Florida Man in Magus World: Unleashing Liberty and Freedom

At the VIP spectator box in the stadium, Saucon clutched his stomach with his left hand as a wave of nausea threatened to overwhelm him. The food he'd consumed earlier surged up, almost forcing its way out through his throat. With sheer willpower, Saucon swallowed it back down.

This wasn't the first time he had breached a magic contract. He had prepared for this outcome ever since he made the agreement with Felix.

Garudeer noticed the emperor's pale complexion and narrowed his eyes. Without seeking permission, he stood up and left the VIP area, heading directly to Felix's locker room. As he made his way to the backstage hallway, he crossed paths with Elizabeth.

Elizabeth gave Garudeer a smug look as she walked past him. Garudeer, however, noticed the withered appearance of the elf's face and caught the scent of unfamiliar smoke clinging to her. Without needing to ask, he deduced she had been involved in something unusual—or had just fought a fire mage.

There was only one conclusion: she had clashed with the only fire mage in the backstage area—Felix.

"Is he still alive?" Garudeer asked.

Elizabeth kept walking but replied, "Deader than dead."

"I see. Then I guess it's war. Don't expect me to spare your disciples in the academy."

Elizabeth stopped in her tracks, her expression turning sour as she remembered that two of her disciples were still studying at the academy. She turned and warned Garudeer, "If you touch any of my disciples, I'll kill everyone from your tower."

"You're the one who crossed the line, Elizabeth. Have you forgotten the magic contract that forbids us from harming each other's disciples or people? Look at you. Do you think you can fool anyone with that appearance after the magic contract's backlash?"

Elizabeth flinched at the reminder of the magic contract between the three magic towers. She glanced at her arms and stomach, finally noticing that her skin had become so dry and wrinkled that it resembled the limbs of an aged woman.

Mistaking the condition of her skin as the backlash, Elizabeth's expression darkened. She looked up and glared at Garudeer, offering an excuse, "This was the emperor's order. I had no choice."

"Excuses!"

Garudeer summoned a gem-topped staff and pointed its tip at Elizabeth. She responded by drawing a pair of daggers and stomping her right foot, causing ten magic circles to manifest—five from Garudeer and five from Elizabeth, each facing the other.

Just as the two archmages prepared to unleash grand spells on each other, an explosion erupted from the backstage hallway. Blood-curdling screams of grown men followed, as if they were being burned alive.

Garudeer turned to look at the commotion. Elizabeth, seizing the opportunity, kicked off the ground and dashed away, fleeing the scene. She recognized the fire mana emanating from the flames in the hallway.

Those were Felix's flame!

He hadn't died yet!

Elizabeth gritted her teeth, baffled and frustrated. She couldn't fathom how Felix had survived the Hae Poison Vines, one of her strongest trump cards. Fearing retaliation and exposure as an old hag, Elizabeth decided to hide, leaving Saucon's men to clean up her mess.

Garudeer watched Elizabeth flee but hesitated to pursue. He was more concerned about Felix. Rushing down the hallway, Garudeer headed toward the source of the commotion.

When he arrived, he saw two silhouettes in the midst of a sea of flames that engulfed a section of the hallway. One figure resembled a human, while the other had the lower body of a giant snake—a form Garudeer recognized all too well.

A lamia in the stadium?!

Garudeer couldn't allow the monstrous woman to roam free. He raised his staff, preparing to cast a spell.

*BANG*

Suddenly, something fast shot out from the flames and struck the shaft of his staff, breaking its tip. Garudeer stared at his weapon in shock.

The beings within the flames ignored him. They moved swiftly together, heading toward the backstage exit.

"STOP!" Garudeer bellowed, but he didn't dare cross the sea of flames. The two dark silhouettes merely glanced at him before continuing toward the exit.

Garudeer gripped the broken staff and infused it with his mana. Wind mana gathered in the wooden staff, restoring part of its tip. He could have extinguished the fire with his wind magic, but he feared accidentally harming other examinees in the nearby locker rooms. He muttered to himself, feeling a pang of guilt for Felix.

"I'm sorry, child. I shouldn't have involved you in this mess. But why are you with a lamia?".

.

.

Felix ignored Garudeer and led the way, with Jiji slithering closely behind him in her Lamia form. She had already removed her blindfold, revealing her glowing blue eye.

As they ran down the hallway, Felix kept glancing at the room signs, searching for a particular name—Valley. When they reached the section for the female-only locker rooms, he finally spotted it.

Felix looked back at Jiji, who nodded and quickly put her blindfold back on. Once he was sure that Jiji's petrifying eye was concealed, Felix kicked the door open with a powerful blast.

Inside, Valley sat on a bench, startled by the sudden intrusion. She screamed in surprise.

"Valley! Time to go home! Come with me!" Felix declared as he grabbed her wrist, trying to pull her along.

