Florida Man in Magus World: Unleashing Liberty and Freedom

Diana faintly smiled. "I\'m not asking you to join my quest. This is the only way for me to show my system screen to another system user. It\'s also a way to prove that I have no reason to harm you."

Felix didn\'t believe her. Even if she was sincere, her people would try to enslave him on sight.

As Felix\'s expression mirrored his thoughts, Diana read him like a book. She snickered, "You\'re not the type to trust anyone, I see. Well, I really mean it. I will not harm you."

"But your people will."

"I\'ll try my best to control them."

"…"

Both paused, staring at each other as their conversation reached a stalemate. In the end, Diana made the first move. She raised her hands over her shoulders, signaling that she gave up persuading Felix.

"What I\'m trying to say is... This place is too dangerous for a human like you. I don\'t want to fight with you, and I don\'t want you to pick a fight with my children."

"Then leave me alone."

"I cannot. Our clan wishes to expand outside the forest. This city and Aero City are in the way."

"Go settle down elsewhere. I own this place."

Diana pursed her lips and crossed her arms, trying to come up with a solution. As Felix remained on guard, her options were limited. Diana tried another proposal.

"I heard you adopted one of our children. Have you fed her a fate crystal yet?"

Felix narrowed his eyes, recalling that Diana\'s quest offered an Earth Fate Crystal as a reward, which might be related to her offer.

"What\'s the crystal?"

"A necessary evolution material for everyone, including humans. If you eat it, you can gain new power."

Diana didn\'t mention that it wouldn\'t work on system users who had been blessed with a superior fate crystal when they arrived in this world.

From Diana\'s knowledge, fate crystals came in three grades, ranging from the weakest to the strongest: Earth, Sky, and Heaven. Her ancestor had mentioned three more superior fate crystals, but those existed elsewhere.

Diana pushed the bait, "Since you don\'t know, how about I give you one to express my sincerity. I really wish to be your friend."

Felix never hated free stuff, so he accepted it. "Leave it on the ground. I\'ll pick it up later."

"You\'re very paranoid. I won\'t eat you, you know."

\'Your people already ate me.\' Felix retorted in his mind.

Felix glanced at the system menu. Her signal was still yellow, meaning she could still betray him. "I\'d rather be safe." He affirmed his stance, keeping Diana at arm\'s length.

"Alright. I\'ll take my leave. Come to the Black Forest if you change your mind. Oh, and it\'s better to leave this place in a few days. I told my people to clean up the remaining human towns around here."

Diana retreated, but she sneaked glances at Felix\'s face and body, secretly biting her lower lip, desiring him for herself. She wondered if she could persuade her sponsor to convince Felix\'s ancestor to give him to her.

At that moment, Diana\'s color switched between red, yellow, and green. Felix\'s expression darkened as he struggled to read her intentions.

\'Are you a friend, a foe, or a stranger? Make up your mind!\'

...

Felix stood there until sunset, wary of a sudden ambush from afar. When he was sure that Diana wouldn\'t return, he stepped outside the barrier and picked up a square crystal from the ground. Rushing back into the barrier, Felix entered his house and locked the door behind him.

Putting the crystal in his inventory, Felix checked its description.

…

Earth Fate Crystal

Description:

Fate crystals contain a mysterious energy that grants great luck to their owners. Rumor has it that possessing a fate crystal guarantees life success.

The Earth Fate Crystal is an incomplete artifact with three utilities: boosting one\'s luck, granting a random minor fortuitous encounter, or destroying an earth-grade ability of a fellow fate crystal owner.

Effect 1: *Push the crystal into your chest to get the following effects:*

- Grants one random earth-grade unique talent or pinnacle skill.

- Grants a small chance of unlocking a system.

Effect 2: *Absorb the crystal\'s energy by using any breathing method to get the following effects:*

- Permanently boosts your luck by one level

- Grants one life-changing opportunity to owner.

Effect 3: *Crush the crystal to get the following effects:*

- Removes one ability, skill, or system from every earth fate crystal user other than you within a 100-mile range. Does not affect fate crystal bearers of a higher grade.

…

Although Felix was uneducated in local terms and system jargon, he could tell that these fate crystals could undo everything he had achieved so far. If someone with a similar fate crystal showed up in front of his house and destroyed it, his building, Jessica, the oil derrick, and his items in the inventory would be erased instantly.

