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

Catherine's face displayed clear astonishment.

She had long known that Luca possessed extraordinary talent and ability when it came to potion-making, but each time he demonstrated his skills, she couldn't help but feel a renewed sense of awe.

In Eternal Continent, there were plenty of professions such as healers or alchemists, but those who could truly elevate their potion-making abilities to a high level were extremely rare.

This was evident in the entire Emerald State, where Franklin was the only Witch Doctor—a testament to just how uncommon such talent was.

And Luca? He wasn't even eighteen yet, right?

"No wonder Miss Sophia values you so highly," Cassman remarked, a bit emotional.

A young prodigy like Luca, able to effortlessly craft mid-tier potions at such an age, would undoubtedly become a hot commodity among the major factions in the future. His potential was limitless.

It wasn't surprising that Sophia had invested so much attention in him from the start.

Luca gave a somewhat awkward smile, not bothering to explain further.

After all, how could he tell them that Sophia's initial interest in him had largely been due to his maxed-out charm?

Shaking off the thought, Luca's hands glowed with a faint blue hue.

He summoned his Witch Doctor's Power to begin crafting the Sobering Potion.

He employed his usual method—seemingly simple yet nerve-wrackingly precise.

This time, however, the process was a bit more challenging. It wasn't due to a lack of experience.

But because the materials required for the Sobering Potion were far more abundant and complex than what he had used for previous potions. His current skill level and mana reserves were being stretched thin.

Fortunately, Luca had anticipated this. He popped mana-replenishing potions one after another while continuing his work.

With Cassman, a wealthy mid-tier backer, providing supplies, Luca didn't have to worry about running out of consumables—he could keep replenishing as much as needed.

Watching this, Cassman winced, visibly pained by the constant expenditure.

His face twitched as he muttered through gritted teeth, "You really don't hold back on spending my money, do you?"

Catherine couldn't suppress a giggle from the side.

Luca, engrossed in the process, pretended not to hear anything.

Before long, a pool of pale golden liquid slowly formed and took shape in midair.

At the same moment, a system notification appeared before Luca.

[Ding! You have successfully crafted the mid-tier potion "Sobering Potion"!]

[Your skill "Witch Doctor's Hand" has increased to lv4!]

[Your skill "Potion Crafting" has increased to lv4!]

Luca glanced at the notifications, pleasantly surprised.

His maxed-out aptitude really did make a difference—it had allowed him to level up both his Witch Doctor's Hand and Potion Crafting much faster than expected.

Going forward, brewing mid-tier potions would be significantly easier.

Refocusing his attention, Luca bottled the Sobering Potion into four vials and handed them to Cassman.

Luca handed the potions to Cassman, cautioning, "With my current ability, four bottles are the most I can produce. To cover the entire monster horde, you'll need to dilute them at a ratio of about 1:10."

"Once diluted, find a way to spread the potion over the monsters. It will evaporate on its own, and that should calm them down."

"I understand," Cassman replied, his expression serious. He carefully took the Sobering Potion, committing every word of Luca's instructions to memory.

Catherine prepared to head to the front lines with Cassman, planning to deploy the potion according to Luca's instructions.

Luca stretched and readied himself to make the trip back to Riverfall City.

But just as they were about to part ways, all three of them suddenly froze, eyes locked on the direction of the monster horde.

"ROAR!!!"

The monsters, which had begun to show signs of fatigue, suddenly let out deafening roars and launched a renewed, frenzied assault on the Iron Mountain army's defenses.

Luca's sharp eyes spotted several monsters that clearly stood out from the rest of the horde.

Towering grizzly bears over seven meters tall, black eagles with feathers like iron, and giant pythons as thick as an adult's waist.

Six Elite monsters in total, all radiating powerful auras and charging savagely at the Iron Mountain forces.

Faced with this new onslaught, the Iron Mountain soldiers, who had barely been holding the line, were utterly overwhelmed. Within moments, the defensive perimeter was torn apart.

Everyone was caught off guard by the sudden ferocity of the monsters' counterattack, and chaos erupted as the soldiers scrambled to respond.

At the same time, Luca caught a familiar scent of herbs in the air.

His expression darkened, his eyes flaring with a burst of killing intent.

Demon Lure Potion—again!

"That bastard Matthew! Does he even care about the consequences?!" Cassman growled, his voice barely able to contain his fury. He, too, recognized the source of the problem. The anger toward Matthew boiled inside him.

If he wasn't tied to the battlefield, he'd tear the guy apart himself.

Luca, however, was much calmer. "We can't let him continue this madness. If we don't stop him, more monsters will be drawn to the area. You two keep using the Sobering Potion to suppress the monsters. I'll find him and deal with this."

