WPRAF 28

Chapter 28

The sky was overcast, but there was no sign of snow.

However, the sun would soon set, and a chilling cold was about to envelop them.

They needed to resolve this before then.

I jiggled my legs while observing the players following me on either side.

Their solemn faces radiated unwavering determination.

“Let’s pick up the pace.”

As I urged the hammer group forward, a scream suddenly pierced the silence.

“Waaaah—!”

Instinctively, I looked up.

The scream came from above.

Far in the distance, someone was flailing their limbs and shooting into the air.

The man soared to the height of an eighth-floor apartment and then fell straight down.

Thud—!

He bounced like a spring upon hitting the asphalt road before collapsing.

Yet, the players in the Anvil group did not avert their eyes from the enemy before them.

He was barely alive, and one wrong move could cost someone their neck.

The Anvil group was fighting fiercely.

They unleashed skills against six ogres swinging massive clubs and were exchanging blows with enemies composed mainly of goblin elite soldiers.

Then, another player was lifted into the air.

“Ahhh!”
“I’ve got him! Pull him!”
“Don’t let go of my feet! Hold on tight!”

This time, the nearby teammates successfully caught him, tugging his legs like in a tug-of-war.

Everyone was barely holding on and couldn’t do this much longer.

They had to find the culprit behind this.

It was obvious who it was.

I scanned the battlefield and quickly located the goblin priest.

Clad in red ceremonial robes with a gem-studded belt around his waist, he was hard to miss.

He stood at the rear of the formation with two elite soldiers as his guards.

What mattered wasn’t the guards, but the fact that he held a staff with a snake’s head, extended diagonally.

“This should work.”

Sun Woojin had analyzed that the goblin priest’s main skill was telekinesis.

There might be other abilities, but his telekinesis was certain.

Resisting such a force was impossible.

But there was a way.

[Stealth].

Sun Woojin’s voice echoed in my mind, boosting my confidence: How can he use telekinesis if you’re invisible?

He firmly believed that I was the only one capable of subduing the priest.

Even now, standing beside Choi Kyung behind me, he was silently cheering me on.

“Here we go.”

I smirked and drew my cherished dagger, [Black Wolf’s Dagger].

Then I nodded to Choi Kyung, Hwang Hyeju, and the players lined up behind us, signaling them to begin.

“Raaah!”
“Kill them all!”

The hammer group roared with vengeance in their hearts, targeting the goblins flanking the Anvil group.

Over fifty players suddenly charged in, scattering the goblin soldiers in panic.

The stalemate that had lasted until moments ago was broken.

The tide of battle shifted toward the humans with the arrival of the hammer group.

True to their name, they ruthlessly struck down the materials atop the anvils.

Choi Kyung, possessed by Breeze, and Hwang Hyeju, now wielding the [Krumpea Empire Scimitar], excelled.

They took on the largest threat—the ogres.

“Kyung, hit him hard!”
“Don’t get hurt, sister.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve leveled up enough to dodge his club easily now.”

Hwang Hyeju narrowly dodged an ogre’s attack using [Yunwoo Movement], slowing its movements with the scimitar’s [Pressure] effect.

Choi Kyung leapt agilely and struck the back of the ogre’s head.

The ogre withstood their combined assault with sheer durability, but defeat was only a matter of time.

Meanwhile, the enemy’s troops split to block humans attacking from both sides.

This gave the Anvil players a renewed vigor.

Hwang Manho, taking blows from the ogres’ clubs, and Kang Juhee, casting fireballs from afar, could finally breathe easier. The atmosphere was favorable toward the hammer group.

It was hard to believe these were the same people who had been whining about not wanting to participate in the Anvil group.

‘The battle seems to be in our favor, but it’s too early to relax.’

Despite his subordinates being attacked, the goblin priest remained composed.

Each time his staff moved, a player was sent flying.

‘I can’t wait any longer.’

I was about to wait for the priest’s guards to disperse, but the situation wouldn’t allow it.

I activated [Stealth] as I stepped forward.

My body blended with the surroundings and vanished.

‘Nothing’s changed.’

Just like when I took out the squad leader and transport captain, I only needed to cut the priest’s throat.

Eliminate him completely and secure victory in this battle.

I advanced about ten meters, setting my sights.

Then, a notification appeared before my eyes:

[Debtor Kim Daeho has transferred 10,800 coins.]
[Balance: 89,758 coins]

…?

A transfer from Kim Daeho had popped up, matching exactly the amount of his loan repayment. My stomach churned.

‘Damn it…’

Yes, Kim Daeho, who had been faithfully paying daily interest, repaid the principal and interest in one go—today of all days.

[Debtor Kim Daeho has repaid the full principal and interest.]

I had anticipated he would eventually clear the debt—he had always paid interest punctually.

But I didn’t expect it today.

Of course, I assumed he had spent the 10,000 coins I lent him and that it would take time to gather that much again.

Yet, he hadn’t wiped out the principal.

‘This was his second loan.’

The first loan had been 3,000 coins. He had given up trying to recover the principal.

He must have realized that to reclaim collateral, some principal needed to be preserved.

