Evan woke early the next morning long before the fortress horn signaled the start of drills. The workshop called to him with a strange pull like the comforting hum of his Denver bench. He washed his face in a cold basin shook off the rough sleep and walked into the workroom before most craftsmen arrived.

The place was dark except for a few crystals glowing in the corners. Dust floated in thin lines across the light. Tools lay scattered exactly as the workers left them the night before. Evan stepped through the clutter letting his eyes map every station. Even in this chaos he could feel where changes needed to happen.

He found a small pile of spare mana cores rough uneven chunks with faint cracks running through them. He picked one up turned it in his fingers and felt the weak pulse inside. The core vibrated like an unbalanced motor. A modern manufacturer would never allow this kind of instability but this world accepted it because they knew nothing else.

Evan sat at a bench and pulled a metal brace toward him. It was dented from years of use but sturdy enough. He steadied the core and ran a thin metal file across one edge smoothing the surface. He adjusted the angle then worked the opposite side shaping it into a more symmetrical form.

He muttered softly. “This is all off center. No wonder your weapons hum like broken microwaves.”

Footsteps echoed behind him. A young craftsman blinked in confusion when he saw Evan already working. “Master Marshall you are here before sunrise”

Evan smirked. “Do not call me master. Not yet. I am just trying to stop your weapons from exploding.”

The young man bowed lightly. “My name is Taron. Commander Rhel told me to assist you today.”

“Good. Grab those cores. We are going to fix as many as we can.”

Taron picked up a cracked core as if it were a fragile egg. “We usually soak them in stabilizing oil first.”

“That will not fix bad shape. First we make the core symmetrical. Then we clean the channels. After that you can soak them if you want.”

Taron looked puzzled but did not argue.

Evan guided him through the steps. He showed how to hold the core steady how to shave off uneven edges how to test balance by rolling it across a flat surface. Taron’s eyes widened as he watched the vibration fade.

“This feels smoother” Taron said. “Like it is breathing right.”

“That is the point” Evan replied. “Good structure makes energy move clean.”

More craftsmen filtered in. They gathered around watching as Evan shaped another core with controlled strokes. Some whispered to each other. Others leaned in close with curiosity. For the first time the room felt like a workshop instead of a battlefield.

Commander Rhel entered soon after. “You are working early Marshall.”

Evan shrugged. “If I am going to fix your weapons I need to know what junk I am working with.”

Rhel stepped closer examining the reshaped core. He nodded slowly. “Show me what difference this makes.”

Evan picked up a half repaired magic lance. He placed the stabilized core inside tightened the chamber with careful pressure then handed the weapon to Rhel. “Try this. Aim at the target board.”

Rhel charged the weapon with mana. The chamber glowed steady not flickering like before. He fired. The blast shot forward in a narrow line striking the exact point he aimed for. The recoil was mild. The shot stable.

Rhel lowered the weapon. “This is cleaner than any lance in our armory.”

“Then imagine what I can do once your workshop stops trying to kill me” Evan said.

Rhel cracked a rare smile. “Then we will do it your way. But there is something more urgent.”

He led Evan outside to the training yard. Soldiers gathered in rows facing a line of wooden dummies. Their weapons were all bulky rough oversized things built from the same unstable designs.

Rhel spoke. “We want you to repair one weapon from each squad today. Tomorrow they will test them in a real patrol. If your work holds under field conditions then we will begin converting the whole arsenal.”

Evan felt the weight of the task but also the thrill of it. “Give me a bench outside. Give me your worst weapons. I will fix them.”

Rhel nodded. “Taron help him. Bring the damaged lances and cannons.”

Taron rushed off. Soldiers whispered as Evan began laying tools across the portable bench. He opened the first weapon a cracked lance with a crooked chamber. He pointed to the uneven coil inside.

“See this That is why you miss your target. Whoever built this never thought about resonance.”

The soldiers leaned in shock and curiosity mixing in their expressions.

Evan smiled. “By the end of today these things will actually hit where you aim.”

The work took hours. Evan and Taron replaced channels trimmed edges smoothed cores aligned conduits and balanced chambers. Each repaired weapon fired cleaner steadier stronger. Soldiers gasped each time a blast struck exactly where intended.

Word spread through the fortress fast. By sunset dozens of craftsmen surrounded Evan learning every small trick he used.

When night fell Rhel approached again. “Marshall the patrol tomorrow will face armored beasts near the quarry. These creatures have thick plates. If your weapons fail my men may not return. Are you sure your methods hold in real battle”

Evan wiped sweat from his forehead. “I do not build things to fail. Tomorrow you will see.”

As he walked back toward his small room he felt a strange sense of purpose settle into him. He did not know if he would ever return home but he knew one thing.

This world had handed him broken tools and desperate people. He was going to fix all of it. And this patrol would be the first real test of his craft.