I Built a Divine Zoo in Another World

Chapter 135: Against the Rat King (3)

Then... the King let out another scream.

"SKRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!"

This time, the sound was infused with mana.

An invisible shockwave swept across the entire forest. It was not a sound heard with the ears, it was a sound felt with the body, one that vibrated through the bones and resonated within the soul. The shockwave was so intense that the air itself seemed to become solid for an instant.

The soldiers felt as though a hammer had struck directly into their brains.

The pain was instantaneous and overwhelming, a pressure crushing their skulls from the inside out. Several completely lost their balance, their bodies staggering as if they were drunk.

Shields fell. Spears slipped from their hands. Some were thrown to their knees, their legs simply refusing to support their weight.

Others simply collapsed onto the ground, clutching their heads with both hands, silent screams escaping from their open mouths.

The mage’s eyes widened. The King’s scream had pierced his concentration like a knife, shattering the focus he had maintained with such effort. His spell completely lost control.

The runes vanished. One by one, the inscriptions of power faded from the air, like candles being blown out by a powerful wind.

The enormous sphere of wind and ice began to destabilize, its perfect form twisting into chaotic spirals.

"No..." he murmured, his voice filled with despair.

The entire spell had been interrupted. Within a few seconds, the gigantic construct of mana completely dissipated, leaving behind only a cold wind that swept through the forest before fading away.

Far ahead...

Hark also felt his ears throb violently. The pressure inside his skull was intense, as if his brain were being crushed against his bones.

Blood streamed from his left ear, a crimson trail running down his neck.

Clavor grimaced in pain. His vision blurred for a moment, and he tasted the metallic flavor of blood in his mouth. The King’s scream had affected even the two warriors despite their protective auras.

But neither of them stopped.

Their swords continued cutting. Their spears continued destroying tails.

Every strike was faster, stronger, and more desperate than the last. They knew time was running out. Every second wasted would allow the King to unleash that devastating beam once again.

Hark glanced back. A single moment was enough to understand the situation.

The soldiers were down, disoriented, and incapable of advancing. Some were still trying to stand, but their bodies refused to cooperate.

The soldiers... would never be able to fight that creature in close combat. Not even together. The King’s power was simply too great for ordinary men to face head-on.

Their role would be a different one.

He roared as he destroyed another wave of tails.

"DON’T COME ANY CLOSER!"

The soldiers raised their heads, their eyes still clouded with pain, but their minds beginning to clear.

"ATTACK FROM A DISTANCE!"

The order was immediately understood.

The captain, who had managed to remain on his feet, repeated the command to his men.

"GIVE THEM COVERING FIRE!"

The formation quickly reorganized. Several soldiers pulled longbows from their backs, their hands moving with the practiced precision of years of training. Within seconds, the first arrows were nocked, their sharp tips gleaming beneath the dim light.

Mana began to envelop each projectile. Some arrowheads glowed blue, others gold, others green. Every archer used their own attribute to strengthen their shot, channeling their energy through wood and metal.

"FIRE!"

The bowstrings twanged simultaneously, and dozens of arrows streaked across the sky like shooting stars. Their trajectories were precise, each archer aiming at a different part of the King’s body.

Some arrows struck the enormous tails, embedding themselves in the flesh before exploding with small bursts of mana. Others hit the King’s armored plates, creating sparks and cracks across the bony surface.

Very few managed to pierce through. Most were deflected or simply bounced off the creature’s natural armor. But that did not matter.

Every arrow fired reminded the King that he was not fighting only two warriors.

Each one forced the creature to divide its attention. Every dodge, every block, every moment the King had to defend itself against the archers’ attacks was another moment for Clavor and Hark to advance one more step.

Meanwhile...

The mage took a deep breath. The pain in his head still throbbed, but he forced his mind to calm down. He closed his eyes, shutting out the outside world.

The runes reappeared.

One. The first inscription glowed in the air, fragile and unstable, yet present.

Then two. More runes joined the first, forming a pattern that gradually stabilized.

Then ten. The magic circle began to complete itself, energy flowing through the inscriptions like water through a riverbed.

His enormous spell began to take shape once more. The sphere of ice and wind slowly reformed, its fragments coming together like pieces of a puzzle. Blue mana once again shone around the mage, and the temperature began to fall once more.

