Gunslinger's Gambit

The sun was hitting the sand in a scorching bath, turning the golden sand into a hot burning trap for bare feet and skin that got caught when the wind decided to make it fly. Meanwhile, metallic and rusty ruins of old parts of the city that fell generations ago were decorating the landscape, creaking with the strong winds of the hour.

Along those ruins was an 18-year-old girl in a full red dress making her escape. She was a fox demi-human, with fox-like features, making her way through the sandy ruins holding a cloth bag in her hands while keeping her sigh to the front. She had brown fur on her fox-like ears and tail, and her hair was long and golden blond.

"Catch that bitch!" Someone yelled between the ruins.

The woman was making a run through the ruins while holding the bag close to her chest, huffing as her breathing became harder and heavier. She knew she was not managing to get away from her pursuers just by running, they had been following her from the edge of Malton's City, and her only chance was to lose them.

She found a hiding spot between a random piece of rubble and hid herself between the shadows produced by the big pieces of metal of what used to be a building. She had to crawl, but it did offer the cover she needed. The sand of the dress could be removed later.

"Please... don't find me" she muttered to herself.

A small crevice gave her enough space to watch outside. Slowly, the yells from her pursuers became lower and the sound of the horses running through the sand became less faint.

The fox-girl crouched when she heard they were getting close, lowering her head so she could not be seen.

Then, two of her pursuers passed by on their horses, fast and raising sand to the air in their way. They did not see her.

She takes a long breath, believing herself safe. The woman reaches for what is inside of the bag, wanting to inspect it, when-

BANG!

THUNK!

A gunshot was fired, and the bullet hit the border of the crevice she was using to look through. A small 0 appeared in the spot where the bullet hit, a reminder of the System that exists in this world and that the bullet did not penetrate. The only reason she was brought to this situation.

"Come with your hands up, Marika!" a man outside. His voice was one she managed to remember.

"Shit!" she complained.

The demi-human woman slowly made her way outside of her hiding spot. Somehow he caught her, and now she had to face her pursuers.

"Well, how is it going, boys?" Marika asks, standing up and holding her hands up, the bag still hanging from her right one.

"You know how, you traitorous bitch!" the man, a burly man holding a rifle in his hand. His horse, white and scrawny, was sitting a couple of meters from him. "This is the last time you cross us!"

"Say that without your hands shaking, Dale," She answered, noticing how he seemed to be aware of her movements. A smirk formed on her face.

Dale grunted and prepared to squeeze the trigger, but he hesitated. Marika knew why, it was not the first time she found herself in a situation like this, and they believed she might have something to pull herself out of this situation like she had in the past. But, this time she had nothing.

The two guys that passed by returned on their horses. One was holding a spear and the other had a gun on his hip, but his hand held a wand. The latter used the gun only in case his magic ran out, that was clear.

Another one came by behind Dale. Scrawny one that always followed him. Marika did not know his name.

4 to 1. The odds were against her. She was not coming out of this one fighting, not with her level. She knew Dale was at level 10, and his companions here were between 5 and 8. She was only 4, only recently having managed to get the class stone to get her class and leveling system working.

"Okay, give us the bag and we'll finish this quick!" Dale said, keeping his gun aimed at Marika. "Do it and we won't hurt you!"

"Why don't we just kill her, boss?!" Asked the one with the wand, "She had been causing trouble since we knew her, it could fix our problems fast!"

"You idiot! It's not that easy!" Dale answered.

"Kill me and you start a gang war," Marika said with a playful tone of voice, then winked at the man who proposed killing her, smiling with a wide grin.

It was, however, a bluff. She had no big connection with strong gangs in the city, but that is something they did not know.

"Silence, woman! Hand the bag now!" Dale insisted.

She couldn't give up on the bag but she was running out of options. A heavy tension surrounded the area and the wind started to pick up as if it understood the situation she was in. But it was the best option to come out of this one alive.

Something had to come out of her head to leave this place with the bag and its prize. If not, her efforts would have been for nothing!

And then, as if summoned by the wind of the desert, heavy steps could be heard on a metallic surface not far away. A gust picks up sand and makes a cloud form around them for a couple of seconds.

Everyone slowly turned towards the sound. And when Marika saw the person, who was walking over a big piece of fallen metal, she smiled as she saw her opportunity.

It was a man, not older than 25 years old, wearing all black despite the hot sun, appearing between the particles of sand that got sent flying like the apparition of a ghost. He had a black leather hat that was covering his face from the scorching hot ball of fire in the sky.

Everyone stood silent as he walked, only to then notice that he was limping, barely dragging his feet through the metallic surface. And then he fell forward onto the floor.

"H-hungry..." he managed to murmur against the hot, metallic surface that was under him.

