Florida Man in Magus World: Unleashing Liberty and Freedom

However, the final grenade slipped past the snapping jaws of the feral creatures and landed directly in the middle of the pack. The explosion that followed was even more devastating. A massive wave of heat and flame erupted, creating a fiery inferno that incinerated everything within a 10-meter radius. Screams and bloodcurdling growls filled the air as several goats were cooked alive.

Despite the chaos and destruction caused by the explosions, the herd of goats showed no fear. In fact, they seemed to enjoy the carnage. The surviving goats gnawed on the charred remains of their fallen comrades, tearing through scorched flesh, completely indifferent to the flames still licking at their bodies.

As the fire spread through the dense forest, casting ominous shadows and illuminating the purple-tinged sky, the goats divided into two distinct groups. One remained behind, feasting on their own fallen comrades, while the other half continued the pursuit. The distraction of the feast had effectively cut their numbers in half.

Felix glanced over his shoulder, scanning the dwindling herd. Realizing that only half of the original swarm was still on his tail, he muttered under his breath.

"Okay, that's better."

Though the immediate danger was still real, Felix's mood brightened. Dealing with a thousand crazed, leaping goats had been too much to risk, but with only 500 still on his tail, it seemed like something he could manage. Tightening his grip on the jet pack's controls, he squinted at the sight of his old home just ahead.

However, the situation wasn't ideal. His house had been sitting abandoned for over a month, meaning the protective barrier had long since deactivated. If he led the flesh-eating goats straight to the door, they might tear the place apart trying to get to him. That wasn't an option.

Thinking quickly, Felix adjusted his flight path, veering sharply to the north. The dense and mysterious Purple Forest loomed ahead. Felix had always avoided that place, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Felix had a plan.

"Whatever's hiding in that cursed forest, I'll deal with it along with these goats."

The goats noticed Felix's sudden change in direction and immediately pursued, galloping with alarming speed. Their hooves pounded the ground like racehorses on a track, showing no sign of fatigue despite the relentless chase.

Felix didn't bother with any fancy maneuvers. He simply kept his pace steady, dodging the occasional lunging goat, all while making a beeline for the forest. As he flew over the trees, he caught the attention of the forest's inhabitants, aka mutated beasts and lurking monsters. Many of which had been hiding within their nests. Drawn out by the disturbance, they peered out and saw Felix.

Unfortunately for them, much like the goats, these creatures also gazed up at the sky. The moment their eyes locked onto the Cursed Moon, they, too, fell under its terrible influence.

A deafening chorus of screeches and howls erupted as more of the forest's beasts joined the chase, adding to the chaotic horde. However, some native monsters were unaffected by the moon's curse. Their eyes shifted, not to Felix, but to the crazed animals now rampaging through their territory.

Among the unaffected beasts was a family of four-armed bears, one male and one female, who had been hibernating in their cave and protecting their cubs. The massive creatures spotted the herd of flesh-crazed goats charging through their domain. Without hesitation, the bears leaped into the fray, catching four goats mid-air and mauling them to death.

But the goats were frenzied and relentless. Realizing the bears hadn't succumbed to the curse, they instinctively labeled the creatures as prey. Hundreds of goats lunged at the bears, and a brutal battle unfolded.

The powerful monsters stood their ground, effortlessly slashing through the goats with their enormous claws. In mere moments, they had torn through a hundred of them. But even the mighty bears couldn't withstand the sheer numbers. The goats' razor-sharp fangs found their mark, and eventually, the once-proud creatures fell, becoming food for the cursed herd.

Felix glanced back and saw the number of goats had diminished further. At first, he felt a fleeting sense of relief, but then frustration took over.

"Hey, that wasn't part of the plan!" he shouted, clicking his tongue in annoyance. "Y'all were supposed to chase ME to the edge of the island!"

With the goats distracted by the fight, Felix realized he'd lost the momentum of his plan. Now, instead of leading them off the island, they were thinning themselves out in the forest, feeding on whatever came their way. He needed to come up with something fast before he lost control of the situation entirely.

Fortunately for Felix, the chaotic scene resolved itself without his intervention. Out of nowhere, a hundred towering trees uprooted themselves, rising to their feet—or rather, their gnarled roots.

These were the mutated trents, the corrupted forest spirits created by Joxonu to hinder the Lundop House's growth. Unlike the frenzied beasts, the trents were completely unaffected by the moon's curse. To them, the crazed goats and wild animals were nothing more than fertilizer for the forest.

The massive tree monsters wasted no time. With the grace of predators, they swung their thick branches, scooping up sprinting animals and lifting them to the center of their trunks, where grotesque mouths appeared.

These gaping maws opened wide, shutting only when filled with unfortunate creatures. A nauseating crunch echoed as the trents chewed their prey—goats, bears, and whatever other beasts had been unfortunate enough to cross their path.

By the time Felix reached the northern edge of the flying island, the once-persistent herd of goats and other cursed beasts had completely vanished. They were either devoured by the monstrous trees or too busy fighting for survival against the Purple Forest's native creatures.

