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

Drumph had been gone for barely fifteen minutes when he returned to the lounge where Luca was resting.

“Nova has agreed. She’s already on her way to the Imperial Capital. By the time we’re speaking now, she should be on a plane,” Drumph said with a grave expression.

Luca gave a small nod.

“Excellent. With Nova choosing to come here, we’ll be able to use her actions as a measure of what the Zenith Technology Company behind her truly intends.”

He once again explained the real reason he had summoned Nova.

Drumph’s face remained unchanged, but after nodding slightly, he asked with visible tension,

“What kind of preparations do you think I should make for the crisis that’s about to unfold? Chaos deities must be incredibly difficult to deal with, right? I didn’t perform that well when facing the monster horde, so I feel I should be preparing a lot more this time.”

The strain on him was obvious.

Luca could sense the pressure weighing down on Drumph, and he wanted to ease it a little.

“Don’t let yourself get too worked up. Yes, a chaos deity has appeared in the real world—but its strength is not yet overwhelming. Its divine authority is over fear and calamity, which means it is destined to be in irreconcilable conflict with Zenobia. Until one side prevails over the other, neither will turn their focus on us. That gives you plenty of time to prepare.”

Hearing this, Drumph’s expression finally softened, the severity on his face easing.

Only once he was sure Drumph had relaxed did Luca continue, outlining what preparations he believed were most important.

“I think you need to focus on two main fronts. First, of course, is ensuring the safety of the Imperial Capital. That shouldn’t be overly complicated. You just need to recall all the Morning Star members who’ve been sent out.”

Drumph listened carefully to Luca’s words, nodding in agreement as he did so.

“The second front is being ready to leave the Imperial Capital and face the chaos deity directly. I believe we might even have a chance to use this opportunity to drastically weaken the monsters’ strength.”

At those words, a flash of delight appeared in Drumph’s eyes.

“Really?”

“I only said we might have a chance. A battle between two chaos deities is not something that can be decided easily. Which means that no matter who wins, the victor will come out severely wounded.

If we can seize that opportunity, we could strike and completely destroy the chaos deity while it’s still gravely injured! That way, there would be no chaos deity left in the real world at all. And the threat monsters pose to humanity would no longer be what it once was.”

Luca laid out his idea quickly and clearly.

The delight on Drumph’s face faded almost instantly. After all, everything Luca suggested was built only on speculation.

“I understand! I’ll start preparing right away,” Drumph said, before taking his leave.

Luca watched him go, and once the lounge door clicked shut, he spoke softly.

“It’s time we moved as well. Staying here any longer will only make the situation worse for us.”

“Which side do you intend to stand with in the coming battle?” Sophia asked curiously.

“Which side?” Luca’s lips curled into a faint smile as he countered with interest. “Neither. I want the fight between Silent Dark Shadow and Zenobia to be as fierce as possible—and to last as long as possible.”

“I understand what you’re aiming for,” Sophia replied. “But that could very well trigger unforeseen consequences.”

She knew Luca was hoping for Silent Dark Shadow and Zenobia to destroy each other, but her concerns lay elsewhere—entirely tied to the Eternal World.

Luca frowned slightly, puzzled, and asked,

“What do you mean? What unforeseen consequences? Are you talking about Senator Devitt?”

“Devitt could indeed cause some complications, yes. But that’s not what I mean.” Sophia’s answer was quick and firm.

In that instant, realization struck Luca.

“You mean the Eternal World?” he said, as if a sudden clarity had dawned on him.

“Exactly. After we destroyed the powerful monster horde, an unstable passage appeared between the Eternal World and the real one. Though it was sealed for the time being, the aftermath of a clash between two chaos deities could very well reactivate it.

And when that happens, the various forces of the Eternal World might seize the opportunity to launch a massive invasion into reality. Don’t forget—the Via Empire commands legions beyond counting.”

Sophia had laid out what might very well be the worst-case scenario.

Luca gave a slight, expressionless nod.

He had to admit—Sophia’s concerns were far from unfounded.

After a moment of silence, he finally spoke.

