A Gunslinger’s System in a World of Magic

Andor watched as the Orc's arms flopped by its side. Its weapon hit the ground first and its body followed soon after.

Watching the hole he had created in the Orc's neck and the blood that flowed and pooled, Andor couldn't help but feel confused. He wondered where his strength increase had come from and the answer came when his eyes found the Cleric who had her arms thrust out.

"Oh, good," she let out with relief, "I was worried I wouldn't make it."

"It's because of you?" Andor asked, referring to the improvement in every single aspect of his physical ability.

The Cleric nodded and put her arms down. Even as she did, Andor noted that he didn't lose the improvements. He wondered if they were permanent. He hoped they were.

"It's the blessing of the Goddess. A Buff that improves all physicality by 60 percent," The Cleric explained and frowned, Discover exclusive tales at empire

"You looked like you were struggling there. I had to help. It's why we're here after all."

"I was indeed struggling and needed the help, yes," Andor admitted and then furrowed his brows to ask,

"But why haven't you done this since?"

"There's only so many any of us can buff at the same time and the more we bless, the less effective it becomes.

Also, the prayer takes time and the attacks were so sudden. And finally, it's a very powerful trump card we can't whip out on a whim. There are… conditions.

Anyway, it was hard to cast it in you. You were moving around so much and not in my sights enough. Thankfully, I made it."

"Thank you," Andor said and he was truly grateful.

"Well, you're welcome but there are still more of these things to get rid of and the Buff won't last forever." The Cleric said.

"It won't?"

The Cleric rolled her eyes,

"Of course, it won't. Get to it."

Andor nodded sharply before hurrying to where his Shield had dropped after the Orc forcefully knocked it off his arm. He grabbed it off the ground and strapped it back on before glancing at the Cleric,

"You should stick close. Those things seem intent on killing you," he said.

"As they should, I suppose," the Cleric with a nod like someone very understanding of her assailant's mindset,

"It's smart to always go after the support first."

"I think they might have just wanted to go after the weakness of the group first," Andor said critically, and only when he was done did he realize that might have sounded insulting.

The Cleric didn't mind. She nodded thoughtfully,

"Hmm, possible," she said.

"I'll protect you," Andor said so fervently that it almost sounded like a vow and when he realized how intense that might sound, he shrugged and added,

"It's the least I can do after you've made me feel this strong."

The Cleric laughed lightly,

"A temporary high."

Andor froze at the sound of her laugh and didn't know when he blurted out,

"Your name!"

"What?" The Cleric asked him with her eyes widening slightly in confusion.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Sorry," Andor said and tried to smile but it was coming off so forced and grotesque that he knew to stop,

"I just meant to ask for your name."

"Oh," the Cleric said and paused.

"It's just you're not the only Cleric here and knowing your name would help if I have to call out to you It's fine if you don't want to tell me though. You know what, forget I asked. It was stupid. I shouldn't have asked. Let's carry on…"

Andor launched into a string of rambles that may or may not have made sense and it would gone on for even longer had the Cleric not cut in to say,

"It's Meryna."

"Oh," Andor said as that interrupted his flow and shut him up so he could collect himself and flash a genuine smile,

"You have a beautiful name, Meryna."

"Thank you," Meryna said and laughed once, "What's yours?"

"Andor," Andor told her, "My name is Andor."

"It's nice to me you Andor—" Meryna started to say before she frowned and yelled, "Look out!"

Andor had sensed it too.

An Orc had come charging at them and as it cast a large shadow over them, Andor realized that, for a moment, he had forgotten he was still on a battlefield. How they had even gotten that much time to talk with so many battles happening all around them was a mystery to him.

Andor had liked that little moment of conversation and forgetfulness and so he felt an Orc's Ax swing was a harsh way to bring him back to reality but even then, he smiled.

He had the Buff of pretty Meryna by his side and was confident to meet that attack. In fact, his senses had been alerted much faster than they normally would have been and by the time Meryna was calling out, he already had his Shield raised.

*BANG!*

Andor noted he could handle the resulting vibrations from the clash better. His knees barely buckled and with a groan of effort, he forced the enemy's Ax attack to the side so he could sidestep and swing his Spear at its midsection.

The spearhead cut through the Orc's green skin and drew blood and when it let out an angry pained growl and swung its Ax in a wide arc, Andor ducked low and stabbed his Spear through its leg so hard that it came out the other side.

With his Spear lodged in the Orc's leg, Andor wrenched it as hard as he could and forced the creature to one knee before slamming the edge of his shield into its throat.

"Ack!" It choked but still managed to swing its Ax or at least it tried to but Andor interrupted the move by slamming his Shield into its face so hard that it broke its nose and knocked its head back so hard.

When the Orc recovered and its head snapped back in place two seconds later, Andor had pulled his Spear out of its leg and stabbed it through its jaw, twisting so hard that its neck broke with a sickening crack!

The Orc's body flopped the next second and it hit the ground with a thud.

Andor watched the body fall with his eyes slightly wide. He had moved on instinct. Every move was what he would have done normally but there was something about doing them with his current physical improvements that made it euphoric.

He had to do more. Especially if he was going to lose this feeling soon.

"Come on," he told Meryna who followed him as they stepped forward into the battlefield still littered with multiple battles with most looking like one-sided assaults in favor of the Orcs.

Andor found what was to be his next target of interference soon enough.

Two other Clerics had managed to complete the prayers to request the Goddess Selena's blessing and they bestowed buffs on the Mercenaries close to them to better help them face against the Orcs stalking them. The blessing was thinned out by so many affected but it was enough to somewhat turn the tides of the battle.

However, the Orcs, as a group had had successes in other battles so more trooped closer to lend a hand to their fellows who were struggling to defeat the Buffed Mercenary Fighters with a few Slaves sprinkled here and there.

And this was where Andor came in. As the sole beneficiary of Meryna's boon, he was boasting greater physical improvement and sought to pick off some of the Orcs to lessen the load of the Mercenaries and their unfortunate Slaves. And he did this with the Cleric always within five feet of him.