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

Under the cover of night, in a desolate and remote village, Senator Devitt crouched behind a crumbling wall, nervously surveying his surroundings.

It had been an entire day since he had successfully escaped from Lakeside City.

During that whole day, he had fled at full speed in the direction farthest from Refuge 102.

Now, with the sun having set once more and the distance between him and the refuge finally deemed safe, Senator Devitt had found a rare opportunity to rest, even if only slightly.

His current condition was dire.

During the battle in Lakeside City, he had nearly exhausted every last ounce of his strength.

Without a reliable source of chaotic power to replenish himself, he was virtually incapable of defeating any opponent.

Even the lowest-tier monsters were now stronger than he was.

At this point, the most critical task before him was to restore his power as quickly as possible.

But that was far easier said than done.

He needed at least a week just to stabilize his condition.

Only after regaining a stable state could he begin absorbing chaotic energy from monsters once again.

And unfortunately, what he lacked the most right now… was time.

“I need to complete the mission as soon as possible! The Empire’s current state is already a disaster. If I can’t finish this task quickly, the whole Empire might collapse.”

Senator Devitt murmured under his breath, brows tightly furrowed.

The situation facing the Via Empire was extraordinarily dire.

Within the Eternal World, the Empire was currently engaged in a fierce war with the Kingdom of Clinton.

To win this war, the remaining five senators had all been deployed—nearly the last of the nation’s top-tier forces.

In the south of the Empire, monsters from the Abyss were continuously infiltrating their territory.

Though these monsters were not particularly powerful—at least not yet—the Empire lacked sufficient forces to effectively resist them.

To the north, internal strife among the kings of the All-Beings Empire had thus far kept them distracted, preventing any large-scale offensive.

But once their internal conflict ended, the victor would most certainly turn his attention toward Via.

It was the only way he could gather enough spoils of war to stabilize his own empire.

Senator Devitt looked up at the night sky and let out a long, weary sigh.

There was nothing he could do for now.

All he could do was wait—wait until his body recovered, wait until a week had passed, wait for the strength he had lost to return.

“I just hope the Empire doesn’t suffer a major catastrophe during this time… The other senators should be able to keep it safe… right?”

Senator Devitt spoke softly, his tone a mixture of concern and a faint glimmer of hope.

At that very moment, the energy fluctuations around the Oakville Town nexus were becoming increasingly violent.

A massive surge of chaotic power rippled outward like a tsunami, rapidly spreading in all directions.

The first places to be hit were, unsurprisingly, Refuge 102 and the Daskhollow Base.

Luca, who had been resting, snapped his eyes open the instant he felt the tide of energy surging through the air.

He immediately realized—his second awakening, his profession change trial, was about to begin.

“The source of this energy fluctuation… it’s Oakville Town. There’s a nexus point there that connects directly to the Eternal World. I have to get there—fast. My trial has definitely been triggered.”

Luca swiftly dressed and grabbed two critical items: Starseeker and Prison of the Gods.

Starseeker was, without question, his most powerful weapon to date.

In the previous battles, it had played a vital role time and time again, helping him push through seemingly impossible odds. There was no doubt—it had to be with him during this trial.

Prison of the Gods, on the other hand, was a uniquely potent artifact.

Not only did it possess devastating innate abilities, but sealed within it were the remains of an Ancient God.

The primal power still lingering in those remnants could very well be the key to turning the tide during a life-or-death moment in the trial.

As a powerful and essential item, it too had to come with him.

In less than ten minutes, Luca had finished all his preparations.

He wasn’t planning to tell anyone what he was about to do.

After all, the trial of a profession change was meant to be completed alone.

If someone else intervened or assisted, the trial’s effects would be diminished.

Worse still, the chances of a successful second awakening would drop drastically.

Fortunately, Sophia’s soul had already been placed somewhere extremely safe.

With the support of a large number of energy crystals, her soul could remain stable—at least long enough for Luca to return.

As soon as Luca stepped out of his room, he activated the shadow magic runes.

In order to keep his departure as secret as possible, he decided to leave the refuge under full stealth.

But just as he reached the exit, he suddenly froze.

Donlow was already standing there, as if she had been waiting for him all along.

“I knew you’d try to go alone,”

Donlow’s voice came gently from the shadows.

She didn’t appear overly pleased with herself.

Although correctly anticipating Luca’s move did prove just how well she understood him,

the fact that Luca had chosen not to inform her beforehand also implied that, in his heart, her position wasn’t all that different from anyone else’s.

