I Built a Divine Zoo in Another World

Lukas carefully placed the heavy book on the table.

The volume was even larger than the previous one, so massive and thick that he had to use both hands just to open it.

The cover was made of dark leather, with golden metal fittings that had darkened over time but still gleamed faintly beneath the light streaming through the window.

The pages were thick, yellowed with age, and carried the distinctive scent of ancient parchment, a mixture of dust, wood, and history that seemed to transport anyone who turned them to another era.

His heart beat faster as his fingers traced the rough texture of the first page. The excitement was almost tangible, a mixture of anticipation and reverence for the knowledge he was about to uncover.

Until that moment, everything he knew about that world was limited to the Kingdom of Rhyne and the small lands surrounding the Dmond Manor.

His view of the world was like that of someone looking through a narrow crack, seeing only a tiny fragment of a much greater painting.

But now... he would finally discover what the continent where he had been born into this new life was truly like. The pages before him held the key to understanding not only where he was, but also how that society had been formed, what forces had shaped it, and what secrets it concealed.

His eyes quickly scanned the table of contents, reading the Chapter titles with growing interest. There were sections on geography, history, and the different races that inhabited the continent. But one title, in particular, captured his full attention.

The Great Liberation

Lukas frowned slightly, the name immediately stirring his curiosity.

”Liberation?”

The word carried a weight he couldn’t quite explain. It suggested a story of oppression and resistance, of struggle and victory. Something he did not yet know, something that seemed essential to understanding the world he lived in.

Curious, he immediately began reading, his eyes racing eagerly across the lines.

”Approximately five thousand years ago, the continent now known as Hyndor was called Kharadun.”

The information was astonishing. Five thousand years was an immense span of time, far beyond what he could truly comprehend. The fact that the continent had changed its name suggested a radical transformation, a complete break from the past.

”However, most ancient records referred to the continent simply as the Slave Lands.”

Lukas blinked several times, processing what he had just read.

Slave... Lands?

The name was brutal, and direct, without any attempt to conceal reality. A name that spoke of suffering, exploitation, and an age when human life was worth less than the metal extracted from the mines.

He continued reading, his hands gripping the edges of the book tightly.

”At that time, humans were still a young race. Their numbers were few, and their strength was insignificant compared to the ancient species that ruled the continent.”

The description was clear and straightforward. Humans, who on Earth had been the dominant species, were merely one race among many here, and one of the weakest, one of the most vulnerable.

”The Ancient Elves ruled the great forests. Their kingdoms were ancient, their magic powerful, and their culture refined. They regarded humans as little more than talking animals, useful only for labor and entertainment.”

”The Mountain Dwarves controlled the mountain ranges and the mines. They extracted precious metals from the depths of the earth, built impregnable fortresses, and forged legendary weapons and armor. Humans labored in their mines, their hands bleeding as they dug for ore.”

”Orcs dominated the plains. They were fierce warriors, organized into clans that fought one another as often as they fought their enemies. Humans were used as living shields in their battles, or as cannon fodder in suicidal assaults.”

”Dragonkin built their cities near volcanoes. They were a proud race, descendants of the ancient dragons, and viewed humans as inferior in every respect. Humans were their servants, their slaves, their property.”

”Trolls, Giants, Lycanthropes, Vampires, and countless other species fought among themselves for territory. Each had its own opinion of humans, but they all agreed on one thing. Humans existed to serve.”

”Even the ancient Titans remained asleep beneath mountains and oceans, their colossal forms waiting for the moment they would awaken. Humans avoided those regions, fearing they might awaken something they could never hope to control.”

Lukas’s eyes widened slightly as his mind processed the information. So many races... far more than he could have imagined, far more than on Earth, where humans had stood at the top of the food chain.

He had heard of elves and dwarves in stories, but he had never imagined they were real, or that they had once ruled the continent.

He carefully turned the page, his hands almost trembling with anticipation.

”Humans were considered frail. Their lifespan was short, their physical strength limited, and their aptitude for magic practically nonexistent. Their only advantage was their extraordinary reproductive capability compared to the other races.”

The reading continued, revealing an increasingly grim picture of humanity’s history in that world.

”For that reason, they quickly became the continent’s primary source of slave labor. They were bought, exploited, and used in mines, farms, construction, and war. Their bodies were disposable, easily replaced.”

”Disposable.”

”Thousands died every single day. Hunger, disease, mining accidents, and arbitrary executions claimed human lives in numbers that modern history can scarcely imagine.”

”It was considered a miracle that the human race had not already become completely extinct. With each passing generation, more humans died than were born, and many believed extinction was only a matter of time.”

Lukas slowed his reading, the words weighing heavily on his mind. His expression became serious, the spark of curiosity in his eyes replaced by something much darker.

It was difficult to imagine. In that world, humans had once been slaves to superior races. Not merely exploited laborers, but true slaves, property that could be bought, sold, used, and discarded.

He felt a strange tightness in his chest, a feeling of discomfort that went beyond mere historical curiosity. Even knowing that all of it had happened thousands of years ago, even knowing that he had no personal connection to those sufferings, he still could not help but pity those people.