I Built a Divine Zoo in Another World

Chapter 96: Traps

Lukas left the main square of Forest Village behind as he walked toward the forest.

The sun was still high in the sky, a warm golden sphere that heated the earth and made the leaves of the trees shine like tiny green mirrors.

The air was filled with the scent of dry soil, freshly cut grass, and the faint smell of smoke drifting from the chimneys of the houses.

Tilbo walked beside him, moving her six legs calmly along the dirt road. Despite already being half a meter long, the enormous ant continued to attract attention wherever she went. Farmers stopped to stare, children pointed, and even the village dogs barked from a distance, lacking the courage to approach.

Prata, on the other hand, disappeared and reappeared among rocks, fences, and bushes.

The spider seemed particularly excited that day.

Perhaps because she was hunting. Perhaps because she had finally found a suitable environment to use her abilities.

Her black-and-silver body moved with a fluidity that Lukas never grew tired of admiring. She climbed tree trunks with ease, slipped through cracks in rocks, and appeared on the other side of obstacles with surprising speed.

Lukas observed everything around him as he advanced.

Forest Village was different from the region near Dmond Manor.

Simpler. More rural.

The houses were smaller, many with dark wooden walls and thatched roofs, some with small stone chimneys. Many had little gardens surrounded by wooden stakes, where herbs and vegetables grew in neat rows.

Chickens wandered freely through the yards, scratching at the ground in search of grains and insects.

But something was wrong. It was easy to notice. The people looked worried.

A man carried several sacks of grain while complaining to another villager, his voice tense.

"Three more sacks ruined this week."

"My house had it worse."

"They ate everything?"

"Almost everything."

A woman emerged from a barn holding a broom, her face twisted in frustration.

"Damned rats."

Another man nodded, his arms crossed over his chest.

"If this keeps up, we’ll lose part of the harvest."

Lukas listened quietly. His gaze swept across the village.

Reinforced doors, some with metal bars added.

Storage buildings sealed shut, with new locks gleaming beneath the sun.

Cats being kept close to the warehouses, some tied with ropes, others confined in small cages.

Even improvised traps appeared in some corners, small boxes with bait, stretched wires, and a large wooden rat trap made of wood and rope.

This really seemed serious.

"Definitely not a normal infestation."

He continued walking. Some children watched him pass.

Naturally. It was not every day that someone saw a white-haired boy accompanied by a giant ant and a spider the size of a small dog.

"Look!"

"It’s a spider!"

"And a giant ant!"

The children pointed.

Tilbo did not even seem to notice. Prata merely raised a few legs before continuing forward.

Shortly afterward, the last house was left behind. The forest appeared before them. Tall and dense.

Lukas took a deep breath. The air was different there. Fresher. More humid. More alive.

The sound of the wind disappeared beneath the songs of birds and the rustling of leaves, a constant whisper, as if the forest itself were speaking with them.

Prata immediately took the lead.

The spider shot forward, her long legs moving with a speed that Lukas had only seen during hunts.

Lukas quickened his pace to keep up with her.

"Hey, don’t go so fast."

Prata completely ignored him.

A few minutes later, Lukas began to notice something interesting.

Prata was not moving randomly. She seemed to be following tracks.

The spider stopped. Observed. Changed direction. Advanced again. Like a true predator.

Lukas found the first pieces of evidence shortly afterward.

Small footprints, paw marks in the soft soil. Tooth marks on exposed roots. Droppings scattered near a rock.

"You really know what you’re doing."

Prata moved her chelicerae. As if she were proud. Lukas smiled.

"Magical beasts really are intelligent."

They continued forward.

The deeper they went into the forest, the more signs appeared.

Gnawed branches, tooth marks on fresh wood.

Flattened vegetation, as though hundreds of small bodies had passed through.

Narrow trails cutting through the undergrowth, paths that branched and crossed, forming a complex network.

It looked as though hundreds of small bodies used those paths every day.

Then they found the first hole.

It was small. Dark. Dug beneath the roots of a tree, hidden among rocks and moss.

Lukas knelt down and observed it.

"A tunnel."

Prata approached. Touched the ground with her front legs. Then continued onward.

They found another. And another. And another. Every minute, more appeared.

Lukas began to frown. This did not seem normal. Not at all.

After nearly an hour of exploring the forest, they reached a hillside.

Then Lukas stopped. His eyes widened. Before them were dozens of entrances.

Perhaps fifty. Perhaps more.

Holes spread across the entire slope, a wall of earth and stone covered with small openings.

Small. Medium. Large. All leading underground.

"This..."

Even Lukas was impressed.

It looked like an entire city of rats. Or an army.

"How many are there here?"

"A hundred? Five hundred? A thousand? More?"

That perfectly explained the village’s situation.

Such an absurd number of rats would consume any nearby crops.

Prata walked toward one of the entrances. Then she began to work.

Without any instruction. Without any command. The spider simply knew what to do.

She climbed a nearby tree, her legs gripping the rough bark with ease. Released one thread. Then another. And another.

The threads gleamed faintly beneath the sunlight. Mana.

Silver’s threads were naturally reinforced with mana. Much stronger than normal webs.

Lukas watched for a few seconds. Then smiled.

"I can help too."

He extended one hand. Concentrated mana. The familiar sensation spread through his arms, warm and pulsing.

Soon afterward... A white thread emerged from his palm. Lukas grabbed the end. Pulled. Strong. Flexible.

Exactly like Prata’s webs. An ability inherited from the spider. One of the most curious characteristics of his talent, a talent that Lukas still did not fully understand.

"Let’s get to work."