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

"Bloody hell!"

that held onto the artifact,

recoil on this

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

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

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

hands next time and keep your feet planted

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

Leopold nodded his head

right; I need to practice

"...Mhm."

the barrier that had now enveloped the whole mountain, I

the dwarfs are planning on using the barrier, you've got some

planning on keeping the barrier, I estimated that we had at

the

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

"…Thought so too."

small box in Leopold's direction, I

please don't carelessly treat the bullets as though they are as easy to get

that if converted into U, it

there was a

turned into powder which would in turn function as gunpowder. In fact, demon cores could also

had quite a lot of bullets on me was because I traded them for the

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

I wouldn't be very excited

created by the dwarves as humans were incapable of creating them. At least

humans didn't have guns as

bows or other relatively simpler

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

only been exposed to

Leopold on the shoulder, I

"Take good care o—Ukkk."

current suddenly ran through my body and head. My knees buckled, and

next to me, caught me by

"Wow, Ren, you okay?"

He worriedly asked.

him, I

"Ugh..."

"Ren? Ren?!"

voice

blurred slightly

luck, this did not last for

a moment to rebalance myself, I reassured Leopold that

"Ren, are you okay?"

but I'm now

head, I

that my head suddenly started

away and carefully

some time, you should probably

"Yeah..."

"You okay, now?"

"Yeah, no problem."

a smile and stood up

pain left as fast

no longer asked about my

he looked at the entrance of the

check on

"...got it."

you need

simple nod,

back, the smile on my face disappeared as my brows knit

'What was that?'

what had happened at the Monolith, or

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

what in the

about it, the deeper

wrong with me? Or was this really something due

sure hoped that it was the latter and that this

—Booom!

explosion suddenly sounded. Following

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

miniature waves appeared on the barrier

me that the barrier had absorbed the attack from

direction of where the

"They've started the siege…"

***