I Built a Divine Zoo in Another World

Chapter 118: The March to the Lair

The sun was already beginning to sink slowly beyond the horizon when Lukas finished preparing his companions.

Tilbo waited beside the door, the enormous ant as motionless as a statue of black metal. The silver veins spread across his carapace glowed softly, pulsing with a slow, steady rhythm, like a metallic heart.

Prata descended from the ceiling beam on a thin strand of silk and landed silently on Lukas’s bed. Her eight legs settled delicately while her many eyes observed everything around her.

Astra let out a sleepy chirp before spreading her wings. With a single flap, she crossed the room and landed on the boy’s head, where she already seemed to consider it her favorite perch.

Lukas smiled.

"Let’s go."

He opened the door and started down the stairs. The interior of Dmond Manor was quiet. The servants hurried through the hallways, carrying buckets of water, bandages, and food for the knights who had rested during part of the day.

As he crossed the main hall, Lukas saw Master Thorne sitting near the fireplace. The old mage held a steaming mug with both hands. His face was still extremely pale, but he already looked a little better than he had a few hours earlier.

"You’re really going?" Thorne asked.

Lukas nodded.

"I am."

The old man smiled faintly.

"Then stay behind the healer." Thorne simply raised a hand in farewell.

Lukas left the manor. Outside, the entire force sent by Count Hark was already prepared. The twenty knights waited on horseback, forming two perfectly aligned rows.

Their steel armor reflected the reddish light of the setting sun. Swords, spears, and shields were fastened to the horses. Some of the animals pawed impatiently at the ground.

Clavor was finishing adjusting the straps of his sword. Even though he had rested for a few hours, the exhaustion was still clearly visible on his face.

Count Hark sat atop his enormous black horse at the front of the formation. Beside him were the two mages. The man specializing in wind and ice wore a long, dark-blue robe embroidered with silver threads. The support mage wore simple white clothing covered by a light-green cloak. Small transparent crystals hung from her light wooden staff.

She smiled when she saw Lukas.

"So you’re really coming with us."

"Yes."

Clavor approached. He had argued with Aurora about truly allowing Lukas to accompany them. But she had agreed after Clavor promised that he and Count Hark would look after Lukas.

"Lukas will stay with you throughout the entire mission," Clavor said to the mage.

The woman nodded without hesitation.

"Leave him to me."

She dismounted for a moment and extended her hand.

"Come."

Lukas took her hand and was helped onto the horse. He sat behind her on the saddle. Tilbo walked right beside the horse. The enormous ant was fast enough to keep up with any mount.

Prata was even smarter and climbed onto the same horse Lukas was riding, hanging from the horse’s left side. Astra flew several meters above the formation.

Count Hark raised his sword.

"Move out!"

The horses’ hooves began striking the ground of the manor. The entire column advanced along the main road.

...

As they approached the wall Thorne had raised, Lukas began to see the marks left by the previous night’s battle.

His heart grew heavy. Corpses were everywhere. Hundreds of them. No... Thousands. The corrupted rats completely covered the ground around the walls. The smell of burned flesh still lingered in the air. Many bodies had been completely charred, reduced to black heaps of ash. Others had been split in half by swords or spears. Heads separated from bodies. Severed limbs scattered across the ground. Dried dark blood stained the earth.

Lukas’s eyes widened. The number of corpses seemed to be at least twice what he had seen during the first night.

Now he understood why Clavor looked so exhausted. That battle had been far worse.

As they passed through the main gate, Lukas noticed something different. Deep grooves cut through the earth. As if something gigantic had been dragged across the ground. Or... as if an enormous creature had run through there. The tracks were nearly three meters wide. They led directly into the forest.

Lukas felt a chill run down his spine. ’The Rat King.’ It had to be him. No ordinary rat could leave tracks that large.

The Count noticed the tracks as well.

"Stay alert."

No one answered. They simply tightened their grip on their weapons.

Shortly afterward, they left Hill Village behind. The forest surrounded them once again. The tall trees blocked much of the evening light. The atmosphere immediately became colder. Quieter. Only the sound of the horses broke that strange silence.

Lukas activated his Eagle Eyes. His vision swept dozens of meters through the trees. Small movements caught his attention. Rats. Many of them. Creatures the size of small rodents ran through the bushes. They did not attack. They merely watched. Their red eyes glowed in the dim light.

Prata noticed them as well. The spider’s legs shifted slowly beside the horse. She remained ready to attack at any moment.

Several more minutes passed. Then, a shout echoed.

"To the right!"

Dozens of giant rats leaped from the bushes. Each was roughly the size of a full-grown wolf. Their fangs were enormous. Their front paws ended in black claws capable of tearing through leather with ease.

"Formation!"

The knights reacted instantly. Shields raised. Spears leveled. The front line absorbed the impact. The collision forced some horses to step backward.

The next instant, the spears skewered several monsters at once. The rats screamed as they were impaled. Others managed to break through the first line.

One of them leaped directly at a knight. Before it could bite him... a blast of wind tore through its body. The rat was sliced into dozens of pieces.

The wind mage had cast his spell.

Moments later, spears of ice appeared behind him. Five blue projectiles shot across the battlefield. Five rats fell immediately.

Count Hark pulled on his horse’s reins.

"Advance!"

His enormous spear traced a silver arc. Three rats were cut in half with a single strike. Clavor also joined the battle. His sword glowed brightly with mana. Every slash cleaved through hide, bone, and flesh without meeting resistance.

Lukas watched everything attentively. The coordination of those soldiers was impressive. No one fought alone. There was always someone protecting the companion beside them. The rats tried to break the formation. But they were repeatedly driven back.

Then, one of the monsters changed targets. Instead of attacking the soldiers... it attacked a horse. Its fangs sank deep into the animal’s front leg. The horse neighed in pain.

Another rat did the same moments later. Then another. Within seconds, three mounts had suffered severe leg injuries.

The mage carrying Lukas raised her staff. A green circle appeared beneath the animals. Gentle lights enveloped their wounds. The bleeding immediately began to lessen. The cuts partially closed. The horses placed their legs back on the ground. They still limped, but they remained alive.

The battle ended a few minutes later. The last rat fell, pierced by a spear. Silence. The soldiers breathed heavily. Not a single man had suffered even a scratch. The three injured horses would remain in the rear for the rest of the mission.

"We continue."