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..."

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

"Bloody hell!"

that

recoil on

it wrong? Perhaps we can go ask the dwarves for things that can be added to reduce

with guns, I do think that the way

shot, his hand flung all the way

and keep your feet

looks of it, he still needed a lot of practice before using the gun properly. If every

wrist, Leopold nodded his head

right; I need

"...Mhm."

and glancing at the barrier that had

on using the barrier,

keeping the barrier, I estimated that we had at

the

not wrong, the dwarves have chosen to erect the barrier because of the weather. So we've got

"…Thought so too."

small box in Leopold's direction,

as though they are as easy

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

expensive, but there was a

Malvil, the cores gained from beasts and monsters could be turned into powder which

bullets on me was because I traded them for the

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

enough, though; after all, even I wouldn't be very excited at the prospect of eating

another note, the bullets could only be created by the dwarves as humans were incapable

didn't

could at most create bows

as guns didn't only require a skilled blacksmith but also advanced engineering skills that understood the core underlying principles of mana, which humanity severely

though. After all, humanity had only been

on the shoulder,

"Take good care o—Ukkk."

through my body and

next to me, caught me by

"Wow, Ren, you okay?"

He worriedly asked.

for him, I

"Ugh..."

"Ren? Ren?!"

Leopold's voice was faint

blurred slightly

this did not last for long

to rebalance myself, I reassured Leopold

"Ren, are you okay?"

but I'm now

onto my head, I

my head suddenly started to

the gun away and carefully looked at

you should probably get some

"Yeah..."

"You okay, now?"

"Yeah, no problem."

smile and stood

left as fast as it

longer asked about my

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

check on the others

"...got it."

you need anything, tell

a simple nod, Leopold soon

my face disappeared as my brows

'What was that?'

still messed up due to what had happened at the Monolith,

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

in

about it, the deeper my frown

wrong with me? Or was this

hoped that it

—Booom!

that an explosion suddenly sounded. Following this,

in the direction of where the sound originated from, I saw a

appeared on the barrier before disappearing not long

the barrier had absorbed the attack

where the ripple centered, my brows furrowed

"They've started the siege…"

***