NOVEL'S EXTRA: I Will Die at the Peak-Chapter 42: Asogi and New born

The entity stood still for a while, unmoving. Its eyes were still fixed on Ravien, but there was no longer any focus in them—it was lost in thought.

The memories that had surged into its mind the moment it touched its forehead were still swirling, gradually taking form.

It opened its left palm. The fingers flexed and relaxed slightly. A faint vibration emerged in the center of its hand, growing steadily into a rhythmic pulse.

Its face showed no expression; only the eyes remained locked onto the trembling point.

"Capacity, huh..." it murmured in a low voice.

"So this is how it’s used."

The vibration intensified. First came a thin, steady light. Then, it curled inward, narrowed, and grew denser. Colors flickered briefly, then dimmed out.

Eventually, a dark sphere formed at the center of the palm—it didn’t emit light; on the contrary, it absorbed the light around it. It was a stagnant void, pulling shadows inward toward itself.

"What am I supposed to do with this..." it muttered.

Then came the memory—Ravien turning blood into lead.

"My father... used to form lead out of blood, something like this."

A brief silence followed. Its face remained blank, but the voice this time was absentminded, as if stuck in a thought.

"Annoying... feels like it’s not even worth the trouble."

It slowly closed its hand. The light vanished—not with a burst, not even with a flicker. No trace remained.

The entity stepped back slowly. It spread its wings along with its shoulders, then flapped them a few times.

With each beat, the air twisted, a gentle current hit the walls, and dust on the stone floor trembled—but did not rise.

Its wings were silent, slicing the air with quiet grace, leaving nothing in their wake. Every motion carried an uncanny elegance.

Then it stopped again. Its muscles relaxed, its breath was shallow.

Its eyes turned to Ravien.

Ravien was still on his knees. His body was motionless, but with close observation, one could tell he was breathing.

His eyes were open—but empty. As if he wasn’t really there, but somewhere far away.

"She’s asleep..." it said, more to itself.

"She had a room... she used to sleep there, I think."

It bent down slowly and picked Ravien up. Its arms moved with deliberate care—neither rushed nor hesitant. The precision with which it carried her wasn’t learned but instinctive—fluid and careful, without strain.

It was doing this only because it had to—out of a cold yet flawless sense of duty.

It began walking toward the door. Its steps were light, nearly soundless. Its feet met the stone floor fully, yet despite each step, the silence in the room remained unbroken.

It opened the door.

Pale morning light filtered in through the corridor.

There was a quiet stillness in the air, but as the door opened, a thin mist began to rise. The temperature in the room had noticeably increased with the entity’s transformation.

When the entity stepped out, the morning light hit its skin. It didn’t shine—instead, it seemed to absorb the light. On its pale skin, the black cracks trailing down from its shoulders became even more defined.

It paused for a moment. Its gaze fixed on a distant corner of the corridor.

"Her room was this way."

It drew in a shallow breath, then continued walking. Its steps remained silent. The faint scent of damp stone from the walls mingled with the heavy stillness in the air.

At the same time, somewhere else...

Asogi was waiting in Ravien’s study. His hands were folded neatly on his knees, head bowed. The room was silent. It wasn’t hours that passed, but thoughts. Time itself drifted into the room at a sluggish pace.

Suddenly, he lifted his head.

"It’s taking too long..." he murmured. His voice was barely more than a whisper, yet firm.

His gaze shifted to the door. He stood up slowly, arms falling to his sides. He took a deep breath—not one of relief or decision, but of necessity. The need to keep going.

"Maybe she’s testing me," he muttered to himself.

"Is she measuring my patience? Or... has she forgotten me?"

He shook his head slightly, lips pressing into a thin line. The thought didn’t sit well with him.

"No... if she’s forgotten..." he whispered.

"Then I don’t matter."

A brief hesitation. His eyes narrowed, and he began to move. He approached the door, reaching for the handle with slow, deliberate motion. His fingers wrapped around it—steady, without trembling.

"I have to find my father," he said in a low voice.

"Maybe my punishment is over... but my father’s work isn’t."

He opened the door. A cool breeze hit his face. After a moment’s pause, he stepped out.

He began walking through the corridor with quick strides. There was no clear expression of purpose on his face; only the urge to move forward, driven by a vague but intense compulsion.

