Florida Man in Magus World: Unleashing Liberty and Freedom

Felix woke up early, startled by the system's rude announcement. The warning message had come through Jessica, his system guide, informing him that he had less than 100 days to complete all his main quests. Like many other system users, Felix now faced the added complication of a demon god's reincarnation.

Felix sat up, rubbing his temples in frustration. He shot a glance at Jessica, who hovered nearby.

"Demon god? Really?" he grumbled. "What's this about scenario quests?"

Jessica let out a soft sigh and elaborated, <Scenario Quests are similar to story modes in video games. However, in this case, you and other system users will be grouped into the same team to fight for a common goal.>

Felix raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess, that 'common goal' is defeating the demon god?"

<Precisely.>

Felix wasn't particularly concerned about facing the demon god, but the pressure to complete his personal main quests within the remaining time weighed heavily on him. There was too much to do, and not enough time.

"Is there any way to opt out of these scenario quests and keep my main quests?" Felix asked, trying to find a loophole.

<You can, but you'll also be disqualified from receiving the scenario quest rewards. Are you sure you want to risk that?> Jessica responded, her tone cautious.

Felix tapped his chin, calculating. "What kind of rewards are we talking about? Give me an example."

<Unfortunately, I don't have full access to the prize pool details. But since the demon god is personally involved, I assume the rewards will be of an immortal tier or higher. However, if the scenario restricts his power to a mortal scale, the rewards may not differ much from those of main quests.>

Felix's eyes narrowed. He wasn't satisfied with the vague information. He needed specifics, and he wanted more control over the outcome.

"Okay, what about the rewards from those Class-A supply crates I got before? Were those mortal or immortal tier?" Felix probed, testing Jessica.

<Class-A rewards hover on the borderline between mortal and immortal tiers. Once you secure higher authority, you could ignore all scenario quests entirely.>

Felix leaned forward, his interest piqued. "And how many main quests do I have to complete to gain access to that Class-A super-pass?"

Jessica replied after a moment's pause.

<Approximately more than 10 quests. I can't pinpoint the exact number.>

Felix let out a deep sigh, running his fingers through his hair. "So, 10 days per quest. It's impossible to finish them all in time, isn't it?"

The difficulty of main quests tended to increase as they progressed. Felix knew he couldn't reasonably complete everything within the time frame. However, if the quests wouldn't be outright deleted, there might still be a way to continue his own path while dodging the more burdensome scenario quests.

"Maybe I'll just skip the drama," Felix muttered to himself, already considering his next move. The scenario quests were a complication he didn't need, but he couldn't ignore the potential rewards either. The clock was ticking, and it seemed like Felix had some tough decisions to make.

Since overthinking was a waste of time, Felix decided to focus on completing his main quests. He reviewed the current tasks at hands.

…

Main Quest #9 - Practical Experience

Your mana reserves are now abundant, and your physical strength rivals that of a regular 3-star aura knight. However, superficial strength means nothing when facing a fellow transmigrator with superior skill and experience. To bridge this gap, you are presented with two options. Complete one to fulfill the quest:

1. Defeat any transmigrator and extract a fate crystal from their body.

2. Complete the following objectives:

- Obtain the item "Subspace Permit (10,000 mi²)" from the Florida Man Store.

- Increase flame aura and flame mana mastery to "Beginner."

- Learn at least two aura techniques or magic spells from the Florida Man Store.

- Defeat any 4-star aura knight or fourth-circle mage.

Rewards:

- Class-D Super Democracy Pass

- Class-D Mystery Box x 10

…

This was a serious problem. The second option—the subspace permit—was on sale in the system shop for a staggering 1,000,000 years of lifespan. At Felix's current rate of lifespan farming, it would take him at least 278 days of smoking phoenix ash cigars daily to accumulate that amount. There was no way he could afford that time when there were only 100 days left on the clock.

Felix mulled over his choices and realized it was time to take a shortcut—by finding a transmigrator. The problem was, he had no concrete way to locate or track another otherworlder, aside from one possibility: Diana.

The thought of Diana made Felix narrow his eyes. She was the only otherworlder he had some connection to, albeit a complicated one. Perhaps now was the time to pay her a visit.

"Jiji," Felix called softly, turning his attention to his loyal familiar, who was currently snuggled against him in bed, wrapping her lithe body around his like a protective coil.

Jiji lifted her head, her golden eyes filled with admiration as she gazed at him. She leaned forward and planted a coy kiss on his cheek, her tone sweet and affectionate, "Yes, master?"

"Do you remember the way back to your mother?" Felix asked, his voice taking on a more serious edge. "I think I need to greet my mother-in-law today."

At the mention of her mother, Jiji's playful expression faded. Her eyes darkened slightly, and she seemed lost in thought. After a moment, she responded, "Oh… mother?"

Her usual teasing demeanor was replaced by a solemn one. Jiji fell silent for a few seconds before finally confessing, "Yes, I remember the way."

