NOVEL'S EXTRA: I Will Die at the Peak-Chapter 49: God’s goat [ part 2]

At the edge of the forest, there was a small village. About seventy people lived there. The simple wooden houses, though modest, were arranged close to each other in a certain order.

Cut off from the outside world and gradually forgotten over time, most of the people living in this settlement were once cast out by society—criminals, fugitives, or simply the unwanted.

This village, whose name was not even marked on the maps of the kingdoms, had established its own order in a solitude untouched by anyone.

Despite the cold weather, the village was not silent. As the wind howled through the trees, thin smoke rose from the chimneys, and when wooden doors were left ajar, the laughter and voices of children could be heard from within. Blended seamlessly into the heart of nature, life in this village went on by its own rules.

In one of the houses on the outskirts of the village, inside a small room with soot-darkened walls, a mother sat by the window with her daughter in her lap. Gray clouds blanketed the sky, but the room was warm; amidst the crackling of embers in the hearth, there was a silent sense of peace.

The little girl, resting her head on her mother’s chest, spoke:

"Mom... Come on. Will you tell that story again?"

The woman turned her eyes to the window for a brief moment, then looked at her daughter. She smiled, but there was a weariness in her eyes. She took a deep breath.

"Sweetheart... I’ve told you that story dozens of times. What do you say—should I tell you a different one this time?"

The girl immediately pouted and sighed.

"But I love that story..."

Her mother said nothing, only stroked her daughter’s hair. Just then, the door to the other room opened.

The father of the house, a broad-shouldered man named Bera, appeared in the doorway. He wore a thick coat, an old but still sturdy knife at his waist. On his back, he carried a simple bow prepared for hunting.

"I’m heading into the forest with the hunters," he said with a deep voice. "Do you need anything? Leaf herb, bark, anything else?"

The woman lifted her head slightly and answered:

"We have everything for now, so... nothing but meat."

The man nodded, then walked over to his daughter and knelt down. With his thick hands, he gently patted her head. The girl grabbed the necklace around his neck, and for a brief moment, their eyes met.

"Be brave," her father said. "And don’t give your mother a hard time while I’m gone, okay?"

The girl nodded but didn’t take her eyes off her mother. As Bera stepped out with heavy steps, the sound of the wooden door echoed through the house.

The girl immediately turned and slapped her mother’s knee.

"Come on, Mom! Tell it already..."

While gently rocking her daughter in her lap, the mother began to speak. Her voice was slow and calm, but every word echoed through the room.

The wind tapped against the windowpanes, and the firewood in the hearth cracked with soft pops. The little girl, as if listening to her mother’s heartbeat, closed her eyes.

"Long, long ago," the woman said, "there were no cities, no people, not even this forest... Everywhere was covered in green, an endless meadow stretching as far as the eye could see.

No bird song was heard, no footprint was seen. And yet, it didn’t feel empty. Because there lived a goat." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

The girl opened her eyes. The woman’s voice had changed—it had taken on a soft, almost dreamy tone.

"This goat wasn’t an ordinary animal. Its wool was pure white, never stained. Its eyes resembled the sky in the early morning—somewhere between blue and gray... And its voice... Oh, that voice... Every ’maa’ it made sounded like a melody.

Anyone who heard it would pause for a moment, their heart warmed. But its voice wasn’t just beautiful—it was full of understanding. As if it spoke with all the emotions in its heart."

The little girl widened her eyes, resting her head on her mother’s shoulder. The woman went on.

"This goat was God’s most beloved being. Even before any other creature had been created, it was there. God had kept it by His side, to accompany Him.

Together, they wandered through the silent universe and named the stars. The goat never spoke aloud, but God always understood what it said—because it spoke from the heart."

The woman glanced at the hearth for a brief moment, then turned her gaze back to her daughter.

"Years passed, and humans were created. At first, everything was beautiful. But over time, people began to argue, to fight, and eventually, to wage war.

Brothers forgot one another; they killed for land. When the world was covered in blood, God was heartbroken. He didn’t know what to do."

The girl murmured softly, "Did He send the goat?"

The woman nodded.

"Yes... He sent the goat. The purest, the one He loved most. Because only it could remind humans of peace. And the goat walked through the meadows, fearlessly stepping into the world of men.

Everyone who saw it stopped at once. No swords were raised, no arrows were shot. Only the white goat remained—and its voice. Children began to laugh, mothers wept—but this time, from relief. The war ended."

Silence fell over the room. The woman rested her head gently against her daughter’s, whispering her final words:

"They say... the goat still lives somewhere. Whenever people lose hope, whenever the world grows quiet... one day, it will return again—and make everything beautiful once more."

The girl stirred. "Where is it now?"

The woman smiled. "No one knows. But sometimes, when the night wind comes, if you listen closely... you can hear its voice."

The ten-man hunting party from the village had begun moving silently toward the forest by midday. Each followed the path they knew, and the silence they were used to.

Other than a few whispered words, no one spoke. The air was cold, but not harsh; the forest, however, felt different this time—a strange unease lingered between the trees.

After a short distance, the group split apart with familiar hand signals. Each hunter moved in a different direction.

Bera headed northwest, toward the denser part of the woods. With the ease of long habit, he took the bow from his back and checked his arrows. He drew a deep breath.

"Damn it..." he muttered under his breath. "There’s barely any game today. Where the hell did they all go?"

Without slowing his pace, he continued forward—cautious, but firm. Sunlight barely filtered through the branches, shadows shifting slowly.

But this time, the forest whispered something else. The silence wasn’t empty; it felt like something was hiding—deliberately, intentionally.

He stopped when he noticed a dark liquid dripping from a tree trunk. Lifting his head, he studied it with his eyes, careful not to touch it.

It was thick and sticky, nearly black in color. "Is this... droppings? No, maybe sap." But no tree he knew gave off a scent like that.

He shook his head. "I can’t waste time with this. I can’t return empty-handed." He kept walking.

With every step, the grass beneath his feet felt stickier. Still, Bera stayed focused. His eyes scanned constantly, looking for tracks, movement—anything.

As he passed a rock, he caught a sudden movement in the grass. He dropped to his knees at once.

Squinting ahead, he spotted a white rabbit a few paces away. It was small, but its shining fur almost seemed to glow.

"Ah... Got you."

Slowly, he pulled an arrow from his quiver and nocked it to his bow. He inhaled deeply, his chest rising slightly. He locked onto the target. His fingers tensed. The bow creaked softly. Then—

Thwip.

The arrow flew. A sharp hiss through the air, followed by a solid thud—the rabbit was struck in the back. It collapsed instantly, motionless.

Bera stood up, gave the area a final scan, and walked slowly toward the fallen animal. But as he approached, a strange smell hit his nose.

He wrinkled it, slowing down. The scent was unfamiliar. Not rotting flesh. Not droppings. Something like oil mixed with mold.

"What the hell is that disgusting smell?"

He crouched beside the rabbit. Hands on his knees, eyes fixed on the wound. He expected blood—but instead, a thick, black fluid was oozing from the spot where the arrow had struck. It flowed slowly, soaking into the earth.

Bera frowned. "What... What is this? A new species? This... it looks like the stuff I saw on that tree."

He slowly reached out. His fingertips hovered just above the strange liquid when

A scream rang out. Nearby—no more than a hundred meters away.

"Agggghhhgggggggggg!"

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Someone unknown : Unto the Divine Goat I giveth my soul, my heart, and purpose, that the light of peace may endure. Though shadows creep nigh, let hope’s flame ne’er be quenched.

A mysterious voice whispered: "Only 19 hours remain until Ravien awakens."

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