I Built a Divine Zoo in Another World

The difference between that landing and the first jump was practically impossible to ignore, like comparing night and day. One week. Just one week of training, and his control had already reached a completely different level.

Lukas looked at his own hands, his fingers slowly opening and closing.

During those last few days, he had understood something important, a lesson that went beyond the words in the manual. Lunar Reinforcement was not simply a technique to increase strength, a means of becoming more powerful. It was a technique of control, a way to master his own energy.

Any warrior could pour mana into their muscles and achieve an increase in strength. That was easy, requiring no skill beyond knowing how to channel energy. But doing it efficiently, precisely, and with minimal waste was an entirely different matter.

If he used too much mana, the reinforcement would be powerful, but the Source would be depleted quickly, leaving him vulnerable. If he used too little mana, the reinforcement would be almost useless, a waste of energy that produced no significant results. The true goal lay between the two extremes, a perfect balance that required understanding and practice.

Lukas had spent the entire week searching for that point, adjusting the flow of mana in small amounts, and experimenting with different levels of reinforcement. And he was beginning to find it.

With a minimal amount of mana, he could now maintain a basic reinforcement throughout practically his entire body for about five minutes before his Lunar Source became too depleted to continue. It did not seem like much, but for a beginner who had just built his Source, it was enormous progress.

While the reinforcement remained active, his strength increased, his muscles responding with greater power. His endurance increased, allowing him to run for longer without becoming tired. His speed increased, his movements becoming faster and more precise. His ability to withstand impacts also improved, his bones and tendons protected by the layer of energy. Even his senses became slightly sharper, the sounds and smells of the forest becoming more distinct.

Mentally, Lukas made a comparison. If he were fighting a version of himself without any reinforcement, he could probably defeat three, perhaps four. Not because he was several times more skilled, but because the physical difference created by mana was simply too great to be overcome through technique alone.

Still, that had an obvious limitation, a barrier he needed to overcome. His mana reserve.

Lukas could increase the power of the reinforcement by sending more energy into his body, reaching levels of strength that would be impossible without mana. But the greater the amount used, the shorter the duration would be, the Source being depleted more quickly.

With a high flow, he could achieve much greater strength, his blows becoming devastating. However, he might not be able to sustain it for even a minute, leaving him exhausted and vulnerable.

That meant the growth of the Lunar Source would be fundamental to his development. The larger the Source, the greater the amount of mana he could store. The greater his reserve, the longer he could maintain powerful reinforcements without becoming depleted.

Lukas smiled, a determined expression on his face.

”Then that’s the next goal.”

He still had a long road ahead, years of training ahead of him. But he had already found the direction, the path he needed to follow.

Still, there was another way to compensate for his small amount of mana, a strategy that went beyond simply accumulating energy.

Lukas closed his eyes for a moment, visualizing a battle in his mind.

He did not need to keep his entire body reinforced all the time, wasting energy on areas that were not being used.

If he needed to run, he could concentrate the mana in his legs, channeling all his energy into the muscles responsible for movement.

If someone attacked his chest, he could reinforce only his torso at the moment of impact, creating localized defense. If he needed to block a blow, he could strengthen only the arm he was using to defend.

And if he wanted to attack...

Lukas opened his eyes, a new understanding illuminating his thoughts.

He could concentrate a huge amount of mana solely in the limb responsible for the attack, a punch, a kick, a slash, or an explosive movement. This would allow his small reserve to be used much more efficiently, every drop of energy having a clear purpose.

After all, a fight could be decided in a single instant, a single well-placed blow capable of changing the course of a battle.

Lukas was beginning to understand something Clavor had tried to teach him from the beginning, a lesson that went beyond techniques and exercises.

Quantity was not everything, control could transform a small amount of mana into a much more dangerous weapon than a huge reserve wasted.

He still needed experience, needed to fight real opponents, and needed to discover how reinforcement worked under pressure, when fear and adrenaline threatened his control. But the foundations were already being built, a solid base upon which everything else would be constructed.

And that left him satisfied.

After a few more tests, jumps, landings, and runs between the trees, Lukas finally decided to return to the ground. He descended from the tree using smaller jumps, carefully controlling every movement, every landing.

When his feet touched the ground of the clearing, he realized that his body was tired. Not exhausted, not at the limit of his strength, just tired. Simply the natural fatigue of someone who had trained well.

It was an important difference. The entire week of training had strengthened not only his mana control but also his familiarity with his own body. He was beginning to understand his limits, to recognize the signs that he needed to rest before becoming completely exhausted.

...

When Lukas and Clavor returned to the mansion that evening, dinner was already being served, the aroma of stew filling the entire room.

Aurora was at the table, her eyes illuminated by the glow of the candles. Judite was also present, absentmindedly moving her food around her plate while telling them something about her training with Master Thorne.