball, enhanced by Yuna.

And just like that- The party had emerged victorious against the group of crazed kobolds. Silence reclaimed the foggy woods. Everyone let out a heavy sigh of relief. The three frontliners gasped, breathing heavily due to the sheer physical toll. While Jimin's eyes were focused on the notification window floating in front of him.

【A Corrupted E-Rank 'Kobold' has been killed】 Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Reward: +44 LP Total LP: 1264 His eyes lit up, as the confirmation was right there in front of him. This title and LP amount confirms it. Even though it was a dangerous situation, the double LP subconsciously created a sense of excitement in Jimin, as it also meant an opportunity. A chance to level up faster. But then gaze fell on the mana cores laying on the ground.

He instantly pulled one of the dropped mana cores to his palm, taking a good look at it first.

And at closer inspection, he found that it actually exuded a very faint blackish trace of energy. He appraised it immediately, a window popping up.

Name: Unstable E-Rank Mana Core Grade:??? Description: A small, faint crystal containing a trace amount of raw unstable magical energy. Extremely volatile. Not suitable as a standard material or source of mana.

Jimin stared at the description floating before his eyes. An unstable core as well… The faint blackish energy swirling around the surface was another physical proof of the Rift's corruption.

"Master," Mimi's voice spoke quietly in his mind.

"That core is an anomaly. It shares no natural connection to the system." What? Jimin was absolutely sure at the moment, with no room for doubts. But Mimi's remark surprised him a little. Even if it's an anomaly, it should be a part of the system. It's Rift Corruption for sure. But... He couldn't make anything of it at that moment. But before he could contemplate any further-"Ahh.. Those were much stronger than normal goblins," Gun-woo said, wiping sweat from his eyes.

"Yeah... I actually struggled to kill just that one," Min-su admitted, looking at his sword.

"They had almost twice the strength of a goblin."

"Really? Those are your first thoughts right now?" Yu-jun said, turning around with a deeply stressed expression.

"How and why are there even kobolds in a goblin Rift to begin with? This is an E-Rank Rift, damnit. It shouldn't even be possible for two species to exist simultaneously.." Everyone looked at each other for answers, but they had just as much information as the person standing next to them. So naturally, no answer came up on the spot. Jimin let out a quiet sigh. Now's the time to tell them. He parted his lips, about to do just that.

But right then-"That's that, but is anyone going to address the elephant in the room?" Hye-jin said suddenly, turning her sharp, piercing gaze directly toward Jimin.

"How did you know about the kobolds? So precisely on top of that?" Jimin had been anticipating the question eventually, but her direct, no-bullshit questioning still managed to make him instantly flustered. His mind scrambled, as he still hadn't come up with a plausible lie. For him, looking at the suspicious glints in his friends' eyes, this was when hell truly broke loose.

"Actually… I gained a new detection skill recently," Jimin stammered, as his mind raced to piece together a plausible cover story. Hye-jin's eyes narrowed instantly.

"A detection skill? Then why didn't you use it earlier? Or at least tell us beforehand?"

"Well, the thing is… It puts my senses under overwhelming strain. Especially my eyes," Jimin lied smoothly, keeping his voice as steady and convincing as possible.

"It gives me headaches whenever I use it. And headaches are bad for me," he said with an awkward smile, making a dagger circle around his extended arm." I was planning to save it as a last-resort safety measure. I really didn't mean to keep you guys in the dark." The explanation sounded reasonable enough. Gun-woo waved his hand dismissively, breaking the tension.

"Hey, a hidden card is a hidden card. Cut him some slack, Hye-jin. He just saved us from a nasty surprise flank." Yu-jun nodded in agreement, letting out a heavy breath.

"Yeah, let's focus on the fact that we're all in one piece." The immediate suspicion faded, and the party let the matter drop. However, Hye-jin still eyed him with a lingering doubt. Even though she was the ranger-type, Jimin's detection skill was still far superior to her. It simply didn't make sense for his build. So, she continued her interrogation.

"Wait a minute, Jimin. If that skill is a last resort that causes you so much strain, why did you activate it so suddenly right before the ambush? It's not like you already knew what was coming out of that fog." Jimin froze. The question was a direct bullseye, tearing right through his hastily constructed lie. He was already about to reveal the reality of their situation. And Hye-jin's sharp questioning only made him realize that telling them the truth now was the best option at that moment.

