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

Although Drumph had been furious with Melania and Silas, he didn’t scold them for long.

After all, staying in Lakeside City any longer was far too dangerous for everyone.

In the end, Drumph made the decision to lead the group back to safety first.

Two hours later, they finally arrived at the entrance of Shelter 102.

Luca could feel his condition deteriorating, and he was eager to get some rest.

“Even though I’ve now harnessed immense power, the battle in Lakeside City took a serious toll on me. I need to rest as soon as possible. I’ll leave the cleanup to the rest of you,” he said calmly.

With that, he turned and headed directly to his residence.

Naturally, Drumph and the others didn’t object.

As members of Morning Star, it was their responsibility to handle the aftermath anyway.

Drumph promptly led the Morning Star personnel to the command center of Shelter 102.

Nova, though also in poor condition, didn’t stay behind at the shelter.

She quietly said her goodbyes and returned to the Daskhollow base of Zenith Technology Company.

Susie had been waiting at Shelter 102 for Luca’s return.

The moment she saw him, she ran straight into his arms.

“Why are you so badly hurt? Didn’t the people from Morning Star give you enough support?” she asked with concern, eyes fixed on the wound on Luca’s face.

While the injury wasn’t severe, it was on his face—making it hard to miss.

Luca gave her a warm smile.

“It’s nothing serious, really. Don’t worry—this little cut won’t ruin my good looks.”

His teasing reply made Susie blush instantly.

“I wasn’t worried about that,” she mumbled, lowering her head and fidgeting with her fingers.

“I’m just a bit exhausted right now,” Luca said gently. “I really need to rest.”

Without another word, Susie tugged on his arm and led him toward a room she had carefully prepared.

“I’ve already set everything up for you—you can rest right away.”

The moment Luca stepped through the door, he was taken aback by the room’s design.

Susie had truly gone above and beyond.

The entire room was arranged exactly the way Luca liked it.

No matter what, Luca knew he had to thank Susie properly.

“I really love how you decorated this room. Thank you so much for doing all this for me.”

“Why are you thanking me? There’s no need for that between us! It’s what I should do. Just go get some rest—I won’t bother you anymore!”

Susie blurted the words out quickly, then turned and ran off before he could respond.

Luca gently closed the door behind her and lay down on the bed.

Just as he was about to shut his eyes, Sophia’s voice echoed in his mind.

“I can already feel it—your trial mission is about to begin. A surge of energy just appeared… one that’s tearing through the boundary between two worlds.”

Sophia’s tone carried a warning.

Luca simply grunted in response. Of course he had sensed the fluctuation as well.

But for now, the most important thing was rest.

Only with his strength restored could he face whatever came next.

—

While Luca slept, over in Shelter 102’s command center, Drumph was poring over every document and report available.

His expression was grim.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that his subordinates weren’t taking him seriously enough.

“You all went behind my back and did this much without informing me? Are you people forgetting who I am? I’m your superior officer!”

Drumph slammed the folder in his hand down hard on the desk, his voice rising in fury.

He glared at the people in front of him and barked,

“What’s the matter? Cat got your tongues? Weren’t you all full of big ideas before?”

As the group remained silent, Drumph’s anger only grew hotter.

His eyes scanned the room before settling on Fuzzsir.

“You and Melania were authorized to support Shelter 102—that’s true. But I also clearly stated that any unexpected developments had to be reported to me immediately. Why didn’t you inform me?”

Fuzzsir mumbled a vague explanation, stumbling over his words.

But it was obvious Drumph wasn’t buying it.

“There’s no brushing this off,” Drumph said coldly. “I want a full, detailed account of everything that happened. No more secrets.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Donlow spoke up to challenge him.

“What exactly do you want us to explain?” Donlow shot back sharply. “Haven’t all of these matters been crystal clear from the beginning? Wasn’t Zenobia a threat to us all? Luca went to deal with that threat—weren’t we supposed to support him? So why are you still so hung up on this?”

Her rapid string of rhetorical questions caught Drumph off guard. For a moment, he was at a complete loss.

