A Gunslinger’s System in a World of Magic

[Insight Lv. 4

•Threat Assessment (Passive): You will be capable of viewing the numerical value of every 'threat' within the range of your Perception.

Note: This effect doesn't cost Mana and is constantly activated.]

Just after this information window appeared in front of Henry's eyes, more spells were sent in his direction, and rather than leap away, he activated his <Hat of Shielding>.

When the blue gaze of the Hat's shield appeared and surrounded him in a haze, Henry remembered the attacks would likely still be powerful enough to kick him out of the tree, and against that, he, of course, had a counter-measure.

Extra Arms!

All five watery tentacles struck out from him and gripped the tree branches in a kind of securing net that made sure he stayed rooted in place as he waited for the attacks to crash uselessly against his shield.

And crash they did barely a second later.

But as they struck and failed to break through the shield whose defenses would hold against any singular attack whose power did not go beyond 400, Henry found himself completely mesmerized by the value that was attached to them.

To every orb and lightning bolt, there was a value. The most powerful of them all was about 250 attack power and although it failed, there was a definite kickback that Henry found himself appreciating more now that he knew how powerful it was.

He looked around and everything had a value.

Every Knight's sword swings. Every Orc's Ax swing. Of course, Henry realized that the values were of more importance to him than anyone else because he was the one whose life was valued with digits. Well, he and Nyx.

If a spell or weapon swing carried a 200 Attack power, then the damage Henry would suffer and the Hit Points he would lose from it would also be 200. Of course, there were factors that affected this. For example, a well-timed dodge that avoided most of the damage could reduce the effects.

Anyway, when the volley of spells failed against his shield, Henry shook off the distracting thoughts and pointed his guns in retaliation. Firing multiple shots at the Orcs who blocked them with their shields.

But something happened.

He saw every shot he fired carried numerical values of their own. The two fired shots from the double-barreled sawed-off shotgun that was 'Violent Retort' carried 70 Attack power each. While the single shot fired from the magical Repeater that was 'Cudgel' carried 150 Attack Power.

But more than that, the shields the Orc Casters erected had figures attached to them as well. Apparently, by the vague description provided by the system, the shields were 'threats' to be evaluated as well.

Anyway, when the bullets hit the shields, their Defense Power Value dropped from 300 to 250 or from 300 to 240 depending on whether they were hit by a bullet or slug.

Clearly, the shields were able to nullify some of the attack power of the bullet/slugs but it came at the cost of their structural integrity. It was because they were able to nullify the damage that the Defense power hadn't dropped by the exact number of attack power of the bullet/slug that hit them.

As stated earlier, there are factors that affect the values and it's not always mathematically precise. Especially when it's matters of magic.

That said, Henry appreciated the values. Now he didn't have to play it by ear or feel or look. He could see just how much damage he was causing with his shots and roughly calculate just how many more he had to make. It could help him with making his shots and not being wasteful when facing pesky enemies such as this who could conjure shields.

The shields blocked another round of shots but right when Henry was about to shatter one, it was replaced by a newer more structurally sound shield that set him back to the start.

Even worse, the Orc Casters used the window provided by the shield change to assault him with more spells. His <Hat of Shielding> was on a cooldown so he had to run but as he did, Henry took note of the attack power of the orbs and bolts. Especially the bolts that carried 250 Attack Power.

That was an insane level of damage with incredible travel speed as well considering he was only outrunning it because he was faster than the caster and moved before they could unleash the spell. The same principle he used to employ to 'dodge' bullets.

Of course, Henry's mind immediately went to his -Arcane Tapestry- and when next he was stable on a branch, he turned his eyes to an Orc Caster preparing to unleash a bolt by stretching its Staff forward and conjuring up the spell circle.

First, Henry activated the skill he felt he needed to analyze a spell of that power because he could just tell his Perception would not be enough. He knew this because he had already analyzed the Orc Casters' stat screens and they all possessed Intelligence Stats that put his Perception stat to shame.

