Chapter 108: Florida Man Busted for Secret Affair with Reptilian Ladies
Name: Felix Ariel
Age: 15/555
Bloodline: Void Phoenix
Element Affinity: Fire, Water, Metal, Poison, Void
Authorized Level: Super Democracy Pass (E)
Level: 30
Energy: 10M/10M
Mana: 10,000,100
Innate Talents: Flame Lungs, Fast Learner, Fire Immunity, Poison Immunity, Petrification Immunity, Ashen Resurrection
Skills: Flame Breathe (Entry), Fireball Spitting (Entry), Flame Mana (Entry), Flame Aura (Entry), Mana Manipulation (Entry)
…
Felix had long forgotten when he acquired the talent or perk for *Poison Immunity*, but he was always aware that his body was immune to harmful substances and external poisons.
Initially, Felix feared he might die from the headmaster's attack. Fortunately, her ignorance of his immunity worked in his favor. He managed to drive her away using nothing but the pungent smell of his cigarettes.
After burning away the remaining vines, Felix walked over to the two dead gold knights. He stored their bodies in his inventory, extracting mana from them while keeping their golden armor for later use.
Glancing at the system map, Felix noticed four red dots lingering outside the room, their presence a constant reminder of the locals' hostility.
'Come to think of it, didn't the emperor just break the contract? Sending an assassin to kill me definitely counts as a breach,' Felix mused, the corners of his mouth curving upward.
<He did, and he should be feeling the consequences right about now,> Jessica chimed in.
Felix summoned the magic contract and carefully reread the entire document. His eyes narrowed as he focused on the penalty clause, eagerly anticipating what he could gain from the emperor's mistake.
…
- Penalties (Emperor): If Saucon breaches any term of the contract or purposely withheld the promised supports, Felix is entitled for compensation, such as triple the amount of land grant, a one-time payment equivalent to thrice the value of stipends he would receive until graduation.
In addition, Felix has to rights to freely leave or remain in the empire without paying taxes for the rest of his life.
…
There was a potential way for Felix to exploit the situation, but the method wasn't clear. Without anyone to enforce the contract, Felix was unsure how to make it work, especially when the emperor could easily kill him to nullify the agreement.
<I know what you're thinking. It might seem that way if you apply modern-world logic. But in this magical world, every time someone breaches a magic contract, they suffer a mana backlash—a sort of magical warning shot. Since the emperor ordered someone to kill you, he should be feeling like he just got punched in the gut.>
"…Oh."
<Also, I suggest you start planning your escape. The emperor's made up his mind about you, and you should do the same.>
Felix rubbed his chin and nodded, knowing it would be foolish to stick around and let the empire's forces bully him without consequence.
Felix picked up the half-broken M1 Garands that had been accidentally burned during the previous battle. He disassembled them, salvaging any usable parts, and discarded the broken pieces into the system's recycle bin.
Next, he pulled out his IWI shotgun to check its chamber and components, knowing it had fired several mana-piercing shells several times before. Felix wondered if he could still use it in the next battle.
As Felix inspected the shotgun's barrel, his heart sank. Just as he had feared, the barrel had a crack. Though the shotgun had been with him for a long time, Felix reluctantly disassembled it, discarding the damaged barrel and other broken parts. He swore to himself that he would one day reassemble the same shotgun or create an even stronger weapon.
Now, Felix was left with a modern Beretta, a SCAR, and the weapons he had crafted himself. He brought out the semi-automatic assault rifle and the pistol, carefully scanning them for any malfunctions.
Fortunately, both weapons were in working order. Felix loaded them with mana-piercing rounds, preparing to bust out of the place and rescue Jane even if he had to sacrifice both his partners. Standing up, he looked toward the door, ready to initiate his escape.
"Master," Jiji's voice interrupted his thoughts just as he was about to initiate the "Purge" Operation. She had a suggestion.
"Master, the poisonous substance in your blood from earlier could be useful for Eins. Could you grant her permission to consume it? It will be quick."
Felix paused, bemused, and glanced at Jiji's portrait. Since it wasn't causing him any harm, he agreed. "Go ahead."
Eins, visible in her system portrait window, leaped with joy. She exited the system's subspace dimension as if ejected from the floating monitor. Without warning, she opened her mouth wide and bit into Felix's neck.
Felix was slightly taken aback. He had assumed that Eins would handle everything from within the system's subspace, but instead, she bit him and sucked his blood like a tiny vampire snake.
As Eins enjoyed the taste of Felix's blood, her scales turned red, and a small fire spark ignited at the tip of her wagging tail. Gradually, a swelling lump began to grow from her body.
Felix didn't notice, but Jiji was watching with a faint smile, proud of Eins's progress. Soon, Eins would grow the second head.
"Anything else?" Felix asked Jiji.
"Yes," Jiji replied. "Since you're preparing for battle, could you allow me to fight alongside you? One of my eyes has fully regenerated, and I can be useful in combat."
"Fine. Come out then," Felix said, then paused. "Wait, you mentioned something about your eye. Will I be petrified if I accidentally look into it?"
"Of course not, my lord. I'm your familiar. None of my powers will ever work against you. You can't even be mutated or poisoned if we exchange fluids. Speaking of which, I sense you've been rather sexually frustrated lately. Would you like me to help relieve that tension first?
Or would you prefer to take out your anger on those foolish empire men instead?"
Felix stared at her, speechless. He shook his head and laughed, "Let get our hands bloody first. We'll talk about the other offer later… if I manage to get Jane's permission."
In the end, Felix allowed Jiji to come out. The lamia princess gracefully exited the system screen and rested next to him. She lifted her blindfold, revealing her restored eye. The blue iris sparkled like the clean surface of a clear river under the sunlight. Felix gazed into her eye, stunned by its beauty. He couldn't help but praise her.
"…You're actually beautiful."
Jiji giggled, "Thank you, my lord. But have you told your wife that you're keeping me?"
"…Not yet."
Felix deeply exhaled, wondering what Jane would think of him if he confessed that he had been secretly raising pets.