NOVEL'S EXTRA: I Will Die at the Peak-Chapter 47: Are they still alive?

Nepal’s stomach churned violently. The scene before her was unlike anything she had ever witnessed. She had grown up surrounded by death. Shattered corpses, severed heads... She had seen it all.

But this—this was something else.

Her stomach twisted again. Her vision blurred, and a wave of heat crawled up her throat.

She felt like vomiting, but clenched her teeth and forced herself to hold it back.

A trembling hand went to her lips. As she fought the urge, she tried desperately to suppress the sickening pressure building in her throat.

Noa was silently watching all of this unfold. The surge of energy in his body hadn’t fully withdrawn. The air in the room was still thick. He let out a deep breath.

"Haah... Nepal, what am I going to do with you?" he murmured to himself.

Then, slowly, he stood up. With a movement as if shaking off a heavy weight, he stepped silently toward Nepal.

Nepal was nearly choking. Her eyes were filled with tears, and sweat beaded on her forehead.

Her shoulders trembled as Noa’s hand gently rested on her. Noa paused for a moment, then softly rubbed her back without pressing down.

Nepal tried to take a deep breath. Her voice cracked as she struggled to swallow the knot in her throat.

"I—I’m sorry, my lord... For something so small—"

She was already ashamed, even as the words slipped from her mouth.

Noa tilted his head slightly and touched Nepal’s lips with the tips of his fingers.

"Shhh... It’s better if you don’t talk right now," he said softly.

As he withdrew his hand, he gave a slight smile.

"And in the future... get used to it. If you’re planning to stay by my side, things like this will happen often."

Nepal nodded quietly. Her gaze stayed fixed on the floor. While trying to steady her breathing, she was still battling the murky sensation in her throat.

At that moment, a small movement went unnoticed by the strange pair, breaking the heavy silence in the room.

Near the shattered body, amidst the scattered organs, lay a small, grayish chunk of brain tissue, close to the doorway.

That motionless lump suddenly stirred. Fine nerve strands on its surface began to twitch.

A pair of tiny, translucent veins stretched out, pushing it forward across the floor.

The parasite wasn’t dead yet.

The small brain fragment continued to move.

Its thin neural fibers trembled and spread out as it crept across the ground toward the door.

The gray, sticky mass approached the narrow gap beneath the threshold. As it latched its tendrils to the floor and pulled itself along, faint vibrations rippled from each movement.

As it slipped under the door, someone observing from outside might have mistaken it for a tiny, four-legged flesh bug.

Its nerve fibers, now tinged red like contracting and expanding veins, made faint clicking noises with each step.

After squeezing through the gap, it entered the vast corridor of the massive castle.

The ceilings were high, and the stone walls damp. The brain fragment pressed forward without pause.

It turned toward a large, half-open window nearby. Extending its tendrils toward the glass, it latched onto the cold stone floor and began to climb. The wind sneaking through the window made its fibers flutter gently.

Upon reaching the outside, its nerve filaments clung to the windowsill, then hung downward.

The piece of flesh released itself, dropping into the fog-covered courtyard. At that instant, the parasite instinctively accelerated, latching onto the outer wall as it continued its descent.

Just then, a small brown bird gliding through the sky caught sight of the movement.

The glimmering nerve strands shimmered in the morning light like insect wings. The bird gave a quick flap, swooped down, grabbed the brain fragment in its beak, and soared away.

It swallowed its prey swiftly, unaware that the prey was still alive.

The parasite sprang into action the moment it entered the bird’s body. Thin strands spread to the stomach lining, then reached the internal organs.

Anchoring itself to fresh tissue, it began weaving a network of nerves between them.

With every breath, the bird’s pupils flickered slightly.

Its flight path wavered; the wings faltered for a moment, but it quickly regained balance.

The parasite was slowly infiltrating the bird’s nervous system, taking control inch by inch. Thin veins beneath the feathers began to show faintly.

The bird’s beak opened and shut involuntarily a few times.

At first, the parasite merely wrapped around the stomach. But soon, its web spread to the chest cavity, then toward the spinal cord.

To anyone watching, the bird still seemed to be flying.

But the body no longer belonged to it.

Inside, at that moment...