Further behind...

Lukas remained beside the mage, his body tense, his eyes fixed on the battle unfolding before him. His heart pounded, and his hands were clenched into fists.

His gaze never left Clavor and Hark. They were already very close to the monster, close enough to see the details of its deformed flesh, the movement of the eyes in its chest, and the uneven breathing of its colossal body.

And the auras surrounding their weapons shone brighter with every passing second. Hark’s golden light and Clavor’s silver light intensified continuously until it became difficult to look directly at them.

Something told Lukas that the true clash was still far from over. The two warriors were preparing something immense, something that could decide the fate of the battle.

The hundreds of tails continued lashing through the forest.

Some crashed down like tree trunks, crushing everything in their path. Others slithered through the air at incredible speed, trying to wrap themselves around Clavor and Hark. The most dangerous were the violet ones, covered with venomous glowing spikes that left trails of corrupted mana wherever they passed.

But the two warriors had already grasped the monster’s rhythm.

Clavor swung his sword with flawless precision. Every slash severed dozens of tails at once. Severed appendages flew through the air, scattering black blood across the vegetation.

Beside him, Hark resembled a golden tempest.

His spear pierced one tail after another, blasting them apart before they could reach his body. When one of the thickest tails tried to crush him from above, he simply stepped forward.

His spear rose.

’BOOOM!’

The mana-coated tip pierced straight through the entire tail, tearing a massive gash that split it in half.

The enormous appendage crashed behind him, knocking down trees as though they were mere twigs.

Even so... there seemed to be no end.

Hundreds of new tails continuously emerged from the Rat King’s grotesque mass.

"It’s creating more!" Hark shouted.

Clavor did not respond. His breathing had grown heavy.

Even with the blessing restoring much of his mana, maintaining that level of combat consumed energy rapidly.

Another wave of tails surged forward. Their blades shone once more. Another explosion shook the forest.

Behind them, a fresh rain of arrows covered the sky.

The archers fired without pause.

Mana-enhanced arrows crossed the battlefield in an endless stream.

Some exploded upon striking the black plates.

Others pierced eyes scattered across the tails, drawing sharp screeches from the creature.

The King responded immediately.

Hundreds of eyes turned toward the archers. For a brief moment...

The pressure on Clavor and Hark eased.

"That’s it!" the captain shouted.

"Keep firing!"

The soldiers obeyed. More arrows. More explosions. More distractions.

In the distance, the mage’s magic circle had already expanded to several meters in diameter. Runes revolved around one another. Currents of wind lifted leaves, stones, and blood from the ground. The temperature plummeted rapidly.

Crystals of ice began forming upon the grass around him. The spell was almost complete.

Lukas noticed it immediately.

His heart raced.

"He’s going to make it..."

Beside him, the mage slowly raised her head.

Despite being utterly exhausted, a faint smile appeared on her face.

"Just a little more..."

She could barely speak.

"Just... a little more..."

On the front line... Hark and Clavor finally broke through the wall of tails.

The two leaped forward almost simultaneously.

The distance between them and the King’s enormous body shrank dramatically.

Now they were close enough to feel the heat of that corrupted mana. It was suffocating. The air felt as heavy as lead. Every breath scorched their lungs.

The countless eyes scattered across the creature’s body slowly turned toward the two of them.

Then...

The gigantic black mouth began to open once more. The void within seemed even larger than before.

Corrupted mana began condensing again.

Much faster this time.

Hark’s eyes widened.

"Clavor!"

The swordsman had already realized it. The two erupted with mana at the same time. Not to attack.

But to run.

They had to reach the creature before the second shot could be completed.

Behind them, the mage’s magic circle reached its maximum size. The runes stopped spinning. The wind ceased completely.

The entire forest fell into an eerie silence.

The mage opened his eyes. His irises glowed with an intense blue light.

He extended both hands toward the Rat King.

"Now..."

The colossal sphere of ice and wind trembled violently.

At the same time... Hark raised his spear. Clavor lifted his sword. And the black energy within the King’s mouth reached its peak.

For a fraction of a second...

Three devastating attacks were about to collide. And the entire forest seemed to hold its breath.