A Gunslinger’s System in a World of Magic

Chapter 99: ‘Exclusivity Clause’

"Ugh. What the hell are you doing?" Henry asked with a groan as he struggled against the spellbinding that held him in place.

"I need a new Hive, Henry," Angus said, "And you'll have the honor of being the first one in it."

Henry opened to speak again but the purple energy of the Vinculum driving into his body forced his mouth shut as his mind got pulled into a strange space.

A realm with nothing besides the magical hue of the Bond-Maker/Breaker. Henry tried to speak but found that he could not. He tried to move but that failed too. In this purple realm, he no longer had control of his body and actions. He was just a sitting duck for Angus to bond with.

Tentacles began to stretch all over the space and pierced into Henry's body. He found his personality began to transform and meld into something else— something larger than himself.

He hated the feeling. It was sickening, and yet, try as he might, he could not break free.

"Welcome, Henry," Angus' voice said from all over the purple space but it didn't sound as it normally did. There seemed to be another voice talking in unison with him, creating a compound voice that resonated with the entire space.

~Hybrid~: No longer quite Man or Item but a part of a collective. A part of something more.

"Don't try to fight it, son," Angus' compound voice said,

"We will accomplish great things together."

The tentacles dug deeper into Henry's body and he let out a groan of pain and annoyance. Annoyance at his powerlessness against this unnatural activity Angus was attempting.

"Just look at this talent," Angus's voice said,

"I knew you were a natural Awakened but this— your mind, your soul, your body— It's all so complicated. I didn't feel this when I bonded with the Warlocks. I didn't feel this when the energy of the Vinculum seeped into the body of Maude Aleric.

My word! To become One with such potential. I'm almost giddy— Hmm?"

The compound voice faltered and Henry knew why. After all, it was the only development in the last few minutes that gave him relief;

The Tentacles had stopped digging into him.

[A foreign Presence has been detected attempting to infiltrate and merge with the User's mind.]

[The Foreign Presence has triggered the System's 'Exclusivity Clause']

[The 'Exclusivity Clause' states that only one mind {The User's} can have access to the System and all its features. The only exceptions are Beings bonded with the User but under his command or in a mutually beneficial partnership.]

[The Foreign Presence does not comply with the 'Exclusivity Clause' and has been rejected.]

'That's new but I'm certainly not complaining,' Henry thought as he allowed himself a second to enjoy the feeling of relief before trying to pull free of the tentacles again.

With his mind no longer under the threat of a bond with Angus and The Vinculum, Henry found he was able to muster the strength (mental strength since this was all happening in his head) to attempt to pull free.

Meanwhile, Angus's compound voice sounded confused at his attempt at creating a bond getting repelled and tried again.

[Foreign Presence detected…]

[The Foreign Presence does not comply with the 'Exclusivity Clause' and has been rejected.]

"What the hell is this?" Angus asked and reinforced his infiltrating might to try again.

[Foreign Presence detected…]

[The Foreign Presence does not comply with the 'Exclusivity Clause' and has been rejected.]

[Foreign Presence detected…]

[The Foreign Presence does not comply with the 'Exclusivity Clause' and has been rejected.]

[Foreign Presence detected…]

[The Foreign Presence does not comply with the 'Exclusivity Clause' and has been rejected.]

[Foreign Presence detected…]

[The Foreign Presence does not comply with the 'Exclusivity Clause' and has been rejected.] …

Henry's head kept getting spammed with notifications. There must have been twenty of them as Angus didn't give up and kept trying again and again.

And then, Henry received a notification from the System that filled him with dread;

[Relentless attempts to breach the 'Exclusivity Clause' has led to rapid System Failure…]

'Wait, what?' Henry asked. Being from a time that lacked the technology of computers, Henry was unfamiliar with the term 'System Failure' per se but knew there was no way 'Failure' was a good thing.

Sure enough;

[If the breaching attempts continue, the User will lose access to the System entirely.

Also, the consequence for forcefully breaching the 'Exclusivity Clause' is Death.]

'Now hold on,' Henry said, indignant,

'That seems very unfair. It's not like I asked for this!'

[You have 1 Minute]

[0:59]

[0:58]

'Fucking hell!'

Henry redoubled his effort to break free. Angus was hardly paying attention and kept trying to breach the barrier that was keeping him from Henry's mind.

[0:20]

[0:19]

[0:18]

Henry finally freed his legs and he felt a wave of mental freedom that strengthened him enough to detach the others. With every tentacle he pulled off, the faster and much more easily his mind was able to work.

[0:10]

[0:09]

As the last ten seconds began to count down, Henry pulled the last tentacle off his body and the space was no longer just purple. A warm brown hue joined it. Like the space had become shared between the two conflicting minds and with that, Angus finally took notice.

"Hey!" He let out in his loud compound voice.

More tentacles charged out at Henry and the first thing he thought of was a gun to defend himself with.

There was no magical transition. No shimmer, no ostentatious *bang*. A gun was just suddenly in his hand.

"Oh?" Henry let out in surprise not just at how he had created a gun in the mental space but also because of how large it was.

A huge double-barreled shotgun with each barrel being larger than two of his arms put together. The handle and trigger were normal-sized though and Henry had a thought that a gun like that wouldn't quite work in the real world.

Of course, he shook that thought away, quickly. It was far from important at the moment.

Henry pointed the gun's large double-barrels and fired at the purple part of the space in a shot that sounded with a powerful *Bang* and packed incredible psychic force that caused the entire space to tremble.

A warm white light emanated from the spot Henry shot at and his mind was ejected from the mental space just in time for him to witness Angus take his hand off his shoulder and recoil a few steps like he had been smacked while yelling out,

"AH!"

"You bastard!" Henry said and picked up his gun off the ground, pointed it, and fired.

Angus got out of the way just in time and his body blurred as he was suddenly in front of Henry with a blow to his face.

Henry's perception, even sharper now due to the stat increase, warned him in time to get out of the way but Angus was not too disappointed. He had not used his full strength or punched as fast as he could anyway.

While Henry was still leaning to the side after avoiding that punch, Angus swung his leg and kicked him in the ribs so hard, that it sent him many feet away to hit the ground with a *thud*.

[You have lost 10 Hit Points]

[Hit Points: 20/110]

"Hmph," Henry let out but as his body hit the ground, he was already in motion to turn around and fire at Angus. Just as he had done against the Spiked Vyker at the Black Manor, he had taken note of Angus' position.

Or so he thought.

His fired bullet pierced through empty air and a leg swung and kicked his arm with such force, that it sprained.

[You have lost 5 Hit Points]

[Hit Points 15/110]

Henry groaned at the pain but even worse was his gun flying from his grip.

Angus grabbed him and with considerable ease, turned him around and held his wrists so tight behind his back that he could not pull free.

"I was wrong," Angus said,

"I thought you'd be easier. Decided to try bringing you into the Hive first going for the big one.

Haha, you surprised me."

"What big one?" Henry asked with a sinking feeling as he made a guess.

Angus smirked,

"Who else but Yelena?" He asked and chuckled,

"You've seen her Magic. You've felt it. Imagine what I could accomplish with her in my Hive.

You proved tricky so I'll just start with her and get back to you."