novelzi Chapter 152 - 152: Florida Man Battles Winter Chill by Setting His Crude Oil Barrel Ablaze in Backyard, Accidentally Torches Neighbor's House
Chapter 152 - 152: Florida Man Battles Winter Chill by Setting His Crude Oil Barrel Ablaze in Backyard, Accidentally Torches Neighbor's House
Flying west, Felix soon spotted his next destination. The horizon ahead was dominated by towering black Fir trees, their jagged tops piercing the sky like spears. The signature dark leaves of the forest stretched out endlessly, casting a shadow that gave the Black Forest its eerie name.
Most trees stood as tall as 100 meters, with trunks wide enough to make his house look small in comparison. They were so immense that, in another world, they might have been called world trees.
It was an awe-inspiring sight.
Felix ascended further, avoiding the trees. His jetpack hummed as he soared higher to clear the treetops. The canopy below formed a sprawling, dark sea of leaves, broken only by the occasional gap revealing the forest floor. Despite their beauty, the trees gave off a forbidding aura, one that spoke of ancient magic and untold dangers lurking within.
*DING*
A sudden ping echoed in Felix's mind, coming from an item in his system inventory. He glanced at his interface and saw that it was his pocket watch, which doubled as an oil deposit radar. The alert meant that a new, unoccupied mana oil deposit had been detected nearby.
Felix's eyes lit up at the prospect of discovering more resources for his territory, but he had a mission at hand.
Unfortunately, with the wind rushing by and both hands occupied controlling his jetpack, there was no way to pull out the pocket watch and check its exact location. Gritting his teeth, Felix decided to press on, knowing he could come back later. His eyes focused on the vast mountain range that loomed ahead, the massive peaks jutting out from the black expanse of trees below.
His goal lay somewhere beyond the mountain, a specific landmark—a waterfall that he had been tracking for days. If his instincts were right, it would lead him closer to the answers he sought and to Diana's hidden domain.
…
*FWHOOSH*
After hours of flying, Felix finally reached his destination. Below him, a formidable sight awaited.
A regiment of a hundred basilisk warriors stood on their snake legs, all arranged in a perfect square formation. Each had the unsettling lizard-like heads typical of their kind, but what caught Felix's attention were their eyes.
Their eyes glowed with an eerie light similar to Jiji's, his own familiar. The resemblance was uncanny, and it sent a ripple of unease through him.
*DING*
It wasn't difficult to find out why. Indeed, they had the same eyes as Jiji's — The Eyes of Petrification. And they didn't hesitate to use it on him.
Hovering in the sky, Felix quickly glanced at his system map. As expected, all the basilisks showed up as red dots—hostiles. His brows furrowed with irritation. These creatures, like so many others, had a penchant for claiming territory that wasn't theirs.
"Annoying pests," Felix muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing.
He expertly maneuvered his jetpack, descending gracefully onto the top of a towering black Fir tree, balancing himself with ease. His left hand stayed on the control stick, steadying the craft, while his right hand slipped into his inventory. With a quick motion, Felix pulled out an incendiary grenade—one of the many tools he had obtained from the Class B gacha crates.
Without a second thought, he yanked the pin and tossed the grenade into the center of the basilisk army.
*BOOM!*
The explosion tore through their ranks, flames roaring to life, engulfing the unfortunate basilisks within the blast radius. Screeches of pain and fury filled the air as burning warriors hissed and thrashed about. The once disciplined square formation quickly crumbled into chaos, with frantic lizard-men slithering in every direction.
Yet, despite the confusion, they immediately sought out their target—Felix.
Felix watched calmly from above as their leader, a massive basilisk clad in crude armor, screeched orders. The beast launched itself toward a nearby tree with astonishing speed, its clawed hands sinking into the bark as it began its ascent. Four more basilisks followed suit, their agility impressive for creatures of their size.
Felix's lips curled into a smirk. They thought they could reach him?
As the basilisks neared the top of the tree, where Felix stood, he casually returned his right hand to the control stick. With a press of the button, his jetpack roared to life once more, lifting him effortlessly into the sky.
Just as he ascended, the leading basilisks reached the tree's peak. They opened their monstrous jaws and screeched in frustration, their glowing eyes
"Should I take out some mana oil from my inventory and cook myself a little bonfire next time?"
The thought was tempting. After all, it was better than his current method of burning years through magic cigars. Why not have a more efficient and entertaining way to farm lifespan? Maybe throw in a dragon steak and make it a whole thing. The possibilities were endless.
Felix let out a relaxed sigh, eyes twinkling as the system pinged him again. He stood there, almost bored by the stream of life-extending notifications, but still plotting. He could already imagine himself surrounded by controlled flames, a nice warm glow, casually gaining centuries while flipping through a book or maybe even smoking another cigar for the irony.