Florida Man in Magus World: Unleashing Liberty and Freedom

*DING*

<You have obtained a new talent: Petrification Immunity.>

<Your element affinity has grown. You can now learn water element spells.>

<Your mana has increased by 1,000,000.>

<Your level has risen by 1!>

A blue liquid mass flowed into Felix's ears, nostrils, and mouth, while a new system window appeared next to Eins'.

In the portrait, Jiji's face was revealed. Her blindfold disappeared, revealing her empty eye sockets beneath her closed eyelids. The sight of her sunken eyes diminished her otherworldly beauty, and Felix pitied her as he gazed at her system portrait.

Meanwhile, Felix's body was still ablaze. The orange flames turned blue, radiating even more intense heat. As usual, his clothes disintegrated.

A local soldier rushed over with a bucket of water, tossing it at Felix, but the water evaporated instantly upon contact with the flames.

"Hang on, lad! Someone, get more water! Call a water mage!" The soldier shouted.

Soon, an elder priestess from the Ocean Tower hurried to Felix and cast a water column spell, engulfing him in freezing water. The flames were finally extinguished.

Felix collapsed, shivering from the cold. He sneezed and rubbed his shoulders.

The soldier removed his brown tunic and draped it over Felix like a blanket. The priestess then cast another spell, creating a bubble around Felix that cured his hypothermia.

Rescue teams hurried to the scene, focused on helping the survivors, who were all slaves. Meanwhile, local guards and mages ignored the survivors and instead targeted the loose monsters in the area. Among them was the lamia who was supposed to be purchased earlier. Thanks to the alraune's protection, she also survived the explosion.

Now free from restraints, the lamia laughed and opened her mouth, spraying green venom at the closest human vanguards.

Three soldiers were hit in the face, arm, and chest. The venom melted their armor and flesh into a sticky liquid, and they screamed in agony as their faces liquefied, revealing their skulls. Moments later, they collapsed, dead from the pain and poison.

Seeing the dead soldiers, the local guards kept their distance from the lamia, forming a half-circle and waiting for backup mages. The lamia snickered and glanced at Felix, giving him a meaningful look, before turning away without a word of gratitude. She slipped into the hole created by the alraune, escaping the area.

The lamia wasn't the only one to escape. A chained humanoid lion with a muscular build calmly broke his iron ankle cuffs and removed his chain choker. He glanced at the crowd and then jumped into the hole.

A pale woman with long black hair covering her face and a crude white dress also stood up. She looked up, noticing the magic seal around her cage was gone. While smirking, her body faded to nothingness. A moment later, she reappeared in front of a male guard standing at the edge of the encirclement. Then, she opened her mouth.

"Huh?"

The guard reacted too late. In a second, his consciousness faded as his mana and lifespan drained away, turning into smoke that entered the woman's mouth. After devouring the man's soul, she vanished again, choosing not to attack anyone else.

While others followed the alraune into the hole, including human slaves, the rescue teams and guards were puzzled by the escape. Some didn't know about the shady business establishment, but those who did rushed to the cage where the ghostly woman had been sealed.

As soon as the group noticed that the prisoner was gone, they shouted in alarm.

"WHO IN TARNATION BROUGHT A BANSHEE HERE?!"

…

Felix watched the chaos unfold as a water priestess and a soldier helped him to his feet. He smiled wryly, wondering what he had just set free.

"What's a banshee?" Felix asked the helpers.

"A dangerous monster," the water priestess replied. "Banshees are former female mages who died with deep resentment. Each one has different powers and weaknesses, but most can kill any mage or knight instantly with their soul-devouring ability."

"And why the hell are they kept as slaves?!" Felix lashed out, pointing out the absurdity of the situation.

"Combat slaves," the priestess sighed. "With the right magic seals, the slave owner can control and command them. Some wicked nobles keep them as assassins. Anyway, we should leave. It's dangerous here, young man."

The priestess gestured for the guard to escort Felix out, then hurried off to help the other injured.

Felix silently followed the soldier back to the waiting area, fetching a new set of clothes from his inventory to wear. Once back in the examinees' waiting area, the soldier excused himself, leaving Felix alone. Felix sat on an empty field, sighed, and accidentally exhaled a fume of fire.

Mentally and physically exhausted, Felix lay down and looked at Jiji's portrait. He asked her, "Sorry if I ask, but what happened to your eyes?"

Jiji replied, "One of Saucon's retainers plucked them out."

"That's… brutal. Are they insane?"

"Well, anyone who looks into my eyes is instantly petrified. They were probably afraid I'd accidentally kill someone."

Felix felt an urge to ask if Jiji was a Gorgon or Medusa from legend but decided it was too inappropriate. He coughed and changed the subject. "Do you think you can regenerate your eyes?"

"Yes. The subspace inside you is very large and warm. Given a few years, I can grow them back."

"Will your eyes petrify me?" Felix asked, half-jokingly.

"They won't, my lord."

Jessica chimed in, <Check your status again. There's a new ability.>

"Hm?"

