NOVEL'S EXTRA: I Will Die at the Peak-Chapter 65: Wolves vs Juuhra [ part 2]

Juuhra had entered wolf territory. He had heard howls echoing through the forest, but not the slightest reaction appeared on his face. As if the sounds meant nothing to him.

"These sounds... I think they’re coming from this way. Could it be the ’interesting’ thing my father mentioned? Let’s see," he said to himself in a low voice.

He took a few steps toward the howls, then suddenly stopped. The energy in the air had clearly intensified. Juuhra could feel the rise in capacity around him — concentrated, sharp pressure.

At that moment, a wolf walking on two legs stepped out from between the trees. It locked eyes with Juuhra and examined him closely. It was observing every detail.

To the wolf, Juuhra looked like a mysterious being that existed within white and black, with long horns.

The wolf stood in front of Juuhra. While scanning him from head to toe, it spoke in a low but clear tone:

"Shar’vek noren, kul’tar veyan thol’ek?"

(Who are you? And what are you doing in our territory?)

Juuhra stared blankly at the wolf that appeared in front of him. He made strange, unintelligible sounds. Then, tilting his head slightly, he muttered:

"I don’t understand what it’s saying, but... I think I found what my father was looking for."

Juuhra could clearly see the energy — the capacity — the wolf was giving off. Even Asogi could only sense it with deep focus and long observation.

Juuhra focused on that capacity. It felt familiar. His father had once picked a horse just by the way it stood.

But Juuhra had thought his father chose it because of the intense capacity it radiated. Now, similar energy was coming from these wolves. Maybe this was the "interesting" thing his father spoke of.

Juuhra took one more step. In response to this movement, the wolf let out an instinctive growl. At the same moment, more wolves appeared from between the trees, surrounding him.

As Juuhra looked around at the wolves encircling him, a thought passed through his mind:

"Should I kill them now... or does Father want them alive? Ugh, I really don’t feel like dealing with such annoying details. Better to just... take them."

Juuhra silently took another step forward — and that was what triggered everything.

In an instant, the wolf who had just spoken seemed to vanish. In far less than a second, it launched from its spot, leaping rapidly between the thick trunks and branches around them.

The area echoed with motion, leaving behind only a blurry silhouette in its wake.

Suddenly, it appeared right in front of Juuhra.

"Kharaa!" it shouted, raising its right claw and swinging it with full force toward Juuhra.

The air whistled sharply from the speed of the strike. But Juuhra barely moved. With a graceful, calm flick of his wrist, he lifted his right hand and struck the wolf’s arm from the side.

CRACK!

The sound of breaking bone echoed through the forest’s silence. The wolf’s eyes widened in shock, its right arm falling limply to its side, twisted at an unnatural angle.

"Uaaaaa! Auu—auhh!"

The scream shifted from instinctive pain to pure fear.

It staggered backward, then quickly retreated into the trees. In a panic, it leapt away several times. Branches cracked. Leaves scattered.

Juuhra looked at them calmly in their current state. He gave a slight shrug, his voice echoing in a mocking yet ice-cold tone:

"So, you’re going to attack... I have to take you without killing you. But this is going to be a little boring."

In the blink of an eye, three wolves vanished. They moved in silent coordination, with instinctual precision, leaping onto the tree trunks.

The sound of claws tearing through bark blended with the wind. They formed a circular ring of death. Their eyes gleamed savagely—bloodthirsty and ruthless.

Suddenly, all three attacked at once.

One dove down from above, jaws wide open, aiming straight for Juuhra’s throat.

Another came from the right, launching a deadly slash at his chest with its claw.

The third rushed in low, closing in to tear apart his legs from below.

The attack didn’t even last a few seconds. Juuhra didn’t respond to any of them. He didn’t move. He didn’t even blink.

Just as they were about to reach him, his lips moved:

"Empty."

FSSSHHH—BOOM!

In an instant, a burst of dense, black energy erupted around Juuhra.

The wolf diving from above was flung backwards, lost its balance, and crashed into a tree.

The one attacking from the right was thrown mid-air as if snatched by an invisible force, then slammed face-first into the ground.

The one charging from below rolled twice before being hurled into a pile of shattered bushes.

All of them retreated with howls of pain. The trees shook violently. Birds scattered into the sky in a frenzy. The ground let out cracking noises for several seconds.

Juuhra was still standing exactly the same.

He hadn’t lifted a finger. Not a single speck of dust had touched him.

He turned his eyes toward the attackers. Only one emotion flickered within them:

Weariness.

The wolves weren’t physically injured by the impact. But the black light radiating from Juuhra had sunk deep into their bones. That inner vibration made it difficult for them to control their muscles, severing their command over their own bodies.

Juuhra walked slowly toward one of the wolves lying face-down on the ground. His shadow fell over it. He leaned in and spoke in a calm voice:

"Let’s see... What exactly are you?"

The wolf lifted its head slightly and growled. But its body was still unresponsive; its muscles trembled involuntarily. It was in pain, but trying to resist.

Without hesitation, Juuhra slowly placed his hand on the wolf’s head. He closed his eyes. With that touch, images began to surface in his mind.

It wasn’t a conscious reading—this was body memory. A flood of memories, emotions, and physical sensations tangled together.

First came scenes from the distant, deep regions of the forest. It was a quiet yet savage landscape.

These wolves, in their bipedal form, were known as Ulfran—a predatory race with strong instincts, resilient bodies, and a pack-oriented nature.

They weren’t the only ones living there. Many other predatory species existed in the same ecosystem.

Sometimes they worked together. Most of the time, they clashed. The forest’s depths were dangerous, its borders unclear, and only the strong survived.

But one day, everything changed.

From deep within the memories, a scene of overwhelming chaos emerged. It was one of those rare moments when all species acted together.

Their enemy was something unidentifiable—shapeless, unstable, a creature whose very presence disrupted nature itself.

And from every mouth, one word echoed:

"Empress."

The Ulfran tribes had joined forces with other species to fight. But no tactic had worked. No strength had been enough. In the end, only a few surviving groups remained.

This small Ulfran pack was one of those who managed to stay alive. They had abandoned their own lands and, after a long and grueling journey lasting months, settled here.

Among all the intelligent species, there existed a simple yet functional common language—and they spoke it too.

Juuhra opened his eyes. He withdrew his hand from the wolf’s head and murmured quietly:

"So... the Empress. Strange..."

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze sharpening again.

"Well then. Let’s continue."