A Gunslinger’s System in a World of Magic

Chapter 148: The Monstrosity (2)

Eloise stirred in Henry's arms. She raised a gauntlet-wearing hand and pressed it against her temple while wincing at the pain she was still feeling from the Monstrosity's attack.

"Are you alright?" Henry asked gently.

"What?" Eloise said and only now realized she was being cradled.

The side of her face that she wasn't pressing her hand against was so close to his chest. Her grey eyes widened slightly and despite herself, her cheeks turned a slight red as she pulled free,

"Yes," she said as she got to her feet, "Yes, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Henry asked her.

Eloise nodded with a solemn expression on her face,

"Will take more than that to take me down," she said.

Henry smiled,

"I'm sure," he said and Eloise glanced at him and held his gaze for a second before she looked away and at what was happening a few feet away.

The Monstrosity had turned its attention from Eloise after smacking her away and now it took heavy steps toward the Squires whose eyes were all widened in fear as most tried to run out of its attacking range while the braver few raised their weapons in a futile attempt to parry the heavy fisted attacks to come.

"Those poor kids," Eloise said and clenched her hand to only now realize it was not in her grasp. She looked around and saw it lying on the ground where she had stood before the Monstrosity smacked her away.

"You're going to try and help them?" Henry asked unaware of Eloise's realization that she was weaponless.

"Of course," Eloise said as she glanced at him and gave him a look like she was surprised that was even up for question.

Henry nodded at that expected response only for his eyes to widen when he heard some clanking slightly muffled by dirty bandages right before a Mummy leaped at him.

He dodged the attack and struck a blow into the side of its head, knocking it aside before he put an end to any further movement with a Mana-infused shot to the chest.

[Kill-Reward: 200 Exp]

The Mummy hadn't come alone. It had come with a mob that had been called over by Henry's repeated Elimination of their fringe numbers before they could get close enough to Andor and Louis to strike both men down.

"Hngh!" Henry groaned at a sword strike to the back…

[You have lost 22 Hit Points]

[Hit Points: 114/210]

… But even as he arched his back, he took a few steps forward, grabbed a Mummy's weapon-wielding hand, wrenched it, and turned the Mummy around to receive the follow-up strike that had been meant for him.

As the Mummy in his hold fell to friendly fire, Henry fired a shot that blasted the Mummy that attacked him away.

[Kill-Reward: 200 Exp]

The horde of Mummies surrounded Eloise as well and in a flurry of blows and parries, she knocked them aside before any of their weapons could graze her armor.

To end her sequence of attacks, Eloise yelled a single spell, and a suction force extended from her, and pulled her sword off the ground and into her grip just in time for her to go on her knees, spin, and make a wide swinging strike that cut six Mummies in two in a single hit.

Henry had just shot and eliminated two more Mummies when he witnessed this display and his eyes widened and a single word on his lips,

"Wow!"

Eloise stood to her feet and in a light-footed move that seemed to blur her movement, she made a running dash through the Mummies, spinning her sword faster than Henry's eyes could follow. It was also faster than the Mummies could follow because they all got cut and fell before they could raise their weapons to parry.

By the time Eloise's body was no longer blurred, the Mummies were all dealt with and the corner of Henry's lips could not help but twitch at the Exp he just lost because of that.

"Well done," he told her with a good bit of sportsmanship.

"You fight well. The guns are an interesting choice, of course, but don't seem to be a bad one. Now come on." Eloise said as she took a few steps forward toward the distressed Squires.

"What?" Henry asked confused.

Eloise seemed confused by his question,

"We need to help them," she said, "You're not just going to stand aside and watch me —us— struggle, will you?"

"You seem very capable as is," Henry said with a gesture at the Mummies she just eliminated and then he pointed at the end of the Hall where a large closed door awaited,

"Besides, since the Symbols are gone, shouldn't we be trying to get to that?"

Eloise wrinkled her nose at his selfishness,

"Ignoring how terrible it was for you to suggest that when there are lives at stake, why do you think that door will be open?"

"ARRRGGHHHHH!!!"

Yells of agony cut across the Hall then and Eloise looked away from Henry while clicking her tongue,

"Actually, do whatever you want," she said and then released a surge of Mana as she backed her gait with every bit of strength and agility she had.

Eloise bounded over in seconds and put herself between The Monstrosity and the Squire it was about to clobber with its massive fist.

She yelled out a spell and a magic circle appeared in front of her as she conjured a Mana shield to intercept the blow.

*BAM!*

*Crack!*

The shield cracked on impact and shattered almost immediately as the massive fist continued on its way to Eloise whose eyes were already closed in concentration for another spell.

Her sword glowed with a strange light. It was very clearly magical but had another quality that spread a wave of serenity all over the room. The light congealed around the blade of Eloise's sword and became an energy blade of sorts that burned as well as cut.

"AHHHHHH!!!" Yelling out in a battle cry, Eloise put every bit of strength she possessed in that attack and even as the large fist pushed her back and caused her feet to slide against the ground, her blade cut into it…

"RARRRRR!!!" The Monstrosity roared.

…. And with one final push and a twist that turned her attack from straight to diagonal, Eloise cut a chunk out of the large fist right before she became unable to further resist the force and was sent slamming her back into the wall.

"Ack!" She let out and spat out blood just as she fell from the wall and to the ground.

Wiping the blood stain off the corner of her lips, Eloise turned her grey eyes at the Monstrosity, her dark hair fanning by the sides of her beautiful face. She had cut through it and was far more confident. Now she believed she just had to pick a fatal spot to cut through and this would all be over.

Henry watched this just as he heard a whinny from feet away as Nyx galloped closer, stomping on Mummies and reaping more Exp until she was by Henry's side.

"How are you feeling?" Henry asked her.

"-Not too great-" Nyx answered with her eyes on the Monstrosity which caused her to shiver ever so slightly,

"-I don't like that thing.-"

"Would be strange if you did," Henry said and Nyx harrumphed.

She was quite aware that she had set into motion the events that led to the summoning of the Monstrosity and Henry could feel how much she wanted to make things right.

[Grand Quest Updated!

Main Quest: Advance within the Dungeon.

- Defeat the Monstrosity.

Reward: 3000 Exp and Additional rewarded Exp based on your participation in felling the creature.

*Nyx will receive 50% of the Reward and be further rewarded based on her participation in felling the creature.

Good luck.]