NOVEL'S EXTRA: I Will Die at the Peak-Chapter 64: Wolves vs Juuhra [ part 1]

There was a silent silhouette gliding through the air. The light bent gently around him—not to sharpen his outlines, but to blur them instead.

This was Juuhra. He had been soaring across the sky for nearly ten minutes and had finally reached the edge of the forest.

He opened and closed his wings intermittently, using the wind solely to adjust his direction.

As he approached the area where the trees grew denser, he began to descend. In a faint, barely audible tone, he muttered to himself:

"My father told me to bring back something ’interesting’... But I still haven’t figured out what he meant by ’interesting.’ Whatever... If something shows up, I’ll check it out."

He was gradually losing altitude. At first, the ground beneath him was dry; the cracked surface of the earth looked bleached by the sun.

But a few hundred meters ahead, the scenery began to visibly change. The pale grays slowly turned into faded greens. At first, the grass was sparse, but it gradually thickened until it fully covered the soil.

As Juuhra continued to descend, the terrain beneath him took on a completely different character. The ground began to be covered with dense trees. The earlier aridity gave way to a cool, stifling forest atmosphere.

Elsewhere:

The inner parts of the forest had begun to brighten. Trees parted at intervals, and the gaps between the trunks gradually widened.

A few trees later, the dense formation completely broke apart. Beyond a clearly defined boundary, the trees no longer extended. In their place lay a broad clearing, covered in grass.

The colors were vivid but not blinding. Toward the center of the clearing, the shade of green grew lighter, while it darkened toward the edges.

The light did not illuminate the entire space equally; some areas remained in shadow, yet the whole clearing was still clearly visible.

At the center of the circular clearing, an extraordinary scene was unfolding.

The moving figures within the space immediately drew attention, and the closer one looked toward the center, the more striking the sight became.

Standing right in the middle of the circle was a magnificent wolf, about three meters tall, with a defined muscular build and dazzling white, dense fur.

With his bright blue eyes scanning the surroundings, the creature stood upright on two legs—his posture radiated the power, composure, and charisma of a true leader.

Right in front of him, roughly thirty male and female wolves were lined up in an orderly formation.

Though each of them stood in humanoid form, compared to the white-furred giant, they seemed lesser in both size and presence—fainter and less imposing.

A female stepped forward from among the wolves and spoke in a soft yet clear voice:

"Sharvek athunir altharen?"

(Alpha, how are your wounds? Are you feeling better now?)

The Alpha cast a brief glance at the female bowing before him in respect. His eyes lingered on her face for a moment, then he replied:

"Velkar imal vethen. Telura nek ardan."

(No, I’ve fully recovered within a few months. There’s nothing to worry about.)

One by one, the wolves stepped forward, placing the prey they had hunted before the Alpha.

Each approached with caution and respect, and the Alpha accepted the meats with satisfaction, slowly beginning to eat.

Meanwhile, the scout wolves were carefully watching their respective territories, trying to detect any unusual activity in the area.

They leapt swiftly over the branches, patrolling the perimeter of the territory.

At the same time, Juuhra had descended from the sky into the dense canopy of the forest and was now moving quietly among the thick trees.

After traveling through the deep forest for several minutes, he finally entered the wolves’ domain.

The moment Juuhra stepped across the boundary, the scout wolves stationed in the eastern sector sensed that something was wrong.

With exceptional agility, they leapt from branch to branch, heading swiftly toward the area.

In a short time, they reached the treetops deep within the forest. All four were muscular, agile wolves, each over two meters tall. Perched on the highest branches of the massive trees, they clung silently with their claws, staring ahead.

One of them spoke:

"Gha’rek lunara vel’dor."

(Someone entered the territory... A stranger.)

"Marak thoren a’ul?"

(What should we do?)

Another wolf let go of the branches and dropped swiftly to the ground. As he landed, the grass flattened and the earth sank slightly beneath him.

"Varn kel utorith ke’nar."

(Since we arrived, we haven’t sensed any energy.)

"Zar’in... ethel surak."

(But now... the energy is intense.)

The remaining two wolves jumped down after him in silence.

"Velor’an," said one, eyes glowing with resolve.

"Thur’ka verek."

(Then let’s hunt the intruder.)

Following those words, the four wolves simultaneously lifted their heads toward the sky and released a deep howl that echoed through the forest:

"Auuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"

That deep howl spread through every corner of the forest, reaching the ears of other patrolling wolves. With the same determination, they raised their heads and responded with echoing howls of their own:

"Auuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"

This wave of sound finally reached the deepest part of the territory—where the Alpha resided.

At that moment, the Alpha had just snapped the neck of a deer with his powerful jaws, tossing it aside as warm blood spilled. He then tore off a large piece of flesh and began to chew in silence.

Just then, he heard the collective howling in the distance:

"Auuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"

Suddenly, he stopped eating, his eyes turning sharply in the direction the howl had come from. Every wolf around him tensed and sprang into action—their focus instantly sharpened.

The Alpha rose to his feet with heavy steps. A dominant aura radiated outward with his presence, blanketing the area. His harsh voice echoed through the forest like a rolling wave:

"Kel’voran il thorek nal."

(An intruder has entered our territory.)

Seeing the Alpha stand, the wolves around him all responded in unison:

"Val’ta rekhin, Alpha. Elnarak ke’durun vekar. Thorel sen."

(Alpha, please rest. Many of our members are already on patrol. Do not worry.)

Another wolf quickly stepped in to speak as well:

"Theran’kur vek. Ardan kel do’nor. Nareth zwart."

(Yes, Alpha. It’s best that you rest. We haven’t seen any predators around here besides ourselves.)