[Collateral: [Stealth] skill returned to the debtor.]

As [Stealth] returned to its original owner, I became visible.

I was already close to the goblin priest with no place to hide.

‘No choice. Time for Plan B.’

I had prepared Plan B for when [Stealth] failed.

Though the easier route was blocked, the unexpected event had occurred, and I couldn’t turn back. I focused solely on my goal and rushed forward.

At that moment, I met the fierce gaze of the elite soldier guarding the priest.

The soldier was startled by my sudden appearance.

“Grrrk!”

He let out a warning, and the goblin priest quickly turned his head.

Small compared to a captain-level goblin, he looked like a cunning strategist, and his cold expression didn’t change.

‘He’s confident in his skill, huh?’

The priest aimed his staff at me.

Thanks to that, the player who had just been lifted into the air survived.

I remembered what Sun Woojin had said:

‘If the target changes, the previous target escapes telekinesis…’

An hour earlier, Sun Woojin had shown a video from a YouTuber friend observing the goblin priest.

Telekinesis was like invisible strings.

Imagine throwing a lasso at a wild horse, but another horse gets in the way. The lasso would capture the wrong horse.

The key to Plan B was using an obstacle to escape the priest’s grasp.

‘The problem is that telekinesis is invisible.’

I had found a clue in the video.

‘Every time he used telekinesis, the snake on the staff opened its mouth.’

That was the precursor. Three to four seconds later, the targeted player would be launched into the air.

‘Timing is everything.’

I confidently reached into my pocket and grabbed a smooth, shiny orb—a toy marble from the observation apartment.

“Come.”

With a marble in my left hand and dagger in my right, I prepared.

The snake on the staff didn’t move.

Instead, the elite guards approached from both sides.

Thud—!

The head of the elite soldier on the right exploded like a watermelon.

From the west, faint gunshots rang out.

The priest’s expression rippled as another guard fell.

“Grrk!”

He gave an unknown signal—seemingly to finish the task quickly.

The remaining elite soldiers moved.

Another step forward—

Thud—!

An elite guard’s head exploded before me.

Bang—!

A few seconds later, another gunshot came from the same direction, and a face overlapped with the sound.

She worked in trade alongside me, called Manager Seo.

If I was the field agent, she was the rescue agent, pulling me from danger if I failed. She had saved my life multiple times in the past.

Just like now.

But it wasn’t her who had just helped me.

I erased that thought and faced forward.

The priest’s wrinkled eyes held annoyance.

“Nice face. I hated seeing you act all calm.”

Did he understand my sarcasm?

The snake’s mouth opened, and I counted silently:

One.
Two.
Three.

‘Now.’

I threw the marble with my left hand.

It flew straight, slowed as if hitting something, and then hovered midair.

‘…Success.’

I stepped forward, infused my dagger with ultimate power.

The subtle aura on the blade intensified.

With the effect of [Achievement] and the [Ruby Ring of the Sihera Desert Merchant], my Magic Power jumped by 20 points.

‘This should be enough to cut through his lifeline.’

I reached the priest and slashed straight.

He raised his staff to defend.

The dagger, sharpened and enhanced by ultimate power, sliced through the staff effortlessly.

Then—

A grin crept across his mouth, and my hair stood on end.

Simultaneously, his golden belt glowed, snapping open with a shrrr.

“…What!”

I tried to retreat, but the segmented belt surged at my limbs, locking my wrists and ankles.

It felt like wearing a one-ton sandbag.

The priest approached, smiling sinisterly at my immobile stance.

Then I heard Sun Woojin’s desperate voice behind me:

“Brother!”
“Manager Han!”

Sun Woojin and Deputy Manager Choi Kyuseong were running toward me.

‘Dangerous.’

I couldn’t let them approach, as they didn’t know how to counter telekinesis.

“Stop! Don’t come any closer!”

But I could use them.

I glared at the priest and shouted to them:

“What’s your strength?!”
“Huh?”
“I said strength!”

They were confused but reported their Strength stats.

Sun Woojin: 21
Choi Kyuseong: 37

Choi, who focused on strength, was obviously stronger.

‘Good.’

I quickly granted them [Small Loans].

Loan term: 1 day
Interest: 1% simple
Collateral: their entire Strength

[Sun Woojin accepted the loan.]
[21,000 coins granted.]

[Choi Kyuseong accepted the loan.]
[37,000 coins granted.]

[Balance: 31,758 coins]

They understood immediately and accepted.

[Collateral: Strength +21. If the debtor fails to repay in 24 hours, I permanently gain Strength +21.]
[Collateral: Strength +37. If the debtor fails to repay in 24 hours, I permanently gain Strength +37.]

My Strength surged from 30 to 88, and a power I’d never felt before coursed through me.

The priest’s expression shifted in shock as he extended his arm, telekinesis wrapping around me.

Yet, I didn’t budge.

I realized why—the priest seemed to realize it too.

“Why? Not going as planned? That’s what you get for digging your own grave.”

I endured the weight of the belt he couldn’t lift and returned his smug smile.

“Now, go back to where you belong.”