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 hand, he couldn't help but

"Bloody hell!"

the one that held

on this

you held it wrong? Perhaps we can go ask the

I wasn't an expert with guns, I do think that the way that Leopold held onto the gun was

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

try using both hands next time and keep your feet planted on

properly. If

his wrist, Leopold nodded his head in

I need to

"...Mhm."

barrier that

on using the barrier, you've got

the barrier, I estimated that we had at least a

until the weather

to erect the barrier because

"…Thought so too."

small box in Leopold's direction,

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

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

expensive, but there was a reason for

could be turned into powder which would in turn function as gunpowder.

of bullets on me was because I

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

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

be created by the dwarves as humans were

also why humans didn't

could at most create bows or other relatively simpler

but also advanced engineering skills that understood the

had only been exposed to mana for less

Leopold on the

"Take good care o—Ukkk."

suddenly ran through my body and head. My

Leopold, who was next to me, caught me by

"Wow, Ren, you okay?"

He worriedly asked.

for him, I

"Ugh..."

"Ren? Ren?!"

teeth, Leopold's voice was

blurred slightly as

did not last for long as I soon

moment to rebalance myself, I reassured Leopold that I was

"Ren, are you okay?"

I'm now

head,

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

put the gun away and carefully looked

we have some time, you should

"Yeah..."

"You okay, now?"

"Yeah, no problem."

a smile and stood up

pain left as fast as

longer asked about my

he looked at the

go check on the others

"...got it."

need anything, tell

me a simple nod, Leopold soon

smile on my face disappeared as my

'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 had a similar headache in the

what in

thought about it, the

wrong with me? Or was this really something due

that it was the latter

—Booom!

explosion suddenly sounded. Following

from, I saw a faint

waves appeared on the barrier

appeared to me that the barrier

in the direction of where the ripple centered, my

"They've started the siege…"

***