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

At the entrance of Shelter 102, two patrolling guards suddenly spotted a staggering figure approaching—it was Luca.

“Who’s there?! Don’t come any closer!”

One of the guards raised his weapon and aimed it at Luca.

But the other guard recognized him. He quickly pushed down his companion’s rifle.

“Is that Major General Luca?! What happened to you, sir?”

The first guard, upon hearing the name, also came to his senses.

The two soldiers hurried over to check on Luca’s condition.

At this moment, Luca was covered in wounds. His eyes were glassy and unfocused.

He could roughly make out that the two men in front of him were concerned for his wellbeing,

but he wasn’t sure who they actually were.

He opened his mouth, intending to say something—but his body was far too weak.

Not even a sound escaped his lips.

And so, right before the guards’ eyes, Luca collapsed into unconsciousness.

The two guards were startled.

They quickly caught him and helped carry him into the shelter, immediately reporting the situation up the chain of command.

Barely fifteen minutes later, Susie and Luca’s family had rushed over.

All of them were deeply concerned about Luca’s condition.

“Why is he so badly injured?! Why didn’t any of you go out to rescue him?!”

Susie was shaken by the sight of Luca’s wounds.

She shouted at the doctors and soldiers standing nearby.

The soldiers were silent.

After all, even they felt that their response had been too slow.

One of the doctors, however, spoke calmly.

“Please, try to stay calm. I know his injuries look severe, but they’re mostly surface wounds. He just needs some time to rest, and he’ll wake up.”

The doctor’s explanation eased the tension in the room—if only slightly.

Susie’s eyes were red as she stared at Luca.

She wiped away her tears in secret.

At that very moment, far from the shelter, Nova—who had been tracking Luca all the way from the Imperial Capital—had finally arrived at the base of the snowy mountain.

There, she found numerous traces of what had occurred.

“These bloodstains… they seem to be Luca’s. Did he get into a major battle here?”

Nova glanced around in confusion.

Though she saw the corpses of many monsters scattered across the area,

she could tell that none of them had posed any real threat to Luca.

“It must have been something much more powerful… something from higher up the mountain.”

Finally, Nova looked up toward the snow-covered summit.

She could feel it—there was a powerful presence lingering at the peak.

“Should I really go up there? Even Luca was seriously wounded—I might not stand a chance against that monster.”

She hesitated slightly.

Her original plan had been to track Luca. Now that Luca had already left, perhaps there was no longer any reason for her to climb the mountain.

And yet, the powerful presence atop the snowy peak stirred a deep sense of curiosity within her.

After several minutes of internal conflict, she finally made up her mind—she would ascend the mountain.

“I want to see for myself—what kind of monster could possibly injure Luca that badly?!”

Nova had only been climbing for about ten minutes when she suddenly sensed a powerful presence rapidly approaching.

Startled, she immediately retreated back down to the base of the mountain.

“Who’s there?!”

Clutching her custom-made pistol, she kept a wary eye on the shadows nearby.

She could feel that the powerful presence from moments ago was now hiding within that darkness.

Whoever it was had had a perfect opportunity to strike while she was unprepared.

And yet, instead of attacking, they had simply retreated back into the shadows.

That alone made Nova deeply suspicious.

Then, from within the shadows, came a low, cold chuckle.

“Have you already forgotten who I am so quickly?”

A familiar voice rang in Nova’s ears.

Her expression changed drastically.

That voice—she had heard it before at the headquarters of Zenith Technology Company.

The one hiding in the shadows was none other than the company’s highest-ranking advisor,

a major figure from the Eternal World—Councilor Devitt!

“Councilor Devitt, sir… what are you doing here?”

Nova quickly lowered her pistol.

Her tone grew noticeably more respectful.

Councilor Devitt slowly stepped out of the shadows.

He looked somewhat disheveled.

Two deep wounds ran across his face—scars left behind by the blade of the Starseeker.

Seeing Devitt in such a battered state, Nova was stunned.

But the shock only lingered on her face for a brief moment.

“I had set a trap here, lying in wait for Luca. His strength far exceeded what I had anticipated.

And his will to fight… it was far too tenacious.”

Devitt was clearly disappointed.

But he held no hatred for Luca.

In his eyes, Luca was a worthy and formidable opponent.

Nova, after hearing this, more or less understood what had transpired.

However, there was still one thing she couldn’t quite comprehend—

Why had Councilor Devitt set up an ambush for Luca in the first place?

