I Built a Divine Zoo in Another World

Chapter 136: Against the Rat King (4)

The sphere of wind and ice exploded forward.

The sound was like the roar of an avalanche, a thunderous crash that echoed throughout the forest and made the ground tremble beneath everyone’s feet.

The energy released by the mage was so intense that the air surrounding the sphere began to freeze, forming ice crystals that fell like a silent rain over the clearing.

There was no hesitation. The mage knew this was the moment. Every second that passed was another second in which the Rat King became stronger, more prepared, and more difficult to defeat.

He had watched his comrades die. He would not allow anyone else to fall.

As soon as the mage thrust both hands forward, the enormous spell shot across the clearing like a small blue-white comet. The light radiating from the sphere was so brilliant that it outshone the flames consuming the forest, casting dancing shadows that shifted between the trees.

Violent winds tore through the ground, ripping entire trees out by their roots while countless ice spears spun around the central mass. The ancient trees, which had withstood decades of storms and harsh weather, were uprooted as if they were mere weeds, their trunks splintered and their roots exposed.

The ice spears, each as large as a knight’s lance, orbited around the central sphere. Some pointed forward, ready to pierce. Others swept sideways, creating a wall of ice that protected the spell’s core. Every one of them shone with a bluish light that seemed to drain the warmth from the surroundings.

At the same time...

The Rat King’s black maw finished gathering mana.

The cavity in its chest, which had closed after its previous attack, now opened completely once again. The hundreds of eyes filling its interior spun in a frantic rhythm, like the gears of an infernal machine on the verge of exploding.

The eye-filled void glowed with a deep purple hue. The light was so intense it seemed liquid, spilling over the edges of the maw like molten lava. Corrupted mana condensed into a single point, compressing itself to such an incredible density that it distorted the very space around it.

Then it fired.

’BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!’

The sound was deafening, a thunderous blast that seemed to come from every direction at once. The colossal beam of corrupted mana tore through the forest like a pillar of darkness, so dense it looked solid, so fast that the eye could barely follow its path.

The black energy consumed everything in its wake. Trees vanished instantly, their trunks and leaves simply ceasing to exist the moment the dark light touched them.

Stones melted before they were even struck, turning into pools of molten rock that hissed upon the ground. Even the air itself seemed to unravel before that overwhelming force, creating a momentary vacuum that pulled everything toward it.

The very next instant...

The two attacks collided.

The entire world seemed to shake.

The clash between the mage’s pure magic and the Rat King’s corrupted mana created a reaction that defied all understanding. The sphere of ice met the black beam at the center of the clearing, and the two forces began to push against each other, compressing, crushing, and annihilating one another.

The explosion was so intense that a sphere of energy formed at the point of impact, compressing wind, ice, and corrupted mana into a single unstable core. The light it emitted was so blinding that everyone had to avert their gaze, shielding their eyes with their arms.

Violent shockwaves swept across miles of forest. The wind was so powerful that it stripped leaves from trees, snapped branches, and flattened everything in its path. The temperature fluctuated wildly between the biting cold of the ice and the searing heat of the corrupted mana, creating chaotic currents that whipped everyone’s hair and clothing violently.

The soldiers had to drive their weapons into the ground to avoid being thrown away. Some dropped to one knee, burying their spears deep into the earth as anchors. Others grabbed onto each other, forming a human chain that resisted the raging winds.

Lukas shielded his face with his arm while Tilbo positioned himself in front of him and the mage. The giant ant’s massive body formed a barrier against the wind and flying debris, its shell withstanding the impact of shards of ice and stone hurled through the air.

Prata curled up behind Tilbo, its eyes glowing brightly as it watched the battle. Its body remained tense, ready to move if anything threatened the group.

Astra had to beat her wings furiously to avoid being swept away. The small bird fought against the violent winds, every movement precise and calculated as it struggled to remain airborne despite the turbulence.

The clash between the two spells continued.

The sphere of ice froze portions of the black beam. Wherever the mage’s energy touched the corrupted mana, ice formed instantly, spreading across the enemy attack like a creeping disease.

The corrupted mana melted the ice almost immediately. The heat radiating from the black energy was so intense that the ice turned into vapor before it could fully form, creating clouds of mist that mixed into the air.

The two forces seemed evenly matched. The mage had poured every ounce of his energy into that single spell, and the Rat King had done the same with its attack. Neither could advance. Neither could retreat.

For several seconds...

Neither side gained any ground. The point where the two spells collided became a battlefield unto itself, where light and darkness fought for dominance, where ice and fire annihilated one another in a spectacular display of destruction.

It was precisely that moment Hark had been waiting for.

"CLAVOR!"

The command echoed like thunder, cutting through the roar of the battle. There was no hesitation in his voice. No doubt. Only absolute certainty that this was the moment they had waited for throughout the entire battle.

The swordsman was already moving.

Before the final syllable of Clavor’s name had even left Hark’s lips, Clavor had already begun to run. His feet barely touched the ground, propelled forward by an explosion of mana that launched him like an arrow.

The two warriors cut across the explosion from the side, surrounded by their own mana auras. Hark’s golden light and Clavor’s silver radiance created a breathtaking contrast against the chaos around them, two shining stars racing through the heart of a storm.

Shards of ice and fragments of black energy ricocheted all around them, but both warriors ignored everything. Their eyes remained fixed on their target, their minds focused on a single objective. Nothing else mattered. Nothing else existed beyond the monster standing before them.

Only a few dozen meters remained. The Rat King was so close that Clavor could see every detail of its twisted flesh, the countless eyes moving within its chest, and the purple glow that still pulsed deep inside its maw.