Nepal slowly straightened up. Her breathing had steadied, the trembling had subsided.

The nausea she had felt moments ago had been replaced by controlled, rhythmic breaths. The turmoil within her had calmed, and the anxiety on her face was beginning to fade.

Noa had returned to his seat, placing his feet side by side. His hands rested on his knees, and his head was slightly bowed. The room was quiet, with only the occasional sound of water dripping from the stone walls.

At last, Noa lifted his head and spoke while staring at an empty point in space:

"This person called Ravien... truly intriguing. He’s sent me such a lovely gift."

His words were calm, but laced with a faint blend of satisfaction and curiosity.

It wasn’t a crude threat or an empty display—it felt more like a deliberate message.

A calculated, well-crafted move. For Noa, such gifts were usually an invitation. And returning such a graceful offering with silence... wasn’t really his style.

"Nepal, my dear. Prepare a mid-level unit of thirty knights. Also assign them a five-man scout team."

Nepal paused for a moment, then approached cautiously.

"My lord... is this preparation for something? Or are you planning an attack?"

Noa let out a brief sigh. His eyes locked onto Nepal, yet it felt as though he were staring beyond her—toward unseen possibilities lurking behind her.

"No. The knights will dress as bandits. Hide their ranks, military formation, even their weapons.

Let them roam for a day or two, fully in character.

The more convincing they are, the more effective this will be."

Nepal gave a small nod, lowering her head slightly, though she hadn’t fully grasped the intent.

Noa’s tone remained steady as he continued:

"I want to know what kind of Fate ability this Ravien possesses—and the current state of that region. That’s why the attack needs to look real.

But our true goal isn’t battle. It’s a reconnaissance strike.

Until I understand what kind of person we’re dealing with, and the level of impact he can exert, I won’t move further."

Noa’s plan was clear.

A thirty-man unit disguised as bandits would launch a direct assault on Ravien.

The goal wasn’t just observation; it was open conflict—only the identities were hidden.

From the outside, it would appear to be nothing more than a typical bandit attack.

If Ravien was weak, he’d go on the defensive—and likely die in the encounter.

But if he was powerful, not only would he survive, he could completely annihilate the fake bandits.

And that would reveal not just his physical ability, but his instincts—and his Fate power as well.

The five-man scout unit would remain far behind, never engaging in the battle. Their sole duty was to observe and report the outcome back to Noa.

If Ravien survived, he might not be an enemy—

He might be someone worthy of careful attention.

But if he died—then he didn’t matter.

Noa’s gaze was still, but his thoughts were precise.

This was a war fought behind masks.

The first move on the chessboard had been made.

Now, it was Ravien’s turn.

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Another Character Profile Section

Character Profile: Noa Bellante

Name: Noa

Surname: Bellante

Age: 28

Height: 2.01 meters

Weight: 138 kg

Title: Lacrima’s City Lord

Capacity: Unknown

Fate Ability: Null Gravitation

Null Gravitation

This ability generates an invisible field around Noa.

Anything that enters this field—objects, blows, weapons, even people—begins to slow down and lose their force.

No attack can ever strike him at full power.

Anything approaching him weakens, almost as if unraveling in mid-air.

But this ability isn’t limited to defense.

Null Gravitation holds the power to disassemble matter and structures.

Just as it can tear apart armor, it can dissolve weapons—and go even further, dismantling bodies themselves.

It can sever bones, muscles, even cells—breaking the connections that hold them together and rendering enemies completely helpless.

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Character Profile: Nepal Genris

Name: Nepal

Surname: Genris

Age: 22

Height: 179 cm

Weight: 53 kg

Title: Noa’s Little Sweetheart

Capacity: Unknown

Fate Ability: Emotion Gauge

Emotion Gauge

This Fate ability allows Nepal to reveal the dominant emotional states experienced by a deceased being during the last one to two weeks of their life.

Nepal channels a portion of her own capacity into this ability. Over time, that energy manifests visibly—forming into a floating orb in the air.

The orb takes on the color that represents the strongest emotion the dead experienced.

The more intense the emotion, the larger the orb becomes.

Color indicates the type of emotion.

Size indicates the intensity of that emotion.