Florida Man in Magus World: Unleashing Liberty and Freedom

Big Zoot City, the city of hope and dreams, was located at the heart of Joint Paradise Province. Currently, it occupied 20% of the 350,000 square-mile province. Not only was it the largest city in the Dragoon Empire, but it also never stopped expanding.

More people, more taxes: Citizens, visitors, tourists, and merchants in Big Zoot City were required to pay a fixed tax of one gold coin per person per month just for existing in the city. Homeowners and nobles also needed to pay an estate tax, ranging from 10 to 1,000 gold coins per month.

Because of these taxes, the cost of living soared. Only well-off families could afford to live in the capital, while the poor were driven away. Despite this, many poor villagers from the countryside still flocked to the city, hoping to find jobs with higher pay than in other provinces, thus boosting the population.

As the city expanded and its population grew, new troubles emerged, including food shortages. The emperor issued a mandate, ordering other provinces to pay taxes in crops instead of gold coins. He also provided incentives to merchants who imported food from other countries or provinces.

Food shortages typically led to high crime rates. As people couldn't afford the high price of imported food, they resorted to thievery to survive. This increase in theft led to more serious crimes, such as robbery, assault, human trafficking, and murder, giving rise to criminal syndicates and gangs.

That was how Zoot Slums were born.

...

At noon, Felix stopped the ATV and rechecked the GPS map, comparing it with the scene in front of him. According to the map, there should have been a clear road leading straight to Big Zoot City's eastern gate. Instead, he found messy refugee camps and straw houses blocking the way.

No road existed!

"Kek. This is why nobody should trust GPS," Felix complained.

<The GPS is not wrong, though. This place has been built recently.>

"When was the last time the GPS was updated?"

<…Six years ago.>

"Six years?! Was this GPS app made by Goo*** or something? What the hell?"

Felix was disappointed in the outdated GPS. He closed it and shifted his attention to the system map instead. Then, he was surprised once more.

The Zoot Slum, or the refugee camps, was full of red dots. Felix was stunned by why the people were so hostile toward him even though he hadn't met them yet.

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"By the way, what's wrong with those people in the camp? Why do they hate me? What did I do wrong? I didn't do anything to them! Hell, I don't even know them."

Jessica patiently explained, <The map always flags people, beasts, and monsters with an evil mindset or hostile intention as red. Those who are cautious against you are shown as yellow. Only those who never have any ill will are marked in green.>

"In short, they're… evil?"

<More like thieves, bandits, criminals, or people who will likely rob you on sight.>

"…"

This made things easier for Felix. Since these people wished to rob him on sight like the highway bandits he had encountered, Felix might as well do them a favor. Preparing to blast his way through the crowd and settlements, Felix turned his vehicle around and drove back. After clearing enough distance, he rubbed his hands and warmed up.

But just as Felix was about to destroy the entire slum with his stunt, a loud whistle noise came from the south. Something from the southwest flew toward his direction, and it sounded like a plane's engine.

Astonished and confused by the sound, Felix stopped what he was doing and looked at the source. In the sky, there was indeed a giant flying object.

Felix narrowed his eyes and brought out a scope to get a better look. He zoomed in and managed to catch a glimpse of the flying object.

It was a giant brown carpet, larger than modern commercial planes on Earth. Judging from the distance, it was 2,000 feet above the ground.

The flying carpet passed by, leaving behind a loud noise, causing everyone in the slum to plug their ears or look up. As for Felix, his ears were already used to such a loud noise because of modern headphones and earphones. Using his scope, his sight followed the mysterious carpet.

'Ah, how nice.'

Felix envied the owner of that flying carpet. Had he gotten a flying carpet or a flying broom, these two days of torturous journey wouldn't have happened.

While Felix fantasized about a flying carpet, the carpet in the sky suddenly turned around and descended in altitude.

Felix noticed the change. He smirked, wondering if the carpet owner was preparing for landing. Unfortunately, this world never had a runway, so Felix was curious how the flying carpet would land.

Betraying Felix's expectation, the carpet didn't decelerate. Moreover, it rushed toward his direction.

