NOVEL'S EXTRA: I Will Die at the Peak-Chapter 38: A Little Boring, Maybe

Ravien, after drinking a few more glasses of wine, stood up from the table and headed to the study.

Asogi, as always, followed him with silent steps. After the echoes of their footsteps faded down the corridor, a brief silence settled over the room.

Haldvir took a deep breath. He leaned back in his chair, but couldn’t relax. The tightness in his chest still hadn’t gone away. His eyes lingered on the empty plates on the table for a moment.

"Today... I was really dying," he whispered to himself.

"Good thing Master Jiho arrived in time. Next time... next time I’ll be more careful about speaking in front of that strange being."

But something was wrong.

There was still a heaviness in the air.

As if he wasn’t the only living thing in the room.

He slowly turned his head.

Jiho was still there.

Like a statue. Like a shadow.

And he was watching him.

Jiho tilted his head slightly and spoke in a calm, cold voice:

"I think it’d be wise for you to be careful too, Haldvir."

Haldvir’s throat went dry. He flinched and stared at Jiho without making a sound.

"Y-You... didn’t you already leave?"

Jiho tilted his head again, eyes fixed on him.

"No. I still have things to do here.

You should return to your duties as well."

Haldvir lowered his head.

"Just... of course," he muttered. "Of course."

I need to get back to work.

Which means... scrubbing walls. Scraping stone floors. Surviving.

Maybe one day, if I brush the wrong stone, my body will end up inside that very wall.

At least it’d be a quiet death.

When Ravien stepped into the study, he felt the cool breeze drifting in from the open window.

The room was dim; old curtains swayed slightly with the wind, and the air hung thick with the sharp scent of dried earth and stone.

He walked over to his desk and sat down with a deep breath.

In front of him lay a stack of blank papers, a pen, and an ink bottle filled halfway.

As he picked up the pen, he squinted out the window. The sky was still covered in those strange-colored clouds, though now they were more scattered.

(POV: Ravien)

I don’t just want to keep this place standing.

I want to turn it into a stronghold—something that can stand on its own, built on solid foundations.

The first step is organizing the settlement.

As it stands now, most of the structures are either collapsed or unusable.

Some houses will need to be rebuilt entirely, while others can be salvaged with proper repairs.

Sturdy buildings, orderly streets, an environment that radiates security...

These are essential if I want people to develop a sense of belonging.

Agriculture is another priority.

We need to produce our own food—I don’t want to be dependent on anyone.

The soil looks fertile. We need to make careful decisions about what to plant, and then begin working the land.

As for resources...

There’s a vast forest to the northeast. We can harvest the wood we need from there.

It’ll be vital for construction, fuel, and other future projects.

And of course, the economy.

A city’s foundation is its production capacity.

At first, we can focus on internal trade: product bartering, small workshops, simple manufacturing...

Eventually, this structure can grow and evolve into something more stable.

The southeastern mountain has also caught my attention.

It hasn’t been explored yet, but it shows promise in terms of mineral wealth.

When the time is right, I’ll send a small team to evaluate its potential.

Iron, coal, or even rarer elements... whatever we find will benefit us in the long run.

In terms of defense, I need to think long-term.

There’s no point in creating weak creatures just for the sake of numbers.

I’ll create a small number of intelligent, powerful beings.

Creatures with potential—like Asogi—capable of growth.

This way, we’ll consume fewer resources while gaining a real edge in combat.

I picked up my pen and scribbled a few brief notes.

To-Do List:

Organize the settlement

Establish an agricultural system

Secure timber from the forest

Build an internal economic structure

Explore the southeastern mountain

Create a strong and intelligent combat force

As a soft breeze slipped through the open window, it made the papers on the table flutter. Ravien lifted his head and stared into the empty room.

It took him nearly half an hour to organize the documents in front of him and turn all his plans into a structured outline.

But at last, everything had become clear. He was in control.

Still, there was one thing lingering in his mind.

He had spared one of the guards from the merchant caravan—tasked him with delivering a message to the lord of Lacrima City.

The man hadn’t gotten far yet; it would take him at least two more days to reach the city.

And within those two days, anything could happen.

Fauriel had said he was one of Lacrima’s wealthiest merchants.

If that was true, he likely had close ties with the city’s lord.

