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..."

Once he managed to rebalance himself, staring at the gun in his hand, he couldn't help but curse

"Bloody hell!"

right wrist, the one that held

on this

held it wrong? Perhaps we can go ask the dwarves for

that the way that Leopold held onto the gun was

he took a shot, his hand flung all the way up in the air, and he was pushed

hands next time and keep your feet

still needed a lot of practice before using the gun properly. If every time he shot this happened, there was no

Leopold

I need

"...Mhm."

that had now enveloped

are planning on using the

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

until the weather

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

"…Thought so too."

box in

though they are as easy to get as water.

into U, it would total

expensive, but there was a

powder which would in turn function as gunpowder. In

of bullets on me was because I traded them for the core of the

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

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

bullets could only be created by the dwarves as humans were

didn't have guns

most create bows or

but also advanced engineering skills that understood the core underlying principles of mana, which humanity severely

though. After all, humanity had only

on the shoulder, I

"Take good care o—Ukkk."

current suddenly ran through my body and head. My knees

next to me, caught me by

"Wow, Ren, you okay?"

He worriedly asked.

for him, I

"Ugh..."

"Ren? Ren?!"

Leopold's voice was faint in

blurred slightly as

not last for long as I soon got

to rebalance myself, I reassured Leopold that I was

"Ren, are you okay?"

I'm

onto my head,

just that my head suddenly started to hurt. Probably didn't have

away

have some time, you

"Yeah..."

"You okay, now?"

"Yeah, no problem."

smile and

as fast as it

sceptical, Leopold no longer

the entrance

on the others

"...got it."

you need anything, tell

a simple nod, Leopold soon

smile on my face disappeared

'What was that?'

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

familiar. Though I couldn't explain it, it felt as though I had a similar headache in

what in the

it, the deeper

with me? Or was this really something due to

hoped that it was the latter and that this was

—Booom!

that an explosion suddenly sounded. Following this, the whole city

direction of where the sound originated from, I saw a faint ripple appear on

throughout the whole barrier, miniature waves appeared on the

me that the barrier had absorbed

direction of where the ripple centered,

"They've started the siege…"

***