Chapter 219: Lord Magna

Magna was doing an excellent job playing the role of a mysterious and powerful man.

He regarded the 3 Shadows in front of him calmly, standing straight with his chin slightly raised.

There was even a slightly mocking look on his face as he enjoyed the moment.

His lack of proper clothing somewhat ruined the effect, although in a way, it also added to his mysterious appearance.

After all, what kind of man would travel through such dangerous lands without even wearing armor?

And it seemed to be working. The Shadows bowed their heads respectfully before introducing themselves.

"Sorry to disturb you, sir. We’re from the 23rd Unit, dispatched here to stop the Devouring Desolation."

The Shadow paused briefly, glancing at the completely frozen ground.

The enormous mountain-like monster was now entirely covered in ice, no longer moving. That was how they had managed to come up here to investigate.

Magna also glanced around, feeling somewhat shocked himself. He had done all this unintentionally, never expecting the spell to be so powerful.

"Sir, may I ask how we should address you?" the Shadow continued in the same respectful tone.

Until they arrived, they had been expecting to meet Lord Arthas. They were certain no one else could possibly possess such extraordinary strength.

But seeing an unfamiliar face had left them confused. The only thing that offered them some reassurance was that the stranger was human.

Magna maintained his aloof attitude.

"You can call me Magna."

The Shadows showed little reaction, apparently having never heard the name before.

"Lord Magna, may I ask which unit you belong to and what your mission is here?"

They had believed theirs was the only unit dispatched for this mission. But after witnessing what had happened, they began to suspect that the 5 Grand Witches might have secretly sent another force in case their own unit failed.

Magna had no idea how to answer that question. He wasn’t particularly familiar with their organizational structure or missions, so he decided to be honest.

"I’m not from any unit, nor am I here on a mission. I was just passing by when I came across you and decided to help."

Seeing the Shadows exchange confused looks, he added, "Actually, I’m looking for the entrance back to the Witch Realm. Do you know where it is?"

"The entrance?" They were becoming increasingly confused with every word Magna spoke.

They wondered whether he was joking, but his face made it clear that he was completely serious.

Someone arriving here without knowing where the entrance was located was something they had never heard of before.

Then again, it wasn’t their first time encountering an airheaded or even downright stupid Shadow, since they were generally known more for their physical strength than their intelligence, so it wasn’t all that surprising either.

They didn’t even question him. One of the Shadows pointed in a direction and answered, "There’s a camp farther ahead. The entrance to our realm is located there."

Magna’s eyes lit up as he turned to look.

All he could see in that direction was more ashen ground and rocky hills, so the camp was probably quite far away.

Still, a single jump was enough for him to cover several kilometers, so he doubted the distance would be much of a problem.

He turned back toward them.

"Thank you. Well, see you later?"

Without waiting for an answer, he bent his knees and launched himself into the sky, quickly disappearing from view.

"..."

The Shadows remained where they stood, watching the man vanish into the distance.

They had come here under their leader’s orders to find out who this mysterious man was, yet in the end, they had learned almost nothing.

After taking one last look at the enormous crater and the frost covering everything around them, they began climbing down from the monster’s summit to report back.

—

"He was alone? Are you sure?"

Renna frowned slightly as she listened to the Shadows’ report.

She was certain there had to be a Witch somewhere nearby. It was the only explanation for why the Desolation was now completely frozen and motionless.

"Yes," the Shadow answered confidently before continuing. "He was quite muscular, almost naked, with what looked like clothes torn apart during a battle. He wasn’t wearing any armor or artifacts."

That information alone was enough to shock everyone. What kind of sane person would wander through these dangerous lands half-naked?

The Shadow continued. "He was around 1.80 meters (5’11") tall, with a well-built physique, messy black hair, and golden eyes."

Renna’s face changed slightly upon hearing the description, but she allowed him to continue.

"He said he wasn’t from any unit or here for a mission, only passing by. He also asked where the entrance to our realm was, then jumped toward the camp."

Hearing that, one of the Witches behind them frowned and angrily interrupted.

"Are you stupid? You told a complete stranger where our camp is?"

No matter how they looked at it, Magna was certainly suspicious. For all they knew, he could be a monster disguised as a human.

The 3 Shadows also realized their mistake, their faces filling with worry and fear.

"We thought he might be someone from that mysterious unit..." one of them tried to explain.

"Mysterious unit, my ass! Isn’t that just a rumor?" another Witch snapped.

If the Grand Witches had really decided to send another force to support them, surely they would have been informed.

As the argument grew more heated, Renna finally stepped in.

"Stop arguing. What’s done is done."

She was frustrated herself, but she knew it was partly her fault for sending these muscleheads to investigate.

There hadn’t been much choice, though. They were the most physically capable Shadows in the unit, able to climb up and down the monster’s enormous body faster than anyone else.

"At least tell me you asked his name?"

She could only hope they had enough sense to do that much.

"Ah, yes. It was..." The Shadow hesitated, realizing he had actually forgotten the name in all the excitement.

Luckily, one of his companions remembered. "It was Magna."

"Magna? I’ve never heard of anyone with that name. Definitely suspicious."

The Witches began expressing their concerns and displeasure again.

Renna, however, reacted very differently.

Her eyes widened at the mention of that name, which was neither strange nor unfamiliar to her.

Her attention immediately sharpened, her voice rising slightly in pitch with a faint tremble as she asked, "Magna? Are you sure?"

Everyone fell silent at their leader’s unexpected reaction, unable to understand what had shocked her so much.

"Tell me exactly what he looked like again. You said he had golden eyes?"

She wanted to make absolutely sure it wasn’t just a coincidence.

The Shadow was about to answer, feeling increasingly nervous under her intense stare, when a sudden noise drew everyone’s attention.

BOOM!

A loud explosion came from behind them, sending dust and ash rising into the air.

"Form a defensive line!"

Renna immediately regained her composure and shouted her orders, believing they were under attack.

The Shadows rushed to the front while the Witches took their positions behind them, preparing their spells as everyone turned toward the thick cloud of dust.

Their faces were grim. They had only just survived a difficult battle, leaving them exhausted and with barely any mana remaining for another fight.

As they watched the dust cloud with growing tension, a dark silhouette began emerging from within it.

Then, under everyone’s wary eyes, a half-naked man with golden eyes stepped out.

Magna looked at the defensive formation and the intense stares directed at him. Realizing his arrival had probably frightened them, he let out a small chuckle.

"Ah, sorry. I just came back to ask if you have anything to eat," he said with an awkward smile.