Upon leaving the Chamber of Commerce, Ethan took several detours to ensure no one was following him. He knew his concerns might seem exaggerated, but prudence was always better than regret.
After a few minutes of navigating side streets, they arrived at a market, set apart from the main district. Unlike the commercial street in the city center, where immortals offered their most valuable goods, this place was dominated by mortals, with makeshift stalls made of wood and canvas. The air was filled with a mix of scents: tanned leather, metals, spices from food vendors, and the unmistakable stench of untreated hides.
Ethan decided to stroll through the market calmly. Weapons and armor were the main products for sale, which was logical given the proximity of the Dark Mountains. Mercenaries and adventurers sought to equip themselves before embarking on dangerous expeditions. Tables were filled with swords, iron-tipped spears, and daggers.
Not only warriors did business there. Some herb gatherers sold their findings, ranging from dried plants of questionable usefulness to small vials with extracts that promised miraculous healing. If someone was lucky enough to find a spiritual herb, they would sell it in the immortals' zone, but if it was just common herbs, this market was their destination.
As he moved through the bustling crowd, a stall caught his attention. A pair of middle-aged men had laid out several thick cloth sacks on a table, filled with a white, earthy powder that, to an inexperienced eye, might look like simple salt or ash. But Ethan recognized it immediately: saltpeter.
He approached discreetly, feigning curiosity about other products on the table. He didn't want to show too much interest right away. The merchants noticed him, and one of them, a man with a sun-worn face and calloused hands, smiled.
"Looking for something in particular? We have dried herbs, dyes, and minerals from the mountains," he offered, gesturing toward his wares.
Ethan took a small pinch of the whitish powder and rubbed it between his fingers. It had the characteristic granular texture of saltpeter, rough and slightly sticky as it absorbed moisture from the air. He subtly brought his hand to his nose. Its scent was faint, earthy.
"And this?" he asked with apparent indifference, letting some of the powder fall from his hand.
The merchant raised an eyebrow and then smiled.
"Oh, that... Around here, they call it 'earth salt.' Some use it for tanning hides."
Ethan nodded slowly, pretending to evaluate the response.
"Curious... I haven't seen much of this in the markets. Where do you get it?" he asked casually, as if barely interested in the answer.
The man shrugged.
"There's a basin west of here, a dry place with no life. The ground is full of this stuff. We collect it and bring it when we have extra space on the mules. It's not hard to find, you just have to scrape the ground, and there it is."
Ethan suppressed a smile. A basin full of saltpeter… It was most likely an ancient dried-up lake. A natural nitrate deposit formed over centuries of evaporation. And best of all, the locals seemed unaware of its true value.
"Interesting. I'll take some. You never know when something like this might come in handy," he said casually.
The merchant nodded and handed him a sack for a few copper coins. Ethan took it calmly, but in his mind, he was already making plans. If that place had enough saltpeter, it could be the key to his next major breakthrough.
Ethan wandered through the market without finding anything else that truly interested him. He only bought some animal fat, which he planned to use as a lubricant for weapons. After finishing his purchases, he returned to the inn.
Upon arriving at the inn, he noticed that the atmosphere was livelier than usual. Several tables were occupied by mercenaries and travelers, some drinking noisily while exchanging stories of battles and contracts.
He approached an empty table and sat down without saying much while Zhao Ren ordered something to eat and drink. His mind was still going over the materials he needed to acquire. However, the mood in the inn shifted when a group of four people entered with an air of evident superiority. Their robes, adorned with golden embroidery, and the way they looked at others with disdain marked them as disciples of some sect.
Regardless of whom they disturbed, the four headed to one of the nearby tables where a group of mercenaries was eating in silence. One of the disciples, a young man with a sharp face and an arrogant expression, struck the table with the hilt of his sword, making the cups tremble.
"This table belongs to us now," he said with disdain.
The mercenaries, hardened by experience and danger, remained silent for a moment. One of them, an older man with a scar on his cheek, narrowed his eyes and responded calmly.
"If you want a table, find another one."
The disciple clicked his tongue, clearly irritated. His companions laughed mockingly.
"You dare talk back to me? You have no idea who you're dealing with," he sneered, letting out a faint trace of killing intent.
The tension in the inn immediately rose. Some patrons stopped talking and watched the scene with interest or concern. Zhao Ren leaned forward slightly, while Shenbao narrowed his eyes. Ethan, however, extended a hand and stopped them before they did anything impulsive.
"This is not our problem," he said in a low voice, in a tone that left no room for argument.
