NOVEL'S EXTRA: I Will Die at the Peak-Chapter 69: Ravien’s arrival

As the echo of the howl slowly faded from the forest, the wolves’ eyes remained locked on Juuhra.

The rage rising within them was swelling, yet still under control. Each one was ready to strike, but their pack instinct held them back from charging in blindly.

And then...

One of them leapt forward. No eye contact. No hesitation. The surge of fury had completely overridden her sense of reason. She was one of the females closest to the Alpha—part of the pack’s inner circle.

Before the others could even react, her body launched forward, claws slicing through the air as she lunged at Juuhra.

There was pain and anger in her eyes, but no strategy. No plan.

Juuhra didn’t move.

He didn’t even turn his eyes toward her—he simply tilted his head slightly to the side. His finger was already raised. The black energy gathering at its tip activated before she even reached him.

"Bam."

A sharp, abrupt sound rang out.

The energy struck the wolf’s head and shattered it in a single blow. Her body froze for a second, then collapsed to the ground. No words were spoken. No scream was heard. That fury had simply cost a life.

The other wolves froze. Their eyes widened. Their breathing faltered. Death had come so suddenly, so undeniably, that none of them could move for several seconds.

But that paralysis didn’t last.

They didn’t look at each other. They didn’t speak. No decision was made, no strategy agreed upon.

They were simply moved by the same instinct rising from within. All at once, they ran. In unison. In the same direction. Claws hit the earth, fur bristled. Their objective was clear: tear Juuhra apart.

Behind Juuhra, an aura began to spread slowly from deep within the forest. The wind changed direction. The trees didn’t sway—they bent, as if from within.

They were distorting—not changing shape, but their outlines shimmered, trembling, as if they were about to be ripped from the ground.

The wolves stumbled all at once. Even those charging forward slowed down. There was something in the air. Their eyes turned toward the same point in perfect sync.

One of them, unable to withstand the pressure building inside, finally spoke in a trembling voice:

"...Something’s coming from over there."

Juuhra hadn’t moved a single inch.

His eyelids grew heavy, and his fingers twitched slightly. He recognized the force that was approaching.

In a quiet voice, as if speaking only to himself, he muttered:

"Father... you’re a bit early."

A black horse emerged from deep within the forest, carrying two riders—one seated in front, the other behind. Despite the surrounding darkness, the horse’s muscular body shimmered with a distinct glow. The riders were Ravien and Asogi.

A powerful aura radiated from the direction they had come. Even though the wolves had stopped running, the pressure in the air was still palpable.

However, as the horse’s steps gradually slowed, the aura began to calm as well. Within seconds, it had almost completely faded.

When Ravien reached the battlefield, he observed the scene before him.

---

(POV: Ravien)

What happened here?

Everything my eyes could see had darkened. The trees looked scorched or simply erased. The ground had turned an almost black shade, and an acrid, indescribable scent hung in the air.

Someone was standing ahead.

The moment I saw him, I recognized him—it was Juuhra.

I gently urged the horse forward, scanning the area carefully. In front of me, wolf-like creatures appeared, standing upright on two legs. Muscular, agile, and instinctively threatening.

"Werewolves exist in this world too?"

That didn’t make sense. The book I read only mentioned humans. There was no information about other species. This world was drifting further and further away from the novel I thought I knew.

But now’s not the time for that. Something major has happened here.

As I reached Juuhra, I brought the horse to a stop. Keeping my eyes locked on the wolf-men before me, I spoke firmly:

"Juuhra, what happened here? Be clear. No riddles."

Juuhra didn’t move an inch. His voice, as always, was flat and cold—completely devoid of emotion.

"Father, I found what you were looking for. But they resisted a little, so it took some time."

That was all he said.

What I was looking for?

All I asked of him was to notify me only if he found something truly interesting—and to bring it to me if necessary. But... did he find werewolves?

I stared at the creatures now forming a growling circle around us. Their body language was openly hostile—their teeth bared, muscles tense. Some had crouched forward, standing on their toes, ready to pounce at any moment.

