Florida Man in Magus World: Unleashing Liberty and Freedom

Felix kept his eyes glued to the system map, tracking the purple dot until the mysterious flying monster finally exited his radar range. With the immediate threat gone, he cautiously emerged from his hiding spot and scanned the area.

Outside, a thick green smoke rose from the small deep holes where the dragon's urine had landed. The air around the smoldering spots felt strangely warm—hotter than even Felix's heightened body temperature, making him uneasy.

*DING*

<Warning! You have been inflicted with Megalith Acid.>

<Your energy will rapidly drop as long as you're within the acidic area. If your energy reaches zero, your mana will decrease instead.>

*DING*

<Megalith Acid has burned your life force! You have lost 100,000 points of energy!>

<Megalith Acid has burned your life force! You have lost 100,000 points of energy!>

"What the hell?!" Felix muttered in alarm, unprepared for the sudden and relentless DOT (damage over time) effect. He felt his energy rapidly draining and knew he had to act fast. Without wasting another second, he summoned the ATV from his inventory, jumped on, and sped away from the village.

As he raced through the ruined settlement, the uneven ground was riddled with potholes filled with boiling acidic urine from the dragon.

*DING*

<Megalith Acid has burned your life force! You have lost 100,000 points of energy!>

<Megalith Acid has burned your life force! You have lost 100,000 points of energy!>

<Megalith Acid has burned your life force! You have lost 100,000 points of energy!>

"Come on!" Felix gritted his teeth, panic creeping in as the severity of his situation hit him. Despite boasting an impressive 20 million energy points, the damage was worse than he'd anticipated. At the current rate, his vast energy pool would only last a few minutes.

Adrenaline surged through his body as he floored the gas, pushing the ATV to its max speed. Navigating solely by instinct, Felix weaved the vehicle between massive boulders, collapsed buildings, craters, and other remnants left behind by the abandoned villages, heading west.

With so many obstacles in his path, Felix lost focus on the ground. That's when it happened.

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After swerving around a large footprint of the megalith dragon, the ATV's left front tire slammed into one of the deadly acidic urine. Despite the system's protective barrier, the tire burst with a loud pop, sending the ATV into a violent skid.

Felix's heart leapt into his throat as his eyes widened in panic. He gripped the steering wheel with all his strength, fighting to keep the vehicle from flipping. With a sharp twist of the handle and a quick deceleration, he managed to regain control, but his heart was still racing.

Felix cast a quick glance at the damaged tire but didn't slow down. He gripped the steering wheel firmly, forcing the ATV to continue forward. Just when he thought he'd have to abandon the vehicle, the essence stone embedded in the ATV emitted a strange energy. To Felix's surprise, the destroyed tire began to regenerate right before his eyes.

Felix's relief was fleeting. The system battery gauge showed an alarming drop, for 90% of the essence stone's energy had been consumed by the magical restoration. Gripping the handles tighter, he pushed the ATV forward, fully aware that time was running out.

"This didn't happen when I crashed into that mountain before," Felix muttered to himself. His eyes flicked to the green smoke rising around him. It had to be the cause.

*DING*

<Megalith Acid has burned your life force! You have lost 100,000 points of energy!>

<Megalith Acid has burned your life force! You have lost 100,000 points of energy!>

The nonstop warnings filled his ears, but Felix shut them out. He had no choice but to keep driving. Spotting an intact dirt road, he veered sharply toward it, hoping it would lead him to safety, possibly a settlement to the northwest. Without a second thought, he floored the gas, desperate to escape the death zone.

After another tense minute of driving, the warning tones ceased. The system finally stopped draining his energy. Felix took a moment to check his status.

…

Level: 40 (Max)

Energy: 400,000 / 20,000,000 (Max)

Mana: 20,000,000 (Max)

…

"That was too close," Felix deeply sighed.

If he had delayed just a few more seconds, he would've started losing mana instead. Although Felix could bounce back by converting the oil in his system storage to mana, there was no telling how his health or body would fare if his energy completely drained. For now, he was just thankful to have survived the ordeal.

Felix parked the ATV to catch his breath and quickly set about changing the essence stone, aka the vehicle's battery. He removed the depleted stone, discarding it into the system's recycle bin, and inserted a fresh one. Afterward, he inspected the ATV's condition.

The frame showed signs of heavy damage, and the surface of the tires was covered in a dry black powder, likely malfunctioning nanocells or some other hi-tech material Felix couldn't identify. He checked the console to see if the ATV could self-repair in its current state.

As expected, the battery gauge began to drop. The newly replaced essence stone was already half-depleted, but the vehicle's engine, skeleton frame, chassis, tires, and other components started to cleanse and repair themselves. Felix stood by, watching until the battery drained to zero. He replaced the essence stone once more.

Once the third essence stone was in place, Felix let the vehicle run until the system stabilized. He glanced at the console again. 60% of the battery remained. For now, the ATV was back in working order.