A subtle ripple moved beneath his skin—mostly around his neck and shoulders. Parts of his face blurred briefly as he walked, then came back into focus.

It was as if the surface of his form struggled to keep pace with his steps. The distortions were fleeting, but real—impossible to miss upon closer look.

But he didn’t notice—or didn’t care. He just kept moving.

There was no clear destination. The hallways all looked the same, the turns indistinguishable. But Asogi didn’t care. His pace quickened, steps becoming almost automatic.

He just wanted to move.

To escape the waiting, the silence, the thoughts that gnawed at him from within...

The entity continued walking for a few more minutes.

The dim light seeping from the walls cast soft shadows across its face. The silence was almost a physical presence—it moved with it, step by step.

Then, suddenly, it stopped.

It raised its head, squinting.

Something... was there. It could feel it.

"Seems like... someone’s coming."

Its lips moved, eyes narrowing.

"Judging by that capacity..."

A brief pause.

"It must be Asogi. Hm... So, does that make him my brother now?"

After a short silence, it shrugged lightly.

"Whatever."

Its gaze shifted toward the corner, and it slowed its steps.

---

At the corner of the corridor:

"I need to find my father... Hurry. Hurry."

Asogi was moving fast, his instincts whispering where to go.

But after a few steps, he flinched.

There was a pressure in the air.

An unfamiliar vibration... not visible, but felt deep within his senses.

"There’s... something in the air I don’t recognize. This feeling... what is it?"

His eyes locked on the corner. His heartbeat quickened.

With a breath caught in his throat, he took another step.

And turned the corner.

He saw it.

At the end of the corridor, bathed in pale morning light, stood a winged figure.

It was nearly two and a half meters tall. Two curved horns rose from its head, and black cracks spread down from its shoulders.

In its arms was Ravien.

Unconscious. Silent. Still.

Asogi’s eyes dulled. His mind went blank.

"Who the hell is that... and why are they... carrying MY FATHER?!"

Before the words could even leave his lips, his body had already reacted.

The skin on his shoulders rippled. Small, worm-like pieces of flesh burst from the sides of his neck. The air around his body began to twist.

His eyes widened, lips trembling. He shouted:

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY FATHER?!"

His voice echoed off the stone walls.

The corridor was no longer silent.

Something new had entered it—rage.

Asogi’s steps quickened. His eyes were locked on the figure standing at the end of the hallway.

He was just a few strides away now.

His heart thundered in his chest.

"Stop."

His inner voice barked at him.

"He’s holding my father...

If I make a sudden move...

No. I have to control myself.

I can’t put him in danger."

He stopped. But his breathing was uneven; his hands had tensed without him realizing.

The anger boiled beneath the surface, leaking through his gaze.

Then he spoke.

His voice still trembled, but there was threat in it:

"Put my father down. Or I’ll tear you apart... and eat you."

The entity continued holding Ravien calmly. There was no fear in its eyes. No surprise.

Only attention.

A short silence followed. Then it moved its lips:

"Ah... whatever. I guess we should formally meet.

I’m the second-born.

Which makes me... your sibling—if that’s how this system works."

The fury on Asogi’s face briefly gave way to confusion.

His eyes widened. His gaze blurred.

"What did this horned creature just say? My father’s... second child?

No... no, that’s impossible.

He replaced me with another?

That can’t be true... That’s a lie!"

His mind spun like a vortex.

A single thought echoed within him:

"You’re lying. My father couldn’t have made anyone else but me.

Yes, he was angry at me... but this?

Am I that easy to erase?"

The entity paid no mind to the storm inside Asogi. Not even the slightest sign of interest crossed its face.

It turned its gaze toward the window at the end of the corridor.

Beyond the glass, the light of two suns filtered through—white, orange, and yellow hues blending together.

For a moment, it stared at the peaceful sky, then let out a deep sigh.

Asogi stepped forward, raising his voice:

"HEY, ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO YOURSELF?!"

The entity slowly turned its eyes from the window to him. Its face remained expressionless.

"Honestly, your words aren’t that interesting.

That jealousy you’re drowning in... feels awfully familiar.

I know it from our father’s physical memories.

It’s... exhausting, really."

It tilted its head, giving Ravien a short glance.

"I’m just taking him to his bed. That’s all."