The afternoon sun filtered gently through the narrow window, tinting the edges of the black desk where Ethan reviewed his notes with a golden hue. The light illuminated the corners of the open notebook, filled with detailed records about the performance of the new Mauser 98. He was still not satisfied. There were improvements to be made: adjustments to the bolt, slight deviations in the grouping of shots... but it was a promising start.
A sharp knock on the door broke his thoughts.
"Come in," he said without lifting his gaze.
The door opened gently. Shen Bao crossed the threshold first, followed by the Hu brothers. The former maintained his usual stoic expression, though this time a slight smile curved his face.
"Report, master. We've returned with satisfactory results," announced Shen Bao, his tone unusually light.
Ethan raised his gaze and adjusted his glasses with a finger, observing them closely.
"Tell me."
"We recruited a new batch. Some skilled artisans, a couple of young people with physical potential... and even a runaway blacksmith."
"A blacksmith?" Ethan repeated, genuinely interested.
Although the machinery in his workshops already allowed for the manufacturing of parts with millimeter precision, the experience of a traditional blacksmith could be invaluable. Such an artisan, with knowledge of manual forging, could serve as a guide for apprentices and offer insights impossible to replicate with formulas. Machines obeyed... but metals spoke in the heat of the fire, and some knew how to listen to them.
"Correct. After our investigation, he seems to come from a large city in the central area. He was involved in a conflict with a family of cultivators... and barely escaped."
Ethan frowned. A blacksmith was a strategic asset, yes... but also a risk. If someone had pursued him there, he could jeopardize the entire operation. Having a sharp tool was useful... but not if it was still dripping blood.
"What exactly happened?" he asked, his tone measured.
"His name is Yuan Kai. His family was once a minor cultivator clan. His grandfather forged spiritual tools, but the line ended when his father and he were born without talent for cultivation. When his grandfather died, certain families wanted to take his inheritance."
Shen Bao paused briefly.
"He lost his workshop. He fled with what he could carry... blueprints, ancient techniques, and his own hammer. He's been hiding ever since."
Ethan fell silent for a moment, calculating.
A blacksmith without a clan, with lost knowledge and no attachment to the orthodox cultivation... sounded like a piece that fit perfectly into the Astralis puzzle.
"Bring him here. I want to speak with him personally."
Soon after, Shen Bao returned with a sturdy man, of average height, short beard, and dark, sunken eyes from fatigue.
He wore a worn tunic that, though still retaining some dignity, reflected the long months of uncertainty he had lived. He was about twenty-five years old, but his face, marked by struggle, looked much older.
"This is Yuan Kai, master," announced Shen Bao, stepping aside with the Hu brothers, who remained silently watching from the door.
The man, with a slight bow, stepped forward and, with a deep and controlled voice, said:
"Thank you for having me, sir."
"You may sit," Ethan indicated, nodding and pointing to a chair in front of the desk.
Yuan Kai obeyed with an almost mechanical motion, his eyes nervously scanning the room. He was observing, perhaps for the first time in a long time, a space filled with possibilities. There was something in the air of this office that made him feel out of place, as if his weary being was about to change course.
At first, Ethan said nothing. He watched as the young man settled, sensing the palpable tension in his posture. Shen Bao and the Hu brothers remained silent, waiting.
"Tell me about your experience," Ethan finally said, tapping his fingers on the wooden desk, his voice calm but firm, seeking something in the way he would respond.
Yuan Kai, after a moment of hesitation, nodded, lowering his gaze slightly before speaking.
"My name is Yuan Kai. My grandfather taught me to forge from the age of six," he began, his voice low but firm. "Although I had no talent for cultivation, I strived to learn all the techniques he showed me."
He paused, looking at his hands, those that knew the burn of the fire and the weight of the hammer, but not the power of Qi. "I learned the art of forging, which was more than a craft to me. It was a way to honor his legacy, to continue his work."
"But I couldn't. I had no ability. I couldn't..." Yuan Kai hesitated, gritting his teeth as he seemed to search for the right words to continue.
"When my grandfather died, other families wanted to take his inheritance, his workshop. They... they wanted his forging secrets. My father and I fought to keep it, but in the end, we had to flee." His voice broke for a moment before continuing, with the pain of fresh memories in his words. "I wandered for months, aimless, until I arrived here."
Ethan watched him in silence. He did not see surrender or defeat in Yuan Kai, but an inner fire, an unwavering desire to move forward despite the adversity. Something that, to Ethan, was as valuable as any magical skill or arcane knowledge. Yuan Kai, though broken, was still standing.