This ordeal left Felix with an important lesson. He immediately consulted Jessica and Jiji for advice.

"Is there a way to prevent this from happening again? And why is the acid affecting me when I have poison immunity?" Felix asked.

Jessica was the first to respond, <Poison and corrosion are different. The green gas you encountered is highly corrosive. Your body automatically consumed your energy to protect your heart and dantian from damage.>

Jiji added, "My mother once taught me that a jade dragon's bodily fluids can burn through fire, water, wind, and earth mana. Anyone who touches it directly will never be able to use mana again."

Felix's concern deepened. "Is there any way to prevent or cure it?"

Jiji shook her head. "I don't know. No one in our tribe has ever defeated a jade dragon. Even my mother never fought one."

Jessica chimed in with another suggestion, <If you collect some samples, we might be able to figure out a solution or even concoct an antidote. However, you'll need to master alchemy first and follow in the footsteps of your great ancestor.>

Felix perked up at that, "If I master alchemy, how long would it take to make an antidote? A couple of days?"

<No. The process could take decades to see even a small success. Even with a gallon of samples, creating an antidote won't be possible anytime soon. Considering your quest progression, limitations, alchemy skills, and time, this project is far off. Only after completing key quests and advancing in alchemy can you realistically hope to achieve this.>

Felix facepalmed, frustrated. "So why are you telling me this if it's impossible?"

<It's better to be prepared and set long-term goals. Who knows when you might have to face another dragon like that one.>

Felix sighed, realizing she had a point, even if it was a distant one. For now, survival was the priority, but the seed of a new challenge had been planted in his mind.

"I hope we don't have to fight that thing," Felix muttered to himself.

A sinking feeling settled in his chest. He started to regret ever leaving his home, wondering if all of this chaos was worth it.

Maybe his ancestor had been right all along?

Staying at home and training in seclusion was probably the right path. At least there, he wouldn't have to deal with acid-breathing dragons, political strifes, runaway wife, entitled young lady, transmigrators, hostile environments, or constant threats to his life. Felix could have simply isolated himself and spent his days in peace, away from all the headaches.

And at worst? Felix mused. He could always buy some retro gaming consoles and a collection of classic games to live out his shut-in fantasy. No socializing, no fighting—just him, immersed in a mountain of entertainment, secluded for eternity.

But what about relationships? What about other needs, especially his hormone needs?

Felix's mind wandered to Jiji.

Hadn't he already scored a fine snake babe? He could settle down with her, build a quiet life away from all this chaos.

Jiji was usually quiet—a big plus. No endless chatter, just peaceful companionship.

She pampered him too, always treating him like a big baby—a major plus. What kind of man wouldn't want a loving lady by his side, doting on him?

Sure, Jiji was a princess, so cooking and chores might not be her forte. But Felix believed he could train her—or figure something out. With time, she'd learn, right?

And most importantly, Jiji was an expert in bed. Felix smirked at the thought, recalling the countless times she'd left him breathless, teetering on the edge of fainting. She was just that good. That, alone, was reason enough to keep her around forever.

A life of leisure with a woman like Jiji by his side didn't sound so bad after all.

The thought of early retirement began to fester in his mind. It felt more appealing by the second, especially compared to the dangers of adventuring.

Felix grinned, already imagining the comfort of his home. He was curious about the new flying land he had recently purchased.

What kind of changes would it bring to his place? The idea of retreating to his airborne sanctuary, away from all this madness, felt like a dream—a dream he was now eager to turn into reality.

Excited by the new prospect, Felix hopped back on the ATV and continued his journey west, eager to head home. The thought of a safe, secluded lifestyle filled him with anticipation. All he wanted now was peace, solitude, and nothing to disturb his dream life.

.

.

*RUMBLE*

The megalith dragon finished marking its territory across the mountain range. Exhausted from the long flight and the tedious routine, it descended onto its favorite crater, the one it had filled with its own excrement. After dropping seven more giant pieces of waste, the dragon let out a low yawn.

It lazily kicked the dung aside and nestled into the ground, attempting to fall asleep amidst the foul-smelling mounds.

Just as its consciousness was drifting to a sweet dragon harem land, a sudden surge of powerful aura from the east jolted the dragon awake. Its eyes snapped open, and it turned its head to the sky, focusing on the source of the disturbance.

In the distance, a lone figure in the Dragoon Empire's star knight uniform was flying toward the dragon's location. Judging by the immense aura radiating from the knight, the dragon estimated that this human was either as strong as it or possibly even stronger.

The dragon, still nursing old wounds from a previous battle against his male rival, knew it wasn't in any shape for another confrontation. Not wanting to risk further injury, it flapped its four massive wings, lifting itself into the air and gliding westward, hoping to avoid any unnecessary trouble.

Unbeknownst to the dragon, its new path was leading it straight toward Felix. Both of them were heading in the same direction.