The winds seemed reasonable when one considered the light breeze that made the skin feel comfortable, a chill that soothed the minds of the afflicted and helped them calm down.
"I can afford the luxury of calming down because of the pleasant weather. I should also be thankful that danger doesn't seem to be making its presence known here".
Confusion and nervousness were quite normal for someone in the situation of that person with short, black hair, as ordinary as anyone you'd find on the street. His dark eyes, full of doubt, searched for answers about what was happening. The clothes he wore were a plain, short-sleeved white shirt, simple black pants, and black shoes. His appearance closely resembled that of a 21st-century office worker.
"Where am I? How did I get here?"
The question was fair as he observed the environment he was currently in; his memories told him nothing of any place that resembled it.
"There wasn't a forest near my house, and there doesn't seem to be any kind of light or technology where I am". "I'm almost certain I've been kidnapped. I need to know if they're not going to kill me immediately or put me in some weird dark web show".
A cold wind might be pleasant on his skin, but the dark night, lacking any light, was more than a bad sign. His survival instincts screamed of imminent danger; nervousness and panic didn't take over only because of the concentration he was forcing himself to maintain to survive the environment he was in.
"The same cold wind that calms me is the same cold that reminds me of death". "The only reason I'm not freaking out about this shitty situation I'm in is that it would hinder more than it would help. I love my 'little life' too much to have the luxury of losing it".
The monologue he was having with himself was one of the reasons he remained calm; it helped to check his mental and physical state when he spoke out loud.
...
Three white dots appeared in front of him. A blue screen was materializing, which would have made him happy if he thought it was something good.
[The Otherworlder System has been activated!]
Memories were triggered, reminding him of those system stories that were his favorite pastime; it was a recent and even quite pleasant memory.
[Does the user wish to know the system's functionalities? Yes or No?]
The answer was more than obvious when those options appeared on the screen. Knowledge wouldn't harm him; the lack of knowledge and opportunity would.
[The system serves to help the user find their way through the other world to assist the beings of the higher plane in collecting pleasant and satisfactory results.]
"Don't you think talking about beings from a higher plane is something that should be hidden from users?"
The blue screen turned red in an instant. Danger signals seemed to be coming from the screen that was supposed to assist him or offer a light of salvation.
[Recognize your own insignificance! Just because you've received a system with certain privileges doesn't mean you can get a big head. Your death can come at any moment, and another user will be chosen.]
[You might have knowledge of higher planes, it might even be spoken of in front of you, but what are you going to do about it?]
That was the moment he discovered that the system did not like to be questioned, that the superior beings probably saw him as just a lab rat and wouldn't explain more than what was necessary for him to start his mission.
[Choose a class to proceed with the system tutorial.]
The red screen turned blue again. The size of the floating screen had also increased so that the things to be displayed could be observed.
Classes:
Warlock: Warlocks are magic users who wield the power of a higher life form. The user will be able to form a contract with servants of a deity from a higher world if they accept this class.
Paladin: They are knights who can strengthen themselves through faith; faith is transformed into holy power by a deity. The user will be introduced to the Gods of this world for a proper start.
Gunslinger: A brand-new class that only the system can provide the user. The user will wield a firearm from their previous world. The system will provide methods to replenish ammunition and repair the weapon.
Jon wanted to choose between Paladin or Warlock; his finger was almost clicking on those two options until certain thoughts entered his head.
"Paladin or Warlock is like depending entirely on the system, on the entities of the higher world, and other things. The Gunslinger might depend on the system at the beginning, but I can see that my independence is possible if I put in some effort and dedication".
The other two options would give him more power, a quick start that would lead him to unimaginable heights, but it didn't sit right with him when he thought about having to depend on a superior existence that could order him around on a whim.
"Gunslinger isn't very reliable either. The beginning and the end are dubious. Another point to consider is that this is a different world; firearms might be nothing here".
Doubt about what to choose was very normal when analyzing the three classes presented. Most people wouldn't even give the third one a second look; their focus would be solely on the first two.
His finger hovered over the three options for some time, his mind undecided until he closed his eyes. His choice couldn't have been clearer the moment he pressed to select it.
[Are you sure you want to choose this class?]
"I'm sure".
Hesitations could be left for later. Time would prove whether he made the right or wrong choice when he found himself in a coffin as a nobody, or in the middle of a crowd as a legend.
[Processing...]
The floating screen quickly shrank to a tiny form, then expanded with a complete profile of the user after choosing the desired class.
Name: Jon Walker
Age: 20 Years
Sex: Male
Class: Gunslinger
Skills:
Mana Bullet: The gunslinger can form bullets with their own mana; mana bullets are made of energy.
Materialize Weapon: The gunslinger can hide their weapon until the moment it is needed for a fight.
Survivor: A passive skill that helps the gunslinger think more clearly in critical moments.
Status:
Strength: F-
Dexterity: D-
Magic: F+
Agility: F+
Wisdom: F
"Materialize Weapon!"
Jon quickly gave the command for the weapon to materialize in his hand. It didn't take long for a Colt to be held in his right hand.
"How many times can I reload this weapon with my current capacity?"
[The Mana Bullet skill allows you to reload one cylinder per use. Your current capacity allows for only three reloads.]
