I Built a Divine Zoo in Another World

The moonlight still streamed through the open window, illuminating part of the room with its silvery glow. Shadows danced across the walls, swaying with the breeze drifting in from the night.

Rourke remained fast asleep beside him, curled up on the sheets like a little ball of fur. The golden stripe on his head now shone only faintly, an almost imperceptible glimmer, as though nothing extraordinary had happened.

Lukas raised a hand to his forehead, his fingers touching his warm skin. He felt an overwhelming mental fatigue, an exhaustion that seemed to come from somewhere incredibly deep.

It was different from the physical exhaustion caused by Clavor’s training, when his muscles burned and his legs trembled.

Nor was it the same as the weariness he felt after cultivating mana for hours, when his mind resembled a waterlogged sponge.

It felt as though his entire mind had been wrung dry, every thought squeezed out until nothing remained.

A faint ache pulsed behind his eyes, an insistent discomfort. It wasn’t severe enough to be unbearable, but it lingered, a constant reminder of his limits.

He tried closing his eyes again, thinking about repeating the experience. He wanted to confirm whether he could return to that strange vision, whether he could somehow control the ability.

The moment he began to concentrate, the stabbing pain behind his forehead intensified immediately, a clear warning that his body wasn’t ready.

He stopped the attempt before even completing it, his eyes opening once more.

He took a deep breath, feeling the air fill his lungs. A weary smile crossed his face, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

”Tomorrow...” he murmured softly, looking at the little sleeping rat.

”Tomorrow I’ll figure out better what that was.”

His voice was barely above a whisper, as though he feared waking his tiny companion.

Careful not to disturb Rourke, he gently pulled the little companion a bit closer to himself. The rat merely grumbled sleepily, letting out a tiny sound of drowsy protest before becoming completely still again, its body warming itself against Lukas’s.

Lukas extinguished the small oil lamp beside the bed, the flame disappearing with a gentle breath. The room sank into dimness, the only remaining light coming from the silvery glow of the moon shining through the window.

He closed his eyes, feeling the exhaustion settle over him like a blanket.

This time, sleep came almost immediately, without the resistance of the previous nights. No dreams, no new visions, no interruptions. Only a deep, silent, complete rest, exactly what his body and mind needed after so many days of continuous effort.

...

It took only a few seconds for Lukas to fall completely asleep, his body relaxing into the mattress.

The exhaustion that had accumulated throughout the entire week finally demanded its payment, a debt that had to be settled. Forming the Lunar Spring, stabilizing it, opening one channel each night until his entire body was connected, and finally receiving a completely unknown ability that had awakened during a moment of profound connection with Rourke... all of it had demanded far more from his mind than he had imagined.

His body relaxed completely against the mattress, every muscle finally surrendering to rest. His breathing became deep and steady, the regular rhythm of someone who had finally found peace.

Beside him, Rourke slept soundly, curled up against his arm like a small extension of his own body. The little golden stripe on his head no longer shone as it had before, giving off only a faint glimmer beneath the silvery light streaming through the window.

Tilbo remained motionless in his usual corner of the room, his antennae lowered in rest, his enormous body a silent and reassuring presence. Prata slowly drew its legs toward the center of its web, entering the nearly motionless state it adopted during the night, its gleaming eyes closing like tiny curtains.

Astra tucked her head beneath one of her wings, perched atop the wardrobe, her white plumage standing out in the dimness.

For the first time in many days, the entire room seemed to breathe in peace, as though all of its inhabitants had finally surrendered to rest.

Outside, the wind gently swayed the treetops, its constant whisper becoming a lullaby for the night. The crickets continued their endless song, each note blending into the nocturnal symphony. In the distance, an owl let out a single hoot before the forest fell silent once again.

Meanwhile, Lukas slept.

There were no dreams, no memories, and no strange visions through the eyes of other rats. His consciousness simply sank into a deep, tranquil darkness, allowing his body, mind, and Lunar Spring to recover completely from the efforts of the past several days.

...

When he finally opened his eyes again, the brightness made him blink several times as his vision adjusted to the sudden light. For a few moments, he remained completely still, staring at the ceiling of his room with a puzzled expression.

Something seemed... different.

It took him a few seconds to realize why.

The room was much brighter than it should have been, the light far more intense than the dim glow of dawn.

He slowly turned his head toward the window, his eyes widening.

Golden rays of sunlight were already streaming through the curtains, filling the entire room with a warm, golden light that made it clear the morning was already well underway.

Lukas’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

”Already...?”

He quickly sat up in bed, his movements swift and precise.

It had been a long time since he had woken up this late. Throughout the entire week, his body had developed the habit of waking even before sunrise to begin Clavor’s training, the routine becoming as natural as breathing.

Today, however, he had slept so deeply that his usual waking time had passed hours ago.

He took a deep breath, feeling the air fill his lungs.

Contrary to what he had expected, he felt no heaviness in his head, not the slightest trace of the mental exhaustion from the previous night. The fatigue had vanished completely, as though someone had washed every bit of accumulated weariness from his mind, leaving it fresh and clear.

He placed a hand over his chest, his fingers pressing gently against his heart.