Otherwise, someone so careless could never have built such wealth.

In that case, there was a 60% chance the lord would respond with hostility and send soldiers.

As for the remaining 40%... it was uncertain.

Maybe he’ll choose a different path.

Maybe he’ll choose to stay silent.

For now, he stopped thinking about it.

He rose from his chair.

Walked toward the open window.

The sky was slowly changing colors under the light of the two pale suns that were beginning to set.

Massive clouds in shades of orange, purple, green, and gray were gradually painting the heavens.

A large green moon hung suspended between the twin suns.

The wind gently swept through his hair.

He took a deep breath and whispered, almost inaudibly:

"Shhh-ha..."

My Fate Ability might be powerful... but this world operates with less logic than even the novels I’ve read.

I have to account for every possibility.

Dying before reaching the peak—

That wouldn’t suit me.

And whoever stands at the top...

I want to face them.

I just want to fight—nothing else matters.

As my thoughts drifted skyward, a tight knot of emotion pulled within me.

That familiar thrill rising inside placed a subtle smile on my face before I even realized it.

In the corner of the room, Asogi stood silently.

He noticed the smile.

Tilting his head slightly, narrowing his eyes, he tried to understand what his father was thinking.

Why is Father smiling like that...?

Asogi didn’t take his eyes off him.

He turned his gaze toward the sky Ravien had been staring at.

Aside from the two pale suns and the green moon, there was nothing unusual to see.

Everything was still. Quiet.

Asogi’s mind was cloudy. He couldn’t quite process what he was feeling.

He wondered why his father was smiling, but hesitation held him back.

He wanted to ask something—but didn’t.

He thought his father might still be angry.

So he chose to stay quietly by his side.

Ravien continued to watch the view for a while longer, then pulled his gaze away from the sky.

He wouldn’t linger anymore.

With heavy steps, he turned toward the door.

Asogi, as always, had already prepared to follow.

He took a step forward—

But Ravien stopped just as his hand reached the doorknob. Without turning around, he spoke:

"Asogi. You’ll stay here tonight. Think about what you’ve done. This is your punishment.

You need to learn how to control your anger."

Asogi froze in place.

He stared at his father in shock.

It was the first time he’d been punished so directly.

He didn’t know what to say—but he didn’t break the silence.

He lowered his head and didn’t move.

Ravien opened the door and left the room without another word.

When the door closed, a deep silence blanketed the space.

Asogi remained still for a long while.

Then, slowly, he lifted his head and looked toward the desk where his father had just been sitting.

The neat stack of papers, the pen, and the ink bottle on the table looked like the only lifeless things in the room.

Asogi kept standing in silence, head bowed.

With a faint expression crossing his face, he murmured softly to himself:

"Father... was angry at me.

But he doesn’t hate me, does he?

No. No, don’t think like that, Asogi. This is just a punishment. Just... a punishment.

I deserved it. I must have deserved it."

His voice trembled, but his gaze held a firm resolve.

He continued to wait without moving.

(POV: Ravien)

I left the study and started walking down the corridor to the left.

That’s where I had created Asogi and the others.

But now it’s too crowded. Even my thoughts seem to bounce off the corners of the room and come back to me.

To create, I need silence first. A clean slate. A new beginning.

I remembered the large, simple room I discovered while exploring the castle.

I decided to move my creation process there.

More space and fewer distractions would allow me to work with better control.

As I walked through the corridor, my footsteps echoed on the stone floor.

The air carried the faint, sharp scent of dust built up over time.

The walls were cool, with small cracks and traces of moisture visible on the surface.

After a short walk, I stopped in front of a wide, ornate door.

The stone was weathered—some parts had started to crumble around the edges.

I touched the carving on the door.

It was worn with time, edges cracked.

As I pushed it open, a cool draft brushed against my face.

I stepped inside.

The ceiling was high; the walls unbroken and smooth.

There were a few crates in the corners, a forgotten coat hook on the wall, and some cracked stones scattered on the floor.

A deep, uninterrupted silence filled the room.

A fine layer of dust on the stone floor recorded the trail of my footsteps.

The surface was dry and slightly rough.

I stood at the center of the room.

Stretched my arms behind me, easing the tension in my back.

There was a faint but familiar impatience stirring inside me.

I muttered to myself:

"Let’s begin."