This was a dangerous item!

A few minutes ago, Felix feared nothing. But now, all the hair on his body stood on end, and he broke into a cold sweat. He thanked his ancestor for the great luck that Diana didn\'t use this fate crystal against him.

Fear gripped his heart, making him cough. His face lost color, and his jaws trembled.

Fortunately, Jessica was there for him. She reminded him of one fact Felix had overlooked.

<Your fate crystal is heaven-grade. An inferior stone like this is nothing to you. Also, heaven fate crystals are super rare in this world. Chances are, if someone obtained it, they would have used the crystals to get new abilities instead of keeping them around.>

Felix felt a little better. He could breathe normally again. Still, Felix had doubts, "It\'s still possible that someone might know its effects and keep them around, isn\'t it?"

<That requires them to be in possession of another heaven fate crystal or a higher grade. Then, that person must have an appraisal ability that can identify fate crystal\'s effects like you, which is rarer than finding a born Floridian without guns.>

"…"

Felix couldn\'t argue with that comparison. He nodded while his complexion returned to normal.

Keeping the fate crystal in his inventory, Felix shifted his attention to the urgent matter at hand—the movements of the Lamias. He also thought of the oil derrick in the forest, as he hadn\'t checked it in a long time.

Felix prayed that nothing would happen to his mana oil or Jane\'s group. Unfortunately, it appeared that Felix jinxed it too much. Jessica suddenly closed her eyes and informed Felix of bad news.

*DING*

<The system automaton "Cement" is under attack.>

<The system automaton "Cement" has been deactivated.>

Felix narrowed his eyes, "…What happened to that pervert?"

<Replaying the recent events…>

Jessica summoned a new window, which played a video clip from the cement golem\'s point of view.

At first glance, the video felt like a vlog with a silent host. The scene showed a wide bustling market while the golem followed Jane, carrying large leather shopping bags full of fruits, cabbages, and straw packages of raw red meat. Jane carried a bag of bread in her left arm, leading the tour. They moved through the busy market and reached an empty stone street.

Jane quickened her pace as if she wished to reach her shelter before nightfall. The golem followed her closely. Nothing seemed unusual so far.

As Jane proceeded on the sidewalk and reached a street corner, she immediately took two steps back and pulled out a short dagger from her waist.

From the blind spot of the corner, five thugs emerged, holding short knives and a rusty sword. The thugs sneered and ordered Jane to give them all her grocery, money, including her body.

Felix scoffed. He believed Jane wouldn\'t lose to mere thugs.

The golem seemed to think the same. It gently put the grocery bags down and approached the men. The fight ended in five seconds as the golem punched them to the face, one each. Everyone received a broken nose and scattered away in panic.

Nothing seemed wrong so far. Again, Felix frowned, confused about how the golem was defeated.

Felix soon got his answer. As soon as the thugs fled, a tall man in a renaissance suit, coat, and hat walked out of the same corner. He played with his cane, stroked his trimmed beard, and adjusted his transparent eyeglasses with his middle finger.

A second later, the man glanced at the camera. The golem then fell to the ground for no reason, and its vision turned black.

The video ended.

"…"

Felix stared at the black screen with round, bloodshot eyes. He touched the screen, replaying the last moment to get a closer look at the mysterious man. When the screen focused on the nobleman\'s face, Felix paused the video.

The middle-aged man looked somewhat familiar to Felix. He felt like he had seen him before.

Moreover, that man\'s facial outline, height, and skin were a stark contrast to the working-class local people, who were a head shorter than this guy. While everyone in the city had slightly tanned skin, this man was bright and pale as if he had never seen sunlight or touch grasses.

A white man, eyeglasses, and that face…

Deja vu?

I\'ve just seen that man\'s face before,

Higher on the street… No, we\'re not singing that song…

Felix closed his eyes, recalling the past, but he couldn\'t remember. The only thing that came to mind was a few lines from Diana\'s quest description.

A serial killer wannabe?

Last known location, Big Zoot City?

Ability… Life Drain?

Wait a second…

Suddenly, the faces of four men who were present before Felix\'s first death flashed in his mind. Their faces were blurry at first, but the man with the glasses slowly became clear.

Was he THAT guy?