Felix paused, hovering in mid-air. He glanced back at the forest, now a warzone between mindless animals and merciless trents. With a slight tilt of his head, a smug grin spread across his face.

"Ha! Calculated," Felix laughed, claiming the credit for what was clearly a stroke of luck.

<Obviously a fluke,> Jessica's dry remark echoed in his mind.

"Unintentional, but still CALCULATED!" Felix shot back, snickering to himself as he readjusted the joysticks.

Felix turned his jet pack toward home, setting a course that would take him around the Purple Forest and over the eastern grasslands, rather than risking the western mountains or the monster-infested woods.

The plain grasslands offered a safer, quieter route. The wide and open field, devoid of the twisted dangers lurking in the forest, was the perfect escape. Felix flew low, embracing the wind whipping at his face, as he prepared to return to his house.

.

.

After a precarious and exhausting journey, Felix finally arrived home. His jet pack whined as it powered down, and he descended onto the helicopter pad on the rooftop with a soft thud. Unclipping the harness, he let the jet pack slide off his back and made his way to the battery room, intent on getting his home back up and running.

The essence stone room looked the same as it had when he left—dim, silent, and stagnant. The spent crystal sat lifeless atop the altar. Its once vibrant glow was long gone. The air inside was stale, thick from the lack of circulation, as the room lacked any kind of ventilation system. Felix grimaced at the smell of dust and decay but wasted no time.

He carefully replaced the depleted essence stone with a new one, ensuring it was seated securely on the pedestal. The moment the stone made contact with the altar, the engraved magic circle on the floor lit up, bathing the room in a vibrant RGB glow. It flickered for a moment before stabilizing into a steady hum, casting the shadows aside.

As if on cue, the house came to life. The soft hum of electrical appliances echoed throughout the building, and the air conditioners roared to life. Dusty vents groaned as fans spun into action, pushing out months' worth of accumulated dust.

Stepping out of the room, Felix waved away the clouds of dust as they were expelled into the atmosphere. He turned to gaze out at his surroundings.

The barrier that protected his house shimmered back into existence, a faint, transparent dome enveloping the property. Its reassuring hum filled the air, a clear sign that the magical defenses were fully operational once again. With the barrier in place, Felix's home was once more a safe haven amid a world full of dangers and monsters.

Felix took a deep breath, feeling a rare moment of peace.

"Home, sweet home."

Eins and Jiji wasted no time after arriving, eagerly stepping out of the system subspace to explore their surroundings. From the rooftop, they peered around in curiosity, taking in the landscape like two excited children discovering a new playground.

The small, two-headed hydra, Eins, was particularly mischievous. With wide, curious eyes, she spotted a ventilation duct and couldn't resist. Before Felix could say a word, she scurried over and began climbing it.

Without waiting for permission, Eins slipped into the duct, completely ignoring the potential danger of the spinning fans.

"HEY!" Felix shouted, but it was too late. She had already vanished inside the narrow passageway. His heart leaped in his chest as he imagined the worst—what if she got caught in the fan blades?

*CLANK*

A loud metallic crash echoed from within the vent system. Felix's eyes widened in panic, but before he could rush to investigate, Jessica's calm voice reassured him.

<Eins and Zwei are fine. You don't have to worry about them.>

Jessica's words settled his nerves, though he couldn't help but wince at the sound of another fan meeting its untimely demise. Apparently, Eins had simply torn through the blockade, unharmed but leaving a trail of broken fans in her wake.

Relieved, Felix turned his attention to more immediate concerns—the rooftop door that led into the house. Unlocking it with his house key, all he could think of was the promise of a hot shower and the soft embrace of his bed. He had been through enough today, and the thought of finally relaxing was almost too tempting to bear.

But before he could even take a step inside, Jiji tapped him on the shoulder, her mischievous grin already hinting at some request.

"Master," she began, "I spotted a strange pond nearby. Can I take a shower there?"

Felix blinked, confused for a moment before realizing what she meant. He rolled his eyes. "That's not a pond, Jiji. It's a swimming pool. There's a proper shower room inside, you know."

Jiji's grin only widened as she leaned in closer, her tone playful. "Oh, I thought we'd take a bath there together and... relax."

Felix froze at the word *relax*. His thoughts momentarily derailed, but he quickly caught himself. Still, the idea of unwinding in a heated pool didn't sound half bad. He mentally weighed the options.

"Jessica, does the pool have an auto-cleaning function?"

<It does,> Jessica replied, already knowing where this was going.

"And... can you turn the swimming pool into a hot spring?"

<I can.> Felix could almost hear the smirk in her voice.

"Then do it, please."

Jessica smiled inwardly, amused by Felix's sudden shift in plans. She linked up with the house's control system, adjusting the settings. The water in the pool began to heat up, and old, stale water was siphoned away, replaced by fresh, steaming liquid. The once-ordinary swimming pool was now transformed into a luxurious hot spring, just waiting for them to enjoy.

Felix sighed in contentment, already imagining the warmth of the water melting away his exhaustion. "Finally," he muttered, allowing himself a rare moment of indulgence.