Florida Man in Magus World: Unleashing Liberty and Freedom

"Probably... two hours?" he muttered to himself.

<Roughly, yes,>

Felix sighed, taking another puff as he focused on restoring his dwindling lifespan. He silently prayed that nothing would go wrong in the meantime. Unfortunately, as if to mock his wish, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway, growing louder as they approached his door.

Frowning, Felix looked toward the door, half-expecting someone to bring him towels, drinks, or even a congratulatory gift. Instead, the door was kicked open, and two gold-armored knights stormed in, swords drawn and pointed directly at his throat. A sultry elf woman, Elizabeth, followed them into the darkened room, her expression a mix of amusement and authority.

"Felix Ariel, the emperor has issued your arrest. Come with us, or else," Elizabeth declared.

Felix smirked, instantly realizing the reason for this visit. Glancing at the system map, he confirmed that the two knights were marked as hostile, while Elizabeth was identified as a purple dot, an impossible foe to defeat. Recognizing that direct combat would be too risky, Felix decided to play it smart.

\'Can you summon the contract paper and show it to these clowns?\' he mentally asked Jessica.

<Sure.>

*DING*

A hologram materialized in front of Felix, displaying a detailed contract with various clauses that Felix and Emperor Saucon had agreed upon. Felix pointed to one specific clause.

[Until Felix turns 18, he is under no obligation to comply with any authority\'s orders, including mandates from the Emperor, as long as he remains within the law.]

Using the contract as leverage, Felix calmly addressed Elizabeth, "I don\'t know what the emperor wants from me, but I have the right to refuse his summons. If he wishes to discuss my half-dead opponent, he can visit and speak to me himself. Now, if you\'ll excuse me, I need to recuperate. I used a lot mana in that last spell."

Elizabeth, her eyes fixed on the magic contract screen, reread it multiple times, baffled as to why the emperor would agree to such a disadvantageous arrangement with a teenager. She couldn\'t hear what Felix said.

Felix, seizing the moment, pressed further.

"Tell me, ma\'am, I used magic in a magic duel against my opponent. What law did I break? If you can\'t point out the law I violated, then I won\'t be going with you."

The knights, undeterred by the contract, cloaked their weapons in auras of power, ignoring the hologram. Elizabeth shifted her gaze from the contract to Felix, narrowing her eyes with a sneer of disdain.

"What contract? All I see is a dead man. Kill him and bring his corpse to the emperor. We\'ll use his body as an apology to the Corn House."

Felix\'s mind raced the moment Elizabeth uttered the words "Kill him." Reacting instantly, he pulled out two pre-loaded M1 rifles and kicked the floor, sliding backward away from the knights. He aimed both rifles at the gold-armored warriors and squeezed the triggers.

*BANG*

*BANG*

The knights, unprepared for the sudden attack, were knocked backward by the abnormal impact of the mana-enhanced bullets. The rounds punched through their torsos, leaving gaping holes in the wall behind Elizabeth. Meanwhile, the intense recoil caused Felix\'s rifles to slip from his grasp, clattering to the floor.

Elizabeth remained unfazed after her minions had fallen. With a slight tap of her heel, she summoned five magic circles around Felix. From these circles, vine-like tentacles sprouted and swiftly coiled around his legs, arms, and torso, lifting him into the air. She calmly drew a dagger from the sheath at her waist, approaching Felix with cold determination.

"It\'s a pity to kill a talented mage like you," she said, her voice devoid of emotion. "But since you dared to harm the child of the Corn House, you will pay the price."

Felix struggled against the restraints, but the vines held firm. As they tightened, sharp needles sprouted from them, piercing his skin and injecting a strange green fluid into his bloodstream.

Elizabeth watched with satisfaction as the poison took effect. Seeing the spikes embedded in Felix\'s flesh, she smirked, her tone turning smug.

"These are Hae Vines from the Oquellia Forest. We usually reserve them for torturing spies. In just a few breaths, your nerve sensitivity will increase tenfold. Every touch will bring excruciating pain, and your bones will slowly liquefy while you remain hyper-sensitive."

Felix raised an eyebrow, seemingly amused by her explanation. He took a deep breath, drawing fire mana into his lungs. Then, he exhaled forcefully, launching a fireball straight at Elizabeth\'s face.

Startled, the elf\'s eyes widened as she quickly cast a defensive spell. A wall of thick vines shot up from the ground, intercepting the fireball.

*BOOM*

The fireball exploded upon impact, igniting the vine wall.

Elizabeth scowled in frustration, "You\'re just like those savages from the Crimson Desert! You all deserve to die a dog\'s death!"

Felix didn\'t respond. Instead, he calmly summoned a pack of cigarettes from his inventory, tossing them into the blazing wall. The cigarettes caught fire, releasing thick, foul-smelling smoke.

Unaware of the smoldering cigarettes, Elizabeth remained behind her vine barrier, coughing as the phoenix smoke filled the room. She hurriedly backed out, slamming the door shut behind her. As she left, she threw a final remark, "Die in your own flames, fire mage scum!"

Outside the room, four gold-armored knights awaited her return. Elizabeth ordered them with firm voice, "Wait until the fire dies down. Then, retrieve his corpse."

The knights nodded, stepping aside to let her pass. But as she walked by, they couldn\'t help but notice her appearance had changed. The once smooth and flawless skin of her face had withered, resembling that of an elderly woman in her 80s. Her graceful beauty had turned into a haggard, almost ghostly visage.

.

.

Meanwhile, Felix took a deep breath and spat fire at the vines binding his legs and arms. The vines quickly caught flame, weakening as they burned. With a sharp tug, Felix snapped the brittle vines, freeing his arms. He unsealed a fresh pack of cigarettes, catching one between his lips, and lit it with the fire still flickering on his wrist.

Looking at the door, Felix snorted.

"What poison was that again?"