A Gunslinger’s System in a World of Magic

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While Eloise became the target of the possessed Marla, Henry and Andor as well as everyone else in the field were quickly alerted to the threat just a second before they were swarmed by the spirits.

About two came toward Henry and Andor with Andor swinging his Spear only for it to pass harmlessly through the creature at the same time that Henry, on instinct, shot two shots that passed right through the spirit coming at him.

The Spirit got closer and with his eyes wide and his teeth gritted, Henry did another thing almost instinctively;

<Quick Thinking>

Time froze and he was afforded five time-stopped seconds to come up with a plan. He thought of dashing away but he had a feeling the Spirit would catch up too easily. Alas, when <Quick Thinking> ended, that was the only plan he had come up with so he tried.

He leaped three steps back and just as he thought, the Spirit indeed caught up and slammed into him to begin possession.

"Henry!" Andor yelled but couldn't really pay him attention seeing as he had a Red spirit to contend with himself.

As for Henry, he didn't hear Andor's yell. His mind was far too preoccupied.

There was about a single-second window where Henry felt his consciousness being seized and taken over where he had a chance to fight it.

He resisted the possession and one of his eyes turned red while the other remained his normal black but he was getting won over and also there was nothing he could do physically against the immaterial.

And then his mind fell on the spell at the back of his left hand and, thinking it made enough sense (especially in such a desperate state), he activated it.

SHOCKING GRIP!

He yelled the spell in his head as he spent Mana points to charge his hand with a powerful electrical pulse after which he pulled his hand up with every bit of willpower he had in his body to slam the electrically charged hand against his chest.

*BRZZZZTTTT!!!*

The pulse sounded louder and far more impactful than it ever sounded since Henry had acquired it and been using it in battle and the pain he felt made him question if this was at all a good idea.

The kickback of the attack sent him many feet away. Exactly how many feet, he had no real idea. But when he eventually stopped moving, the current of the lightning had traveled all over his insides and charged him up with an adrenaline rush.

[You have lost 100 Hit Points]

[Hit Points: 61/330]

Henry wasn't surprised by the loss of Hit Points. This was still an attacking spell. He had technically attacked himself. Fortunately, he had enough Hit Points to endure the damage.

The rush of adrenaline made him incredibly alert and charged up his willpower so that, with a final mental heave, there was a representation of him gaining a gripping hold of the Spirit trying to seize his body before expelling it.

But Henry noticed something when the Spirit finally got out. It was screeching even harder than before and there was a current of the electrical charge of [Shocking Grip] crackling around its immaterial body.

"Huh," Henry thought. His heart beat fast and filled so pumped with energy that it came close to beating. It was a very painful feeling that was the result of the defibrillation he just performed on himself but he put that aside as he had a lightbulb moment.

The Spirit was too preoccupied by the painful ejection that Henry had a window of opportunity to charge forward and recast the spell.

Shocking Grip!

The Lightning charged and right before he would come in contact with the Spirit if it had a material body, Henry let the current go and his face brightened when the charge left his hand and hit the Spirit to send it floating away while letting out more screeches.

The spirit's red form was noticeably thinned and when Henry followed up with another strike of the electrical pulse, it let out a louder much more drawn-out screech before bursting into red mist.

[You have defeated an Orc Wraith for the first time!]

[You have received 1000 Exp]

[Kill-Reward: 600 Exp]

Right after this, Henry heard a sound that attracted his attention.

"Arrghhhhh!!!*

Andor yelled with his back arched and his mouth as wide as it would go. His eyes glowed the red of possession and he came at Henry first. The Spirit controlling his body seemed to have a vendetta against Henry for destroying its fellow.

Andor's spear came swinging at Henry who leaned easily to the side to avoid it. Andor's physical stats were being used to their best by the Spirit but while he definitely had impressive strength, when it came to agility, Henry was still ahead and he dodged two more swings and managed to parry another with 'Cudgel' before he leaped many feet away looking for an opening.

Andor bunched his knees and using his strength as propulsion, he charged at Henry faster than his agility would normally allow.

<Quick Thinking>

With those time-stopped five seconds, Henry came up with a plan. He ducked low over the violent arc of Andor's possessed spear swing, sent 'Cudgel' into his Inventory so he could grab the sword arm with one free hand and slam his second hand against Andor's chest.

"Andor, fight it!" He yelled and let the current fly.

*Shocking Grip!*

This was a dangerous move. Andor's heart might not be able to handle the spell but Henry felt he had no choice. By the rules of <Arcane Tapestry>, he could only use the spell as well as the person he copied it from.

He didn't have the intelligence Stat so he couldn't manipulate the spells he gained however he wished. They would always be as weak or as strong as they were when he got them. Which was why he was advised to make replacements.

Fortunately, this was also a good thing. Henry received the [Shocking Grip] spell from Louis' spell arsenal and it had been the weakest in the Mage's arsenal even back then. Louis had gotten stronger now and gained better spells that Henry's Perception could still not analyze.

Anyway, Andor was stronger now than he was when Henry got the spell. His health was richer so Henry hoped he would survive it.

The spell should have also sent Andor flying but Henry stopped that by wrapping him with two tentacles of [Extra Arms] that he summoned right after his palm made contact with the Fighter's chest.

The lightning charged into Andor's chest and jolted his beating heart in a rush that caused it to ache and hurt but the pain and the adrenaline rush gave him the window Henry had been granted and he used it to break free of the Spirit's hold.

The ejected Spirit floated with the lightning current of [Shocking Grip] still crackling around its body. It floated away first and then came down at Andor again. Henry was ready to cast the spell again to destroy as he had done the last but Andor beat him to it.

You see, before he got possessed, Andor had a plan of his own. Now free of Henry's tentacles, he spun round and stabbed out with his Spear which had a longer reach than Henry's outstretched arm.

Right after the tip of the spear passed harmlessly through the Spirit as it had done a few times in the past when Andor had tried this physical attack, he unleashed his Mana surge and channeled it through the spear to unleash a Mana burst that affected the spirit where physical attacks had failed.

*BANG!!!*

The sound was louder somehow as though the mist the Spirit dispersed into caused it to spread even more.

"Wow!" Henry said with a small smile.

"It worked!" Andor let out with his eyes wide, "I just thought to try it."

"How do you feel?" Henry asked him.

Andor grabbed his chest,

"Achy."

Henry nodded in understanding,

"Let's not succumb to more possessions," He said, "I'm not sure how much of that we'll be able to take. Or for how long it will be effective."

"Right," Andor agreed with a sharp nod.

"Come on," Henry said and patted his shoulder and together they charged into the field to help the others.

There were many other possessed people on the field. The majority of them were the Mercenaries who were part of the group of the woman who started this all and who, herself was currently possessed. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire

Most of the Knights had resisted possession. They possessed a powerful will that was a testament to the path they had taken. Plus, they all had a strong drive to succeed following recent events. That said, the Knights who did get possessed were currently battling against the few unpossessed Mercenaries who had very little qualms about aiming to kill.

"How many times can you unleash that Burst attack?" Henry asked Andor as he led the charge toward a battle between Possessed Knights and Unpossessed Mercenaries.

"I'm not sure," Andor admitted.

"Think it'll be enough for all of them?" Henry asked with a head gesture at the possessed up ahead.

"Maybe—" Andor started and stopped to steel himself and speak with more confidence,

"No. Not maybe. I'll make sure it's enough."

"Good," Henry said with a nod, "Here we go!"

And with that, he kicked up his running speed up a notch, channeled the current of Shocking Grip! into his hand, and aimed for the first possessed Knight he came in contact with.