Anyway,

[Activating <Hunter's Instinct>]

Henry's Perception swelled by 50% temporarily and felt an increase in sensitivity that made him feel heady and almost quickly distracted from the task at hand. He pulled himself together quickly enough.

[Activating <Insight Lv.4>]

[Analyzing Spell…]

*Bang!*

"Ah!"

[You have lost 60 Hit Points]

[Hit Points: 270/330]

The bolt hit the branch mostly but the escalating tendrils from the blast hit Henry and blasted him off the tree and out of sight. That was until he came swinging out of the thicket of trees with two of the tentacles of [Extra Arms] while the other three undulated behind him.

Henry fired two shots that were blocked by the shields before he used the tentacles to swing out of the way of another volley of spell attacks.

[Spell Analysis complete!]

[Spell: Kroa's Bolt]

[Would you like to imprint 'Krao's Bolt' onto your Arcane Tapestry?]

'Yes.'

[Select a spot]

The representation of the spell was the very same spell circle that had been conjured to create it except the symbols were replaced by the words 'Kroa's Bolt' only in a font similar to the Orc race's Arcane symbols.

Out of the center of the spell circle extended tendrils of cracking bolt of energy all from the same source and all an erratic representation of the haphazardness of the bolt spell.

Henry selected his left pec as the spot for the spell. The spell circle was large and that was the best location he thought of off the top of his head.

And so the imprint began.

While it went on, stinging Henry in the chest, he turned his attention away from the Orc Casters even though they still sent spells to strike him down.

He believed every shot he made would get blocked by their shields anyway, so why bother? Sure, he could break them down with repeated shots but it just felt like a waste when those bullets/slugs were much better suited for killing mostly unsuspecting Orc warriors.

Sure enough, as he used the tentacles to swing away from more spell attacks from the Orc Casters, Henry pointed 'Cudgel' at the back of an Orc's head as it struck a blow toward a preoccupied Knight.

With a bang, the shot was fired and the Orc's head snapped forward and it hit the ground with a thud.

[Kill-Reward: 650 Exp]

Almost at the same time, he pointed 'Violent Retort' at another Orc warrior and fired a shot that was blocked by the creature's Ax but the force of the slug blast took the creature by surprise and before it could dwell on that surprise, Henry used <Reload> in the gun, cocked it and fired a shot at the creature's knee.

"Arrgh," it yelled and its Ax defense slipped long enough for Henry to plant a slug into the center of its forehead.

[Kill-Reward: 650 Exp]

"By Kroa! Strike that bastard down!" An Orc Caster yelled but by then it, as well as its fellows, had already come up with a strategy that had Henry trapped with no room to possibly totally avoid all damage.

But still, they weren't confident.

He had proven to be very slippery so far.

Their attacks destroyed the two tentacles Henry was using to swing causing him to fall into the midst of a bombardment of spells.

At the same time, Henry was alerted to the completion of the spell imprint and he retrieved a Mana Potion from his Inventory and downed it to refill his Mana Points to the maximum before the bombardments of spells caused a series of blasts that destroyed multiple trees around.

*BANG!!!*

*BANG!!!*

*BOOM!!!*

*BOOOM!!!*

*BOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!*

And then, just when the Orc Casters held their breath in hopes of hearing of seeing his corpse hit the ground, Henry came out swinging with the three tentacles of [Extra Arms] he still had.

He only had 'Violent Retort' in his hand and stretched his now free hand forward;

Kroa's Bolt!

The spell circle appeared and with wide eyes, driven by self-preservation instincts, the Orc Casters erected their shields.

The Bolt struck a shield cracking it and causing it to shatter almost instantly.

Eyes wide, the last thing the Orc caster —whose defense had been foiled— saw was the flash of a gun as a Mana-infused slug struck its forehead. Killing it instantly.

As it fell to the ground, Henry had already recast the bolt's spell circle pointing it at his next victim while the mouths of the Orcs were all collectively gapped in horror;

This human just cast their spell!!!