The place Yeoreum and I headed to resembled a shooting range.
The range was bustling with adventurers, each flaunting their own weapons.
Among them were firearms that created a loud noise.
Bang!
As soon as we entered the shooting range, a gunshot rang out, causing my ears and tail to stand on end.
I reflexively raised my hands to cover my ears.
"Wow..."
The noise was like someone screaming directly into my ear.
It left my ears ringing and my eyes wide open.
"The gun... it's loud, isn't it?"
Yeoreum said something to me, but I couldn't make out her words with my ears covered.
The constant gunfire was piercing through my ears.
All I could do was blink my eyes, with my hands raised above my head.
"..."
Yeoreum watched me for a while, then pressed down on the area around my ears as if to shield them.
I didn't think I needed help and tried to avoid her touch, but I was surprised by how her action completely blocked out the noise.
"Huh?"
Why couldn't I hear the gunshots when Yeoreum pressed down?
I didn't know why, but this world was filled with mana.
Surely, it must have been some kind of magical technique.
Given the situation, I decided to use Yeoreum's hand as an earmuff.
It was embarrassing, but it was better than having pained ears.
I had long stopped caring about how others perceived me.
With Yeoreum's hand still on my head, I approached Jung Yu-na, who was nearby.
"Yu-na!"
Yeoreum called out to Jung Yu-na.
I couldn't hear the gunshots, but I could hear Yeoreum's voice.
For someone who had lived in a world without magic, it was an astonishing feat.
"Hey...huh?"
Jung Yu-na greeted us with a wave of her hand.
Somehow, her voice didn't sound like the gunfire.
Perhaps the sound reached me because Yeoreum and I were in physical contact.
"Ah, I was blocking the noise for Gyeoul because she was bothered by the gunshots."
"But, you could just use a blocking spell..."
Jung Yu-na, who seemed envious, waved her wand into the air.
Suddenly, a translucent barrier rose around us.
"What's this?"
"It's a noise cancellation spell. It blocks sounds above a certain decibel level."
As Yeoreum said this, she removed her hand from my ear.
My ear sprang up as if released from pressure.
"Oh..."
The sound of gunfire now seemed muffled, as if submerged underwater.
I wondered if this world had issues like noise complaints between floors.
Lost in these irrelevant thoughts, Jung Yu-na handed me an arrow.
"Gyeoul, want to try shooting this?"
"What is it?"
"It's an arrow I made. I crafted it to suit Gyeoul's use."
I accepted Jung Yu-na's arrow.
The only difference from a normal arrow was its red color.
"Here, I brought a bow for you too."
"Ah... Yes."
After fitting the arrow onto the bow, I looked up at Yeoreum.
I was curious, having seen others shooting guns.
"Can I try shooting a gun too?"
"A gun?"
"Yes. I think it might be more convenient than a bow in dungeons."
"Hmm... Guns are harder to use than bows."
Yeoreum shook her head decisively.
I couldn't understand why a gun, which just requires pulling a trigger, would be harder to shoot.
"Why?"
"With an arrow, you hold the feather with your hand before shooting. That alone allows you to imbue it with mana much more efficiently."
"Ah..."
So, it's hard to infuse mana into a bullet shot by a machine.
I nodded, convinced by this newfound understanding.
"Guns can be imbued with mana too, but not as effectively as bows. That's why they're used mainly for mass extermination of lower-level monsters, or for stress relief in places like this."
"I see."
I had mistakenly thought guns would be far superior, considering my perspective as an Earthling without mana.
It was a mix-up of knowledge from two different worlds.
'What about grenades then?'
Are grenades less effective than a typical magician's spell?
While wondering this, I shot the arrow Jung Yu-na had given me towards a distant target.
Whoosh!
Perhaps due to the noise cancellation spell Jung Yu-na had cast, the arrow flew silently and hit the dead center of the target.
"Huh?"
It was no different in power from the arrows I usually used.
Was there a need to make something like this?
Just as I turned to look at Jung Yu-na, the arrow lodged in the target suddenly emitted a bright light.
Boom!
The sound was so loud it penetrated the noise cancellation spell.
I was startled enough to lift my heels off the ground.
"..."
The target shattered into pieces, along with other nearby targets.
"What's going on?"
"It looks like Jung Yu-na is experimenting with something again."
