A Gunslinger’s System in a World of Magic

Henry's surprise lasted two seconds at most and he pointed his gun to take advantage of the destroyed shield and land a shot to kill his target.

Alas, before he could, the second Warlock who had shielded his fellow from Angus formed a few complex seals and released a turbulent flow of Mana that seemed to pull all air around closer before discharging it in a forceful curtain that tossed Henry, Angus, and their horses many feet away.

"Hmph!" Henry let out as he was tossed off Nyx's back and hit the ground with a thud while Nyx struck the side of her head against the ground even further away and let out a pained *neigh* along with a groan that only Henry heard through their telepathy.

As he rose off the ground, the hairs on Henry's body rose and he knew to roll away from where he was which he managed to do just before a powerful tendril attack hit that spot with such force, that it cracked the cobbled stoned ground.

More crackling tendrils were tossed at Henry and he continued to roll to dodge them all before eventually getting up to his feet to make a much more powerful leap to put even more space between the spot his attacker was targeting and himself.

While Henry was in the air and before he hit the ground again, he pointed 'The Hydra's Sting' and fired an <Acidic Combustion> shot.

It was like the Warlock he was targeting had expected his attack as a shield was not only conjured but also tossed at the bullet. The bullet broke through the shield but the Warlock had a second one conjured. With the bullet's magic already greatly diminished or completely eradicated, it was no more than another bullet.

Or so the Warlock thought.

The bullet broke through the second shield with its travelling speed greatly diminished. The Warlock might have even been able to dodge it, slow as it now was, but he had underestimated the bullet's penetrating power so it struck him in the side.

"Ngh!" The Warlock let out a groan with his eyes widened,

"How—?"

He recognized that gun. It had belonged to a Captain of the City Guard who was very close to his Master, Maude Aleric, because he possessed Mana which was a requirement to even wield the gun.

The Warlock had had that gun tested against his shields and he knew, even at full power, its acidic properties could be eradicated by presenting it with a shield to pierce through.

'I was caught by surprise by the first shot. I didn't expect him to have that gun. But the second time— I had two shields up! How the hell were they not enough?!' The Warlock asked with his eyes on Henry and his head cocked to the side with curiosity.

Of course, what the Warlock did not know was that, ever since Henry took 'The Hydra's Sting' from its previous wielder, Mr. Grant, the gun had been touched by its creator who then provided Henry with a so-far steady supply of bullets specifically meant to be loaded into the Weapon.

The 'Hydra's Tongue' bullets are imbued with Mana themselves which puts them very well above 'normal bullets'.

Hell, if 'The Hydra's Sting' didn't require Mana for every single shot, Henry was sure just shooting the gun as-is would do damage to those shielded with Magic like the Feral Meister Vykers and might even still destroy the Warlock's shield or at the very least crack it.

But we digress.

The Warlock spent less than five seconds contemplating his shock but that was more than enough time for Henry to aim and fire a third shot with 'The Hydra's Tongue'.

Right before the bullet hit, a Magical circle —with Arcane symbols etched within its two rings—, appeared beneath the Warlock's feet and moved him out of the way just in time to avoid the shot by a few inches at best after which he retaliated with another barrage of Tendrils.

This time, the Warlock sent the barrage upward in an expert technique that smashed them all together before raining down in a curtain that seemed to trap Henry in the middle with no way out. It seemed like no matter how or where he moved, he was going to get hit.

[Activating <Quick Thinking>]

At the cost of five Mana Points, time stopped around Henry and he let his Perception spread. Catching a 'glimpse' of Angus facing off against two Warlocks but more importantly, taking note of where the tendrils were going to strike.

In that tight-knit net of raining down tendrils of dark crackling energy, Henry found a few spots he could move his body into and avoid the worst of it. So he picked one of those spots and dedicated the last few seconds he had with <Quick Thinking> to order his body to move there.

As it usually was, when time resumed, Henry's body reacted to his order like an elastic band snapping back into place and he leaped into a very small spot that a crackling tendril was not raining directly at.

*KRAKA- BANG!!!*

The tendrils struck the ground as one in an intense explosive bang that sent ripples of their crackling energy all over. A good bit of the wayward energy struck Henry and sent him flying many feet away with a pained groan.

[You have lost 10 Hit Points]

[Hit Points: 90/100]

Even as his body occasionally spasmed as the energy wracked through him, Henry was grateful.

'Would have been much worse if I didn't find that space to leap into,' he thought with a frown as he got back to his feet,

'Thank you <Quick Thinking>.'

Henry looked up. There was a lot more distance between him and the Warlock now and he could tell that was exactly how the Warlock liked it.

'Well, we can't let you have what you want, now can we?'

With his guns still held tight in his hands, Henry took a running stance and watched the Warlock conjure up more tendrils.

It was like someone was counting down except they only counted once before yelling 'Go' and Henry started running as the Warlock started tossing tendril after tendril.

Henry kept his eyes and his active Perception on the Warlock and his motions. He didn't work on complex calculations in his head but he could guess from the other times the tendrils had been tossed at him just how long it took for them to travel and strike.

Reacting to the Warlock's motions, he could perform a rough count and dodge accordingly. There was a chance he made an error and leaped into the line of fire but with multiple angles for the attacks to strike and with them being launched one at a time, that chance was so low that Henry decided it was worth the risk.

It beat standing far away and getting pushed farther and farther back until his aim with 'The Hydra's Sting' was rendered completely useless.

*Kraka- Bang!*

*Kraka- Bang!*

*Kraka- Bang!*

After dodging three tendril shots, Henry was within a good range, and fired two shots of normal bullets to 'test the waters'.

Not willing to risk it, the Warlock's magic circle appeared at his feet and moved him out of the way— Just as Henry had expected.

With his face screwed up in intense focus, Henry activated <Quick Thinking>, and when time stopped, he took note of where the Warlock was moving toward and directed his body to shoot there once time resumed.

The Warlock, delighted to have avoided the enemy's attack, still had his hands raised to keep sending tendrils, when he saw a green bullet striking his hurriedly conjured shield and breaking through it before striking the second shield he had put in place 'just in case' and shattering it as well.

This time though, the Warlock was able to dodge the slowed-down bullet and avoid a third bullet hitting his body.

With his brows furrowed in annoyance and curiosity at how Henry had managed to shoot at him, the Warlock completed his already-started tendril conjuring and prepared to launch it.

At the same time, Henry also pointed his gold and bronze painted gun, and prepared to take advantage of his opponent's now lack of defense.

*Kraka—!*

*— Bang!*

A launched Tendril.

A fired bullet.

Both hit their targets.