“You’re right to worry. I’ve decided to change my plan. For now, we shouldn’t go looking for those two chaos deities. Instead, we’ll head to the outskirts of the Imperial Capital and inspect the condition of the unstable passage between the two worlds.”

“I agree with your plan,” Sophia replied firmly.

Once they were in accord, Luca departed without delay.

At the very same moment Luca stepped out of Morning Star Headquarters, Silent Dark Shadow finally arrived at the hiding place it had chosen.

Every monster in the surrounding area had already been devoured, and the ambient chaos energy had dwindled to almost nothing.

When Silent Dark Shadow slipped into the deepest part of the valley, it revealed its true form.

A cold, merciless eye floated silently in midair, encircled by thick coils of gray smoke that radiated a baleful, ominous aura.

For Silent Dark Shadow, taking on its true form was absolutely necessary.

Having only just ascended, it had not yet fully stabilized its divine rank. Only by existing for a time in its true form could that divine rank be properly consolidated. Afterward, it would no longer need to maintain this form deliberately.

“I hope Zenobia takes her time finding me,” Silent Dark Shadow murmured to itself.

It knew full well that Zenobia would track it down sooner or later. Hiding within the valley wasn’t meant to make itself undetectable, but merely to buy enough time to steady its power.

No sooner had the words left its mouth than a sudden flash of light flared at the entrance of the gorge.

Zenobia’s icy voice followed at once.

“Then you’re bound to be disappointed—because I’ve already found you!”

The cold, merciless eye swiveled toward the source of her voice.

Zenobia still retained her human form, yet her hair had transformed into writhing serpents, and her eyes gleamed with a disturbing violet radiance.

The moment Silent Dark Shadow saw her, it launched an immediate attack—summoning forth a barrier woven from its immense curse power.

The instant the barrier materialized, Silent Dark Shadow shifted into a streak of shadow and darted toward the darkness.

“You don’t even have the courage to face me head-on?” Zenobia’s mocking voice rang out from behind.

Silent Dark Shadow, of course, did not turn back at her taunt.

It had judged clearly that its current strength was still no match for Zenobia.

It had to flee, and quickly—facing her now would only put it at a severe disadvantage.

“If you lack the courage to fight, why bother ascending at all? Don’t you understand that the moment you became a god, you became my enemy—one I am destined to erase?” Zenobia’s voice echoed again.

At the same time, the barrier of curses was shattered effortlessly by her hand.

Zenobia now revealed her true form—a colossal serpent. The violet radiance coursing around her body banished every trace of shadow, leaving Silent Dark Shadow nowhere to hide.

“Turn back! No matter what you do, escape is impossible. Face me in a duel to the death, and you might still cling to the faintest chance of survival!” Her voice, heavy with seduction, rushed forward to ensnare him.

Zenobia had unleashed her charm ability, hoping to stop Silent Dark Shadow from fleeing.

But the attempt failed. Silent Dark Shadow had swiftly invoked its power of calamity, cursing her and drastically reducing the effectiveness of her charm.

“You’re not entirely worthless after all,” Zenobia hissed, her tone tinged with manic delight. “To think you could resist my charm. But it doesn’t matter—you’ll never escape! This entire region is sealed off by my power!”

Silent Dark Shadow quickly scanned its surroundings.

Zenobia was not lying—the entire area had been locked down by a crushing field of chaos energy. Though Silent Dark Shadow now held a divine rank, its strength was still insufficient to break through the seal.

Within the closed-off domain, the violet glow grew ever brighter, Zenobia’s voice reverberating from every direction.

Although Silent Dark Shadow managed to parry several of her assaults, its predicament did not improve. Each defense consumed precious chaos energy, and once that power ran low, Zenobia would surely unleash a fatal strike.

Under crushing pressure, Silent Dark Shadow was forced to remain calm, desperately searching for a way to escape.

In the end, it resolved to pour all of its chaotic power into the weaving of misfortune—and to lay every last shred of that misfortune upon Zenobia.

Only under the weight of extreme ill fate could the seal Zenobia had constructed collapse.

Though such a gambit would consume every drop of Silent Dark Shadow’s chaos energy, leaving its own state dangerously weakened, it had no other choice.

If it didn’t, then there was nothing left for it but death.