Online Game: I Started with Max Charisma and Caught the Goddess's Eye

Donlow quickly reported her situation to Luca.

It had been less than half an hour since she set out, and already the two Morning Star members had been forced to withdraw from the operation.

Luca wasn’t particularly surprised by the news.

He responded calmly, “It was expected. As long as Fuzzsir and Melania can keep a few of the stronger monsters occupied, that’s good enough.”

He showed no emotional reaction to Fuzzsir and Melania’s failure.

Nova, too, had anticipated that something like this might happen.

So the two of them continued pressing forward toward Lakeside City’s urban center.

They were now very close.

“I’ve spotted some monsters,” Nova whispered to Luca.

“They’re hiding behind those high-rise buildings.”

Luca nodded.

“We’ll split up. Take them out quickly, and then we regroup.”

With that, he abruptly dashed toward the strongest monster in the group.

The monster, startled by his sudden charge, didn’t immediately retaliate. Instead, it turned to flee.

But Luca had no intention of letting it escape.

He activated his flame magic runes.

Blazing fire rained down from the sky, forming a wall of flame.

Four of the more powerful monsters were trapped within the fire.

With no path to escape, they had no choice but to turn and fight Luca head-on.

Meanwhile, Nova had already finished off one of the monsters on her side.

She glanced over toward Luca.

“Seems like I’m faster than you—I’ve already taken one down,” she remarked.

“You only got the weaker ones,” Luca replied coolly. “The strongest monster is over here with me. If you’re done with yours, come give me a hand.”

After clearing out the monsters in her sector, Nova quickly regrouped with Luca.

Working together, the two of them eliminated all nearby monsters in less than fifteen minutes.

By now, they had entered the southern district of Lakeside City, an area filled with abandoned skyscrapers.

“We’ve made it this far, and yet Zenobia and Councilor Devitt still haven’t shown themselves. What are they thinking?”

Nova’s voice carried a trace of concern.

Their continued absence felt unnatural to her. It had to mean something more—some hidden agenda.

Luca responded coolly, “Whether they show up or not doesn’t really matter. Our only goal is to reach the very center of Lakeside City. That’s where the chaotic energy is strongest.”

Nova didn’t press the issue further.

The two of them continued deeper into the city.

But because the terrain of Lakeside City was so complex, their pace slowed significantly compared to before.

By midday, they had only just exited the southern district and entered the city center.

At this point, the oppressive force of chaotic energy was clearly noticeable.

“There must be a demonic nest at the heart of Lakeside City,” Nova quickly concluded.

“Zenobia and Devitt must be relying on that nest to restore their strength.”

Luca neither confirmed nor denied it.

He had been quite certain there was a demonic nest at the city’s core.

But now that they were so close to it, he could sense something else—something unfamiliar.

The energy he felt was similar to primal power, yet not as pure.

It seemed to be a fusion of primal power and chaotic energy.

But that didn’t quite add up.

Zenobia and Devitt had never shown any sign of using primal power before.

Nor did they seem like the type to fuse primal power with chaos.

So what exactly was this strange force he was sensing?

The question gnawed at Luca’s mind.

Meanwhile, in the northern district of Lakeside City, Donlow had found herself in serious trouble.

Wounded and bleeding, she crouched beside a collapsed wall for cover.

Half an hour earlier, she had encountered a level 65 monster head-on.

It had been a fight she had no hope of winning.

After pushing herself to the brink, Donlow had finally found a chance to escape.

Now, she was doing everything she could to avoid being detected by a shadow bat.

A flicker of darkness swept across the sky above, and Donlow instinctively ducked lower behind the rubble.

“Why the hell hasn’t this cursed shadow bat flown away yet? Is it just going to keep circling this place forever?!”

Donlow was starting to feel a twinge of regret.

She realized now that she had overestimated her own strength.

If she had followed Luca’s advice and retreated at the first sign of danger, she wouldn’t be in such a perilous situation now.

But it was already too late for regrets.

Now that she had entered the urban area of Lakeside City, she knew there was no easy way out.

Fifteen minutes later, after confirming that the shadow bat had finally left, Donlow decided to continue moving toward the city center.

It was the only way to rendezvous with Luca.

And joining up with Luca was her only real chance at survival.

