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

Watching the luxurious airship slowly disappear into the night sky, the graceful figure hidden in the darkness withdrew her gaze. She turned back to the hundreds of followers of The Nightmare Cult behind her and asked, "Are the airships ready?" Gruen, dressed in priestly robes, stepped forward.

He respectfully reported, "Lord Tia, we have prepared 23 airships. They can carry all the core members, but..."

After a brief hesitation, Gruen's face showed some concern as he added, "But, Lord Tia, are we sure about going to Dawn City? It's the stronghold of the Dawn God Sect, and if we go there, we might..."

At the mention of this name, fear flickered in the eyes of the other cultists. The Dawn God Sect worships the Goddess of Dawn and is one of the most orthodox and powerful sects on the entire Eternal Continent. Their followers despise evil so intensely that they would rather kill the wrong person than let a single sinner escape.

If these so-called heretics were discovered by those fanatics, they would likely never leave Dawn City alive.

"You're right, Dawn City is dangerous, especially for us," Tia said, turning to look at the others. She asked calmly, "But if something happens to our Master in Dawn City, do you think The Nightmare Cult will still have any reason to exist?"

The group fell silent.

Right now, The Nightmare Cult relied on Luca and the Jormungandr within him as its spiritual pillar.

If something were to happen to Luca in Dawn City, The Nightmare Cult would likely dissolve on the spot.

Gruen hesitated only slightly before he firmly declared, "I will contact someone in Dawn City immediately!"

He had tasted the depths of the beautiful dream before, and if he could not reenter that world, he would rather die!

Tia nodded slightly and then looked at the other cultists, speaking calmly, "If any of you don't wish to go, I will not force you. You are free to leave and sever ties with The Nightmare Cult right now."

She paused, then added, "For those who wish to follow, come with me and follow the Master's footsteps. We leave immediately!"

"Yes!" the cultists responded in unison, none of them leaving.

Those who were here had already proved their loyalty to Tia. Previously, their fear of the Dawn God Sect had merely been an instinctive reaction. After Tia's awakening, they now understood what truly mattered to them.

As long as Luca was alive, even if they died, they could still enter the Dream Kingdom.

The cultists scattered like fish, quickly disappearing into the darkness.

"Mira, it's time for us to go," Tia called out to the crowd.

"Coming," came the reply from the crowd.

Soon, the graceful and charming Mira squeezed her way out of the crowd.

Her face lit up with excitement, and she held a torch that was still burning brightly in her hand.

She had just seen the Master again, and she was so happy!

...

Meanwhile, aboard the magnificent airship.

After boarding, Luca noticed that a lavish feast had already been prepared in the golden and resplendent banquet hall.

A long table covered with a cloth was laid with an array of delicacies, and red wine sparkled under the light of the crystal chandeliers.

A young man in noble robes was sipping wine, attended by several maidservants standing beside him.

Finn? What is this guy doing here?

Luca was about to walk over and give him a piece of his mind.

At that moment, Sophia, LuciaLuna, and Fratis entered the cabin as well.

"How is he here?" The moment they saw the young man, the expressions of the women turned to frowns.

Sophia and Lucia's disgust was evident, as they made no attempt to hide it.

Whether it was Finn boarding the airship without permission, or his attitude toward Luca, both women found it unpleasant.

Finn withdrew his gaze and instead flashed a smile. With a gentlemanly bow, he said, "Miss Sophia, President Lucia, my airship broke down unexpectedly. My apologies for showing up uninvited without informing you. I hope you can forgive me."

He continued, "Once we reach Dawn City, I will have a special gift prepared for both of you."

With that, the group fell silent.

After all, they had to be mindful of the Duke Lyon's influence behind Finn.

But Luca was different.

As a player, he had nothing to fear.

Luca sneered mockingly, "Your airship broke down, and you couldn't get another one? Or is it that the Phillips family can't even afford one airship?"

"Want to stick to the princess? Just say so, no need to come up with such childish excuses that even a three-year-old wouldn't believe."

At these words, Finn's smile immediately froze on his face.

Luca then added with a sarcastic tone, "By the way, why is it only they get gifts, and we don't? Do you look down on Princess Sophia and Miss Luna? Is this how Duke Lyon treats the royal family?"

Finn's face twitched uncontrollably.

At that moment, he wished he could sew Luca's mouth shut.

Normally, he dealt with nobles.

Even if he hated them and wished to kill their entire family, he would always keep a pleasant demeanor on the surface, maintaining noble decorum.

But Luca... this peasant was openly disrupting everything!

With a stiff smile that didn't reach his eyes, Finn said, "Apologies, I should have clarified earlier. Of course, Princess Sophia and Miss Luna will receive their gifts as well."

