A brief pause followed before John continued, his voice carrying like a war drum. "From now on, no more drooling over worms. We spit over worms. The Great Birds of the Sky Dominating Clan feast only on the at of our enemies!"
The flock erupted into song, their voices soaring in a victorious lody:
"The Great Birds feast! The weak shall fall! We rule the sky, we devour them all!" Then they all spat at the ntion of the worm as if they were deeply disgusted.
John nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Now go. Harvest the at of the fallen beasts."
The flock erupted in excited chirps, soaring into the air like a storm of feathers. With sharp, predatory eyes, they scanned for the deceased beasts before diving down in synchronized strikes. Their talons sliced through flesh with effortless precision—each cut clean and swift. Their beaks and claws sharpened through the baptism of their Marks and awakened skills, made quick work of the carcasses.
A woodpecker took charge of butchering, its sharp beak working with the efficiency of a seasoned butcher. The others swiftly carried the at, clamping their beaks onto large chunks and darting through the air with astonishing speed.
Under John's careful guidance, they dropped the fresh cuts onto the wooden planks he had designated as the storage area. Thus, the grand at-gathering operation began.
anwhile, half of the beast horde had already crossed the sixth ring of bonfires. Among them were the three intelligent beast leaders, their movents quick and decisive.
John's gaze sharpened. "Alright, that's enough. Parrot Hall, seal the sixth bonfire ring."
The parrots imdiately took action, their elental skills flaring as they sealed off the area, ensuring no more beasts could escape.
John then addressed the rest of the flock. "Now, except for Bubble and Woodie, every bird will join the hunt. The remaining beasts trapped within the sixth and seventh bonfires—slaughter them." His voice turned stern. "No one is to use their skills. These creatures are our food, not enemies. Kill them with your beaks and claws."
He then added, almost casually, "Oh, and don't harm any more trees. It's for the environnt."
The flock echoed his words in a rhythmic chant, despite not fully understanding their aning:
"It's for the environnt! It's for the environnt!"
With the operation in full swing, the parrots sealed the sixth bonfire ring, cutting off the beasts' retreat. Above, the great birds of the Sky Dominating Clan swooped down, their claws flashing as they claid their spoils.
anwhile, the white lion watched from below, its sharp eyes following the relentless harvesting of at. Realization struck—it finally understood what these audacious birds saw them as. Not warriors. Not rivals. Just re food. Playthings for their sport and amusent.
Fury surged within the lion's chest. Its golden mane bristled as it snarled, "Stupid bird, watch snap the fire you're so proud of!"
"I'm waiting." John's voice ca from above, perfectly mimicking the lion's majestic growl, his words dripping with provocation.
The white lion's muscles tensed as it lifted its head, jaws opening wide. A powerful suction force ford above its maw, pulling in the surrounding air. In an instant, a swirling sphere of compressed wind tinged with a faint blue hue, began to expand.
It grew rapidly—soccer ball-sized—before stopping.
Then, with a thunderous roar, the lion unleashed it.
The air bullet shot forward with terrifying force, slamming into the burning wood. The impact detonated in a shockwave, snuffing out four feet of the fla barrier in a single blow.
The white lion smirked, baring its fangs. "See that? It's nothing." It threw a victorious glance toward the top of the mountain, expecting to see the birds cower.
But instead...
Fwoosh!
The fire roared back to life, even stronger than before, greedily consuming the fresh burst of oxygen.
"Oh really?" John's mocking tone cut through the air. "Using a wind elental skill against fire? That's... quite dumb. Fool, are you just helping the flas burn brighter?"
His taunt landed like a slap to the face.
The white lion's eyes widened in disbelief before narrowing in raw fury. It let out a guttural growl, its rage spiraling into blind hatred.
Before it could lunge, a voice interrupted.
"Stop it, Anu!"
A silver-furred wolf silently dashed forward, placing itself between the lion and the flas. Its calm, calculating eyes locked onto the fuming beast.
"Get a hold of yourself." The wolf barked firmly. "There's no need to curse them like that. Can't you see? We've walked straight into a trap." It gestured toward the unyielding flas. "Only water or fire-based skills stronger than that one can put it out."