Shenbao frowned but nodded reluctantly. Zhao Ren leaned back in his seat with crossed arms, watching the situation with a spark of indignation in his eyes.
The mercenaries held their ground for a moment but eventually gave in. With frustrated expressions, they gathered their belongings and found another table. The disciples sat down triumphantly as the tension in the inn gradually eased.
Ethan took a sip from his mug, his mind analyzing what had happened. It was nothing more than an inconsequential altercation, but to him, it was an important reminder.
The world was full of people like those arrogant disciples, confident in their power, looking down on others. Eventually, people like that would stand in his way, and when the time came, he would have to be ready.
He finished his meal and looked at Shenbao and Zhao Ren, who still appeared irritated.
"It wasn't worth intervening this time," he said calmly. "But this is a reminder that the world will not be kind to us. We must become stronger."
Zhao Ren slowly nodded. Shenbao, silently, did the same.
Five days passed quickly, during which Ethan was crafting gunpowder using the proportions obtained from AION.
[Ding. Multiple iterations in the gunpowder composition have been completed. After analyzing the results, the optimal proportions for efficient combustion in this environment are: 75% potassium nitrate, 15% charcoal, and 10% sulfur.] AION recalled in a mechanical voice.
With the gunpowder in hand, what remained was the assembly of the weapons. On the table in Ethan's laboratory, all the components were carefully organized: the wooden stock with its characteristic smooth finish, the long barrel, the percussion mechanism, the trigger guard, and the cleaning rod. Alongside them.
Ethan began. First, he aligned the barrel with the stock, ensuring it fit perfectly into the carved groove in the wood. With precision, he placed the metal clamps securing the barrel and tightened the screws with an improvised wrench. Then, he fitted the lock plate and aligned the trigger with the percussion mechanism, ensuring the mainspring exerted the proper tension.
Ethan's hands worked with surgical precision. He adjusted the ramrod in its compartment beneath the barrel and secured the brass trigger guard, checking that each screw was firmly in place. Finally, he tested the firing mechanism, when he pulled the trigger, the hammer struck the flint with a dry snap. He smiled in satisfaction.
Assembling both weapons took him several hours, but they were finally complete. Ethan took a cloth and carefully cleaned each part, removing dust and metal residues. Then, he placed both weapons on the table and observed them in silence.
There was something about them that made him feel a strange mix of pride and anticipation. With these weapons, he was taking a tangible first step toward militarizing his knowledge. He adjusted his glasses and crossed his arms, contemplating the table with a slight smile. The Charleville 1777 and the Model 1805 Harper's Ferry were just the beginning.
Ethan carefully packed the weapons before heading out with Shen Bao and Zhao Ren to the outskirts of the city.
"Master, where are we going?" Zhao Ren asked curiously, trying to decipher the reason for this sudden trip.
"You'll see," Ethan replied with a mysterious smile.
Upon reaching a secluded clearing, Ethan stopped. In front of them, a scale armor similar to those used by the imperial army was set up about 30 meters away. It was firmly secured to a wooden stand, ready for testing.
Ethan loaded the musket with precision: gunpowder, projectile, ramrod. He raised the weapon and took calm aim.
Shen Bao and Zhao Ren's eyes lit up with amazement when they saw the weapon. Its wooden and metal structure emanated a sense of unknown power.
"Cover your ears," he warned just before pulling the trigger.
"BAM"
A sharp explosion shattered the forest's stillness. A cloud of smoke expanded as the lead bullet cut through the air and struck the scale armor. The impact was resounding, and as the smoke cleared, a hole was revealed in the metal plate.
Shen Bao and Zhao Ren stared in disbelief. Zhao Ren immediately approached, touching the hole with his fingertips.
"This... Master, how can a weapon pierce armor like this?" Shen Bao exclaimed, a mix of surprise and excitement in his voice.
Ethan didn't answer immediately. Instead, he took the pistol, a more compact flintlock weapon, and repeated the process. This time, the bullet hit with less force but still dented the armor.
"This is the key to progress," Ethan explained, a spark of excitement in his eyes.
Zhao Ren swallowed hard. "Then, if someone had an army with these weapons..."
"They could challenge even the weakest cultivators and dominate mortals with ease" Shen Bao finished, feeling a chill run down his spine.
Ethan smiled. "Exactly. And this is only the first phase. Imagine what we could achieve."
As the smoke dissipated, the three of them remained silent, processing the magnitude of what they had just witnessed. Ethan knew this was just the first step in his path to challenging the cultivators' dominance.