Jimin let out a long, heavy sigh, dropping the facade.

"You're right," he said, his tone serious.

"I actually kind of knew what was coming." The sudden gravity in his voice made the team freeze for a moment.

"What do you mean, Jimin?" Yu-jun asked, his brow furrowing.

"The truth is… Something is wrong with this Rift," Jimin said.

"Think about the goblins we fought here first. And about the goblins we fought in the field rift. Didn't you guys say that they felt stronger than usual? You were right. The monsters are stronger than they should be. And… Remember that strange sensation we felt just before I gave the warning?" Everyone began to race their mind, looking at each other.

"That was probably the sign. This isn't a normal dungeon anymore. Kobolds being in a goblin Rift and these mana cores prove it. We…" Jimin said, showing them the unstable core. He took a sharp breath, before delivering the final blow.

"We're trapped inside a Rift Corruption." The party fell dead silent, their faces draining of color.

"Rift Corruption!" Yuna asked, her voice shaking slightly. Each member of the party knew that basically meant a death sentence for all of them. So even with the signs present, they still struggled to accept it.

"B-But that's incredibly rare. How are you so sure about that?" said Yu-jun. Jimin lowered his gaze, his fists clenching tightly as a deep, painful memory surfaced his mind.

"My parents were professional Rifters," he said softly, his voice thick with suppressed emotion.

"Ten years ago, they were trapped inside a corrupted Rift. They… Never made it out. When I grew up, I went through all the official records and incident files trying to understand what happened to them. It contained the testimony of the only survivor of that incident… The now S-Rank Rifter, Baek Sang-hoon. But there wasn't much information there. Except… The fact that the Rift's mana suddenly spiked and that it became unstable, strengthening the monsters inside." He took a brief pause.

"I could never mistake it for anything else." By the time he finished, a heavy, suffocating panic began to ripple through the group as the crushing weight of reality set in.

"An evaluation test turning into a death trap?" Yu-jun asked, his hands shaking slightly against his heavy shield.

"How are we even supposed to fight back against a Corrupted Rift?" Seeing his friends on the verge of breaking down, Jimin stepped forward, his voice ringing with absolute clarity and assurance.

"Listen to me! I know it's terrifying, but panicking right now will only get us killed. I promise you, I will do everything in my power to protect you. Every single one of you. If we stick together, adapt and fight like a team with absolutely everything we've got… We will walk out of here alive." His unwavering confidence acted like an anchor for the group, cutting through the thick layer of dread that had threatened to paralyze them.

For a few agonizing seconds, the forest was completely still, except for the sound of their own ragged breathing. Yu-jun looked down at his shield, his mind clearly racing as he weighed the sheer danger of their situation. He wasn't someone special; he was just a kid trying to pass an exam. But hearing Jimin's words, the frantic panic in his chest slowly began to settle into acceptance. Taking a deep, Yu-jun slammed the edge of his heavy shield firmly into the dirt.

"Jimin is right," he said.

"Standing here shaking isn't going to open an exit. We didn't grind for three months just to fold at the first sign of trouble. We fight together." Gun-woo let out a dry, nervous chuckle. Seeing his leader plant his feet helped him find his own footing. He forced a gritty smile, his eyes narrowing as he looked into the fog.

"Yeah! Let's see what it can throw against us." Beside them, Min-su gripped his spear so tightly his knuckles turned white, silently processing the reality that a mistake now meant death. Hye-jin didn't say a word, but her grabbing her bow tightly, spoke volumes. The rest exchanged tense looks. One by one, the party members nodded, their fear hardening into a fierce, unified resolve. They had fully absorbed the gravity of the situation, and instead of breaking, they had chosen to fight.

And watching his friends find their courage gave Jimin more courage and hope in return, filling his chest with a burning determination.

With everything settled, the party soon advanced forward into the darkening woods. A quiet, confident smile spread across Jimin's face as he made a promise to himself. Though it is a Corrupted Rift that is said to be a death warrant… That kills almost every Rifter trapped inside it… That even took my parents… But I'll make sure to clear it. I will make sure to save each one of us. He stole a look at his status window. Because I have 'Skillmaster' by my side.

But then a thought crossed his mind, turning his smile into a wide grin. No… I am the Skillmaster.