I Built a Divine Zoo in Another World

Lukas continued breathing, his rhythm unwavering. Time passed, the minutes slipping away silently like sand through an hourglass. The moon remained high in the sky, its silver light bathing the clearing in an ethereal glow. The crickets continued singing, their steady melody serving as the backdrop to the scene.

Clavor remained motionless, watching his son attentively, his analytical eyes capturing every detail of his posture, every movement of his breathing.

He had no intention of interfering. Opening a channel was something that had to be achieved by the warrior himself, forged through his own will and discipline.

No outside help could replace that experience, no intervention could accelerate the process without compromising its quality.

Fifteen minutes passed. Then twenty. The mana finally reached his knee, where it encountered a new resistance, greater than the previous one. It was as though an invisible wall completely blocked the path, a barrier that seemed impossible to overcome.

Lukas frowned slightly, a crease of concentration appearing on his forehead. Cold sweat began to form on his skin, tiny droplets glistening beneath the moonlight. Even though he sat perfectly still, his body was working intensely, every cell focused on that silent battle.

Guiding mana required far more mental effort than physical effort. It was similar to keeping hundreds of threads organized at the same time, each in its proper place, each following its own path. A single moment of distraction, a second of hesitation, would be enough for everything to collapse like a house of cards.

He breathed once more, maintaining his steady rhythm. He did not force it, did not push, did not try to break through the barrier with violence. He simply continued feeding the flow little by little, particle by particle, like a gardener patiently watering a plant.

Little by little, the barrier gave way, worn down by the persistence of the constant flow. The cold descended through his calf, then his ankle, every inch conquered through effort.

Until nearly forty minutes after beginning the process, the first particle reached the tips of his toes.

At that very moment, something happened.

Instead of simply disappearing, the mana returned. It followed exactly the same path back, traveling up his leg, crossing his hip, and returning to his heart. The flow reversed, the energy traveling through the channel in the opposite direction.

When it completed that circuit for the first time, Lukas felt a faint shiver run through his entire body, as though an electric current had passed through him. It was like closing a circle, completing a cycle that had previously been open.

Before, there had only been the Source, an isolated lake, full of water but disconnected from the world around it. Now there was a path, a true channel, a road connecting the lake to the rest of his body.

The cold began circulating continuously between his heart and his left leg, a constant, rhythmic flow. It no longer needed to be guided inch by inch, particle by particle. The path already existed, open and stable.

It was still narrow, fragile, like a trail freshly carved through a forest. But it was real.

Lukas slowly opened his eyes, his eyelashes lifting like butterfly wings. His body was covered in sweat, his clothes clinging to his skin, yet his eyes shone with a light that no exhaustion could extinguish.

He slowly lifted his left leg, feeling its movement. Then he moved his foot, flexed his toes, and rotated his ankle. Physically, nothing seemed different. There was no extra strength, no greater speed, no increased endurance. But internally, everything had changed.

He could clearly feel the flow of mana passing through that region, like an invisible river hidden beneath his skin. A gentle, constant current coursing through the newly formed channel, keeping it alive and open.

”I did it...” His voice came out softly, almost a whisper, filled with emotion.

”The connection has been established.”

Clavor walked over to him, his footsteps silent upon the grass. He calmly knelt down, his eyes meeting his son’s. Without saying a word, he placed a hand upon Lukas’s left knee, his fingers pressing gently against the skin.

He closed his eyes, his expression focused. For several seconds, he remained completely still, his own perception traveling through the interior of Lukas’s body. He sensed the Lunar Source, pulsing serenely. Then the newly formed channel, stretching through the leg.

He assessed its stability, its thickness, and the quality of its flow, every detail examined with a precision that only years of experience could provide.

When he opened his eyes again, a rare smile appeared on his face, small yet filled with genuine pride.

”Very good.”

Lukas let out a relieved breath, the air leaving his lungs in a sigh.

”It worked?”

”It worked even better than I expected.”

Clavor slowly withdrew his hand, his fingers leaving with one final touch of approval.

”The channel is clean. No deviations, no fractures, no blockages. The circulation is continuous and stable.”

Lukas could not hide his happiness, a smile brightening his exhausted face.

”So... I did it right?”

Clavor nodded firmly.

”You did.”

He spent a few moments observing his son, his eyes studying his face with an expression that blended evaluation and reflection.

”When it took you a week to sense mana, I assumed your talent would only be average.”

Lukas lowered his head slightly, his father’s words echoing through his mind. He had thought the same thing during those long days of frustration.

But Clavor smiled again.

”Now I see I was mistaken.”

The boy raised his eyes, surprised.

”You truly don’t possess extraordinary talent for sensing ambient mana. In that regard, you’re within the average, perhaps even slightly below it.” His father paused, his eyes shining.

”However...”

He pointed toward Lukas’s chest, indicating the place where the Source pulsed.

”Your control over the mana that has already entered your body is exceptional.”

Lukas blinked, processing the words.

”Exceptional?”

”Yes.” Clavor crossed his arms, his posture relaxed, though his eyes remained intense.

”Most beginners need two or even three nights just to stabilize their first channel. Some manage to guide the mana all the way to the leg, but it disperses before returning, the flow is lost, and all the work has to be done again. Others rupture the pathway because of impatience, forcing the passage too much, and have to start all over.”

He looked directly into his son’s eyes, his voice filled with conviction.

”You completed a perfect circuit in less than an hour.”