After all, he couldn’t scold Donlow the way he did others.

So, after a brief silence, he followed up with a quieter question:

“Shouldn’t you have informed me ahead of time? Why is it that you only ever bring things to my attention when the situation is already critical?”

“That’s because you don’t handle pressure well,” Donlow replied bluntly. “Every time a major crisis emerges, you panic. And if we had told you about our plan this time, you definitely would’ve reported it to Morning Star’s upper command.”

She didn’t elaborate further—her message was already more than clear.

If their plan had reached the upper echelons before execution, the leadership of Morning Star would surely have intervened.

And Zovland would’ve used that opportunity to interfere with their efforts.

Though Zovland eventually stood with them against the monsters, that only happened after Drumph applied significant pressure.

Donlow’s direct rebuttal left Drumph speechless.

With nothing left to argue, he could no longer press the others.

Once he’d calmed down, Drumph spoke in a more measured tone.

“Maybe everyone had their reasons. But I want you to understand this: I’m always standing behind you, ready to support you. So next time, if you’re facing something dangerous—come to me first.”

Now that his anger had subsided, the others seized the opportunity to express their loyalty and support.

Still, there was a hint of discouragement in Drumph’s eyes.

He waved a hand, signaling for everyone to leave.

“You’ve all been through a lot,” he said. “You must be exhausted. Go rest—because who knows? It might not be long before we face another massive threat.”

With that, the group dispersed one by one.

Drumph himself didn’t stay in Shelter 102 much longer either.

That same afternoon, Drumph boarded a plane and returned to the Imperial Capital, bringing several of his key subordinates with him.

After all, the safety of the Imperial Capital remained his highest priority.

He couldn’t afford to have the bulk of his elite forces stationed elsewhere for long.

At the same time Drumph was departing Shelter 102, Nova finally arrived back at the Daskhollow base.

For her, this mission had been a failure—an outright disaster.

Not only had she failed to eliminate Senator Devitt, but she had also nearly exhausted all her trump cards in the process.

She now had very few effective weapons or tools left.

The security personnel stationed at the base rushed to greet her with concern, eager to know her condition.

“I’m not injured,” Nova said wearily. “You all go back to your duties.”

After dismissing them, she headed straight for the communications room.

She immediately initiated a secure line to headquarters.

“Sir, I must report with the deepest regret… my mission has failed. Although I severely wounded both Zenobia and Senator Devitt, neither of them was eliminated.”

She paused for a moment, then continued—this time accepting responsibility without excuse.

“I’ll accept whatever punishment you deem appropriate. This operation was a complete failure, and that’s on me.”

“Why would I punish you?” a synthesized, mechanical voice replied through the communicator.

Nova’s expression shifted—there was a flicker of suspicion in her eyes.

She tried to interpret the true meaning behind those words.

“I’ve already received a general overview of the situation. Your performance during this operation was commendable. At the very least, you strengthened your ties with Luca and earned greater trust from the members of Morning Star.”

The emotionless synthetic voice echoed throughout the room.

Nova’s expression grew more solemn.

She felt no relief from avoiding punishment. In fact, the more she listened, the more she felt that every one of her actions had been carefully watched and controlled.

The operation in Lakeside City had only just concluded—so how had her superior at headquarters already grasped the general outcome so precisely?

The thought unsettled her deeply.

But she had no time to dwell on it.

Because her superior was about to issue new orders.

…

In Oakville Town, the node connecting the Eternal World and the real world suddenly erupted with a dazzling green light.

A surge of overwhelming chaotic energy reestablished the link between the two realms.

The once-withered colossal tree began to sprout countless fresh buds once more.

At the same time, innumerable chaotic monsters were awakened by the power of the chaos surge.

In that very instant, the two worlds were drawn into resonance—synchronized through the force of chaos.

And with that resonance, Luca’s trial mission had officially been generated.

He was about to receive a clear and direct prompt.

And the moment that prompt appeared, he would have no choice but to begin the trial immediately.

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