I Built a Divine Zoo in Another World

Even while protected, several men were pushed backward by the force of the barrage of spikes. Their feet slid across the ground, carving furrows into the earth as they struggled to hold their position.

One of the soldiers fell to his knees, his shield split in half, but his comrades quickly closed the formation around him, protecting him with their own bodies.

Meanwhile, Hark was already charging through that storm.

The Count advanced without hesitation, his spear spinning before him like a living shield.

Every spike that came near was deflected or sliced apart by the golden glow of his weapon. But not all of them. Some slipped past his defense, striking his armor with heavy thuds.

The spikes began to pierce sections of the metal. Small cracks appeared across Hark’s breastplate, and drops of blood began to seep through the gaps. The Count did not slow down. There was no pain on his face, only concentration. Every step brought him closer to the Guard covered in spikes.

The monster tried to retreat, its hind legs digging into the ground in a desperate effort to gain distance. Its spikes, which had partially regenerated, began vibrating once more, preparing another attack.

Too late.

The golden spear pierced its shoulder. Hark had concentrated all his strength into the strike, and the weapon’s tip tore completely through one side of the monster’s body.

The Guard roared in agony, black blood spraying in every direction. The creature still tried to counterattack, raising its claws to strike the warrior.

Clavor appeared beside the Count at the exact moment the Guard prepared to attack. His sword was already in motion, the golden glow of mana illuminating his face.

The blade flashed.

A single horizontal slash. The movement was so fast that it seemed to leave a trail of light through the air. The sword met the creature’s neck, slicing through flesh, bone, and tendons as though they were made of paper.

The monster’s body split into two halves. The upper half fell backward, its spikes still vibrating faintly as life drained away.

The lower half remained standing for an instant, as though it had not yet realized it was dead, before collapsing heavily onto the grass.

The second Guard had fallen.

Only the giant remained.

The enormous rat rose onto its hind legs, stretching its body to its full height.

It stood nearly three meters tall, its muscle mass so dense that it looked carved from stone. Bony plates covered its torso, glowing with a purple light that intensified with every beat of its racing heart.

Its shadow completely enveloped Hark and Clavor. For a moment, the two warriors seemed tiny before the monster’s immense form, like ants standing before a mountain.

Then it roared.

The sound made even the leaves in the trees tremble. The air vibrated with the force of the cry, and the nearest soldiers felt their eardrums ache.

The giant’s roar was more than just a sound, it was a declaration, a warning that even alone, it still posed a deadly threat.

Without hesitation, it slammed its fist into the ground.

The earth exploded beneath the impact. The ground gave way as though struck by a meteor, opening a crater nearly two meters wide. Rocks, dirt, and roots were hurled in every direction, creating a cloud of debris that obscured the battlefield.

The two warriors split apart to avoid the impact. Clavor leaped to the left, his sword still raised. Hark retreated to the right, his spear ready to strike. Instead of choosing a target, the giant charged straight at the Count.

Clavor raced around the monster’s flank, attempting to outmaneuver it. The three vanished into a sequence of movements far too fast for ordinary eyes to follow.

To the soldiers, it was nothing more than a blur of colors, the silver of Clavor, the gold of Hark, and the purple of the giant, moving in a chaotic choreography.

Lukas could follow them only thanks to Eagle Vision. His enhanced sight allowed him to perceive every detail, every movement.

Hark blocked every blow with the shaft of his spear, deflecting the giant’s attacks with pinpoint precision.

Clavor severed tendons whenever he found an opening, his sword dancing between the monster’s bony plates.

The Guard roared without pause. Even covered in cuts, it continued fighting. Black blood poured from dozens of wounds, yet the creature never lessened the intensity of its attacks. It was as if it completely ignored the pain, as though its body were driven by nothing but instinct and fury.

Then Hark smiled.

”Now!”

The command came at the exact moment the giant unleashed its strongest attack. The creature’s fist descended toward the Count’s head, carrying the full force of its massive body.

Clavor understood immediately. Without hesitation, he leaped.

His sword descended, infused with a tremendous amount of the mana he still possessed. The blade shone with an intensity that outshone the sun, and the strike met the monster’s left leg. The cut was deep, so deep that the bone was split clean in half.

The Guard lost its balance. Its leg buckled beneath its own weight, and the creature began to topple sideways. Its blow, which should have struck Hark, passed mere centimeters beside the warrior, smashing only the empty ground.

At that very instant, Hark concentrated a tremendous amount of his mana into the tip of his spear. The weapon blazed with a golden light so intense that it blinded everyone nearby. The soldiers turned their eyes away, shielding their faces with their arms.

The thrust pierced the creature’s chest.

The spear continued forward. It tore through muscle. It shattered bone. It pierced the giant’s heart as though it were made of butter. It burst out through the creature’s back, its golden tip gleaming with black blood.

The giant remained motionless for a brief moment. Its eyes, once burning with fury, now seemed confused, as though unable to comprehend what had happened.

Then...

It fell.

Its body struck the ground with a deafening crash that made the entire clearing tremble. The impact opened another crater, and the air filled with dust and debris. For a long moment, no one moved.

Silence.