…

Name: Felix Ariel

Age: 15/13,554

Bloodline: Void Phoenix

Element Affinity: Fire, Water, Metal, Poison, Void

Authorized Level: Super Democracy Pass (E)

Level: 28

Energy: 7,162,217 /8,162,217

Mana: 8,161,282

Innate Talents: Flame Lungs, Fast Learner, Fire Immunity, Poison Immunity, Petrification Immunity, Ashen Resurrection

Skills: Flame Breathe (Entry), Fireball Spitting (Entry), Flame Mana (Entry), Mana Manipulation (Entry)

…

Noticing the addition of a new immunity and the water element affinity, Felix was surprised. He looked at Jiji and Eins, realizing a new pattern—accepting a new familiar increased his elemental affinity or innate talents.

"Wow, I should bring in new familiars more often," Felix mused, feeling inspired.

<Please restrain yourself from such actions. Your body can only handle two familiars at most. If Eins starts growing heads now, your body will likely break apart due to the rapid increase in mana. The only way to avoid this is to release Eins or Jiji from your system's subspace.>

Jessica's reminder of his limitations left Felix disappointed.

"What do I have to do to acquire more familiars, then?" Felix asked, half in sarcasm but also genuinely curious about a way to bypass the system.

<You can start by reaching your level limit and focusing on increasing your physical strength as usual. The current cap is ten million points of mana. Perhaps you could convert oil into mana and work from there?>

"What about the aura quest?" Felix asked, not forgetting the main quest that had been troubling him.

<Finish the quest and attain level 30. A new path will open once you've completed everything.>

…

Main Quest #7: Master the Phoenix Breathing Method

You've secured a steady passive income and a house, setting yourself up for a comfortable life. But in this undeveloped country ruled by a dictatorial monarchy, conflict and inequality are rampant. It's only a matter of time before someone covets what you have or seeks to eliminate you.

To prevent this, you need to establish authority, and the easiest way to do that right now is through strength. By becoming powerful, you can deter many potential threats. This quest will motivate you to pursue that strength.

Objective: Learn the following skills without relying on the system: Flame Aura, Flame Mana, Fire Breath, and Fireball Spitting.

Rewards: Dimensional House Add-On, Mystery Crate (Class E) x 10

…

One crucial skill remained for Felix to learn—the Flame Aura. Mastering this technique involved a complex and painful process: moving his dantian core within his kidney to the area just beneath his abdomen.

The procedure was known to be excruciating, requiring intense focus and endurance. The pain alone was enough to deter even the bravest warriors, and Felix was no exception. He knew that once he began, there would be no turning back.

But with the chaos of the past few days, Felix had been too preoccupied to even consider undertaking such a daunting task. The weight of his responsibilities, the unexpected battles, and the care of his new familiars had left him with little time—or courage—to face this next step in his training.

Yet, deep down, Felix knew he couldn't delay forever. The Flame Aura was not just another skill; it was a key to unlocking greater power and authority in a world where strength was everything. As each day passed, the pressure to complete this final piece of his training grew, looming over him like a shadow he couldn't escape.

Felix sat up, his resolve to procrastinate finally gone. Determined to take another step toward growing stronger, he accessed the inventory menu and began converting the crude mana oil stored within, which was filled to the brim, into pure mana.

The familiar, unpleasant sensation surged through Felix's body. As the crude oil he had converted into energy disappeared, a powerful wave of mana rushed into his innards, concentrating in his kidneys. It felt as though Mike Tyson had delivered a punch straight to his gut.

Felix clenched his eyes shut, enduring the sharp pain while he carefully channeled the new influx of mana into his heart, lungs, and blood vessels. Around him, a blue flame erupted, slowly consuming his new clothes. Ignoring the flames and the discomfort of his tattered garments, Felix focused entirely on maintaining his breathing rhythm and the flow of mana within him.

The intense energy coursing through him began to take a toll on his body. His muscles and skin started to crack and tear, unable to handle the sudden surge of power. Yet, just as quickly, his flesh and muscles began to regenerate, adapting to the increased energy in a process akin to muscular hypertrophy.

Black liquid oozed from the cracked areas, but it was swiftly evaporated by the surrounding blue flames as Felix's body continued to evolve under the pressure.

Felix had no idea that his action attracted Emperor Saucon's attention once again.

…

The soldier bitten by Jiji's bodyguard began mutating into a monstrous form, quickly spreading the infection to his fellow soldiers, sparking chaos. Saucon observed the situation from a distance and sent the three saints to quell the outbreak.

Fortunately, the area was populated with powerful individuals. Mages and knights from various families united to subdue the infected, ensuring none survived. They then burned the corpses, eliminating any remaining threat.

Saucon felt relieved but was also frustrated with the slave merchants' incompetence. He had expected them to generate funds for the new war campaign, but now, it seemed all his investment was lost.

"Idiots. All of them are idiots," Saucon muttered, his gaze sweeping over the remaining examinees displayed on the screens. None of them captured his interest anymore.

Disappointed, Saucon made a decision. He would accept those from the Eleanor Church, with Rosaline and Felix as the top students. As for the other survivors, anyone who emerged with more than three black orbs would automatically fail. Those who didn't take the exam were already disqualified.

*RUMBLE*

As Saucon pondered, an intense energy burst from behind the mirror. The emperor, startled, initially thought it was an ambush by the escaped slaves. However, when he turned around, he found Felix deep in meditation. Blue flames erupted from Felix, incinerating his clothes and scorching the grass around him, waking the nearby young priestesses.

Seeing Felix's dedication, Saucon laughed heartily, then turned away, shaking his head.

"At least we've found a raw gem among the crooked. Well done, Garudeer. You're not as useless as I thought."