“You waited here for a reason, didn’t you? So, are you planning to come with me?

This time, I’m heading out to complete a trial mission.”

Luca asked directly, wasting no time on small talk.

Part of it was because time was a luxury he couldn’t afford—he needed to complete the trial as soon as possible.

But it was also because Donlow was someone he trusted.

There was no need to lie to her now, especially since she had already figured out most of what was going on.

“The trial mission… it’s taking place in the Eternal World, isn’t it?”

Instead of answering his question, Donlow posed one of her own.

Luca gave a silent nod.

A faint smile curved on Donlow’s lips.

“That’s good. I know I can’t help you once you’re inside the trial itself…

but at the very least, I can escort you to the entrance.”

To her, that counted as helping.

Luca didn’t hesitate for a second before agreeing.

“All right. The nexus that leads to the Eternal World is in Oakville Town.

Once we get there, I need you to stay outside the entrance.

That alone would be the greatest help you could offer me.”

He had decided to compromise.

If he had rejected Donlow outright, she would no doubt have continued to press him.

And that, obviously, would have wasted even more precious time.

And so, the two of them departed at full speed toward Oakville Town.

As they approached the outskirts, both of them became aware of the large number of monsters lurking inside the town.

Donlow tightened her grip on her weapon, ready for a fight, but still took a moment to ask with concern:

“Did you bring enough supplies?

With so many monsters in Oakville Town, you’re bound to burn through energy during the fight. Your condition will suffer.”

Luca’s eyes locked onto the town with unwavering focus.

His voice was cold and firm.

“I don’t plan on killing them all.

My plan is to bypass them entirely using stealth—head straight to the nexus.

You’ve got invisibility skills too. Let’s move together.”

Donlow froze for a second after hearing that.

Luca’s plan… was incredibly risky.

Even though both of them possessed stealth abilities, there was no guarantee that those skills would always be effective.

Some powerful monsters had the ability to see through even Divine Skills.

If they reached the nexus without eliminating any of the monsters, they would find themselves surrounded the moment their presence was discovered.

And if anything unexpected happened at that point, they could be caught in a pincer attack—from both inside and outside the nexus.

“Isn’t this plan a bit too risky?” Donlow asked, her tone tinged with concern.

“I think you should be more cautious. Yes, I know the trial needs to be completed in a timely manner… but that doesn’t mean you should ignore the very real dangers out there.”

Luca shook his head with a calm smile.

“Don’t worry. Nothing’s going to go wrong.”

With that, he vanished into stealth mode and darted toward the center of Oakville Town at full speed.

Despite still feeling deeply uneasy, Donlow didn’t hesitate in her actions.

She activated her own stealth and followed silently behind him.

Soon, the two of them arrived at the central nexus of Oakville Town.

“I’ll go in alone. You stay out here and keep watch.”

With those words, Luca stepped directly into the portal.

The moment he entered the nexus, a sudden flood of bizarre imagery rushed into his mind.

The colors were strangely vivid, almost unnaturally bright, while the lines and shapes blurred together like a chaotic dream.

The scenes felt like something drawn by a child—crude, surreal, and disjointed.

The strange sensation didn’t last long.

Once the chaotic visions faded from his mind, Luca found himself standing on the shore of an enormous lake within the Eternal World.

It was only then that he finally received a clear system prompt.

[Player Notice: Your level has reached 70, and you have arrived at the location where your trial mission begins. The Trial has officially commenced!]

[Trial Name: The Enchanted Lack]

[Mission Description: The still surface of the lake reflects your image.

Whatever action you take, your reflection mimics it exactly.

Days pass in this mirrored tranquility.

But just now—you suddenly notice something strange.

Your reflection is staring back at you—intensely, hatefully—

With a look that burns like the gaze of a mortal enemy.]

[Mission Objectives:]

1. Find a way to resolve your reflection’s hatred toward you.

2. Locate the true entrance to The Enchanted Lack.

3. Defeat the Mirror Deity.

The mission description was terse, almost cryptic.

But its implications were chillingly clear.

In order to clear the trial, all three objectives had to be completed—

and none of them looked easy.

At the very least, Luca had no idea where to even begin.

He didn’t understand why his reflection in the lake would harbor such intense hatred toward him,

and without knowing the cause, there was no clear way to resolve that hatred.

Judging by the information provided in the quest description,

the three objectives seemed to be progressive—each one building upon the last.

Which meant that the second and third tasks would likely be even more difficult than the first.

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