Ethan noticed how Yuan Kai took a deep breath, as if preparing himself for what he was about to say next. His hands tightened on his knees, and for a brief moment, tension filled the air.
"That night, when Master Orion approached me, I understood," he continued, lifting his gaze for the first time with a spark in his eyes. "I had always felt inferior because I had no spiritual roots, no Qi power."
Yuan Kai stopped, clenching his teeth tightly, and for a moment, a sigh of frustration escaped his chest. Ethan didn't interrupt. He knew the young man was releasing years of weight.
"But I saw something. I saw with my own eyes what Master Orion did with his hands. I saw how he wielded a musket... a marvelous weapon, capable of piercing armor, without the need for Qi," he said, now with an emotional tone. "What he did didn't depend on what was born inside him. It depended on what he could build with his hands. That's what he showed me."
Ethan nodded slowly, recognizing the passion in Yuan Kai's words. A man who had lived his entire life in the shadow of cultivators, convinced that only they could change the world, had now seen something different. Something that, despite his scarce spiritual talent, he could achieve.
"That thing you saw, Yuan Kai," said Ethan, rising slowly from his seat, "is just the beginning. The future is not written only for those who master Qi. There is another way. One that we, the mortals, are beginning to walk."
With a calm that only he possessed, Ethan walked towards a table at the back of the office. There, on a black cloth, rested a dark rifle. Carefully, he lifted it and carried it to the table where Yuan Kai could see it more closely.
"This rifle," said Ethan as he placed it before him, "is what mortals are capable of when we use our intelligence and our hands, not our internal energy." The Mauser 98 gleamed under the dim light of the office. Its barrel was long and solid, its wooden stock perfectly carved. The bolt system, precise and simple, invited curiosity.
"This rifle is more than just a firearm," Ethan continued, touching each part of the rifle with almost ceremonial reverence. "It is a war machine. And more importantly, it doesn't depend on the strength of Qi. It depends on what we can do with our hands, our technology, and our knowledge."
Yuan Kai watched in silence, his gaze fixed on the rifle. His face reflected astonishment, but also something more. Something he had lost for a long time: hope.
"Your skill as a blacksmith is no less important than any cultivator's. You, like me, can forge a future without depending on what fate gives us. What we do, what we create, is what truly matters," said Ethan, with a renewed firmness in his voice.
With a slight smile, Ethan stepped away from the desk and approached the window. "Orion, take him to the field. Teach all the new ones what we are capable of. Show that technology can be more powerful."
Shen Bao nodded respectfully and left, followed by the Hu brothers, heading to the shooting range. The heavy door of the office closed softly, leaving Ethan alone, lost in his thoughts.
He stood there, looking out the window, the sun tinting the sky with orange and golden hues. The warm rays caressed the room, but inside, Ethan felt the weight of the next steps. The foundation of Astralis was taking shape, yes, but the stages ahead required a more meticulous, more calculated approach.
Development, control, expansion...
The machinery had already begun to move, but there was still much to be done before his organization could be a true force in this world of cultivators and sects.
The first item on the agenda was securing control of the black iron mine. That material was more than crucial. Not only for improving the rifles, but also for the future of his army.
The second was expansion. He needed to recruit a considerable force, an army capable of facing any adversity. In this world, where sects, families, and trade groups fought for control of territories, the appearance of an organization like his wouldn't raise much suspicion. However, as Astralis's forces grew, it would be impossible to avoid the attention of the powerful. He had to ensure that expansion was rapid, efficient, and didn't attract too much attention from competitors.
Ethan pulled out a letter from his chest, one that Zhao Ren had delivered after speaking with the merchants passing through the territory.
War in the east was imminent. The Yun Dynasty and its neighbor, the Hailong Dynasty, had been in constant border disputes. However, the real trigger for this conflict seemed to be the discovery of a large spiritual stone mine on the border between both countries.
Both dynasties claimed sovereignty over that territory, and the sects on both sides were already aligning. For the sects, the sovereignty of an area was as important as their own existence. If something happened to the sovereignty of the dynasty, they would be affected in both power and resources.
The sects would be willing to do anything to gain control of such a valuable mine. The conflict was already underway, and Astralis had to take advantage of the chaos that was coming.
The more waves there were in the ocean, the easier it was to sail unnoticed.
The conflict between the Yun Dynasty and the Hailong Dynasty was going to unleash such chaos that it would be the perfect time for Astralis to grow without attracting the attention of the large sects. While everyone was busy fighting for their own interests, he could advance in the shadows, consolidating his power without being discovered. This was his opportunity to develop the necessary forces, to strengthen his base, and prepare an army that could counter any future attack.