I Built a Divine Zoo in Another World

Lukas turned his attention to his own chest, to the empty space where his Mana Source did not yet exist but was about to be born.

In his mind, he visualized a small moon. Not a huge moon, nor a brilliant one, nor an imposing one. Just a delicate silver crescent, as thin as a thread of light, tiny, almost transparent.

Floating precisely at the center of his heart, like a seed waiting to sprout.

The image remained motionless in his mind, steady and clear.

Then, he began the Lunar Breathing once more. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. The rhythm settled in, as constant as the waves of the sea.

With every cycle, he tried to invite the mana around him. He did not command it, did not pull it, did not force it. He simply allowed it to approach, like someone opening a door for a visitor.

Five minutes passed. Nothing happened. The mana continued flowing around him, indifferent to his presence.

Ten minutes. Still nothing. The clearing remained silent, with only the sounds of the forest breaking the stillness.

Even so, Lukas remained completely motionless, his concentration unwavering. He remembered the manual’s words perfectly.

’Lunar mana rejects those who try to dominate it by force.’

Breathing. Silence. Calm. The triad repeated itself in his mind.

Several more minutes dragged by, every second an eternity.

Then... a single particle changed direction, as though it had been touched by an invisible breeze. Then another. And another. Tiny points of light slowly began drifting toward his body, drawn by something he barely understood.

And, for the first time, one of them passed through his skin.

Lukas shuddered, a chill running through his entire body. The sensation was cold, a profound cold, completely unlike icy water or the night wind.

It felt like a winter current flowing through his bones from within, a frost spreading through his veins. His entire body trembled, every hair standing on end in response to that unfamiliar energy.

The sensation spread through his arms, his legs, and his back, as though the mana were exploring his body.

Even so, he maintained his concentration, his mind focused on the image of the moon within his chest.

The particle tried to escape, like a small wild animal trapped in an unfamiliar place. Instinctively, it searched for a way out, any path back to freedom.

Lukas focused his mind, remaining calm. Gently, without violence, he guided that tiny spark through his body. It slowly traveled along his blood vessels, advancing a few centimeters before retreating. It tried to escape through his pores, its energy dissipating. It unraveled, returning to the environment.

Lukas frowned slightly, feeling frustration arise. He had failed.

He breathed once more, restoring the rhythm. Another particle entered, following the same path. Then another. This time, he managed to guide it a little farther, but once again it escaped, its energy dispersing.

The process repeated dozens of times, every attempt demanding enormous mental effort. It was not his body that grew tired, but his mind, his concentration, and his willpower.

Guiding mana was like balancing a drop of water on the tip of a needle while walking. Any distraction, any stray thought, and everything disappeared.

Sweat slowly began trickling down his forehead despite the cold flowing through his body. Salty droplets ran down his face, dripping onto the grass.

Minutes turned into nearly an hour, each one a silent battle against frustration.

But something was changing. More and more particles managed to enter his body. Fewer and fewer escaped immediately. His body was beginning to adapt to that strange energy, learning to accept it.

Slowly, very slowly, Lukas began to understand the rhythm of mana. It did not want to be pushed. It needed to be guided, like someone leading a bird onto their own hand. With patience, with gentleness, without fear.

Then... it happened.

A small current of mana traveled completely through his chest. For the first time, it reached his heart, meeting the image of the moon he held within his mind.

At that instant, the moon that had existed only in his imagination seemed to become real.

At the center of his chest, a tiny silver point appeared, no larger than a grain of sand. Small, fragile, almost imperceptible. But real.

The mana particles that arrived no longer escaped. Upon reaching that tiny point, they were absorbed, purified, and stabilized. Like streams flowing into a lake, they found their place.

For the first time, mana had a place to remain within him.

Lukas felt his heart beat. Thump... The tiny moon pulsed with it. Thump... Another pulse. One more. The two rhythms became one, beating in perfect harmony.

A faint sensation of warmth began to emerge within his chest, slowly replacing the cold. The warmth spread throughout his body, a gentle, constant, serene presence.

It was far too small to strengthen even a single finger, far too small to unleash any technique, far too small to make any visible difference. But it was his. His Mana Source.

Lukas remained motionless for several minutes, unwilling to interrupt that magical moment. He continued nurturing that tiny core slowly, without haste, without greed. Simply adding one particle after another, like a gardener watering a newly planted seed.

When he finally felt that his mind could no longer maintain its concentration, that mental exhaustion was beginning to weigh upon him like a heavy blanket, he slowly opened his eyes.

The moon still shone above the clearing, its silvery light bathing everything in an ethereal glow. His entire body was covered in cold sweat, his clothes clinging to his skin. His legs had gone numb, their circulation hindered by sitting in the same position for so long. His head felt heavy, mental fatigue manifesting as a haze clouding his thoughts.

Yet a smile slowly appeared on his face, illuminating his weary features.

He raised a hand to his chest, his fingers pressing gently over his heart. Very faintly, he could feel a different kind of pulse. Gentle, steady, like a second heartbeat hidden beneath his own.

”I...” His voice came out hoarse, almost a whisper.

”I did it...”

Clavor slowly walked over to him, his footsteps silent upon the grass. He knelt before him, his eyes meeting his son’s violet gaze. Without saying a word, he placed two fingers against Lukas’s chest, pressing gently over his heart.

He closed his eyes, his expression focused. He remained that way for several seconds, sensing, evaluating, confirming.

When he opened them again, a rare smile appeared on his face. It was not a faint smile, nor merely one of satisfaction. It was pride, true and profound pride, shining in his eyes like the moon itself.

”It’s there.”

Lukas took a deep breath, emotion threatening to overflow.

”You can feel it?”

Clavor nodded, his eyes never leaving his son’s.

”I can.”

He slowly withdrew his hand, his fingers leaving with one final reassuring touch.

”It’s still extremely small. Fragile, like the flame of a newly lit candle.”

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

”But it exists.”

Lukas lowered his gaze to his chest once more, his hand still resting gently over his heart. He still found it hard to believe. After an entire week of being unable to even perceive mana, there was now a genuine core within his heart. A Mana Source.

Clavor placed a hand on his shoulder, his touch firm and reassuring.

”We’ll stop here for today.”

Lukas raised his head, surprised.

”But I can still keep going...”

Clavor smiled faintly, shaking his head.

”That’s precisely why you should stop.”

He pointed toward his son’s chest, his finger indicating the exact place where the Source had been born.

”Your source has just been born. It’s still unstable. Continuing to feed it now would be like building the second floor of a house before the foundation has hardened.”

Lukas remained silent, absorbing his father’s words.

”Tomorrow night we’ll do it again. Then the following night. And the one after that, if necessary. Layer by layer, until that little moon becomes a true Mana Source.”

Lukas nodded slowly, understanding the wisdom in those words. His hand remained over his chest, feeling that tiny pulse hidden beneath his heartbeat. It was small, fragile, almost insignificant. Yet it represented the first step of his entire journey, the beginning of everything he would one day become.

That night, beneath the serene light of the moon, Lukas Dmond officially ceased to be merely a boy who dreamed of becoming strong.

That night, his path as a true warrior began.