I Built a Divine Zoo in Another World

A short while later, father and son left the mansion. The garden was still covered in tiny drops of dew that sparkled like diamonds beneath the light of the rising sun.

The sky remained painted in shades of blue and pink as the sun slowly began to emerge over the horizon, brushing the clouds with strokes of gold.

The two walked side by side along the familiar trail, their footsteps echoing through the quiet morning. The forest welcomed them with its characteristic scent, damp earth, green moss, dry leaves, and aged wood.

Neither of them spoke a single word. The silence was comfortable.

Lukas wanted to ask dozens of questions, his mind boiling with thoughts that had tormented him since the previous night.

How long would it take? What exactly would mana feel like? Would it be similar to the energy he had used to create the Silver Webs? Would he feel a warm current flowing through his body, a light shining within him, a vibration in his bones?

But he chose to remain silent, keeping all those questions to himself. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the fresh morning air. Soon he would find out. Soon, all of those doubts would be answered.

...

When they reached the clearing, the sun had already begun to pierce through the treetops, creating golden patterns across the grass-covered ground. Clavor walked to the center, his steps firm and steady, then turned toward his son.

”Sit.”

Lukas obeyed immediately, his movements quick and precise. He knelt upon the grass, feeling the moisture of the dew seep through the fabric of his trousers.

Then he crossed his legs, assuming the meditation posture Master Thorne had taught him months earlier. He carefully rested his hands upon his knees, his palms facing upward.

His heart seemed ready to burst from his chest, beating so hard that he could feel the pulses in his throat.

Clavor remained standing for several seconds, his eyes examining his son’s posture, checking every detail. Then he began to explain, his deep voice echoing through the clearing like distant thunder.

”Before you can form a Mana Source... you must first sense mana.”

Lukas listened attentively, absorbing every word.

”This is the most important step.” Clavor paused briefly, allowing his words to settle.

”And for many people... the most difficult.”

Lukas frowned slightly, a wrinkle of confusion appearing on his forehead. Difficult? For some reason, he had imagined the exact opposite. Ever since he had connected with Prata, he had been able to use his own mana to nourish the Silver Threads.

Although it was an extremely small amount, it existed. He spent it, and he could feel it flowing through his body.

So... sensing mana shouldn’t be that difficult, right? How could someone who had already used water fail to find it again? That logic made perfect sense in his mind, a certainty that had accompanied him throughout the entire night.

Perhaps... perhaps he would sense it on his very first attempt. Perhaps his experience with the Silver Webs placed him ahead of other beginners. His heart quickened once again, hope blooming within his chest like a flower opening its petals.

Clavor knelt before him, his eyes meeting his son’s violet gaze directly.

”Close your eyes.”

Lukas obeyed, darkness enveloping his vision.

”Breathe in slowly.” Clavor’s voice was calm, almost hypnotic.

He inhaled deeply, feeling the cool air fill his lungs.

”Hold it.”

He obeyed once more, holding his breath.

”Now exhale.”

The boy slowly released the air, feeling the tension leave his body.

”Again.”

He inhaled. Exhaled. Inhaled. Exhaled. A steady, constant rhythm gradually formed.

Little by little, his shoulders began to relax, the stiffness disappearing from his posture. The anxiety was still there, but it no longer felt so overwhelming.

”From this moment onward...” Clavor’s voice became even calmer, almost a whisper.

”Forget your body. Forget your anxiety. Forget your thoughts.”

Lukas made a conscious effort to follow the instructions.

”Feel only the forest. The wind. The earth. The warmth of the sun. The scent of the trees. The songs of the birds.”

He focused, trying to open himself to the world around him.

”Mana exists within all things. Do not try to seize it. Simply allow it to reveal itself.”

Lukas breathed once more, trying to do exactly as his father had instructed.

First he noticed the scent of damp earth, deep and comforting. Then came the gentle fragrance of green leaves, fresh and full of life. The wind caressed his face, a soft touch carrying the coolness of the morning. The distant song of a bird echoed among the trees, a natural melody filling the air.

He could even sense a tiny insect crawling across a nearby leaf, its movement almost imperceptible. Everything felt remarkably clear, his senses sharpened by concentration.

Then... he waited. He waited to feel some unfamiliar energy, some invisible current, some vibration, some unknown presence.

Nothing.

Several minutes passed. Everything remained the same. Only the forest, the wind, the birds, and the sunlight.

He breathed again, more deeply this time. He tried to imagine mana spread throughout the world, an invisible web of energy connecting all things.

He tried to recall the sensation he experienced whenever he nourished the Silver Webs, that energy flowing through his body, a warm current originating from his center.

At those times, it simply felt as though he were drawing something out from within himself, like drawing water from a well. It was a natural, instinctive process. He had never needed to think about how to do it. It simply happened.

Because of that, he genuinely believed that sensing the mana in the surrounding world would be similar, a natural extension of that familiar experience.

But... it was completely different.

His own mana was like moving an arm, natural, automatic, requiring no conscious thought. The mana of the world... simply seemed nonexistent, as though he were trying to hear a sound that did not exist.

Or perhaps it was there, and he was incapable of perceiving it, like someone trying to see in the darkness without eyes adapted to it.

Doubt slowly began to emerge, eroding his confidence. He continued trying, forcing his mind to open, to search, to feel.

...

Half an hour passed. Then one hour.

Nothing.

Lukas remained motionless, breathing, concentrating, searching. Every minute felt like an eternity, every second a battle against growing frustration.

Without finding absolutely anything.

Time continued to move forward, relentless. The sun slowly climbed across the sky, its light becoming more intense. The heat began to rise, and sweat formed upon his forehead.

His legs began to tingle, the prolonged posture causing discomfort. His back ached from remaining perfectly still.

Even so, he continued. If he could sense even the tiniest thread of mana, just a single spark, it would be enough to prove that it was possible.

But there was no thread. There was no spark. Only emptiness.

Two hours. Three. Four.

His concentration began to waver, his mind becoming increasingly noisy. Several times he imagined he had felt something, a faint current, a slight vibration, a whisper of energy.

But whenever he paid closer attention, he realized it was only the wind brushing against his skin, the warmth of the sun upon his face, or the beating of his own heart.

Nothing more.

Five hours.

Frustration slowly grew within him like a weed taking root in fertile soil.

’Why?’ The question echoed persistently through his mind.

’Why can’t I do it? I’ve already used mana before... so why can’t I sense the world’s mana?’

The more he tried to answer that question, the more his concentration slipped away. His anxiety increased, and his mind grew even louder, a whirlwind of thoughts pulling him farther and farther from his goal.

Then... Clavor’s voice finally broke the silence.

”Stop.”