While Luca and his allies continued their advance, Zenobia and Councilor Devitt—who had been lying in wait—found themselves locked in another heated argument.

This time, the debate centered on whether they should take the initiative and launch a preemptive strike.

Zenobia was adamantly opposed to letting Luca and the others reach her inner sanctum.

She had spent a great deal of effort constructing a complex formation there—one that rapidly restored her chaotic energy.

The last thing she wanted was for that formation to be damaged in battle.

Devitt, however, believed that the formation’s destruction was inevitable.

In his mind, it was better to use the power of the formation during the fight, to gain the upper hand against Luca.

“You don’t need to worry so much,” Devitt said, trying to reassure her.

“As long as we win the battle, no one will ever be able to threaten you again. At that point, you won’t need the restoration array anymore.”

Zenobia shot him a cold glance.

“Easy for you to say. Even if things go wrong, I’m the one who stands to lose everything—not you. Isn’t that what you’re really thinking?”

“That’s not it at all!” Devitt quickly protested.

“I don’t want to see you suffer any losses. You’re my only ally right now.”

“I can’t return to the Eternal World anytime soon, and I’ve already made enemies of Zenith Technology Company. Who else can I rely on but you? In a situation like this, why would I want to see you harmed?”

His explanation seemed to work—at least somewhat.

Zenobia no longer looked as furious as she had moments before.

Still, she held firm to her position.

“If you want me to truly believe you’re a trustworthy ally, then you need to prove it. That so-called ‘duel’ with Luca in the Dream World didn’t put you in any real danger.

So now, I want you to be the one to take the initiative.”

As Zenobia was speaking, the door to the underground chamber slowly creaked open.

Her message couldn’t have been clearer.

This time, the command was not up for negotiation.

Councilor Devitt let out a long sigh.

“In that case, I’ll take the initiative. But I hope you’ll offer me some support—at the very least, I’ll need a portion of chaotic power.”

Before he could finish his sentence, a surge of overwhelming chaotic energy flooded into his body.

“This amount should be more than enough,” Zenobia said impatiently.

“With this power, you can fight Luca and the others. Even if you can’t defeat him, you’ll at least weaken him.”

Her tone had grown sharp and irritated—her patience clearly exhausted.

Devitt quickly left the underground chamber.

No matter what, he had no choice but to face Luca again.

Truthfully, he had no confidence in defeating Luca.

After several clashes, he had come to deeply fear him.

The moment Devitt was gone, another voice echoed from the shadows of the basement.

“I don’t think you should trust him. He was your enemy in the Eternal World. And the Via Empire hasn’t given up on hunting you down.”

A jester in a top hat and tuxedo, leaning on an elegant cane, materialized out of thin air in the chamber.

His presence was theatrical—unnerving.

“I’m fully aware of that,” Zenobia replied coldly.

“But given the current circumstances, he’s the only ally I can realistically rely on. Do you really think I could partner with the Ancient Gods?”

“Whom you choose to ally with isn’t really my concern,” the jester said with a twisted grin.

“I just want to see you win. After all, I’ve already placed my bet on you.”

He let out a sharp, grating laugh—one that suggested he wasn’t offering advice in good faith.

It was clear he hadn’t come to help.

He was simply here for the spectacle.

“This place is about to become a battlefield,” Zenobia said, narrowing her eyes at him.

“Shouldn’t you be leaving now? Or has the Goddess of Fate whispered something new in your ear?”

Zenobia stared at the jester, as if trying to read something deeper in his expression.

The clown-like figure simply strolled around the basement with an air of amusement.

“How could someone like me be worthy of knowing the Goddess of Fate’s intentions?” the jester replied with a theatrical shrug.

“And even if She did have a new thought—what could you possibly do about it? All things move according to the will of the Goddess. Her mind is beyond the comprehension of any being.”

“Then why did you place your bet on me winning?” Zenobia pressed, her voice sharp with urgency.

“Did you see something in one of Her revelations? Did fate show you something?”

The jester suddenly froze in place.

His form flickered, becoming hazy and insubstantial—

And within seconds, he vanished completely.

Zenobia’s face twisted in disappointment.

She cursed under her breath, seething with frustration.

“That damned Riddle! He never gives a straight answer! When I regain my divine rank, I swear I’ll rip that smug mouth of his apart!”

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