Evelyn's POV
After my goblin army got folded like it was nothing, I couldn't help but feel proud of Marcus, Lina, and the villagers' children. They've grown so much. Inspired by their innovations, I decided to experiment myself and created a new kind of mana puppet.
At first glance, it looked like one of my usual goblins—green-skinned, sharp-toothed—but this one had wings. Each wing stretched five feet, feathers just as green as its skin. With a thought, I commanded it upward. With a few powerful flaps, it shot into the sky like an arrow loosed from a bow.
It circled the village, gliding more than flying, only flapping its wings to regain altitude. Not quite what I envisioned, but it worked well enough for now.
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A few weeks earlier, Lucas had asked me for a blank book and writing tools. Curious, I created them with mana.
"Can you really just… make anything?" he'd asked, eyes wide with wonder.
I told him honestly, "If I understand how something works, I can recreate it with mana. You'll be able to as well once you reach stage two cultivation. At stage one, you can only form the simplest objects using ambient mana. But anything complex—like a mana puppet—requires your own reserves."
He'd nodded, excited. "Then I'll draw it in detail and show you. You can tell me if it's possible."
Since then, he'd buried himself in his little project, hardly leaving his room except to eat or wash.
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Today, after I wrapped up training with the villagers' children, Lucas came to me. The evening sun was painting the sky orange. He looked nervous but determined as he handed me the book.
"This," he said, pointing proudly at a set of drawings, "is a gun. More specifically, a revolver. It's called a Peacemaker."
I flipped through his sketches. Every part was there—the cylinder, the barrel, even the bullet itself. The detail surprised me. After studying it carefully, I tried recreating it with mana. The weapon materialized in my hand, heavy but balanced.
Lucas's eyes lit up. "You really did it! But… what about the gunpowder?"
I smiled. "I don't need to know how it's made. Only how it functions. Think of it this way: spells are simply imitations of natural phenomena. Fireballs mimic combustion. Lightning spells mimic storms. This is no different."
To test it, I summoned a goblin mana puppet, one no stronger than a stage-one cultivator. I handed him the revolver. "Go ahead. You came up with the idea, so you should fire the first shot."
Lucas took aim, both hands trembling slightly. Bang!
The sound echoed across the training ground. The bullet pierced the goblin clean through, dispersing it back into mana particles. But the recoil ripped the revolver out of his hands, sending it clattering to the ground.
"Ow!" He rubbed his wrist, but his grin didn't fade. "It worked! I can use it when I'm stronger."
I knelt beside him, picking up the weapon. "Not yet. A stage-one weapon like this is only good against weaker foes. Watch."
I summoned a goblin puppet with the durability of a stage-three cultivator. Then I fired five rounds in quick succession. The bullets staggered it but didn't destroy it. Lucas's smile faltered.
I ruffled his hair. "Don't be disappointed. It just means we can improve it."
I infused more mana into the revolver, reinforcing its frame, strengthening the bullets. This time, when I fired, the goblin's head exploded into motes of light.
Lucas's eyes widened in awe. "That's amazing! Can I try that one?"
I shook my head firmly. "No. The recoil would shatter your bones. Not until you're at least stage one."
He pouted but then laughed, full of determination. "Then I'll wait. Five more years until I'm ten—it's not that long."
As he turned and walked back toward the house, the book tucked under his arm, I couldn't help but smile. His spirit reminded me of why I wanted to protect him.