These wolves were already prepared for battle. And just then, an interesting idea crossed my mind.

"Asogi, Juuhra... step back a little," I said with a faint smile. "I want to have some fun. No matter what happens, don’t interfere."

Asogi raised his eyebrows, a mix of surprise and curiosity on his face.

"What are you going to do, Father?" he asked.

Ravien didn’t even turn to him. He quietly dismounted the horse. The moment his feet touched the ground, a noticeable shift occurred in the atmosphere.

The air grew heavier. The area fell into deeper silence. With each step he took, the pressure around him intensified—clearer, sharper, undeniable.

Ever since I arrived in this world, I’ve waited patiently. Observed. Calculated.

But now that such an opportunity has finally presented itself...

I think I deserve to have a little fun, don’t I?

"Just watch," I said, without taking my eyes off the wolves even for a second.

---

Meanwhile, a brief exchange took place among the werewolves.

Despite the silence, a few of them leaned closer to one another, keeping their voices low enough that only those nearby could hear.

One of the elites slightly lowered his head and glanced around. His voice was calm, but cautious.

"I don’t know who this is. The energy he’s giving off isn’t particularly strong... but it feels strange."

Another kept his eyes fixed on the faint aura surrounding Ravien.

"I feel it too. Maybe he’s the leader of the one who killed Alpha."

As Ravien dismounted and began walking toward them, the wolves instinctively moved closer together.

From above, their formation looked like a half-circle. None of them moved.

None looked away.

Suddenly, one of them growled. A short, angry breath escaped his throat as he spoke:

"He wants to fight us alone? How arrogant."

From among them, one of the most experienced wolves stepped forward—Welto.

Though not as powerful as Alpha, he had stood at Alpha’s side.

He took a few steps forward, placing himself in front of the others, and raised his voice:

"Alpha is gone. We can still feel his strength, but his body is no longer here. We no longer have a place to return to. So let this be the end. Together, for Alpha... let’s destroy them."

The moment his words ended, silence fell.

No one replied, but every wolf had been moved.

Then, all at once, they raised their heads and howled.

"Auuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuauuuu!"

Elsewhere

Azenike’s Manor

Azenike was in a small room located in the western wing of his manor. In the dim lighting, he held a cup of violet-hued, lightly steaming tea in one hand. On the table before him sat a round-based, copper-coated device.

Its upper section resembled a wide-open funnel, with dozens of thin holes lining the sides. At the base, pale blue quartz crystals shimmered faintly.

This device, known as a Dalvano, allowed for direct communication across distant points of the continent.

Azenike inserted a yellow crystal rod into one of the side slots of the device. A slight vibration came from within, followed by a familiar voice:

"—Oooo Azenike! How are you? How’s life treating you?"

Azenike brought the cup to his lips, took a sip, and replied with a flat expression:

"I’m fine, Amon. But don’t derail the topic. You mentioned a potential threat from the Sout region. Is this information confirmed? And if so, what’s the threat level?"

There was a brief pause. Amon’s voice didn’t return for a few seconds, and then:

"The intel is confirmed. But it looks like it’ll take them at least three weeks to arrive. They’re coming by sea. As for your other question..."

The voice grew a bit muffled for a moment, then cleared up:

"Hundreds of Omega-tier entities are expected. Worst case, three Gamma-levels. The numbers aren’t exact. A few months ago, in the coastal forest region of Sout, a massive destruction took place under unexplained circumstances."

The entire region vanished under unexplained circumstances. We still don’t know the cause. That’s why extra caution is necessary. If there’s nothing else, I’m ending the call. I’ve got a lecture at the academy."

The moment the sentence ended, Azenike disconnected the device without saying a word.

He remained still for a moment. Then he let out a sigh.

"No support. No advice. Everyone just turns their backs. All the responsibility falls on me... again."

Muttering in a low voice to himself, he took the last sip from his cup, adjusted his coat, and turned toward the door.

"Three weeks. First thing tomorrow morning, I have to secure Nepesis."

He opened the door and walked out of the room.