NOVEL'S EXTRA: I Will Die at the Peak-Chapter 86: do you have time?

Hours had passed since Ravien descended. Afternoon had already slipped into evening, and pale rays from the westering sun struck the stone walls of the fortress.

After a long wait, he finally rose to his feet. His steps were heavy as he stepped outside and turned his face toward the dry land stretching under cracked earth and a faint mist-covered forest. Wind drifted between the brittle weeds, stirring the dust into fleeting spirals.

Ravien pulled out a small leather notebook and began taking notes on the soil’s texture, the slope of the terrain, and areas suitable for city construction.

From time to time, he raised his head to examine the distant silhouette of the mountains, trying to fix every detail in his mind.

When the sun fully disappeared and one of the four moons began to follow the other across the sky, he returned to the fortress. As he walked through the corridors, he checked the firewood stacked in the corners—nothing was missing, nothing was in excess.

Everything was precisely in place. Just then, Asogi approached. They exchanged a few brief sentences.

Evening settled heavily. The sky turned a deep gray with hints of purple, and the moons’ hazy glow began to reflect off the stone walls.

When Ravien made his way to the dining hall, Asogi was already waiting inside. Juuhra had taken a quiet corner at the far end of the room. Jiho was silently arranging the dishes on the large oak table.

As he stepped in, the room momentarily paused. Jiho, as always, remained standing. Ravien glanced at him but said nothing before taking his seat. Noticing Jiho still standing, he shook his head slightly.

"Do I seriously have to say it every time? Sit down, Jiho."

Jiho bowed hesitantly and sat on the chair in front of him.

"Master... It wouldn’t be proper without your permission," he murmured softly.

He still hadn’t grown used to this family’s rigid habits—their sense of respect, their rules... everything felt excessively ceremonial.

Yet Ravien knew the time would come when he’d have to face both this family and the former body’s close relations. Until then, founding the city was his priority.

Steam rose from the soup on the table, accompanied by a few simple salads and some sourdough bread. He took a spoonful of the soup—it was mildly salty and spiced. Considering the fortress’s conditions, the flavor was surprisingly satisfying. He set his spoon down and turned to Jiho.

"Jiho," he said in a more curious tone, "that girl named Nornara... I haven’t seen her or her father in quite a while. I know they’re here, but we haven’t crossed paths."

Jiho bowed his head and took a quiet breath.

"Master, they stay in the servant’s quarters. That section is entirely separate from your domain. That’s why you haven’t seen them. Nornara started working with fabrics. She’s still getting used to it. Her father helps her."

Ravien nodded lightly and asked no further questions. They continued eating in silence for a while. After his final bite, he pushed back his chair and murmured:

"Jiho... We’re out of wine, aren’t we?"

Jiho had begun clearing the table. Without looking up, he replied:

"Yes, Master. All the wine from Fauriel’s carriage is gone."

He said nothing more and left the hall with slow, heavy steps. Asogi and Juuhra followed silently. As they moved through the corridors, new plans began to take shape in his mind.

"In the future, I definitely need to establish a separate zone for food and beverage production," Ravien thought.

When he entered his room, moonlight filtered in through the broken glass, casting a soft glow on the wall.

The shattered glass on the floor had been cleared, and the room was tidied. He walked to the window and took a deep breath.

The scent of firewood still lingered in the air and clung to his clothes, but he didn’t mind. Asogi and Juuhra had each taken a spot at opposite ends of the bed.

Before lying down, Ravien closed his eyes. The energy within him had grown dense, nearly overflowing from his body. Sleeping like this felt like a waste of power.

"If I sleep now, all this energy will go to waste," he thought. "Better transfer it to Timmy. By morning, my capacity will recover, and the overall limit will increase."

Without delay, he opened his eyes and began channeling his energy into the small creature hovering motionless above his head—Timmy.

The creature resembled a leech, reddish and sticky-looking. As the transfer began, the air in the room vibrated. The density increased. Breathing became slightly harder.

Noticing the shift, an eye opened beneath Asogi’s foot and turned toward Ravien. Juuhra remained motionless. He transferred nearly eighty percent of his capacity to Timmy.

A brief glance was enough to monitor the process. He kept a portion of energy for himself, just in case.

"That’s enough. I’ll keep the rest."

Once the transfer was complete, movement stirred across Timmy’s red surface.