Felix, still looking at the carpet through his sniping scope, frowned when he saw several teenagers wearing the same yellow robe uniform on the carpet while wizards with pointy hats stood in front of them. They all looked at the slum area.

"Is it just me or is that carpet coming this way?" Felix snickered and checked the system map. Then, he flinched.

Seven large purple dots appeared to be in their groups while 300 others were shown as red.

Felix scratched his head, puzzled by the treatment, "What's wrong with those people?! What have I ever done to them?!"

Getting ready for sudden combat, Felix fetched the FN SCAR and prepared to spray into the sky.

...

*RUMBLE*

The carpet gradually descended and decelerated until it hovered over the slum area. Straw houses, wooden shacks, and makeshift tents of the refugees scattered everywhere because of the wind generated by the mysterious magic.

People screamed and ran away from the dropping massive carpet. However, they were blown by the strong gale, sending them tumbling to the ground.

Wooden logs and pieces of debris flew in circles as if a tornado had descended. A few pieces of broken planks hit Felix's ATV barrier and bounced away.

The carpet hovered while the passengers leaped from the transport, landing on the ground. They gathered on the other side of the carpet, opposite Felix's current location. Five of the leading wizard-robed elders guided the aspiring young mages to the city. The pilot left the carpet plane last. Then, the entire transport vanished into his palm.

Felix gulped as he recalled the trait of fifth circle mages that Jane and Valley used to tell him: They could use spatial magic. Felix believed that the old men over there might be fifth circle mages guiding their juniors to sightsee the event or take the exams.

Since the mages ignored Felix, he put the gun away. There was no point in provoking those dangerous individuals.

But as Felix lowered his gun, one of the teenagers turned around and stared at him, who was half a mile away. The youth was a blond boy with neatly combed hair. His eyes were cold as if he looked down on the world.

The 15-year-old youth, Veetee, sneered and raised a short wand, pointing at Felix. He yelled in public, "Dirty commoners dare to take the Royal Magi Academy's entrance exam? Know your place!"

*BOOM*

Suddenly, a lightning bolt shot out of the wand and struck the barrier! The dome crackled with electric sparks and released white smoke from the extreme heat.

When the smoke dispersed, Veetee saw the result: the unknown mage inside the barrier was unharmed.

"Hmm?"

The youth was surprised. He tried again, chanting a long incantation and pointing his wand to the sky. A black cloud manifested in the sky, where his wand was pointing.

He belittled Felix, "You must have used a life-saving artifact just now! I know those are expensive disposable runes! I don't believe that a peasant like you can afford multiple rune stones to save your dirty life!"

At that moment, his friends turned around as they noticed the commotion and what their colleague was doing. They also looked at Felix, who was far away down the road.

"This idiot is bullying a commoner again," one of his friends rolled his eyes and shook his head.

Another chimed in, "Veetee, will you die if a commoner takes the test? Leave him alone."

Veetee snorted, ignoring his friend's suggestion. He laughed and lowered his wand, but one of the elders caught his wrist and reprimanded him.

"Young master Veetee, we are not in your territory. Do not do anything that may tarnish your father's reputation. Also, if you accidentally offend a noble house, you will lose your position among your brothers. Do you want to be kicked out of the house so soon?"

"…Tsk."

Veetee snorted and withdrew the spell. He spat and turned around, "Consider yourself lucky!"

After dropping a cliche line, Veetee and his group proceeded to the city.

...

Meanwhile, Felix sat on the ATV, tilted his head to the side.

Earlier, the lightning bolt only hit the ATV's barrier and failed to harm the vehicle or Felix. The latter already prepared a call-in beacon and an M1 Garand, ready to shoot down some mages.

However, the assailant quickly left, which confused him.

"What the hell is wrong with him? What did I do to offend the guy? Does he want to fight or leave me alone? Make up your mind!" Felix inwardly complained.

Jessica secretly recorded the people's conversation and played it for Felix. A new window showed a video clip of Veetee attempting to murder Felix with his spell.

After watching the short clip until Veetee retreated with a spit, Felix was speechless. He couldn't believe that a one-dimensional rich boy villain existed.

As proceeding forward would run into the cliche young master, Felix steered the wheels and proceeded to the south entrance of Big Zoot City.