A Gunslinger’s System in a World of Magic

•••

As he was getting pulled from the darkness he had been submerged in and regained feeling in his body, Henry felt something lapping at him. He opened his eyes to see Nyx's pink tongue licking at his face.

"-What- What are you doing?-" he asked her using their telepathic connection because he felt opening his mouth would have her licking inside it next.

"-Oh, good, you're awake-" Nyx said and moved away from him,

"-You had me worried there for a bit.-"

"And licking me is how you process your worry?" Henry asked her managing a smile despite the situation.

"-Well, I tried nudging for a bit. Sniffed you, breathed on you. Called you many times too. Nothing worked so I tried licking your face.-" Nyx said sounding slightly sheepish.

"That still doesn't seem like a natural progression of decisions," Henry said.

"-Well, maybe I've always been curious how you taste-" Nyx admitted.

"O-Kay," Henry said with the corner of his lips twitching as he got up off the ground.

"-Your face tasted salty-" Nyx said.

"Yeah, I would assume so," Henry said as he pressed a hand against the back of his head as it throbbed.

"-I didn't hate it-" Nyx added,

"-Oh and It woke you up too so that's great.-"

"I'm gonna be honest with you, I think I was already waking up without the licking. But I appreciate the effort," Henry said as he stood to his feet and felt a wave of wooziness that caused him to stagger for a bit before you got his balance.

Notifications that had arrived while he was blacked out were suddenly in front of him;

[You have lost 12 Hit Points]

[Hit Points: 3/110]

"12 Hit points for that one hit? That bastard could have killed me!" Henry said as he looked around like he was hoping to see Angus still close by even though he knew he was surely long gone.

"Nyx, how long was I out?" He asked.

"-Maybe an hour,-" Nyx said, "-probably more.-"

Henry's eyes went wide,

"He hit me that hard, huh? Fuck!" Henry let out as he looked around for where he had dropped his gun.

"-Angus took it with him,-" Nyx said when she realized what he was searching for.

"Wait, what?" Henry asked.

Nyx nodded,

"-I tried to stop him but he used his Magic to keep me down. Would have chased him when I got free but I had to stay close to you. I'm sorry.-"

"Don't apologize," Henry told her gently, "It's fine."

It wasn't fine. The gun Angus made away with was 'The Hydra's Sting' and Henry's only magical weapon but it would be unfair to take his frustration out on Nyx. If anything, Henry believed the bulk of the blame was on him.

'All this could have been avoided if I just shot him back then.'

Hooking his legs in her stirrups, Henry got into Nyx's saddle and grabbed her reins,

"I'm going to have to ask you to push yourself. I'm sorry," Henry said.

Nyx snorted,

"-Push myself? To catch up with that weak thing Angus rode away on? Please! We'll be there in no time.-

Nyx reared on her hind legs and kicked out her front limbs powerfully before bringing them to the ground hard as she tore forward in an incredibly fast gallop.

'This time, I won't hesitate,' Henry said to himself,

'I'm putting a bullet in that skull.'

-

•••

—The Hadron Mansion—

Angus rode through the Mansion's damaged gate in full gallop and only pulled to a stop about two feet away from the front doors.

By the time he got down from the Horse's saddle, Good Ol' Joe had waddled over with a smile,

"You're back!" He said, "So I take it the job went well?"

"In a manner of speaking," Angus said as he handed Joe his horse' reins and walked toward the Mansion's front doors.

"And the others?" Joe asked as he looked toward the Hadron Mansion's damaged gate as though expecting more to ride through it.

"We got separated," Angus said now in front of the doors. But then, he paused and looked back at the newbies all camped in the courtyard with most of them looking at him with admiration. Just tens and tens of them wasting away.

He had recruited them for a purpose but that purpose seemed null now that his plans were far grander than spreading Gang notoriety. But maybe, they could still have some use.

He turned around and walked toward the encamped newbies before saying in a loud voice backed by his spellbinding,

"Assemble, all!"

The spellbinding flowed in arches that spread all over the courtyard, hitting ears and urging obedience. The newbies stood up and stopped whatever activity they were doing gaging in to gather.

"I have no speech. Just know this; You are all about to become part of something bigger than yourselves. To become greater than your pathetically narrow minds could ever dream of."

With that said, Angus moved into their midst reaching out his hands and touching them on the shoulders as he walked. He barely stayed longer than two seconds on every shoulder he touched.

Beyond the fact that these newbies had seen him oppress a Magic-wielding Vyker, and looked up to him as one with experience in the profession they had chosen, their minds were also very simple. Lacking any Mana or Magical Intelligence, they were easily turned and brought into the Hive.

Also, his promise of greatness probably helped. Easily manipulated as they were.

Everyone Angus touched had their eyes glow a dull purple and the looks on their faces always changed from a jovial and admiring expression to a blank one. Their personalities were gone. Meshed up into an amalgamation under Angus' control.

"Cannon fodder, the whole lot of you," Angus said when he was done,

"And that's okay. That's all you were ever going to be.

Now, get into position!"

The subjugated Newbies went to their tents, grabbed their guns, and started marching all about the Mansion picking spots for some planned defense.

"What's happening?" Joe asked with wide eyes, confused about what he just witnessed.

"Don't worry about it," Angus said, "I have a job for you."

"What is it?" Joe asked, attentive.

Joe was the only one he didn't quite care about bringing into the Hive. He saw no need for it. The portly man couldn't fight which was what he needed the newbies for and as for loyalty, that was already a given and did not need to be reinforced.

Angus pointed at the Wagon of Explosives. There were still boxes of the stuff that they had not taken with them to Saint Claret,

"I'll need you to plant those all over the Mansion."

"What?" Joe asked with wide eyes, "Why?"

"Trust me," Angus said, "it's important."

Joe looked to hesitate for a minute but Angus had not steered him wrong yet. And he, Joe, had never doubted him before so why start now?

"Alright," he said with an enthusiastic nod.

"Good," Angus said with a smile, "Be quick. And report back to me when you're done."

The task took a while. Especially because of Joe's physique but Angus didn't ask one of his subjugated Newbies to assist. He was very patient because he believed he had time.

Half an hour or so later, Joe returned looking sweaty,

"It's done."

"And the fuses?" Angus asked with a raised brow.

"All connected to a single trigger and set to go off more or less at once," Joe said.

Angus nodded,

"Well done. Now lead me to it."

Joe led Angus to the detonator and with a wide smile, the ~Hive-King~ stepped up to it, grabbed the trigger, and plunged it down as hard as he could.