The liquid covering its body began to stretch into thread-like forms, gradually morphing into small, tentacle-like extensions resembling those of an octopus. They waved and twitched as they spread outward.

Feeling the transfer had ended, he cast one last glance at Timmy resting among his hair, then walked toward the bed in the dimly lit corner of the room.

As Ravien lay on the cold surface of the blanket, moonlight still flickered in one part of the room. Without a word, he left his thoughts behind and drifted into sleep.

Thus, another day quietly came to an end.

---

Ravien was spending a quiet day in his own fortress. In the distance, through clouds of dust, a group of riders was quickly approaching him.

Their clothes were messy and stained—at first glance, they could be mistaken for bandits.

But in truth, they were a squad of knights. At the head of the group was Lieno, with sharp eyes and a determined posture. The rest followed him in silence.

They had been riding for hours, and with the sun close to setting, they began to look for a place to take a short break.

A short distance ahead, an old man appeared in the middle of the road. His back was hunched, and his clothes were covered in dust. It was as if he had emerged from the ground itself—he’d come out of nowhere.

Lieno slowed his horse, then came to a full stop, raised a hand to signal the others, and turned his gaze to the old man.

"What’s this old man doing here?"

The man noticed them and stopped in place, standing still with a slight tremble but never looking away.

His body showed no signs of tension, nor did his face reveal unease. Even his aura was neutral. For that reason, Lieno didn’t see any need to act. He turned his head slightly and, staying in character, spoke sharply: 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"Hey, old man... get out of our way."

The old man lowered his head, lips moving, but his voice was so faint only the wind could hear it:

"Young men didn’t use to be like this..."

From the back of the group, a young knight named Corc tugged gently on his reins and moved forward. Lieno watched him from the corner of his eye but didn’t intervene. He thought to himself:

"Corc... new, but skilled. Still, he’s too gentle. Not sure if he can suppress that part of himself during missions."

Corc dismounted and approached the old man cautiously, keeping a respectful distance. He bent forward slightly.

"Are you alright? It’s not very safe to be out here alone. Is there anything we can do to help?"

The old man raised his head, and a faint smile appeared on his face. At that moment, Corc noticed something strange in his eyes—within the pupils, a shape slowly moved like the hand of a clock, almost invisible, yet steady and rhythmic.

A wave of unease crept into his chest, one he couldn’t explain.

The old man’s voice had thinned:

"Son... do you have time? Can you spare me just a little... just a moment..."

---

Elsewhere, that same day...

in the Monteveil region of the Sirius Continent...

Within a kingdom under the Helix Empire, hundreds of thousands lived. The city stretched across a vast area, but order wasn’t evenly distributed—because the kingdom was divided.

On one side were old neighborhoods made of worn-down, neglected houses. On the other side stood newly built structures with gleaming glass. Between the two, a thick wall rose, silently splitting what was once a unified city.

At the heart of the city, inside a long-standing academy, a class of students—around 14 to 15 years old—was attending a lesson. The room was quiet. Some students took notes while others listened to the teacher attentively.

At the front stood a tall, slim man. Gray hair fell over his forehead, and his brown eyes scanned the class with care. This was Amon—a teacher known not only for his knowledge but also for his discipline, having taught here for many years.

One student raised a hand. Amon gave a slight nod, granting permission to speak.

"Sir, why do we always avoid the Sout region? It doesn’t really make sense to me."

The rest of the class turned to look at the boy who asked, then shifted their gaze back to Amon. Since their families rarely talked about the subject, most of them were hoping to finally hear a clear answer.

Amon took a few steps toward the podium and smiled faintly.

"I’m not supposed to speak openly about this," he said, "but I can give you at least a surface-level explanation."

The classroom grew even quieter. Everyone was listening.

"Sout isn’t a barren wasteland or some useless stretch of land, as people tend to believe. In fact, some parts are quite fertile and naturally beautiful. That’s not the issue."

Amon glanced out the window for a moment before turning back to the class.

"The real problem lies in what roams there. They’re not always visible, not always dangerous—but they’re there.

Very few know what they actually are. No one can predict when they’ll appear. That’s why people stay away, why families don’t speak of it, and why we can’t go into detail. And you—you’ll have to postpone your curiosity for now."

He had spoken so vaguely, so elastically, that no one had anything to say in response. Amon looked at his students for a brief moment, then returned to his lesson where he had left off.