His mind quickly reasoned that for now, he could only fire 18 shots a day, as the Colt's cylinder held only 6 rounds at a time.
"The rest is up to me".
Confidence filled his heart as he felt the firearm in his hand. He took steps to find something that would guide him to a path out of the dark and cold forest. Caution was not thrown to the wind, even with strength filling his body and pride trying to corrupt his sense of self-preservation.
...
Loud sounds of metal clashing at high speed; a desperate fight was taking place. The number was around 20 units or slightly more. Many armed men were surrounding a carriage belonging to someone who resembled a merchant; the guards performing the escort were injured.
"Don't let this scum steal my merchandise! Our lives are important too!"
The merchant evoked a heavy feeling in his heart; his head couldn't reason properly due to the current circumstances as everything unfolded. He could run at any moment because of the risk to his life. His physique was somewhat thin, with grayish-black hair and a small beard.
The criminals remained in greater numbers, the wear on their bodies and weapons also far less than their enemies'. The smiles on their faces showed the confidence they had in winning; the loot was guaranteed, the gold was no illusion.
"You should run for your life. The luxury of caring about material goods will mean nothing if you lose it".
Jon watched from a considerable distance, trembling as he witnessed unbelievable things like blood being spilled after a body was eviscerated by blades strengthened by some kind of mysterious power.
"Can I really get involved here?"
The fear of death was present when he noted the superior strength those thieves had; the gun seemed like nothing against their physical, mental, and numerical force. More bodies fell, the hesitation grew stronger, and tremors were taking over his entire being. The fear of death generated a cold worse than that of the dark forest.
"How am I going to change the world if I can't even handle some bandits?"
The gun quickly stopped shaking. His hand and mind were no longer hesitating once the decision was made. A strategy had to be formulated so he could take advantage of every one of the 16 bullets he had left.
The distance was about 30 meters. The gun was quickly aimed at one of the targets as he moved out from the cover where he was hiding. The shots were rapidly fired in sequence; there was more than one target.
The first bullet hit the head of a huge man, nearly 2 meters tall; his breathing ceased almost instantly. The second was pierced through the left lung; a merchant's guard quickly finished the job. The third had his leg injured; his movements were impaired, and a spear was driven into his skull. The fourth managed to react in time to take cover; the shot grazed him. The fifth had his hand hit just as he was about to deliver the final blow; he was the one who ended up finished after that. The sixth was grazed and quickly hid.
"Who's there? Don't hide, show yourself!"
The gunslinger rapidly changed his position at high speed so that the shots would come from a different location; he would not allow himself to be found by any of his enemies who were after his head. The sound made with each shot gave away his position; a mistake in movement could mean the end of his life.
"4 enemies finished, 2 injured. 16 still remain".
Dread became a part of those cruel sinners; the sound of the shots being fired was as if Death itself was in the flesh to claim their souls. The fear of the unknown was much more frightening than the fear of something that is actually scary, because the unknown can be much worse than what one expects.
"Let's let these guys kill each other out of fear. I'll only help when I see an opportunity or in favorable moments".
The young man from another world was trying to employ a tactic that would affect his enemies' psyche; the effort would be much less if fear was truly planted in them.
"This person must be a coward for not showing himself!"
"Don't be afraid of something that hasn't shown itself! The coward is weak up close!"
"Follow me to—"
The speech was quickly cut short by a shot to the forehead. The people who were trying to group up behind him to pursue in the direction where the gunslinger was before were also targeted. 3 people were taken down, one was injured, and 4 bullets were spent. The bodyguards weren't joking around as they managed to eliminate the wounded, so the number decreased once more to 10 people.
"Retreat!"
"We don't stand a chance with this monster on our tail!"
The bandits quickly dispersed in various directions upon seeing their numbers reduced to 5 as they prolonged the combat. Fear had caused them to make a wrong combat judgment; this mistake on the battlefield was equivalent to death.
"I'll hide my weapon".
Jon quickly hid his weapon while making sure his footsteps were audible as he approached the merchant's carriage. The mercenaries were nervous upon hearing those steps that seemed too heavy to belong to a person; the fear of those flying projectiles was tremendous.
"Hello, I am Dimitri".
The merchant was the first to step forward, his hands gesturing goodwill; his smile could deceive the naive.
"My name is Jon, Jon Walker".
The figure of the otherworlder could now be seen completely. Those hired by Dimitri were disappointed to see a thin and impractical physique.
"Was the esteemed Jon Walker the one who saved this humble merchant?"
The merchant was nervous in front of the man who had turned the battlefield upside down in a few minutes. The fear that a wrong word might irritate the man who seemed more like a bloodthirsty creature.
"That was me. I won't be humble and deny my identity, because I need a favor".
"What would that favor be?"
"I want you to take me to the nearest city. I also want a small monetary compensation so I can rest at an inn for a few days before I go on my way".
The merchant didn't think it was an unfair deal when he weighed his life in the balance after analyzing everything. The requested favors were things that wouldn't even cost 1% of what he had in his carriage.
"We have a deal".
The unequal deal for his own safety and life could not be refused; his instincts told him that he would be killed the moment he refused this offer made by his benefactor before him.
"Good thing I didn't have to resort to brute force".