Had Luca not only posed a threat to Zenith Technology Company,

but also to the Eternal World itself?

“Is Luca really that important?” Nova asked.

“He’s not important! What he knows—that’s what matters.”

Councilor Devitt replied, his tone heavy. He then coughed twice.

It was obvious that his recovery would take a long time.

“It seems like you need a safe place to recover your strength,” Nova said, glancing at Devitt.

“The Daskhollow Base is under my direct control. It’s very secure. Would you like to go there?

You can also establish communication with Zenith Technology Company headquarters from inside.”

Nova had made a suggestion Devitt couldn’t easily refuse.

She had considered the situation thoroughly.

Devitt gave a slight nod.

“Very well. Take me to Daskhollow Base immediately. I must contact headquarters as soon as possible.”

With an agreement reached, Nova changed her plans.

She gave up on tracking Luca—for now—and decided to escort Councilor Devitt to Daskhollow first.

To her, obtaining information from Devitt was just as valuable as obtaining it from Luca.

So she didn’t feel like she was wasting time.

Two hours later, Nova and Councilor Devitt arrived at Daskhollow Base.

At the moment, the base was sparsely defended.

The guards who had originally been stationed at Daskhollow had all been taken to the Imperial Capital by Nova.

Although those guards were now on their way back,

they were moving much slower than Nova.

“Councilor Devitt, please follow me.

We’ll need to reach the deepest part of the base in order to contact headquarters.”

Upon entering the base, Nova finally allowed herself a moment of relief.

She had been worried that she and Councilor Devitt might be attacked by Morning Star or Luca before making it back.

Morning Star or Luca might not be able to kill her—

but Councilor Devitt?

He would never be spared.

In the deepest section of the base, Nova quickly calibrated the communication frequency.

“You can leave. Your clearance level isn’t high enough.”

Councilor Devitt said coldly.

Nova wasn’t surprised.

She exited the communications chamber without a word.

“People from the Eternal World really are arrogant,” she muttered to herself.

“They actually think their power is so absolute that they can just ignore the rest of us?”

The truth was, Nova had never liked the people from Eternal World.

In her view, the cooperation between Zenith Technology Company and the various factions of the Eternal World was merely a means to acquire additional power.

Once Zenith Technology Company had obtained enough strength, there would be no reason to continue cooperating with those people.

In fact, Zenith Technology Company could seize the opportunity to wipe out all forces affiliated with the Eternal World entirely.

Councilor Devitt had only been in communication with Zenith Technology Company headquarters for five minutes

when Nova suddenly received a call from her direct superior.

“Sir, you called for me?”

“Councilor Devitt is currently in Daskhollow Base, communicating with headquarters, correct?”

A cold, stern voice came through from the other end of the line.

“Yes, sir! The communication began just five minutes ago!”

“Excellent. You must keep him trapped inside Daskhollow Base.

Under no circumstances is he to leave—not without my direct authorization.”

With that, the call abruptly ended.

Nova had wanted to ask a few follow-up questions,

but her superior didn’t give her the chance.

A strange feeling crept over her—this situation was spiraling beyond her expectations.

Her superior’s attitude toward Councilor Devitt was extremely unusual.

“Has the situation changed dramatically again?

Or has headquarters decided to terminate cooperation with Eternal World entirely?”

One possibility after another raced through her mind.

While she was lost in her thoughts, the door to the communications chamber swung open.

Councilor Devitt stepped out, his expression blank and unreadable.

“Get me a transport vehicle—immediately. I need to reach your headquarters as soon as possible.”

He spoke with sharp urgency.

Nova didn’t openly refuse.

Since she had yet to fully assess the situation,

she wanted to leave room for flexibility.

“Understood. I’ll begin searching for a suitable vehicle right away.

However, I must remind you—Daskhollow is not a major base.

There’s a good chance we don’t have anything appropriate here.”

Her response drew immediate anger from Devitt.

“If this base doesn’t have what I need, then go find it elsewhere!

I have high-level clearance. You will follow my orders!”

Devitt cast a look of disdain at her.

He clearly believed the woman in front of him was utterly incompetent.

Nova, of course, noticed his scorn.

She responded coldly.

“Your clearance is indeed very high. But within Daskhollow Base, I am the highest-ranking commander.

Until I receive new directives from headquarters, you do not have the authority to command me.

Once you arrive at HQ, have them issue me proper orders.”

With that, she turned on her heel and walked away—without looking back.

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