"As for you... I'm sure Lord Luca, having just earned such great merit, won't mind missing a small token of appreciation, will you?"

Luca grinned, "Oh, I do mind. In fact, I'd be even happier if you could give me a little more."

With a sharp snap, the iron spoon in Luca's hand broke in two.

Finn's expression finally cracked.

"Is that so?" He narrowed his eyes and coldly shot a glare at Luca. Turning to the masked figure standing nearby, he said, "I'm done eating. Let's go."

With that, Finn waved his sleeve and stormed out.

As they watched his figure retreat, Fratis looked concerned and said, "Luca, you should be careful once we reach Dawn City. You've crossed him too many times. He definitely won't let this slide."

Sophia nodded in agreement. "Finn is notorious for holding grudges. There was once a count who drunkenly offended him at a banquet. That night, his head and the heads of his entire family were placed on the dinner table."

Luca shook his head slightly and walked toward the table, saying, "Even if I didn't provoke him, do you think he would let me go?"

"Anyway, I've already offended him. Since that's the case, I might as well make it worse."

Fratis and the others exchanged glances, and for some strange reason, they couldn't help but feel Luca's words made some sense.

"Well said. He's just the son of a duke. What's there to be afraid of?" Lucia said proudly, following Luca.

Beside them, Luna remained silent, feeling that both the master and the apprentice had minds that were anything but normal.

...

The night sky was dotted with stars. After finishing their meal, it was already midnight.

Luca, accompanied by a maid, went to the room that had been prepared for him to rest. The room on this airship was even more luxurious than the one during their trip to Pure River Town. The bedding was exquisitely embroidered, specially prepared by Lucia, and there were various fruits and snacks placed around, a thoughtful touch.

After the maid left, Luca closed the door and sat down on the soft, large bed. He took out the notebooks from Orf and Medel.

With Franklin's notes added to the mix, Luca now had three sets of notes on Demonic Rune Mage training.

The notes were filled with countless magic runes, covering everything from basic to Superclass level.

Earlier, when Sophia and Lucia interrupted him, he hadn't had a chance to expand his collection of magic runes. Now, with some time on the road, he had the perfect opportunity to draw more.

Luca flipped through the three notebooks.

Finally selected seven advanced magic runes.

In addition to the four advanced runes he had drawn previously, he added three new ones. They were: the ice-based group skill "Blizzard," the earth-based summoning skill "Stone Spirit Guardian," and the holy support skill "Holy Purification."

These three skills were primarily for diversifying his combat strategies.

"Blizzard" would increase his area-of-effect damage and control. "Stone Spirit Guardian" summoned a powerful high-tier creature with strong defense. "Holy Purification" was a support skill that could remove negative debuffs in critical battles.

Most regular classes didn't require such a variety of skills and magic runes. But since he had chosen to become a Demonic Rune Mage, he was aiming to become a spellcaster who could wipe out entire battalions, and no one would ever complain about having too many skills.

Dozens of materials floated in mid-air, and a golden holy light emanated from Luca's hand, casting a warm glow around the room.

A golden magic rune slowly took shape, radiating with a divine aura.

[Ding! You have successfully crafted the advanced magic rune "Holy Purification"!]

[Your skill "Magic Rune Drawing" is now maxed out. You have gained 500 points of free proficiency!]

The golden rune melted into his palm.

Luca glanced at the prompt.

His "Magic Rune Drawing" skill had been maxed out for some time, and his other skills were nearing the same.

To continue improving, he would need to complete the Class Awakening trial.

He had already met the attribute requirements for the awakening trial.

Now, it was just a matter of steadily leveling up.

Once they reached Dawn City, he'd need to set aside time to focus on improving his level.

As Luca thought this, he was about to continue drawing the remaining runes.

He suddenly froze.

"Why do I keep feeling like I've forgotten something?" He furrowed his brows and thought for a moment.

He sucked in a sharp breath.

He sat up straight in shock.

Holy shit, I left her in Southwind City?

...

Meanwhile, in Southwind City...

A flash of white light appeared in the Inner District plaza.

Susie happily entered the game.

She was planning to find Luca.

And ask him to help her level up.

But when the sights of the city met her eyes, she froze in place.

"Did I come to the wrong place? "She looked around at the still-under-construction Southwind City, completely confused.

She had been in the hospital these past few days, and her parents had kept her phone, so she wasn't aware of what had happened in Southwind City.

Once she learned everything that had transpired.

She looked up at the sky, falling silent.

In that moment, she realized the truth.

So, Luca had left her here... and run off with another woman?

...