I Built a Divine Zoo in Another World

The walk back to the old clearing was different from all the previous ones. Every step seemed to carry a different weight, not the weight of frustration or doubt, but the weight of anticipation, of the promise of something new.

Over the past week, that path had been traveled in silence, a heavy, suffocating silence. Lukas had always walked in deep concentration, carrying the wooden sword on his back like a burden while reflecting on his own failures.

Every step had seemed heavier than the last, as though the entire forest bore witness to his inability to sense mana, as though every tree, every leaf, and every stone was judging his failure.

Now... everything felt different.

His steps were light, quick, almost bouncy, as if his feet barely touched the ground. The smile had remained on his face ever since he left the deepest part of the forest, an expression of pure joy that brightened his entire face.

Several times, he opened his mouth to say something, only to end up laughing to himself, unable to find the words to express what he was feeling.

Rourke poked his head out of the sleeve of his robe once again, his bright eyes studying the boy’s face. His nose twitched, as though he could smell the happiness radiating from him.

”I know...” Lukas said, gently stroking the little rat with one finger, feeling its soft fur beneath his skin.

”I’m happy too.”

Above them, Astra glided calmly through the air currents, circling above the trail, her white wings gleaming beneath the afternoon sunlight. She seemed to be celebrating as well, her aerial dance reflecting the boy’s joy.

Tilbo walked several meters behind them, his heavy legs making almost no sound on the leaf-covered ground, his enormous body moving with a grace that contrasted with his size.

Prata vanished and reappeared among the tree trunks, darting through the forest with the same astonishing agility as always, her silver form flashing through shafts of light.

Clavor walked beside his son. His pace remained calm and steady, exactly as it always had been. The man said nothing, but his eyes quietly observed Lukas’s expression, the anticipation, the excitement, the sparkle in his eyes. It was impossible to hide that happiness; it overflowed from every part of his being.

For a moment, Clavor remembered himself many years ago, when he had sensed mana for the first time as well. He could still recall that same feeling of discovery, as though a veil had been lifted from his eyes, revealing a world that had always existed but that he had never been able to see. A faint smile appeared on his lips. Like father... like son.

The walk continued peacefully, every step bringing them closer to their destination. Little by little, the clearing began to emerge between the trees, its familiar shape appearing from the vegetation.

It was exactly the same place where they had trained every day over the past week. The flat ground, covered with soft grass, had already recovered from the countless footsteps of their training. The stones scattered along the edges, some still marked where Lukas had stumbled. The old, thick-trunked tree near the center, its rough bark silently bearing witness to all those hours of effort. The marks left by countless sword strikes on the nearby trunks were small grooves telling the story of his progress.

By the time they arrived, the sun had already begun its descent toward the horizon. The golden afternoon light filtered through the treetops in long radiant beams, painting the clearing in shades of orange and gold that seemed almost liquid.

A gentle breeze drifted through the clearing, carrying the scent of earth and leaves, while the foliage swayed in a peaceful rhythm, as though the forest itself were preparing for what was to come.

Clavor walked to the center of the clearing, his steps firm and steady. He stopped, his eyes sweeping across the area as though checking something invisible. Then he slowly turned toward Lukas, his expression becoming serious once more.

”Before anything else...” He paused briefly, allowing the anticipation to build.

”I need to explain how we’re going to do this.”

Lukas immediately became attentive, his entire body tensing slightly. His excitement did not diminish, but now it was accompanied by absolute concentration, his mind preparing to absorb every single word.

Clavor reached inside his robe, his fingers moving as though searching for something familiar. For several seconds, he seemed to be looking for something hidden away, his expression showing subtle concentration. Then, slowly, he pulled out a small book.

It was relatively thin, containing no more than a hundred pages. Its cover was made of dark leather, worn by time yet remarkably well preserved, clearly a valuable object that had been carefully maintained over the years. The edges were adorned with delicate silver details, as fine as threads of light, gleaming beneath the afternoon sun.

At the center of the cover was only a single title engraved in elegant lettering, a style of calligraphy that seemed to belong to another era:

”Moon Source Manual.”

Clavor held the book for a few moments, his eyes lingering on the cover with an expression Lukas could not quite decipher, a mixture of nostalgia and pride. Then he extended it toward his son.

”Take it.”

Lukas accepted the manual with both hands, his fingers wrapping around the aged leather. Instinctively, he loosened his grip, as though afraid of damaging such a precious object. It was surprisingly heavy for its size, as though its pages were made from something denser than ordinary paper.

He gently ran his hand across the cover, feeling the tiny imperfections in the aged leather, the marks left behind by years of use. That book carried many years of history, many hands that had held it before his own.

”This...” Clavor began, his voice taking on a reverent tone.

”...is one of the two most well-known and complete manuals in the entire Kingdom of Rhyne for forming the Mana Source located in the heart.”

Lukas’s eyes immediately lit up, and his breathing quickened.

Clavor continued, slowly walking around the clearing as he spoke.

”The other is called the Sun Source Manual. Both lead to the same result—the creation of a stable Mana Source. The difference lies in the method.”

Lukas carefully opened the first page, his fingers moving with a delicacy that surprised even himself. The pages had yellowed with age, their edges slightly worn.

The handwriting was extraordinarily neat, every character perfectly formed. There were diagrams, illustrations of the human body showing the pathways of energy, small symbols that seemed to represent the flow of mana, and numerous handwritten notes in the margins, observations left by someone who had studied the text before him.

Clavor noticed his interest, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

”The Sun Source Manual uses an explosive method. Mana is gathered quickly and with extreme aggression. Many warriors seeking immediate strength choose that path.”

He paused for a moment, his gaze drifting toward some distant point.

”The Moon Source, on the other hand, is different.”

His voice became calmer, almost a whisper.

”It prioritizes stability, control, and purity. Its initial growth is usually a little slower, but the foundation built through this method is extraordinarily solid. It’s like building a house on rock instead of sand.”

He looked directly at Lukas, his eyes meeting his son’s violet ones.

”This is the manual I used when I was your age.”