Florida Man in Magus World: Unleashing Liberty and Freedom

It had been months since Felix had felt any real connection, and his body instinctively responded to the shadow's advances. However, he was in the middle of a critical test, and he knew he had to remain focused. Fighting against his own desires, Felix gently patted the shadow's head and pulled it closer, his voice soft as he whispered, "I'm so sorry, but I'll be with your real self later, okay?"

The shadow paused, as if contemplating his words, before leaning its head against his chest. It didn't release its hold, and Felix, too, stayed still, savoring the quiet and tender moment they shared.

*WHOOSH*

Ten minutes later, the peaceful interlude ended as the shadow began to disintegrate. It crumbled into dust, leaving behind a glowing white orb that floated gently in front of Felix. He stared at the pure, crystal-clear orb, puzzled by its color—it was different from the previous one.

Curiosity piqued, Felix asked, "Is the orb's color related to my mood or moral?"

Jessica's voice responded in his mind, <More like how you solved the issues. Have you checked the item's description yet?>

"Oh, right. I almost forgot," Felix murmured, opening his inventory menu. He carefully placed the glowing orb into his inventory and began comparing the two items, searching for any clues that might explain the difference.

…

Mark of Wrath

You mistook the shadow domain for your home and barged in uninvited. Without hesitation, you killed the rightful owner. Had you knocked and attempted to be civilized, the outcome would have been different.

This orb reflects your impatience.

…

Mark of Purity

Faced with temptation from the shadow, you responded with pure love and care, remaining faithful to your spouse.

This orb symbolizes the loving heart of a devoted husband.

…

As Felix read the item descriptions, a realization dawned on him. "I see. Are they testing my seven sins and virtues?"

<It seems that way. If not, the emperor wouldn't have discouraged evil attendees from taking this test,> Jessica responded.

"Alright. Now that we know what this is about, I should prepare for the other five sins. Any idea which one I'm most likely to fail?"

<Sloth, Greed, Envy, Gluttony, and Pride.>

"…That's everything," Felix muttered, speechless. He couldn't believe Jessica had so little faith in him.

<If you let your guard down, you're that vulnerable,> she warned.

Felix fell silent, but her words resonated with him. He nodded, steeling his heart as he prepared for the next test of virtues.

Moments later, a new white energy portal materialized in front of him, inviting him to enter. Anticipating another trial, Felix rubbed his hands together and focused his mind before stepping through the portal.

He walked through a corridor of bright light, crossing dimensions until he emerged in a dark, night-shrouded forest. Nearby, a brightly lit military camp caught his attention.

Felix recognized the place immediately. It was the Turo Encampment, the site of a previous battle led by Sinnet's squad. However, something was off.

There was no sign of life. The usual sounds of wind and birds were absent, leaving only the crackle of fire as the kindling burned.

Surveying the camp and forest, Felix was puzzled. What was he supposed to do here? He checked the system map for any hints, but there was nothing within his radar range.

'Odd,' he thought.

With no clear direction, Felix decided to approach the camp. For safety, he drew his SCAR rifle, ready to counter any sudden ambush.

As he strode toward the camp's perimeter, Felix scanned the area, searching for any sign of movement.

Nothing appeared.

With each step, unease grew within him. The eerie silence gnawed at his nerves.

Reaching the main tent at the center of the camp, Felix entered, hoping to find a clue. Inside, he discovered a strategy table covered with chess pieces arranged on a geographic map. A quick glance revealed the map depicted Terra City and its northern territories.

Uninterested in war games, Felix left the tent and continued his search, exploring the empty camp.

…

An hour later, Felix still hadn't found anything. Frustration crept in as he bit his lower lip, baffled by the purpose of this stage. As usual, he turned to Jessica for guidance, making a playful penguin face in reference to an internet meme.

"Jessica, analysis," he requested.

Jessica played along, <This is a puzzle stage, sir.>

"A puzzle?"

<I've been mapping the camp as you explored. The layout of this camp doesn't match the real military camp you attacked a few months ago. It's inverted, but something's missing.>

She opened Felix's system map and pinged a location northeast of the camp. <From my analysis, this stage is a matching image puzzle. There's an obvious anomaly here. Head to the location I highlighted, and we'll figure this out together.>

"Alright," Felix agreed, following the marked location and bypassing several empty tents along the way.

