A Gunslinger’s System in a World of Magic

Elminster took one of the potions off the shelf and handed it to Henry,

"Here, have a taste."

"Really?" Henry asked, genuinely surprised.

Elminster smiled amicably. A far cry from the almost psychotic expression he had had earlier while aiming for Henry's life.

"Yes. Enjoy the wonders of Elminster Potion-making."

With caution, Henry took the potion and eyed the bottle.

Without prompting, a screen projected out in front of his eyes with an image of the potion bottle along with a description;

[A Healing Potion brewed by Elminster The Great.

A testament that his talents have no mortal limits.

-Will Recover up to 20 Hit Points.]

Henry's eyes widened at the description. If what he read was true, then, with his Hit Point Maximum currently at 30, this bottle would help him recover more than half.

"What are you waiting for?" Elminster said suddenly, "Are you worried it's poisoned?"

Henry shook his head, pulled out the potion's cork, and drank the liquid.

It tasted like water but like the most refreshing water Henry had ever had the pleasure to drink. From the moment the liquid touched his tongue, he felt a wave of relief as the healing energy spread all over his body. Healing any ache he was suffering from the punches he had suffered from his battle with the Automaton.

[You have recovered 8 Hit Points]

[Hit Points: 30/30]

"How is it?" Elminster asked.

"It's good," Henry answered with a nod now holding an empty bottle.

"Of course it is," Elminster said with a laugh.

Henry listened to the laugh for a while before a question dropped into his mind and he immediately asked it,

"Is there a Potion that recovers Mana Points?"

"Mana Points?" Elminster said looking confused, "You mean, Mana?"

"Yes," Henry said with a nod while making a mental note not to refer to it as 'Mana Points' to anyone else. That was clearly something he could only share with his System.

"Well, of course," Elminster said, "But I will not be giving you a free sample. You want it, you'll pay for it.

Now 'The Hydra's Sting'."

Henry frowned,

"You said I could have it. That was the deal."

Elminster rolled his eyes,

"I'm not taking it from you. But it's about time I got to give it a real tune-up. Not that half-ass nonsense a subpar Gunsmith can manage."

Relaxing his brows, Henry pulled 'The Hydra's Sting' from his Inventory and handed it to Elminster.

The Craftsman went over to a workbench and retrieved tools that shimmered with magical power and began to tinker with 'The Hydra's Sting'. He picked it apart, cleaned it out, and inspected his inscribed runes. Among other things.

Minutes later, Elminster held the gun out to Henry,

"Here," he said, "I trust you'll find it even easier to wield."

Henry took the gun and immediately received a Notification;

['The Hydra's Sting' has been touched by its maker and tuned to serve you better.

'Acidic Combustion' now costs 40 Mana Points instead of 50.

'Numbing Gas' still costs 20 Mana Points.]

"Hmm," Henry let out as he read the notification. He raised 'The Hydra's Sting' and it responded by giving off a slight glow.

Henry noted that even as the gun glowed and its muzzle was pointed at Elminster, the old man wasn't bothered. If anything, he just looked amused.

"Thank you," Henry eventually said.

"Well, you'll need to be prepared if you are to get back my creations. A lot of them are far more powerful than that thing you're holding.

Also…"

Elminster trailed off as he pulled out a box and held it out to Henry who took it and opened it to find nine black bullets tinged with Acidic green. There was an indentation of tongues on each of them.

"Those bullets complement 'The Hydra's Sting' and cut down on the cost of its magical activation," Elminster said but Henry was already reading the notification the System provided.

['Hydra's Tongue' (Bullet) x9

-Can only be loaded into 'The Hydra's Sting'.

-Cuts Mana Point costs of magical attack activations by 50%.]

'50 percent?' Henry exclaimed in his head, 'Wow.'

With these bullets loaded and the tune-up the gun just received, Henry could fire Acidic Combustion twice, and if he managed to get his hands on some of that Mana recovery Potions, maybe even more.

"Those bullets cost 15 gold apiece…" Elminster said.

Henry's eyes widened.

'15 gold… That's about 3000 Verlans. That'll cost all that I have put together and that's just the price for one?'

As his mind worked on the calculations, Henry frowned but Elminster was not done,

"… But I'll give you those 9 for free. They've just been here gathering dust anyway. And you can also consider it advance payment for the retrieval you will carry out for me.

How about that? Generous, right?"

Henry's frown became a smile as he nodded,

"Yes, actually. It IS generous."

Elminster grunted,

"Well, my generosity has its limits. If you want more, you'll have to come back here and buy them."

As Elminster was speaking, Henry received a notification from the System;

[You have unlocked 'Elminster's Stock'

With the brand now burned into your palm, you can enter Elminster's workshop to purchase his rare stock of supplies.

*Note: You will be unable to purchase his Weapons until his grievances have been soothed and his Creations have all been retrieved.]

With a glance at the notification, Henry asked Elminster,

"How much for the Healing and Mana Potion?"

"I sell both for 20 gold each but in honor of our deal and because you now bear my brand, I can let either go for 15 gold," Elminster said with the silky tone of a sleazy salesman who was trying to make you feel like he had truly done all he could to help.

Henry sighed.

He pulled out the 10 gold he had gotten from the Warlock and 1000 Verlans and laid them out on a desk,

"I want the Mana Potion."

Elminster eyed the money and swept it away before placing a Mana potion in front of Henry who promptly picked it up for a notification like the one he had gotten about the Healing Potion.

[[A Mana Recovery Potion brewed by Elminster The Great.

A testament that his talents have no mortal limits.

-Will Recover up to 20 Mana Points.]

Henry eyed the bottle and let out a sigh,

"This is such a good thing to have. A shame I don't have more money. Don't you think it's pitiful?"

"What is?" Elminster asked.

Henry sighed even more heavily as he drew on every acting ability he possessed. He even placed a finger at his temple as though he was under stress,

"It's pitiful to have all that stands between me and survival be just a few coins, don't you think? Being poor just sucks.

If only… *Heavy sigh* If only there was a rich Potion Maker who could afford to show mercy on this poor wretch.

A shame that no one cares for the little guy.

Such a shame."

"Gods, you're pathetic!" Elminster said, catching on to what Henry was doing.

"I'm just thinking out loud. Why? Are you touched?"

With a grunt, Elminster placed a second Mana potion on the table,

"Here," he said.

"Oh, a buy one get one free special? You have my thanks..."

"Get one free, my ass! I'm giving you on credit. You'll pay me back to the last quid!"

"Well, if you're offering it on credit, how about throwing in two Healing Potions."

Elminster obliged and so Henry had two Healing Potions and Two Mana Mana potions while being 60 gold in debt because Elminster refused to give a discount on the three Henry took on credit so their costs remained at the original 20 gold apiece.

"Alright now, get going," Elminster said waving Henry away.

Henry quickly remembered an important question he had before getting side-tracked by talks of Elminster's Potion-making skills,

"Wait! How am I going to find your Creations? Where are they?"

Elminster let out a breath,

"I don't know where they are. They've been strewn all about no doubt. I mean, you managed to get your hands on one in a town like 'New Freudein'. Who knows where the others wound up."

"What?" Henry asked with his mouth gaped. He had been hoping for a clue.

"But," Elminster said to re-spark his hope, "My Brand will guide you. Once one of my creations is within range, it will light up in your palm to alert you. That's the best I can do.

Now, goodbye."

Elminster snapped his fingers and from the invisible brand in his palm, Henry felt a surge of magical power that activated an oval portal that sucked him in, taking him out of Elminster's workshop and dropping him at the very spot he had been taken from in the Hadron Mansion.

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