Leonar blinked several times, stunned, as his eyes began to adjust to his vision once again.

'Could it be that my ability is back?' he thought, trying to process what he was seeing around him.

His companions and the whole camp were bathed in a soft green glow, a calming hue that indicated, for the moment at least, there was no danger.

Leonar felt a wave of relief wash over him.

Maybe this place really was as safe as they claimed.

'Why has my ability returned right now…?' Leonar wondered to himself.

But before he could dig deeper into that question, he heard someone call his name from behind.

He turned to look, and instantly, the green tint in his vision disappeared, returning his sight to normal as the slight burning sensation in his eyes faded away.

The man who had called him was one of his teammates, a sturdy-looking guy with broad shoulders and arms that seemed sculpted by years of physical labor.

His short brown hair and scruffy beard gave him a somewhat rugged but friendly look. Seeing Leonar, he flashed a grin and held up a small collection of firearms.

"Is this your first time seeing one of these?" he asked with a light chuckle, a hint of camaraderie in his voice.

Leonar nodded, surprised.

"Yeah… I've never actually seen one of these in person before," he admitted, eyeing the weapons with curiosity.

"Then I guess you haven't fired one either?" the man asked, his smile widening.

Seeing Leonar's somewhat bewildered expression, he burst into laughter.

"Don't worry. This is a good place to learn," he added enthusiastically.

Then, raising his voice, he called over to his boss:

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"Hey, boss! Can I teach the kid how to shoot? I promise we won't go too far!"

The boss, who was overseeing preparations with the other team members, looked in their direction, raised a hand in approval, and gave them the go-ahead.

Without wasting any time, the man picked a small pistol with a metallic blue finish and handed it to Leonar.

"This is an energy pistol. It's lightweight and doesn't have much kickback. Perfect for getting started," he explained, holding it firmly as he demonstrated.

Leonar took it, noting that, unlike the weapons he'd seen in pictures or movies, this one looked almost futuristic, with soft lights along the barrel and a sleek design.

Noticing his awe, the man laughed again and added:

"And with this, you won't have to worry about bullets. No need to waste expensive rounds; this thing recharges with energy. A relief for the wallet!"

"That's excellent news…" Leonar replied.

"Yeah, I thought the same thing back in the day. I'm Damian, by the way. What's your name?"

"I'm Leonar, nice to meet you."

Following Damian, they walked toward a cleared area of the camp.

There, Damian gathered some scattered cans, placing them on rocks at different distances as makeshift targets.

"Alright, let's start with the basics," Damian said with a firm tone, though he couldn't hide the spark of enthusiasm in his voice.

"The most important thing when holding a weapon is feeling stable. Use both hands, keep your feet apart and slightly bent to absorb the impact, though this one doesn't have much kickback. Look through the sight… focus. With practice, aiming will become almost instinctive."

Leonar followed his instructions, mimicking Damian's movements.

When he raised the weapon and aimed, he felt adrenaline start to surge through his veins.

Damian was watching his every move, continuing his guidance:

"One more thing you should know: unlike regular bullets, the energy from these kinds of weapons isn't as affected by wind, though you still have to keep distance in mind. The farther you are, the less accurate it becomes."

As he spoke, Damian seemed to light up with admiration and passion.

"These energy pistols recharge a little differently—see that button? Press it when you're out of shots, and it'll start recharging. But, be careful because you'll be vulnerable for those few seconds."

Leonar absorbed every word, noticing how Damian seemed genuinely excited about teaching him.

'Is he a private instructor? He explains things pretty well…'

Damian grinned and asked,

"You didn't know you had to be ready to shoot at any moment, did you?"

Leonar, a bit startled, shook his head.

"I thought we weren't going to see any monsters… Isn't this a gathering mission?"

Damian raised an eyebrow and let out a low chuckle.

"Seriously? Leonar, even if we're here for gathering, in a place like this, you're never one hundred percent safe. There's always some monster lurking or hiding. And if something happens, we have to be ready to back up the hunters escorting us at a moment's notice. This job is like that: you always have to be prepared."

Damian's words hit Leonar like a bucket of cold water. He swallowed hard, feeling his heartbeat grow faster.

'Barret… bastard,' Leonar thought as his hands began to tremble.