I Built a Divine Zoo in Another World

The numbers began to rise, slowly but steadily. There was no sound notification, no mysterious light, no outward sign. It was simply an absolute certainty, as though that information had always existed within him, waiting to be accessed.

Lukas’s eyes widened, his breathing quickening. For days, the affinity had remained stuck at ninety-four percent, refusing to increase by even a single point, no matter how much time he spent beside Rourke. He had already begun to wonder if something was wrong, if that would be the final barrier.

Now, it was advancing on its own.

His heart began to beat faster, every beat echoing in his ears. The warmth grew even stronger, wrapping around him like an invisible cloak.

Then, at the exact instant the affinity reached ninety-five percent, something unseen seemed to break.

Or perhaps... to connect.

A delicate golden thread appeared between him and Rourke, a strand of light that seemed to come from within both of them. It wasn’t a light his eyes could see; it was a deeper perception, like feeling the wind without seeing it or sensing someone’s presence behind you.

That connection simply... existed.

Lukas stood perfectly still, his breath caught in his throat. The tiny thread linked his chest to the little rat’s body, an invisible bridge between two living beings. Energy flowed gently between them, a slow and constant current.

There was no pain, no pressure, no physical sensation at all. Only a strange feeling of closeness, as though they shared something deeper than mere companionship.

It was impossible to explain in words, but during those few seconds, Lukas had the impression that he understood Rourke in a way he had never understood any other creature. They weren’t thoughts, nor words, nor images, they were simple, pure, almost primitive emotions.

Safety. Trust. Companionship. A sense of belonging that transcended language.

The feeling was so pure that an involuntary smile spread across his lips, an expression of pure joy.

Affinity wasn’t born merely from time; it wasn’t simply a matter of hours spent together. It was born from living together, from trust built little by little through countless small gestures. From the days they spent walking through the forest together, exploring new places. From the meals they shared, the pieces of fruit Lukas always saved for Rourke. From the nights they slept side by side, the warmth of the little body against his own. From the dangers they had faced together, the threats they had overcome as one.

All of it had built that invisible connection, thread by thread, moment by moment.

Fifteen seconds. That was exactly how long the connection remained active, pulsing gently between them. Then the golden thread slowly began to fade, like a star disappearing beyond the horizon. The warmth diminished, and the sense of connection gradually weakened.

Until everything returned to normal.

Or almost.

Because Lukas could still feel that something had changed within him, something new that hadn’t existed before. A door that had opened somewhere deep within his consciousness.

A strange sensation arose behind his eyes, like an impulse, like a door waiting to be opened. He barely had time to reflect on what was happening.

He blinked.

And the world vanished.

It wasn’t a simple change of vision, nor was it like closing his eyes. It was as though his consciousness had been torn from his own body and hurled across an impossible distance.

For a brief instant, there was only darkness, an absolute void where time itself seemed meaningless.

Then the world reappeared.

But it wasn’t his bedroom.

Before him lay nothing but dry leaves scattered across the forest floor, a brown-and-golden carpet stretching as far as his vision could reach.

Moss-covered stones rose here and there like tiny mountains. Thin twigs crossed the ground, while small green sprouts emerged from the damp earth, vibrant and full of life.

Everything looked gigantic. A single dry leaf was larger than his head, its edges stretching beyond his field of vision. A small branch looked like a fallen tree trunk, its surface rough and uneven.

His point of view was absurdly close to the ground, so low that he could distinguish tiny grains of sand among the leaves, each one glimmering beneath the moonlight.

Lukas tried to take a deep breath, trying to understand what was happening. That was when he noticed another difference, the smell.

It was overwhelming, far more intense than any human could possibly perceive.

Every scent was an explosion of information, a story told through molecules. He could distinguish damp earth, rotting wood, fungi growing beneath the leaves, insects hidden in their burrows, and even the trail left behind by an animal that had passed through only a short while earlier. Every odor was a clue, every scent a revelation.

His heart raced, confused and astonished.

"W-What’s happening?" He tried to speak, but no words came out. He tried to move his own body, but nothing happened. The only thing he could do was observe, a witness trapped within another body.

Then the body to which that vision belonged began to move. Fast, agile, silent movements, every step carefully placed to make no sound, to avoid alerting predators. The ground rushed beneath his eyes, the world moving at a pace that seemed perfectly natural for that creature.

After several meters, another creature appeared. A small gray rat with bright eyes reflecting the moonlight. The two approached each other naturally, like old acquaintances. They touched noses for a brief moment, a silent greeting, before continuing on their separate paths.

Lukas’s eyes widened as understanding finally dawned.

"This... isn’t my body."

The realization struck like lightning, illuminating the darkness of his confusion. The vision he was experiencing wasn’t his own, it belonged to another being, another pair of eyes looking upon the world.

Before he could think any further, everything went dark again. The sensation lasted only a second, the blink of an eye within the darkness.

When the image returned, he was somewhere else.

Now he saw narrow walls of compacted earth, their surfaces smooth and firm.

Thick roots crossed the ceiling like natural pillars, some as thick as a grown man’s arm. The space was cramped and dark, yet strangely enough, he could see perfectly.

In front of him were several rats. Some carried tiny seeds in their mouths, their bodies moving with purpose. Others transported insects, and dead prey that would be shared among the colony. Two pups ran back and forth, playing among the roots, their small, agile bodies full of life.

It was a burrow, an enormous network of underground tunnels, each passage leading to new chambers and new hiding places.

Lukas remained perfectly still, or rather, his consciousness did. Because once again, he wasn’t controlling that body. He was only watching, observing, like a spectator in a theater.

Then, he understood.

The newly formed connection with Rourke had awakened an ability, something that had been lying dormant within him. An ability that allowed him to see through the eyes of other rats, as though he could project himself into their consciousness.

The thought had barely finished forming when his vision shifted once again, carrying him into another perspective, another point of view.

And he knew, with absolute certainty, that this was only the first manifestation of something far greater.

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