Who makes an entrance like that and then falls to the ground?!

Everyone looked in confusion at the man thrown into the ground. Marika was planning to pull him into the situation, whether he wanted to or not, but he was no use for her if he was dead already.

Shit! And here I was hoping he could save my butt! Now what can I do?!. Marika thought.

"Who the hell is this guy?" Asked the one behind Dale.

"Who gives a shit?! We deal with him later, worry about-" Dale answered, but was interrupted.

"Hold on," the mysterious man said.

With a lot of effort, the man sits on the metallic object and starts to look through a small bag he is carrying, "Just give me a couple of seconds," His tone of voice is low and oddly soothing. Strong but securing.

Marika looked dumbfounded when the man pulled out a metallic canteen, a piece of beef jerky, and a cereal bar. Who was this guy? Wait, he had food, why was he dying of hunger?!

"Fruit juice for sugar and hydration," the man said before taking a long gulp of the drink, and Marika thought that was alcohol. "And beef jerky for protein with a granola bar for energy and other nutrients," he continued and quickly ate them.

Why is he even explaining his food?!

Everyone was confused about what they were watching. The man was eating. In the middle of such a situation.

Is he seriously having some snacks right in the middle of this situation?! ...hold on, no one is paying attention to me.

Marika, taking a chance thanks to everyone being distracted, decided to attempt an escape. She slowly started to move from her position to get closer to the one gang member with a spear and run past him. She was agile enough to make it but needed to make sure no one was able to get shots at her beforehand.

"Hey!" Yelled the scrawny man close to Dale "Dale, she is trying to run away!"

Dale looked back at Marika and grunted in anger. "Where do you think you are going?" He asked in anger.

"A lady like me has places to be, so if you don't mind, I am getting out of here," Marika said when she stopped. God dammit, I will kill them both once I am capable.

"Thank you for waiting" suddenly spoke the man with the hat, and he followed with a question "Your name is Dale, right?"

"Who's asking?" Asked Dale.

"He is!" Answered Marika, hoping that was good enough for him to do something about this situation. "Dale! Right there!" She aimed at him.

"Shut up you stupid vixen!" Dale yelled in anger.

"Oh. Then, please, I would prefer to avoid bloodshed. Drop the gun, tell your men to surrender, and raise your hands," he asked, politely. But, even then, his voice had an authoritative tone.

What the hell?! Marila thought, looking at her in a clear state of alarm. He was a Bounty Hunter after all, but what kind of demand was that?

"What the-?! What is wrong with you?! You are 4 to 1 and you are going to negotiate a surrender without fighting?!" Marika crossed her arms in front of her chest, completely taken aback, "You are either completely stupid or arrogant, or both! Just shoot him, I can see your revolver! The bounty is dead or alive!"

"He.. hahahahaha!" Dale started to laugh "Did you hear this fucking idiot?!"

The rest of Dale's gang started to follow in his laughter. It was, in fact, stupid of this person to believe that he could beat them in a fight. They did not know what his Level was, but neither did he, and they still had the number advantage.

"Russel! Shoo him away!" Darel ordered.

"Okay, okay" Russel, the man with a wand in hand, acknowledged. He made his horse walk towards the man and aimed his wand. An orange glow started to appear on the tip, signaling a spell was about to be cast, "Now, now, leave or face consequences"

The mysterious and complete stranger man stood there, allowing the man on the horse to approach. Marika felt an odd sensation looking at him, the way his brown eyes continued to be glued on Darel even when a spell was being aimed at him.

He is crazy. He cannot win alone against them.

Marika was still surprised at the display she was seeing. The stranger was attempting to fight. She could see in his eyes the challenge as to how he was not flinching at the threat that got closer, focusing on his target. He was an idiot, that was for sure.

Then again, she was planning on using him from the beginning. If he could be enough of a distraction, she could escape.

"Last warning," he insisted, "I am not leaving without the bounty because I need it. The job says dead or alive, your choice"

"You have no idea who we are, right?" Dale said, "Only outsiders or fools like Marika here are stupid enough to cross us." He lowers his gun with a smug smile on his face. "Last warning, leave now or live with a target mark on your back for the rest of your life!"

The man closes his eyes and sighs.

"I swear I tried," he said to himself.

Marika did not hear it, but she did notice he murmured something. His eyes hesitated for a second as if regret was seeping through. Just who was this man?

And then, with a speed that seemed similar to a clap of thunder, the man pulled out his revolver and aimed at the mage.

BANG!

He was faster than the mage casting his spell and the bullet hit him in the chest.

The number [105] appeared on the point of impact.

Everyone was looking in shock. Surprised at the number. The mage's body recoiled from the impact.

Then he checked on himself.

That was barely any damage! Marika thought, believing herself dead already.