Wings Of Deception
Chapter 45 Restriction And Second Phase

Chapter 45: Chapter 45 Restriction And Second Phase

"Now disperse."

The flock lowered their heads and scattered.

Atop the sentient tree, Woodie stood tall—feathers ruffled, but undeniably victorious.

Everyone left.

Everyone... except for Bubble.

John turned, brow raised. "What?"

"Sire, I have the report for today’s tasks. Would you care to review the information?" the swallow chirped, her voice crisp and precise.

"I’m all ears."

"The three houses have completed their assignments with excellent results," Bubble said as she flapped her wings. A large watery bubble dropped from the sky, landing with a soft splash on the dusty ground. Its outer layer burst, revealing five thick scrolls nestled within.

"These are the contributions from the Parrot Hall," she added.

John stepped forward, grabbing the top scroll. With a flick of his wrist, he untied the thread and tossed it across the ground, letting it unravel downhill.

It kept rolling...

And rolling...

Five whole minutes passed before the end of the scroll finally revealed itself.

"Wow," John muttered, genuinely impressed. "This has to be the longest map ever. Probably a world record."

Bubble gave a firm nod. "Yes, sire. I’ve personally reviewed it. What they’ve created here is nothing short of art. Impeccable attention to detail."

"O-ho? Even you know how to praise others? That’s rare." John smirked. "That just means they did a truly amazing job. Alright, continue your report."

"Next," Bubble said, fluffing her wings, "the package has been delivered in good health."

Another colorful bubble descended from the sky—this one significantly larger. It landed with a boom, bursting into a steamy mist that quickly evaporated, revealing the contents beneath.

"This is the work of the Swallow Hall," she announced.

"I know. I was the one who gave them the assignment," John replied, already inspecting the delivery. "Where’s the other package? Keep it in the air for now."

Bubble nodded, and a colossal watery bubble emerged from the clouds, floating a few hundred meters above ground like a shining moon.

"Good." John exhaled. "Now guard me. I’m about to begin the ritual."

He turned toward the first package.

Over two hundred land beasts—each one unconscious, sprawled on the ground.

Tapping into his memory, John recalled the Lure and Trust Mantra.

"Bubble," he called out. "Go and wake them."

She launched into the air, hovering above the mass of beasts, and let out a sharp, shrill cry.

The effect was instant.

All the beasts startled awake. Wide-eyed and panicked, their first instinct was to run.

Bubble prepared to intervene, conjuring a medium-sized bubble just above her beak, ready to trap them.

But John was quicker.

He began to sing.

The hymn of the Lure and Trust Mantra slipped from his tongue. It started rough, a bit rusty—but soon it found its rhythm. His voice carried, melodic and rich, echoing across the mountain.

Bubble, mid-hover, blinked in surprise.

All the beasts froze.

One by one, their expressions shifted—first wary, then curious, then... captivated.

Bubble narrowed her eyes. There was something familiar about the song. Something she couldn’t quite place. It tugged at the edges of her memory—familiar, yet distant.

By the end of the song, the beasts were completely charmed.

They stared at John, eyes glazed over, tails wagging like a litter of loyal pups.

John let out a long sigh. "Hmph. My worries were for nothing. This time... nothing bad happened."

He glanced across the crowd.

No explosions.

Not a single beast combusted.

Next came the important part of the ritual...

The bloody MARK OF DECEPTION.

Thankfully, there was no need to sing the Song of Eternal for this one.

"Well, I need blood," John muttered, biting his forefinger. He approached the nearest beast—a giant cheetah—and began drawing an intricate mark over its forehead with his bleeding finger.

Then the next one.

Then the next.

Thirty minutes passed, and by the end, every single beast bore a crude but carefully traced mark on their heads.

John weaved a sequence of hand seals and murmured,

"Mark of Deception, activate!"

The marks flickered. A faint glow danced across their surfaces before sinking into the beasts’ skin.

He waited.

Expecting the sweet, satisfying chime of the System’s confirmation.

Nothing.

John frowned.

But he was patient.

He waited.

And waited.

Hours passed.

Still, not even a flicker of reaction from the beasts. Not a single glow. Not a twitch. Just heavy breathing and the occasional tail flick.

With a growing scowl, he hissed, "God of Machine, you really are one hell of a disappointment. Is this so-called divine skill of yours a one-time use joke?"

There was no divine response.

Only the soft chime of the System.

[No. It has no expiration condition. However, there must be a new law enforcement clashing with the natural law of this world.]

"Damn the law of this world!" John growled.

Still, nothing changed.

Frustrated, he stepped forward.

And that’s when the beasts began to explode.

One. Then another. Then five.

Masses of flesh and blood rained across the clearing in a horrifying chain reaction of meaty fireworks.

John stood there, drenched in gore, eyes twitching. "WHAT. THE. HELL."

"All of them?!" he yelled. "Not a single survivor? Are you fucking kidding me?!"

"System, run a full scan. I want the autopsies. Now!"

[Initiating Scan... Completed.]

[Analyzing Anomalies... Completed.]

[Autopsy Report:]

Cause of Death: Blood Mark Rejection

Reason: Host’s bloodline lacks affinity with their bloodlines. Result: Total rejection.

Overall Analysis: Skill can only be used on subjects with matching genetic bloodlines. Conclusion: Skill will only work on birds.

"Hmph! What a total letdown." John grit his teeth. "This God of Machine is really just a third-rate deity. I should’ve known better than to put any faith in his junk!"

[God of Machine heard you.]

[God of Machine is angry with you.]

[God of Machine has imposed a new Restriction Law on Host’s main skill—MARK OF DECEPTION.]

[MARK OF DECEPTION: Host can no longer use your own blood to create Alpha Pets. Doing so will result in instant death of all candidates.]

[Current Alpha Pets: 15]

"Shit-shit-shit! If I can’t even do that anymore, then what’s the point of this skill?!" John shouted, clenching his fists.

[God of Machine is pleased with your frustration.]

[God of Machine has returned to catnap mode.]

"Ugh..."

[Don’t worry. There is an alternative. You may now begin taming Beta Pets.]

John blinked. "Beta pets?"

[Correct. With the Alpha slots filled (and restricted), Host may now initiate Phase Two: Beta Pets.]

[Everything is the same as before—except now, instead of your blood, you will use the blood of your Alpha Pets when applying the Mark of Deception.]

"Oh... interesting. So Beta Pets will fall under the command of the Alpha who marked them?"

[Yes. They will still be under Host’s overall control but with lesser abilities and slower growth. However, their potential will increase if their Alpha breaks through in rank.]

John gave a satisfied nod. "Good. That’s even better. More manageable... like branches of a chain of command."

He turned his gaze to the final floating package hovering in the air—the last delivery.

His eyes narrowed.

"Now then... let’s see what the Pecker Hall has prepared."