Florida Man in Magus World: Unleashing Liberty and Freedom

"Oh, boy," Felix inwardly snickered, shaking his head. He was in trouble.

…

Name: Felix Ariel

Age: 17/13,451

Bloodline: Void Phoenix

Element Affinity: Fire, Metal, Poison, Void

Authorized Level: Super Democracy Pass (E)

Level: 27

Energy: 7,161,282 /7,161,282

Mana: 7,161,282

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

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

…

The cutoff age was under 17, but according to his system, his bone age was exactly 17, automatically disqualifying him from the exam.

Under normal circumstances, Felix would have given up. However, for the sake of the scholarship fund, aka other people's tax money, he decided to fight for it. He covered his mouth, pretending to yawn, but in reality, he secretly slipped a certain pill from his inventory into his mouth.

…

Expired Pill of Longevity

This pill was created by Wu Buyi, a disciple of the Great Singularity. As it was produced a thousand years ago and stored poorly, the pill's effectiveness greatly diminished. At best, it can be consumed as a cosmetic pill.

Consumable item

Effects:

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- Reduces physical age by 2 years

- Highly poisonous

…

The pill seemed harmless to Felix. Confident in his poison immunity, he wasn't concerned about any side effects. He closed his eyes, feeling the small pill disintegrate into particles. As soon as the particles were absorbed into his bloodstream, his body temperature rose, his face flushed slightly, and he exhaled hot air.

As a hot fume escaped from Felix's nostrils, the priestess turned toward him and asked, "Are you a fire mage by any chance?"

"Why do you ask?" Felix mumbled, suppressing the muscle pain that made him feel like his bones were breaking.

"I'm a water mage. My body is sensitive to changes in temperature, and I feel a strange warmth from you. It's kind of soothing. By the way, have you heard about the Messiah of the New Era or the Church of Eleanor?"

Felix snickered and joked, "Save the recruitment pitch, sister. I'm not a church person."

"I'm not inviting you to church. I'm asking if you'd like to join me for tea after this and discuss the love of Goddess Eleanor."

Felix shook his head, sweating profusely. She reminded him of missionaries from Utah. He firmly rejected her, "I already have a girlfriend, and I'm not looking to discuss a god, join a church, or go to jail by talking to you. Please leave me alone."

The sister giggled lightly. "Do you think being close to a priestess will get you apprehended or arrested?"

"For most people, maybe not. But for me, absolutely. I'm a very sinful person. People in my hometown would crucify me if they knew I was casually chatting with you."

Felix was serious. In the modern world, an innocent chat with someone of the opposite gender or someone underage could ruin his career, social status, and future if the chat messages were exposed on social media. The internet was a scary place.

The priestess misunderstood Felix's intentions. She continued, "Then I must keep watch over you and prevent you from committing sins. That way, I can prove your innocence so that the people in your hometown wouldn't prosecute you."

"Please don't. I'd probably commit more sins if you're around. I might even assault you if you keep getting too close. Stay away, and everyone will be safe."

The priestess smiled gently, "That's all the more reason I need to stay close to you and keep you on the right path."

"Seriously, sister, can't you take a hint?" Felix was getting annoyed.

"A sinner who reflects on his wrongdoings deserves a second chance. It's my duty to guide you to the right path before you stray further. I can tell you're a good person at heart, but you're blinded by your past or the people around you. Please let me help you. Let me 'FIX' you."

"What about the others? Why don't you 'FIX' them instead of me?"

"Goddess Eleanor's love is limitless, but I am only one mortal. I have to focus my efforts. So, I'll commit myself to converting you and showing you the love of Eleanor."

Felix squinted his eyes and shook his head slightly, wondering what he'd done to attract this nun's attention.

As he dealt with the nosy priestess and the torturous pain in his bones, he didn't notice the intense glare from behind. The caged teenager had been watching and eavesdropping on their conversation, growing jealous that Felix and the attractive priestess easily got along.

…

While Felix, the priestess, and the caged teenager had their moment, the emperor finished the preparations. The mirror absorbed the sunlight and shone with a golden light, spreading blinding rays across the crowd. Gold and red numbers, along with their names, appeared above everyone's heads. Those under 17 had their numbers in gold, while the rest were shown in red.

One of the rays flashed upon Felix, the priestess, the fat teen behind them, and Veetee. The bright light made Felix look away and cover his eyes. The blindfolded priestess, however, didn't need to shield her eyes as her clothing blocked the rays.