Anu—now identified as the white lion—let out a frustrated snarl. "You think I don't know that? How do you expect to stay calm?! That damn bird is watching us struggle, laughing while treating us as nothing but food!"
The wolf's tail flicked. "I have a plan."
It stepped closer, whispering sothing into Anu's ear.
The lion's ears twitched, its rage simring into sothing sharper—calculated hunger.
Their eyes flickered toward the mountain.
The hunt wasn't over yet.
Half of the horde remained trapped within the sealed sixth and seventh bonfire rings. Confusion gripped them. Panic set in. They ran in circles, searching for an escape, but there was none. Flas raged ahead. Flas burned behind.
Their only path? A narrow gap where the trees and vegetation still thrived, untouched by fire.
Blackie was the first to reach it. Without hesitation, it dove in.
Heads rolled. Beasts collapsed where they stood, their blood seeping into the earth—a beautiful shade of red rlot.
John clicked his beak in disappointnt. "That's not right, Blackie."
The woodpecker twitched at the reprimand.
"This isn't just a slaughter. It's also a ga—for my amusent." John's voice rang cold, yet eerily light. "Make them run. Let them feel survival. Hunt them slowly."
The birds chirped in acknowledgnt.
Then, John hesitated. Why did I sound so creepy?
For a brief mont, doubt crept in. Was he truly becoming... this brutal?
...Nah. What a joke.
He wasn't even a person anymore. He was a bird. And this world had only one rule—thrive in the blood of others.
rcy? Softness? Those were just shackles of the weak.
If he faltered, if he hesitated, tomorrow he would be the one struggling to survive—a re plaything beneath the thumb of so mightier force.
But deep down...
He liked this. He enjoyed playing these twisted gas with his gang of birds.
Yeah, he muttered under his breath, I love their lodious song of violence.
More birds swooped in. Four woodpeckers. Four sparrows. And four parrots.
Above, one parrot still circled in the air, watching over the hunt. It sang a longing tune, wishing to join.
The others sang back. 'Your ti will co.'
Then, the slaughter began in earnest.
The birds dived. Claws tore through flesh. Prey was snatched into the air. They cut into the next beast before the first even hit the ground.
The sky echoed with screams. Cries of terror. Agonized wails.
The miserable sounds reached the beasts trapped within the next ring. Panic spread like wildfire. Their fear was palpable.
Even the three intelligent beast leaders—powerful as they were—felt their fur bristle. Their instincts scread at them.
The horror was real.
It was near.
And it was coming for them.
Anu, the white lion, cast a sharp glance at the silver wolf and growled, "Let's do it. Your plan—now. Are we bringing the packs for backup?"
The wolf's golden eyes flickered as it surveyed the battlefield. "No need. Look around. The horde we brought? It's a joke to them. If we don't act together, we'll be next. We stick together. We crush them. No half-asures."
Anu exhaled sharply. "Fine. Let's do it."
The white lion lifted its head, preparing to invoke its skill—
But the wolf halted him.
"Wait. We need Mario."
Anu's ears flattened, his tail flicking in irritation. "That ingrate? He's dead weight. All he's learned is foolish arrogance."
His growl deepened. "I don't need the gorilla. He's nothing to us."
The silver wolf chuckled darkly. "Calm down. You're thinking too short-term."
His voice lowered, calculating. "Mario is our insurance. Among the three of us, he has the strongest stamina. His defense is so solid even the king respects his barrier spell. If things go south..."
The silver wolf bared his teeth in a sharp grin.
"We use him as a scapegoat. Then we escape."
His voice was laced with quiet amusent, his cunning evident. The white lion hesitated for a mont, but the wolf's persuasion was relentless.
Finally, Anu exhaled sharply and nodded. "Fine."
His golden eyes flickered across the battlefield before he let out a deep, commanding growl.
"Mario! Where the hell are you?! If you hear my voice, get your ass over here right now!"
The call echoed through the chaos.
The wolf chuckled, his tail flicking. "Easy now. No need to scare him off." His voice dropped to a near whisper. "We'll use him when the ti is right... and if things go south—"
His eyes glead coldly.
"We toss him to the birds."
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