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..."

managed to rebalance himself, staring at

"Bloody hell!"

one that held onto the

on this

Perhaps we can go ask the dwarves for

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

took a shot, his hand flung all the way up in the air,

time and keep your

before using the gun properly. If every time he shot this happened, there was no use in

wrist, Leopold

I need to

"...Mhm."

at the barrier that had now enveloped the whole mountain,

planning on using the barrier, you've got some time to

how long the dwarves were planning on keeping the barrier, I estimated that

until the weather cleared

to erect the barrier because of the weather. So we've got till it stops raining to

"…Thought so too."

small box in Leopold's

on practicing, please don't carelessly treat the bullets as though they are as easy

if converted into U, it would total around 500,000U per

expensive, but there was a reason

to Malvil, the cores gained from beasts and monsters could be turned into powder which would in turn function as gunpowder. In fact,

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

first, I thought of giving it to Angelica, but at

enough, though; after all, even I wouldn't be

could only be created by the dwarves as humans were incapable of

didn't

create bows or other relatively

didn't only require a skilled blacksmith but also advanced engineering skills that understood the core underlying principles of

all, humanity had only been

Leopold on the

"Take good care o—Ukkk."

through my body and head. My

next to me, caught me by

"Wow, Ren, you okay?"

He worriedly asked.

him, I couldn't

"Ugh..."

"Ren? Ren?!"

Leopold's voice was faint in my

vision blurred slightly

last for long

myself, I reassured Leopold that I

"Ren, are you okay?"

but I'm

onto my head, I

just that my head suddenly started to

put the gun away

some time, you should probably

"Yeah..."

"You okay, now?"

"Yeah, no problem."

a smile and stood

pain left as

sceptical, Leopold no longer

bullets away, he looked at the entrance of the tower

on the

"...got it."

need anything, tell

simple nod, Leopold soon

at Leopold's back, the smile on my face disappeared as my brows

'What was that?'

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

was somewhat familiar. Though I couldn't explain it, it felt as

what in the

it, the deeper my

there something wrong with me? Or was this really

I sure hoped that it was the latter and that this was

—Booom!

that an explosion suddenly sounded. Following this,

from, I saw a faint ripple appear on

barrier, miniature waves appeared on the barrier before

barrier

of where the

"They've started the siege…"

***