Golden numbers manifested and hovered over their heads. All the instructors, judges, and the emperor could clearly see their names and true ages:

Felix Ariel - 15

Rosaline Orca - 15

Envick - 15

Veetee Seth - 15

As the golden light faded, everyone looked up, but the numbers and names were gone, leaving only a residual glow above each person.

The emperor proceeded with the preliminary round, announcing, "Those who are blessed with gold light, step forward and stand behind the mirror. Everyone else, stay where you are! Only those with gold light are qualified!"

Felix noticed the sparkling gold light above him and began walking forward. However, Veetee suddenly strode ahead, bumping his shoulder against Felix's from behind.

Unfortunately for Veetee, their constitutions and bloodlines were different. The youth was the one who staggered and fell on his butt.

Felix glanced back at the blond teenager and scoffed, "A bully wannabe, huh? Well, good luck."

"…You," Veetee glared at Felix, raising his wand to cast a lightning spell.

But Felix didn't look away. He pulled out his pistol, pointing at Veetee's head and taunting him.

"Go ahead. Shoot. Let's see who's faster—my gun or your spell."

"You're nothing but a peasant! How dare you use a filthy artifact against me!" Veetee growled.

Felix coiled his index finger, ready to pull the trigger, but just then, the fifth-circle mage behind Veetee took off his hood, revealing a face that looked strikingly similar to Garudeer's.

The mage introduced himself, "I'm Gall, the younger brother of your master, Garudeer. How about you and my young master stop here and get along for the sake of our connection?"

Felix raised an eyebrow while Veetee dusted himself off and got up. He spat at Felix's feet, but his saliva missed by an inch.

"Consider yourself lucky, you dirty commoner!" Veetee declared, then walked toward the mirror, instinctively avoiding another collision with Felix.

Felix shook his head slightly and glanced at Gall. "Was he always this handy?"

"Very," Gall sighed. "And thank you for giving us face."

Felix chuckled, "No problem. But I can't guarantee the future. If he keeps this up, I might beat him up for real."

"Just don't kill him."

"As long as he doesn't try to kill me first."

Gall sighed deeply and turned away, leaving his young master's fate to chance.

Felix appreciated the gesture and started walking. The other noble children also followed suit, leaving their guardians and parents behind.

…

The preliminary round took the entire morning as many commoners attempted to join. From the back of the crowd, they walked two to three miles to reach the front. Meanwhile, the noblemen purposely hindered or blocked their paths, forcing them to detour around their group to reach the goal.

The emperor and the instructors anticipated this, so they delayed the next exam's start time to give the young commoners a fair chance to arrive. This angered the noble children's parents and guardians, but they couldn't criticize their emperor.

At 2 PM, everyone finally arrived. The emperor counted the candidates and nodded in satisfaction. Meanwhile, those who had arrived early were exhausted from standing under the afternoon sun for hours.

"2,211 qualified candidates. This is good," the emperor said with a smile, while the instructors bit their lower lips, reluctant to support such a large number of magic students.

Having delayed long enough, the emperor moved on to the next stage. He announced the rules. "Today's first exam is very simple. I want you to walk 'INTO' that mirror!"

The crowd was confused, and even Garudeer, the elf, and the elder nun were puzzled by this decision. Concerned, they confronted the emperor.

"Your Majesty," Garudeer spoke first. "If I remember correctly, that artifact is the Mirror of True Reflection, usually used to interrogate criminals. Why are you using it on our candidates?"

The elf echoed his concern, adding, "The Mirror of True Reflection may sound harmless, but it's actually a dangerous artifact, Your Majesty. I've seen prisoners lose their minds and even die because of it. You're exposing the children to hidden dangers!"

The elder nun also revealed its secret. "There's another world inside that mirror. If you send them there, they might have to face shadow monsters. Those creatures are challenging even for us. Sending the children there is... risky."

The emperor sneered at the three headmasters and then revealed his motive. "That's exactly why I'm sending them there."

"WHAT?!"

The emperor made sure his voice was loud enough for all candidates and their guardians to hear as he revealed the mirror's dark secret.

"Here is the test: All qualified children must enter the shadow land behind this mirror and retrieve the core of a local monster! Bring it to me before sunrise, and you will pass the practical examination with a full mark. If you fail, you'll be trapped there forever or die! However, if you aren't confident in your abilities, you may skip this test and enter another round.

But remember, you will receive zero points for this practical examination!"