I Built a Divine Zoo in Another World

Lukas attacked from above, a vertical slash. Clavor blocked. Lukas spun to the left, trying to find an opening. Clavor followed, his sword always present. A thrust, a dodge. A sideways slash, a block.

Lukas tried to change the rhythm, speeding up and slowing down at unexpected moments. That was when Clavor noticed the movement. The boy pretended to attack the right side, his sword moving in a false direction. At the last moment, he changed direction, the blade veering to the left.

The wooden sword passed through Clavor’s guard, a fast and unexpected movement. For an instant, Lukas believed he had succeeded, that he would finally hit his father.

But Clavor simply took half a step back, a minimal movement that made all the difference. The blade passed in front of his body, finding only air. Then he advanced again, his sword moving in a swift counterattack.

Lukas barely managed to raise his own weapon in time.

TAC! The two swords collided with force, the sound echoing through the clearing. Lukas’s hand trembled from the impact, the vibration traveling through his arm. Clavor pressed forward, and Lukas retreated, one step, then another, until he felt the sole of his boot touch a small root rising from the ground.

His balance nearly disappeared, his body swaying. He corrected himself immediately, his muscles responding with the stability his training had given him. Clavor took advantage of the moment of imbalance, one strike against his arm, another against his shoulder, and another against his side.

Lukas blocked, dodged, and spun. The sword passed close to his body, and he responded with a swift thrust, his body moving with a fluidity that surprised even himself. Clavor dodged again, but this time, the boy continued advancing, one strike, two, three.

His rhythm began to change, adapting to the flow of the fight. Clavor noticed the improvement, his eyes catching the subtle evolution. Lukas was not simply repeating the same movements; he was beginning to adapt, learning from every exchange.

The fight continued, the sounds of the swords echoing through the clearing like a song of war.

Clac! Tac! Tac! Toc! Tac!

Lukas felt sweat running down his forehead, his breathing growing heavier and heavier. His arms were beginning to burn, his muscles protesting against the effort. But he did not stop, did not give up, and did not retreat.

Every second of that fight taught him something, an opening he had not noticed, a mistake in his posture, a poorly calculated distance, an angle that could be exploited. The position of his feet, the right moment to attack, and the right moment to retreat. And, above all, the difference between seeing a strike and actually being able to react to it.

At one point, Clavor launched a diagonal slash, his sword tracing a swift arc. Lukas tilted his body, the blade passing over his head. He spun and attacked immediately, his sword moving in a swift counterattack. Clavor blocked, and Lukas used the impact to retreat and create distance.

The two remained motionless for a moment, their breathing filling the silence. Lukas was breathing heavily, sweat running down his face. Clavor, on the other hand, seemed practically untouched, his breathing calm and controlled.

”You’ve improved.” He said, his voice filled with approval.

Lukas smiled, a tired but satisfied smile.

”I almost hit you.”

”Almost.” Clavor’s word was not cruel, merely factual.

”But ’almost’ doesn’t win battles.”

Clavor advanced again, his sword moving in a swift attack. Lukas raised his own weapon, and the fight resumed.

This time, Clavor increased his speed slightly, not by much, just enough to force Lukas to react faster. And Lukas realized something: the strikes that had once seemed impossible were now understandable. Still difficult, still fast, but understandable.

His body followed better, his eyes could anticipate certain movements, and his sword responded more naturally. The week of training had produced results, not in the sword technique itself, but in the body that wielded it.

After several minutes, Clavor finally stepped back, lowering his sword.

”That’s enough.”

Lukas remained motionless for a few seconds, his breathing ragged. Then he lowered his own weapon, sweat soaking through his tunic. But there was a smile on his face, an expression of genuine satisfaction.

Clavor observed him carefully, his analytical eyes scanning his posture.

”Your foundation hasn’t regressed.” He paused briefly.

”In fact, it has improved a little.”

Lukas’s smile widened, his father’s approval warming his chest.

”The reinforcement training helped. You have more bodily stability now. Your movements are firmer.” Clavor paused, his eyes settling on his son.

”But there are still many problems.”

Lukas nodded, acknowledging the truth.

”I know.”

”Your reaction speed has improved, but your combat awareness is still limited. Your rhythm is predictable at times. And you still rely too much on individual movements instead of thinking about the entire sequence.”

Lukas absorbed every word, engraving them into his memory.

”During and after the journey, we’ll work on that.” Clavor walked over to a nearby tree and rested the wooden sword against the trunk.

”We’ll train combinations, changes in rhythm, and transitions.”

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

”Right.”

Clavor then looked directly at him, his eyes meeting his son’s violet eyes.

”Now rest.”

Lukas blinked, surprised.

”For how long?”

”A few minutes.” Clavor paused briefly, his eyes shining with a different light. Then he pointed at the boy, his gesture emphatic.

”Because the next fight will be different.”

Lukas felt his heart race, excitement growing in his chest.

Clavor sheathed the sword again, his fingers wrapping around the familiar handle.

”This time, you’re going to use mana.”

A smile slowly appeared on Lukas’s face, illuminating his tired features. He tightened his grip on the sword’s handle and sat down, feeling the wood against his skin.

After an entire week of learning to control Lunar Reinforcement, he would finally have the opportunity to discover how his new strength behaved in a real battle.