The enormous power of the explosion made everyone stop shooting and turn to look in our direction.
I, too, looked at the two women with wide eyes.
"Not bad, right?"
"Yeah. I made a safety mechanism so Gyeoul wouldn't be in danger from the explosion."
Yeoreum and Jung Yu-na seemed to be discussing amongst themselves, then both turned to look at me.
"Gyeoul, what do you think?"
"Don't you want to try it in actual combat?"
"Uh..."
Use it in a goblin dungeon?
With power enough to obliterate goblin mana stones into dust?
After a moment of contemplation, I had no choice but to agree.
Honestly, shooting explosive arrows was quite fun.
I just hoped that the noise cancellation spell would be applied properly.
✧✧✧✧✧
After a visit to the goblin dungeon with Yeoreum and Jung Yu-na, today, we had to return empty-handed.
The goblins had vanished without a trace due to the explosive power of the arrows.
They were incinerated completely, leaving neither innards nor mana stones behind.
"Phew..."
Feeling exhilarated for the first time in a while, I walked towards the container with Yeoreum.
"Gyeoul, how was it shooting the explosive arrows?"
"It was really fun."
"Yeah. I see."
Yeoreum said with an awkward smile, seemingly hiding something.
"Why?"
"Well... actually, those explosive arrows are quite expensive."
"…Really?"
Was she implying that I had to pay for them?
The excitement that had swelled in me began to cool down rapidly.
"Of course, the ones we used today were for testing, so you don't need to worry about the cost, but the arrows we make in the future..."
"You mean I have to buy them?"
"No, you don't need to pay. Just provide the mana stones needed for the materials."
"Yes. I can certainly do that."
Perhaps satisfied with my response, the awkwardness faded from Yeoreum's smile.
"Besides explosions, arrows infused with ice or electricity are possible too. The power varies depending on the mana stone."
"Wow..."
Arrows that emit lightning.
The romance of it all struck a chord in my heart.
Mana stones are precious, but I could easily obtain goblin mana stones.
There was no reason not to.
'I'll be able to earn more as I get stronger.'
This surely wasn't a waste.
Pleased, I continued walking towards the container.
For some reason, Yeoreum, walking beside me, also seemed in good spirits, even clenching her fist in a 'yes' gesture.
'Does Yeoreum also like explosive arrows?'
With that thought, as I approached the container, I spotted someone crouching towards the vegetable garden.
The erect rabbit ears proved it was Levinas.
"My garden...!"
Was she trying to ruin my garden as revenge for this morning?
I rushed towards her, only to witness a surprising sight.
A dandelion, which should still be in seed form, had already bloomed.
"You! Where have you been, coming back just now!"
Levinas, covered in dirt on her face and body, stood up abruptly.
What did the rapidly grown dandelions have to do with her?
As I was trying to figure it out, Yeoreum clapped her hands lightly.
"Is she the rabbit friend? That choker is really pretty!"
"Eek!"
Levinas gasped and stumbled backward.
Perhaps the compliment on the bomb-filled choker sounded like a threat to her.
Not that it actually had a real bomb.
'I must have looked crazy.'
I felt a sense of kinship, remembering how I felt when I first saw Yeoreum after my transformation.
With a newfound empathy, I hurried over to Levinas.
"Did you make the dandelions grow yourself?"
"Yes! That ignorant shark monster promised to release me if I helped with housework—!"
"Shark monster? Release...?"
Yeoreum, still unfamiliar with the situation, expressed her confusion.
Deciding to explain the situation to her later, I approached Levinas, who had proudly placed her hands on her hips.
"Can you make other plants grow quickly like the dandelions?"
"Of course! Levinas is from the great horned rabbit tribe!"
"Wow!"
The ability to accelerate plant growth was an unexpected boon.
This could mean expanding the garden to grow more plants.
I could harvest more dandelions and reduce the price of tea.
Lower prices would likely lead to increased sales.
At this rate, could I pay off my debts before I die?
Just as I clasped my hands together, filled with hope, a deep sigh escaped from Yeoreum.
"Ah..."
I couldn't understand why she suddenly seemed displeased.
<+>
If you want to see more chapter of this story and don't mind paying $5 each month to read till the latest chapter, please go to my
Current Chapter in Patreon: Chapter 99