The Author's POV

"I thought that it might come in handy to you."

After having witnessed the prowess of the dwarves with their gun-like artifacts, I thought that it would've been a perfect fit for Leopold, who usually always helped out from the back.

This way, he wouldn't need to join the fights when commanding the others directly.

Aiming the gun around, Leopold asked.

"What are the requirements for using this little thing?"

"Just inject some mana, and it'll work. It's a ranked artifact."

The artifact was something that only dwarves could create and essentially worked as a gun.

Upon injecting mana into the device, the artifact would activate, releasing the bullets that were loaded inside.

Well, that's how it should work. Never used it, so I didn't know.

"Take good care of it; it cost me quite a lot."

Aiming the gun towards the distance, Leopold put his finger on the trigger.

"Sounds easy enough."

"Well, I still think you need time to get used to it."

Just like any weapon, it needed time to be mastered, and although Leopold was already good with the sword, at the end of the day, his talent did not lay in swordsmanship but in commanding.

Plus, just because he was now using a gun, it didn't mean that he couldn't use a sword.

He could very well use it during short-range fights and then replace it when he's helping out from the back; after all, the gun would be more useful when he's commanding a lot of people at once.

Looking through the status of the gun, Leopold suddenly asked.

"How's the recoil on this thing?"

"…how about you try?"

I also was curious about this.

Raising his brow and looking around, Leopold picked his ear to ensure he didn't hear wrongly.

"Try? Here?"

"I don't think anyone would mind being honest. Just shoot the air."

We were in the open, and most likely, the sound that would come out from shooting the weapon would get drowned out by the sound of the rain.

Furthermore, I don't think the dwarfs would mind this.

"Guess you're right."

Leopold was a simple person. At my words, he stopped thinking too much and put a bullet inside of the gun-like artifact.

Chi Chak—

Loading the artifact, Leopold aimed towards the distance with one hand.

His semi-long hair was already wet from the rain.

Closing one of his eyes and aiming towards the barrier in the distance, he softly muttered.

"I'm going."

Looking at him and taken aback by the fact that he was only using one hand, I blurted out.

"Wait, why are you using only one hand?"

"...just cause."

As soon as his words faded, a gentle hue shrouded his hand, directly entering the artifact.

Click—!

Leopold then pressed on the trigger.

—Booom!

Accompanied by a thunderous sound, a blue ball of energy shot out from the gun, directly aiming for the barrier in the distance. Travelling at incredible speeds, the blue energy travelled through the air, splitting the rain apart.

Before long, it appeared right before the barrier.

However, right as the energy was about to hit the barrier, something miraculous happened; the blue ball stopped mid-air before suddenly disappearing out of thin hair.

On the other hand, while the energy ball shot out from the gun, Leopold, the one responsible for the shot, was sent a couple of steps back.

"Uukkk..."

he managed to rebalance himself, staring at the gun in his

"Bloody hell!"

right wrist, the one that

on

go ask the dwarves for things that can be

wasn't an expert with guns, I do think that the

took a shot, his hand flung all the way up

hands next time and keep

the gun properly. If every time he shot this

wrist, Leopold

need to practice

"...Mhm."

my head and glancing at the barrier that had now enveloped the whole

planning on using the

planning on keeping the barrier, I estimated that we had at least a day to

the

chosen to erect the barrier because of the weather. So we've got

"…Thought so too."

box in Leopold's direction, I

the bullets as though they are as easy to get as water.

converted into U, it would

was a

cores gained from beasts and monsters could be turned into powder which would in turn function

quite a lot of bullets on me was because I traded them for the core of the Baron ranked demon

thought of giving it to Angelica, but at the mere mention of it, she

I wouldn't be

only be created by the dwarves as humans were incapable of

also why humans didn't have guns as

could at most create bows

guns didn't only require a skilled blacksmith but also advanced engineering

understandable, though. After all, humanity had only been

the

"Take good care o—Ukkk."

ran through my body and head. My knees buckled,

next to me, caught

"Wow, Ren, you okay?"

He worriedly asked.

for him, I couldn't

"Ugh..."

"Ren? Ren?!"

voice was faint in

blurred slightly

for long as I soon got

to rebalance myself, I

"Ren, are you okay?"

I'm now

my head, I painfully

just that my head suddenly started to hurt. Probably

put the gun away and carefully looked

have some time, you should

"Yeah..."

"You okay, now?"

"Yeah, no problem."

forced a smile and stood up

pain left as fast as

Leopold no longer

the

go check on

"...got it."

you need

nod,

smile on my face disappeared as my brows

'What was that?'

it because my head was still messed up due to what had happened at

it felt as though I had a similar headache

in

thought about it, the deeper my

was this really

now, I wasn't sure, but I sure hoped that it was the latter and that this was just

—Booom!

then that an explosion suddenly sounded.

of where the sound originated from, I

miniature waves appeared

the barrier had absorbed the attack

direction of where the ripple centered, my brows furrowed

"They've started the siege…"

***