"Can you guide me there?" Felix pressed, sensing her hesitation.

Jiji shifted uncomfortably and then sighed. "I can… but not today."

Felix raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

With a slight blush, Jiji explained, "I'm planning on shedding my skin this afternoon."

The dragon meat from the previous night's dinner had boosted her mana significantly, pushing her body to the next level of growth. She was now preparing for her next evolution, which involved the shedding of her skin to grow stronger. It wasn't just Jiji either—her familiars, Eins and Zwei, had also been affected and were resting in Felix's subspace, awaiting their own transformations.

Felix nodded in understanding. "Ah, I see. Well, I guess we can wait until you're ready. You need to be at full strength for this visit anyway."

He knew Diana wasn't someone to be taken lightly, and he wanted Jiji at her best if they were going to confront her. It seemed the reunion with his mother-in-law would have to wait just a little longer.

"How long will the shredding be completed?" Felix asked.

"There's a lot of waste skin this time. Please give me three days."

Felix deeply sighed. He didn't have that much time to spare. Therefore, this time, he might have to travel there by himself.

"I'll give you a map. Can you mark the general location instead?"

"You're going alone?" Jiji was surprised.

"Yeah, I don't have much time. I need to be quick."

"…I see."

In the end, Felix made Jiji mark a hand-drawn map, pinpointing the general location of Diana's waterfall and the Black Forest.

…

At noon, Felix packed his essentials, preparing for what he expected to be a long and possibly eventful trip. He quietly slipped out of the house, leaving Jiji, Eins, and Zwei behind to guard and manage things in his absence. With everyone in the midst of evolving, it seemed like the best time to make his solo journey.

Felix strapped on his jetpack, giving it a quick once-over before taking off into the sky, heading northwest.

His first destination: the oil derrick site.

This time, the journey was significantly smoother than his previous attempt. No detours, no obstacles—just a straight shot to his goal. Felix leaned forward slightly, allowing the jetpack's automatic propulsion to kick in and gradually accelerate. The familiar rush of speed returned, and soon enough, his flight speed leveled off at an impressive 400 km/h.

But while the speed was thrilling, the flight quickly turned into a brutal endurance test. The winds were fierce today, whipping around just below the cloud layer. Every gust of wind slammed into Felix's face, making his cheeks and lips flap uncontrollably. The strong air pressure distorted his features, pushing his skin back as if he were in some kind of extreme wind tunnel experiment.

"ABABABABABABABABA!!" Felix's distorted scream rang out involuntarily. His mouth was forced open by the wind, and his attempt to close it only made the sounds funnier.

Unable to control his voice or expression, Felix's usual cool demeanor was nowhere to be seen. The strong gusts that pelted him from all angles felt more like a face-punching exercise than a casual flight, and he couldn't help but laugh inwardly at how ridiculous it all was.

"Why did I think this was a good idea?" he thought, grimacing as he continued to battle the wind. Even with his strengthened physique, the force of nature had a way of reminding him that he wasn't invincible.

Despite the discomfort and the absurd noises that kept escaping his mouth, Felix remained focused on the path ahead. This was just the first leg of his journey, and he knew it would only get harder from here.

It didn't take long for Felix to spot his precious oil derrick from above. The towering structures were still intact, the storage tanks brimming with oil, and the machines humming steadily, never halting in their ceaseless extraction. Even from the sky, he could see the extent of its productivity.

One thing that caught Felix's attention, though, was the small lake that had formed beside the derrick. This wasn't a natural lake; it was created from the discarded underground water that had been filtered out during the oil extraction process. But the water wasn't just water anymore—it had been contaminated with trace amounts of mana oil.

This mixture had turned the once-useless byproduct into a potent resource for creatures that could cultivate mana.

And it seemed like someone had taken notice.

A large basilisk tribe had established a fortified village around the oil derrick and the shimmering lake, clearly monopolizing the area. From his aerial view, Felix could see the basilisks bathing in the mana-infused water, drinking it with obvious delight. The contaminated water was clearly a boon for them, likely enhancing their strength and mana capacity.

The tribe had turned his discarded waste into their lifeblood, thriving in ways Felix hadn't anticipated.

The sight stirred something dark in Felix. A part of him wanted to descend and eradicate the tribe for daring to encroach on his territory, for exploiting a resource they had no right to claim. His hand twitched at the thought of raining destruction upon them. But he paused, taking a deep breath. Not now. He had more pressing matters to attend to.

Felix adjusted his course, veering away from the basilisk village. They would pay for their transgression, but it wouldn't be today. His focus needed to remain on the bigger picture.

With the oil derrick and the basilisks left behind, Felix set his sights westward. His next destination: the Black Forest, where another challenge awaited him. This trip wasn't just about oil or basilisks—it was about reconnecting with powerful forces, allies, and maybe even enemies.