"What? Why do we have to leave?!" Valley protested, resisting his grip.

Felix turned to her, his expression serious. "The emperor doesn't want us here. He just sent an assassin to kill me. They'll come for you soon too. We need to get out of here!"

"Eh?! But why?!" Valley exclaimed, bewildered.

"From the start, these spots were reserved for children of important noble families. We're in their way," Felix explained.

"EH!?" Valley couldn't comprehend the situation. She was heartbroken, as she had been so close to achieving her dream of joining the academy. Refusing to listen, she shook Felix's hand off and took a step back, yelling at him in frustration.

"This is the opportunity of a lifetime! You can't just come here and ruin it!"

Felix looked at her with a mix of concern and resignation. Valley was important to Jane, so he didn't want to leave her behind. He decided to give her one last chance.

"I was just attacked by one of the headmasters. I'll say it again—this place isn't what you think it is. Come with me. If you need a mentor, I can help you. I know a few breathing methods."

Felix was confident he could sacrifice some of his lifespan to purchase superior mana breathing methods and spellbooks from the system store. They seemed to be far better than the local magic system.

But Valley shook her head and stepped farther away from him. "Who do you think you are?! A magus? If I stay here, I can learn from many archmages! I don't want to learn anything from you!"

Felix took a deep breath. Valley had made her choice, and he respected it. It was time for them to part ways.

"I see. Good luck with your academy life. I'll leave the golem with you. Do whatever you want with him."

With that, Felix turned and exited the room, cutting ties with Valley. He then focused on finding Jane, scanning for her signal on his system map.

The signal indicated that Jane was somewhere in the stadium's spectator area. Without hesitation, Felix rushed toward the exit, with Jiji following closely behind.

.

.

Leaving the stadium through the back exit, Felix asked Jiji to return to the system screen to avoid attracting too much attention, and she agreed. Once she was hidden, Felix walked out of the stadium as if nothing had happened. He glanced back at the massive structure, then rechecked the system map.

The map showed that several people who once appeared as yellow had turned red, and many who were green were slowly changing to yellow. Only a few greens remained. Meanwhile, the soldiers outside the stadium were oblivious to the developments within and remained either yellow or green.

With so many people showing their true colors, it became easier for Felix to distinguish allies from foes. Jane's icon stood out on the map, indicating she was south of the stadium, on the opposite side of the emperor. Felix himself was near the south exit.

Seeing how close they were, Felix decided to infiltrate the spectator area. He joined the back of the queue, switched his crude tunic shirt for a fancy long-sleeve hoodie from his supply box, and pulled the hood over his head. Blending in with the other merchants queuing to enter, he paid his way into the south stand and made his way to the upper deck.

It wasn't hard to find Jane, who was focused on the match in the arena. Instead of pulling her away like he had with Valley, Felix quietly sat behind her, leaned forward, and whispered, "Jane, it's me."

Startled, Jane turned and saw Felix. "Felix?" she whispered, smiling as she was about to stand up, but Felix placed a finger on her lips, signaling her to stay quiet.

"Shhh. Don't speak too loud," he warned.

Jane got the hint and narrowed her eyes. "What happened?" she asked softly.

"This place is messed up. They want me dead. I have to leave. Will you come with me?"

"And Valley?"

"I talked to her. She wants to stay."

"…I see." Jane sighed deeply, understanding the stubbornness of the young woman. Valley was so close to achieving her dream of joining the academy. She only needed to survive a few more fights.

Making a tough decision, Jane gave Felix a bitter look and hesitated before pulling the sparkling diamond ring from her left hand. She handed it back to Felix—his engagement ring, the one he had given her on their first night together in his house.

"I'm sorry, but I can't leave her alone. We have to end our relationship here."

Felix glared at her, "Are you nuts? You're breaking up with me because of your ex-boss?"

"I wouldn't have lived this long if it weren't for the Lundop House. They gave me a second chance at life. Now that the lords are either captured or dead, Valley is the last member of the Lundop House. I'm so sorry, Felix, but this debt can't be paid with money."

Tears welled up in Jane's eyes as she carefully placed her wedding ring in Felix's hand. Trembling, she whispered, "I wish we could be together. I still love you."

Felix bit his lower lip, his gaze shifting to the emperor's VIP box on the opposite side. He muttered, "Tell me, if the academy is so prestigious, will Valley give up if it suddenly blows up tomorrow?"

"…What?" Jane looked at him in shock, not understanding his words.

"If Valley wants a good school, I can just make one. But first, that idiot emperor needs to compensate me for breaching the magic contract. I guess I still have some unfinished business here."

Felix took Jane's hand and slipped the ring back onto her finger, then gave her a gentle kiss on the lips.

"Also, I'm sorry, Jane. Your husband is very possessive. You can't divorce me just yet."

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