A Gunslinger’s System in a World of Magic

Henry skimmed through the Quest details and remembered he had 18 Stat Points to allocate.

'11 Stat Points to Stamina. 7 to Agility.'

[Are you sure?]

'Yes.'

[Stamina: 19 ———> 30]

[Agility: 56 ———> 63]

As his Stats ticked up and increased, Henry could see Echo mimic them but he didn't care.

Similar Stamina was another scam by the mummified Undead. Unlike Henry, it couldn't actually feel fatigue. The only practical use Echo could have for the Stamina Stat was for it to act as a cap to how much 'energy' it could draw on to facilitate whatever magical Might it mimicked from Henry.

On the other hand, Henry could get tired. He had gotten so tapped out recently and drinking a Healing Potion had done very little to help with that so he needed as much of a boost as he could get.

With his Stamina increase, Henry could already feel a boost in his internal energy and it had him fired up and rearing to go.

"Curious," Echo said slowly, "You've gotten even stronger."

Echo regarded Henry with those empty black eyes and added in a mumble,

"What is it about you that—?"

Whatever it was Echo was about to say and whatever tangent it was about to fall into was interrupted when Henry pointed his guns and fired two shots. All aimed at the creature's chest.

Just as Doherty had thought, Henry believed Echo's core was in its chest as well and he saw destroying that to be the quickest way to end this.

With the start of the Test, Echo was no longer impervious to attacks and the bullets met no resistance. They did however miss their targets.

When it was regarding Henry with its eyes and even as it was speaking, Echo had studied Henry. It knew enough about weapons to know when the trigger was about to be pulled and, blessed with Henry's agility and the pre-knowledge of when its opponent would attack, it could lean to the side and have the bullets merely graze its dried mummified skin as they went on to strike the wall.

The two Mana-infused slugs packed quite a punch and where any other bullet would have merely made a small cut, they both made sizable gash. But the worst had been avoided and even a human Fighter would have survived such a wound so Echo was able to shrug it off.

The <Acidic Combustion> shot was different, however. At least Henry expected it to be different. A graze was all that was required and the wound was already sizzling with sizzling acid but Echo didn't seem to mind.

Henry didn't allow himself to look or act shocked for long and with a click sound, he reloaded 'Violent Retort' and was ready to fire another shot when Echo was suddenly no longer there.

In a second, the Undead was an inch away from Henry stabbing its spear toward his chest. Henry's perception warned him and he used 'Violent Retort' to slam against the Spear's blade, knocking it aside.

Echo was unbothered by the improvised parry. It simply followed the direction Henry had slammed its Spearhead into and struck him with the Weapon's shaft instead.

*Bam!*

[You have lost 20 Hit Points]

[Hit Points: 78/210]

"Ahh!" Henry let out in pain and he heard the crack of fractured bone just as he was sent sliding away.

While in motion and with barely any control of his body enough to stop moving, Henry was still able to point 'Violent Retort' and fire a shot.

As it had done once before, Echo dodged. It dodged even better now and avoided getting hit at all while also changing the direction it came at Henry from.

The goal was clear; It was going to strike before Henry could regain his standing. The sudden change in where the attack would come from was meant to disorient Henry who could not possibly anticipate it. Or so Echo thought.

Alas, right when it arrived with its Spear raised, Echo's blank face gained a curious expression as the double barrels of Henry's 'Violent Retort' lay in wait.

The muzzles flashed and with a powerful uniform *bang!* that packed a recoil that sent Henry's arm flying back to the point of being sprained, the gun shot out two Mana-infused Slugs that struck Echo in the chest and sent the Undead flying many feet away…

*BANG!*

… where he slammed into a wall.

*BAM!*

While the mummified Undead slid to the ground, Henry locked in his knees and regained control of his standing and movements while looking considerably pleased with himself.

Anticipating where attacks would come from was Henry's strong suit and with <Quick Thinking> activated to give him five seconds of time-stopped serenity during which, his 'sight' was widespread thanks to his Perception, he knew just where to point his gun and place it in wait for the enemy.

"Most curious," Echo said, knocked prone as Henry pointed 'The Hydra's Sting' and fired an <Acidic Combustion> shot into its dried chest.

Echo couldn't dodge and the bullet hit its target with a *bang!*.

The wound <Acidic Combustion> caused festered as always before it exploded, creating a gaping hole in Echo's chest but unlike many other creatures (all of them) that Henry had shot with such an attack so far, Echo did not 'die'.

It laughed.

"Haha," it said in its usual slow crooning voice, "Impressive."

Henry blinked in shock and realization of yet another scam.

'There's no way I'd have survived that,' he knew for certain and was so riled up, that he yelled his next words out loud,

"If you mirrored everything about me, why are you still 'alive', you damned fraud!"

As he yelled, Henry was already clenching the trigger of 'The Hydra's Sting'. Aiming for Echo's head this time. Surely, it couldn't possibly survive —move without a head, right?

Alas, right when Henry clenched the trigger, Echo tossed its Spear at him.

The Spear traveled fast but, backed with strength similar to Henry's, it was lacking in speed compared to his Agility and with Perception to guide his movements, Henry was able to move out of its way in time.

The dodge he was forced to make caused Henry's shot with 'The Hydra's Sting' to go awry but he recovered by firing a shot from 'Violent Retort' the very next second. Again aimed at Echo's head.

Echo didn't even try to move out of the way entirely. It just rose off the ground and positioned the gaping hole in its chest for the Mana-infused slug to pass right through.

Henry heard Echo cackle and was about to fire another shot when he saw the Undead clench its hand before a swishing sound came from behind.

Henry tried to dodge but it was too late. He had realized what was coming too late.

The Spear, on its way to reunite with its wielder's hand, spun but right before contact with Henry's body, it straightened just enough to puncture his side, break through his ribs, puncture an organ or two, before piercing out of the other side as it continued on its journey into Echo's tight grip.

"Ack!" Henry let out with wide eyes.

[You have lost 60 Hit Points]

[Hit Points: 18/210]

*Gasps*

Everyone in the room who had been silent so far let out gasps with their eyes wide. They had seen this before. This sort of injury had preceded the end for all who had fallen victim to Echo thus far.

Henry didn't hear the gasps though. His body went weak and he went down until his knees hit the ground with a thud. Vines that had been unable to get a good grip on him so far, started to wrap around him but Henry paid them no mind.

Echo rose smoothly, too smooth for a creature with a gaping hole in its chest. It flicked Henry's blood off its Spear and stepped forward. Assessing him.

"You should be proud," it said when it was a foot away from Henry who had his head bowed with his guns on the ground,

"You struck a powerful blow."

Echo raised his Spear and made to stab it down when its eyes twitched as it watched Henry's hand move faster than a man bleeding out —and quickly inching towards death— should move.

Henry gripped one of Echo's legs and charged lightning into his palm,

Shocking Grip!

As the lightning drove from its legs all over its withered mummified body, Echo realized it had been drawn into a false sense of security. It made to continue its stab with its spear but was stunned by the electricity coursing through its body and found it difficult to move.

The stun could only last a few seconds at best.

But those seconds were enough.

Henry scooped up 'Violent Retort' and fired two Mana-infused slugs into Echo's head in a forceful shot that blasted the Undead's head apart…

… With a *BANG!*