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..."

out a groan. Once he managed to rebalance himself, staring at the gun

"Bloody hell!"

his right wrist, the one that

on

can go ask the dwarves for things that can be added to

an expert with guns, I do think that the

hand flung all the way up in

using both hands next time and keep

using the gun properly. If every time he shot

Leopold

right; I need to practice

"...Mhm."

at the barrier that had now

dwarfs are planning on using the barrier,

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

until the

I'm not wrong, the dwarves have chosen to erect the barrier because of the weather. So we've got till it stops

"…Thought so too."

in Leopold's direction, I

planning on practicing, please don't carelessly treat the bullets as though they are as easy to get as water. They are actually

converted into U,

expensive, but there was a

powder which would

was because I traded them for the core of

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

be very excited at the prospect of

bullets could only be created by the dwarves as humans were incapable of creating them. At least

was also why humans didn't have guns

at most create bows

engineering skills that understood the core

all, humanity had only been exposed to mana for less than

on the

"Take good care o—Ukkk."

body and head. My knees buckled, and I almost tripped on

who was next to me, caught

"Wow, Ren, you okay?"

He worriedly asked.

him,

"Ugh..."

"Ren? Ren?!"

Leopold's voice was faint

blurred

did not last for long as I soon got

myself, I reassured

"Ren, are you okay?"

but I'm now

head, I painfully

started to hurt. Probably didn't

gun away and carefully looked at

we have some time, you should

"Yeah..."

"You okay, now?"

"Yeah, no problem."

a smile and

pain left as fast

sceptical, Leopold no longer asked about

the bullets away, he looked at the entrance of the tower in

check on the others

"...got it."

you need anything,

me a simple nod, Leopold soon walked

the smile on my face

'What was that?'

messed up due to what had happened at the Monolith, or was it something else

explain it, it felt as

what in the

I thought about it, the deeper my frown

me? Or was this really something

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

—Booom!

an explosion suddenly sounded. Following this,

direction of where the sound originated from, I saw

waves appeared on the barrier before disappearing

barrier had absorbed the attack

the

"They've started the siege…"

***