Chapter 250: I Know Your Mother

The area outside the camp was packed with Shadows and Witches, all gathered around a figure they were watching with wide, curious eyes.

The air was much hotter than it had been a few hours ago. The heavy smell of blood made them feel sick, while their bodies ached as though rust were forming around their joints.

Even their artifacts could no longer protect them well enough. The Desolation hadn’t appeared yet, but they had already started losing their ability to fight.

Despite that, their attention was on something else for the moment. Instead of panic or helplessness, their faces showed curiosity and surprise.

"What kind of Witch Robe is that?" one of the Witches murmured, staring at Magna’s clothes.

He had been walking around half-naked until recently. If he owned something like that, he would have worn it already.

There wasn’t anything like it in the camp that he could have borrowed either.

Hell, a Witch’s robe designed for a man was something they had never even imagined before.

Magna could feel their intense stares on him. Thanks to his enhanced senses, he could also hear their whispers, including the Witch who had just called his clothes a Witch Robe.

He immediately turned toward her.

She flinched under the serious gaze of his golden eyes.

"It’s not a Witch Robe... It’s a Magus Robe. Don’t spread false information behind my back."

He spoke as seriously as he could, putting particular emphasis on "Magus."

If he didn’t correct them now, who knew what they would start calling it later?

"Magus?" Renna repeated beside him. "Is that what you’re calling yourself?"

Despite her worry and fear, his serious expression made her chuckle. He seemed more afraid of being called a Witch than of facing the Bleeding Desolation.

"Yeah." Magna gave a firm nod. "From now on, call me Magus Magna. I wouldn’t mind a few other cool titles either."

He had heard of Witches with impressive titles before. Vanessa Ives, Faye’s mentor, was called the Witch of the Rime-Blight. There was another called the Witch of the Pale-Plague.

They had earned those names through feats known across the world. Vanessa’s story was particularly impressive. Despite being at only the 19th Trial, she had supposedly fought a Dragon for 3 years and survived, earning her title afterward.

Magna had never had the chance to check whether that story was true. It sounded a little exaggerated, especially the part about the fight lasting 3 years.

Still, thinking about those titles made him wonder what people would call him.

He had defeated a Desolation with one punch and a freezing spell. Now he was about to face another to save the Underworld. Surely that would earn him something good?

’Okay, calm down. Back to the main point.’ Just imagining it had made his heart beat faster. He forced himself to settle down before getting any more carried away.

Renna spoke while he was still trying to quiet those thoughts. "Promise me you’ll come straight back if you can’t lure it away. We can still wait for Lady Melisandre to return and come up with another plan."

Magna laughed. "Of course. Do you think I’m stupid enough to get myself killed?"

Renna didn’t look entirely convinced. Still, with no better option, she reached into her robe and pulled out a pouch.

"Here. Some pills. Don’t hesitate to use all of them."

Magna accepted it and checked inside. They were the same pills Melisandre had given him, but there were at least 100 this time, more than 3 times what he had received before.

A single pill restored around 9% of his mana. With this many, he could even undergo several mutations.

"Hey, hey. You’re not giving me all your pocket money, are you?"

"Do you think I’m that broke?" she brushed it off before quickly adding, "Go before I change my mind."

Magna didn’t wait for her to start trying to talk him out of it again. He turned and jumped into the sky, leaving everyone below watching him go.

This time, he barely disturbed the ash around him when he jumped. His jump was much more controlled now that he had grown used to his body and strength.

His new clothes was the biggest reason.

As he rose through the air, he realized how high he had jumped without even using his full strength.

The Magus Robe’s 50% increase in muscle strength was incredibly useful. Even better was the speed boost, which now nearly tripled his speed after the modifications.

He could feel the difference in the way his body moved. Somehow, wearing the full outfit felt easier and less restrictive than being half-naked.

If he had to compare it to something, it would be the exoskeletons on Earth that helped people move more easily and efficiently.

The protection was working too.

As he approached the Bleeding Desolation, the growing heat and heavy smell of blood no longer affected him the way they had before. His mask filtered the air before it reached his lungs, letting him breathe comfortably as he continued.

Moving faster than before, he soon reached the place where he had found the dead Shadow, with the Bleeding Desolation only a little farther ahead.

It was still walking slowly, one step after another, like a hunched old woman with one foot in the grave. Yet it had covered all this distance while he was away.

Magna had enough experience not to trust that appearance. Just because it was moving slowly now didn’t mean it couldn’t move faster.

He continued forward, keeping behind the mounds of ash.

The closer he got, the more cold mist rose from his clothes. The blue lines flowing like thin streams across the fabric were working harder now, while the protective layers resisted the heat and corrosion.

The artifacts seemed to be under considerable strain, but they were doing their job. Unlike last time, Magna didn’t feel as though he were about to lose consciousness.

He could feel a little more heat. That was all, and it was still bearable.

With the outfit holding up, he could finally focus on getting the monster’s attention.

If he could make it follow him, he could begin leading it away from the camp.

He approached a little farther before stepping out from behind a mound.

Then he waited.

He wanted to see whether it would notice him, though he wasn’t even sure it had eyes. None were visible at the moment on its body, which was made entirely of blood.

The monster didn’t turn toward him or slow down. It simply kept walking at the same pace.

’There’s no way it’s seeing my new outfit and not reacting.’ He thought maybe the monster really couldn’t see.

Feeling a little disappointed, Magna moved closer, thinking perhaps its other senses were better.

Still, it continued walking as though he weren’t there.

’Okay, you forced me to do this.’

Standing in front of it clearly wasn’t enough. He didn’t want to approach any farther either, not with so much mist already rising from his clothes as they struggled against the heat.

If he wanted a reaction, it was time to use his trump card.

He cupped his hands around his masked mouth and shouted.

"Hey! I know your mother. She used to work for me!"

He was sure no sane being would stay indifferent after hearing that.