I Built a Divine Zoo in Another World

Chapter 141: Remaining Rat (3)

At that moment, Clavor approached. His steps were slow, but his presence was unmistakable. The swordsman glanced briefly at the little creature held in his son’s hands, his gaze curious but unconcerned.

"Found a survivor?"

Lukas nodded, still holding the rat firmly.

"Astra brought it."

Clavor looked at the rat for only a second. It was small. Gray. Completely harmless. Probably just a pup that had hidden during the battle, one that had escaped the destruction by pure chance.

It did not catch his attention. In his mind, the animal was nothing more than a curiosity, a minor detail on a day full of important events. His eyes were already shifting away, assessing the path ahead.

"If you want to keep it, go ahead."

He shrugged. The gesture was casual, unconcerned.

"Just make sure it isn’t injured afterward."

Lukas smiled. The smile was genuine, filled with gratitude for the freedom his father gave him.

"I’ll take care of it."

The rat kept trying to bite him. Its jaws opened and closed, its teeth scraping against Lukas’s skin without managing to pierce it. It was an almost comical effort, a display of resistance that, in truth, only made the little creature more endearing.

Clavor simply shook his head, amused. The scene was absurd, almost funny, and he could not help but smile.

"Even this small, it’s still fierce."

The remark was simple, yet it carried a touch of fatherly affection. It was good to see Lukas smiling, even after everything they had been through.

Hark approached shortly afterward. His steps were heavier than Clavor’s, his body still bearing the burden of the battle. He stopped beside the swordsman, his eyes quickly sweeping over the group.

"Is the boy alright?"

"He is."

Clavor answered before Lukas could even open his mouth. The confidence in his voice was absolute.

"Not a scratch on him."

The Count nodded in satisfaction. The concern that had remained in his eyes since the beginning of the battle was finally beginning to fade.

"Good."

His gaze swept over all the survivors. The soldiers had already finished gathering their equipment, their weapons cleaned and stored away, their wounds bandaged.

The mage had recovered some of his strength. His face was still pale, but his eyes were more alert. The female mage was finally able to sit up on her own, her body still weak, but her mind much clearer.

Hark took a deep breath. The air filled his lungs, and he felt the weight of the day finally beginning to lift.

"That’s enough for today."

His gaze swept across the devastated forest. Fallen trees, torn earth, smoke rising in spirals through the air. The scar left by the battle was deep, but the forest would recover in time.

"Our mission is over."

He rested his spear on his shoulder. The gesture was familiar, a habit he had developed after years of fighting.

"Let’s head back to the manor."

The soldiers answered almost at the same time. Their voices were firm, unified, carrying a relief that needed no words.

"Yes, sir!"

The small troop slowly made its way back along the same path they had taken before. Their steps were slower now, no longer rushed. There was no longer the urgency of battle, the constant fear of being attacked.

Now, however... without the constant tension. Their shoulders were more relaxed, their hands less tightly wrapped around their weapons. Conversations, once limited to commands and warnings, now included casual murmurs and quiet laughter.

Without thousands of shrieks echoing through the trees. The forest’s silence was different now, peaceful and natural, broken only by the songs of birds and the rustling of leaves.

Without the monstrous pressure of corrupted mana. The air was clean, pure, easy to breathe. Every breath brought a sense of renewal, as though the forest itself were driving away the remnants of the battle.

The forest felt different. The trees that had survived stood green and vibrant, their leaves shining beneath the sunlight. Though the ground still bore the scars of combat, it was already showing signs of life, tiny green sprouts emerging from the cracks.

Lukas walked beside Tilbo. The ant’s massive body gave him a sense of security, and its constant presence was comforting. Prata silently rode on one of the ant’s shoulders, her bright eyes carefully watching the forest. Astra flew several meters above the group, her silhouette outlined against the blue sky.

Meanwhile...

The little rat kept trying to escape. It struggled. It pushed its paws against Lukas’s hands. It tried to bite him whenever it found an opportunity.

"You really don’t like me..."

Lukas laughed. The sound was light and genuine, a natural response to the little creature’s persistence.

Even so, he did not let it go. There was something about that rat that sparked his curiosity. Besides that tiny golden mark... it was practically the only rat left alive. All the others had either been killed during the battle or absorbed by the King before its transformation. That little survivor was a mystery, an anomaly.

"Maybe I’ll figure out what species you are with a bit of research."

The prospect was interesting. Lukas had always enjoyed learning about the creatures he encountered, and this rat, with its unusual golden mark, certainly deserved to be studied.

The rat answered only with another irritated squeak. The sound was shrill and full of frustration, as though it were trying to communicate something words could not express.

Lukas smiled again. The gesture was gentle, and kind, an attempt to reassure the little creature that continued struggling against him.

"You can relax."

He gently stroked the top of its head. His fingers ran through its gray fur, brushing away the soot still clinging to its body. His touch was soft, almost like a caress.

"I’m not going to hurt you."

For some reason...

The little rat finally stopped struggling.

Its body, which had been writhing frantically until then, suddenly became still. Its paws, which had been pressing against Lukas’s hands, relaxed. Its eyes, once wide with panic, narrowed slightly.

It was still breathing rapidly. Its chest rose and fell at a quick pace, and tiny tremors still ran through its body from time to time. The adrenaline was still coursing through its veins.

It continued looking at Lukas with extreme caution. Its gray eyes studied every movement the boy made, every expression on his face. It did not trust Lukas. It did not trust any human.

But it remained still.

Lukas interpreted that as a sign that it had finally calmed down. His smile widened, and he stroked the creature’s head again, pleased that he had managed to soothe it.

He failed to notice the real reason.

Deep within those tiny gray eyes... intelligence still remained. It was not the instinctive intelligence of a wild animal, driven only by survival and fear. It was something deeper, more calculating.

An intelligence far beyond that of any ordinary animal. The ability to observe, to analyze, to wait. The patience of one who had already survived the impossible and knew that, to stay alive, it had to be strategic.

As the group disappeared among the trees...

The little rat remained completely motionless in Lukas’s hands.

Waiting. Its eyes stayed open, alert, watching everything around it.

Patiently. It no longer struggled. It no longer tried to bite. It simply waited, conserving its strength for the right moment.

The opportunity to escape.

The moment when the hands holding it became distracted, when the eyes watching it looked away, when their guard dropped. Then, and only then, would it move.

Until then... it would wait.