After walking two hundred yards, he arrived at the designated spot. Just as Jessica had mentioned, an object that didn't belong in this place stood out—a modern drinking fountain in the middle of a field filled with resting quarter tents.

Felix inspected the fountain, walking around it in search of more clues. After a moment of looking up and down, he found a note stuck underneath it. It read: "The faucet is broken. Fix it so that the water can run again."

Felix was speechless. He gave a wry smile and pointed at the drinking fountain, glancing at Jessica.

<This is the Sloth Stage for sure. Do you hate plumbing jobs?>

"…I hate them with a passion. They're annoying and time-consuming."

<You'd better hurry and fix it. I've been keeping track of time. It's already 4 PM, and you have about 13-14 hours left to finish all other tests.>

"Well, shit. Where are the tools, then?"

Felix began searching for tools to screw or replace the faucet, but found nothing useful around him. Frustrated, he scratched his head.

"Do I have to invest my lifespan and purchase the tools myself?"

Jessica summoned the system map again and pinged a dozen locations. <I've detected modern objects within the military camp. You should be able to find the right tools if you search the highlighted spots on the map.>

"Oh, come on. Are you secretly working as an exam administrator or something?"

<I'm helping you find clues. Don't take your anger out on me,> Jessica retorted, giving him a stern look.

"Whoops. Sorry, sorry. Alright, I'll work harder! Man, I hate this stage."

<M*ke T*son once said, "Discipline is doing what you hate to do but doing it like you love it." That's probably the clear condition of this stage. It's annoying, but you'll have to tackle it with passion.>

"…Right."

With no other choice, he began running around the camp, searching for and collecting modern tools from the locations Jessica had marked.

…

**Two Hours Later**

*ZAAA*

Felix sat next to the running drinking fountain, staring at the work he had just completed. The fountain itself wasn't broken. Instead, there had been a pipe leakage underground. To fix it, Felix had to dig through the hard ground, locate the damaged pipe, and replace it with a brand-new one—all while the water continued to flow. As a result, he was completely drenched.

Wet and exhausted, Felix took off his shirt and wiped his face. Then, he stood up and took a deep drink from the fountain. But before he could swallow, the water in his mouth suddenly condensed into an orb. Alarmed, he attempted to spit it out before it could grow large enough to break his jaw.

*CRACK*

The expanding orb dislocated Felix's jaw, tearing the corners of his mouth and leaving him looking like the Joker. However, he managed to spit the orb out before it could expand further.

"Goh, dahhit (God dammit)!" he cursed, unable to close his lower jaw.

In a mixture of pain and frustration, Felix grabbed a bottle of potion and poured its contents down his throat. Then, with a quick motion, he snapped his jaw back into place.

*CRUCK*

The sound of bone joints reconnecting was oddly satisfying, but it left behind a deep ache. Felix let out a muffled groan as the pain radiated through his teeth, tongue, upper jaw, ears, and the back of his head. He fell to his knees, clutching his mouth, tears of agony streaming down his face.

Slowly, the potion's effects began to heal his torn mouth and ease the soreness. After resting for ten minutes, the pain subsided.

Felix, still haunted by phantom pain, couldn't stop rubbing his chin. He picked up the white orb and stored it in his inventory.

…

Mark of Diligence

You could have ignored the fountain's condition, but you fixed it anyway even though you hated the job. This proves you're not a lazy person.

The orb represents a disciplined man who embraces hardships and difficulties.

…

Felix scoffed at the description, wondering what he would have had to do to earn the Mark of Sloth.

While being absentminded, a mischievous idea festered as he looked at the running fountain. He opened his inventory menu and moved it closer to the structure, allowing the water to pour into one of the empty slots.

*DING*

The water from the fountain was successfully stored in his inventory. Felix grinned, eager to inspect what he had collected. However, his time in this stage was up. A new portal materialized, urging him to move on to the next challenge. He smacked his lips, closed the menu, and walked toward the bright portal.

To the next stage!