The constant disruptions to their plans were starting to wear on Luca's patience.

Matthew, the city lord's son, had become an unbearable nuisance.

Luca had intended to handle things in Riverfall City before dealing with Matthew.

But since the idiot was so eager to throw himself into danger, Luca would just have to grant him his wish.

Cassman, while unsure of how Luca planned to find Matthew and Freeman.

But he trusted his strange abilities and didn't question it.

With a grave nod, Cassman said, "Leave that fool to you. Don't kill him. Once we return, Sophia and the city lord will make sure he pays for this!"

Cassman could sense the hint of killing intent in Luca's words. As much as he wanted to see Matthew dead for his stupidity.

Matthew's status made it complicated. They couldn't just kill him outright.

Luca, now walking toward the forest.

He didn't look back. His voice, calm but resolute.

He drifted over his shoulder. "If he's smart enough, I'll leave him alive."

In the nearby forest, not far from the Iron Mountain camp.

Freeman was tying the last dose of Demon Lure Potion to a large Eagle Mouse. He carefully controlled the creatures with a secret technique, sending them in the direction of the Iron Mountain soldiers.

Matthew stood nearby, watching the chaos unfold from a distance.

When he saw the monster horde go wild again and noticed that six Elite Monsters had broken through the Iron Mountain defenses, his face lit up with excitement.

"This potion is incredible!" Matthew exclaimed, his voice full of glee. "It even attracted six Elite monsters! Iron Mountain's defenses are broken—they're finished this time!"

Freeman smirked with pride. "Of course. The Demon Lure Potion can attract even high-tier monsters. These low- and mid-tier ones don't stand a chance."

Both of them wore cold, satisfied smiles, believing their vengeance was finally within reach.

With the six Elite monsters in the mix, they were sure even the Iron Mountain forces couldn't survive.

But what neither of them noticed something.

A young man with a spear, his expression icy, steadily approaching through the trees.

Although Matthew and Freeman had been meticulous, using secret methods to cover their tracks and control the Eagle Mice that carried the potion.

They never expected that Luca—well-versed in the properties of Demon Lure Potion—would be able to track the faint traces left by the creatures so easily.

Luca hadn't bothered to hide his approach, and soon enough, the guards posted nearby noticed him.

They immediately tensed, raising their swords.

One of the guards, his face stern with caution, called out, "Who are you? This area is restricted—no one is allowed to enter!"

They had strict orders from Matthew to let no one into the area, not even their own.

Though the guards had intercepted Luca, they didn't think much of it.

After all, the bulk of their forces had remained at the base of the hill, with only two small squads assigned to guard Matthew and Freeman's safety.

The guards had no idea of the battle raging between the Iron Mountain forces and the monster horde, nor did they recognize Luca.

Luca didn't slow his pace, his voice calm as he said, "Move aside now, and I'll spare your lives."

His only targets were Matthew and Freeman; he had no intention of killing these guards, who likely weren't even aware of the full situation.

At Luca's words, the guards were momentarily stunned, but soon burst into laughter.

One of the guards laughed loudly, "Kid, I bet you're not even a full-fledged professional yet. Do you have any idea who we are? The weakest among us is Bronze Grade!"

Another guard chimed in, mocking, "This kid must be out of his mind! Run along back to your mommy. This is no place for little children."

Despite their taunts, Luca's expression remained completely unchanged.

He lifted his gaze toward them and repeated his command, his tone utterly devoid of emotion.

"I'll say it one last time. Move—or die."

The Iron Mountain soldiers were locked in battle with the monster horde, and every minute lost meant more lives devoured by the monsters.

Luca didn't have time to waste on these men.

At this point, the commotion had drawn the attention of others.

A squad of city guards approached, curious about the noise.

They had initially assumed it might be a threat, but upon seeing it was just a lone youth, they relaxed.

"What's going on? What's all the fuss abou—" The squad captain began to ask, but the moment he laid eyes on Luca, his face drained of color.

The captain's eyes widened in shock. "You! How are you here?!"

He had caught a glimpse of Luca during the earlier battle, watching the young man use Heavenly Thunder Purple Fire to decimate monsters. Though it had been brief, the image of Luca wielding such power had been burned into his memory.

The squad captain couldn't believe his luck—or rather, his misfortune.

He encountering Luca here of all places.

Luca didn't respond. His patience had run out.

A golden rune began to glow in his hand.

Several metal arrows materialized in the air behind him.

Steel Magic Runes.

The captain's gut twisted with fear, and he shouted in panic, "Enemy attack! Stop him!"

But before the other guards could even react, Luca's thoughts triggered the arrows.

The metal projectiles shot forward like lightning, cutting through the air with a sharp whistling sound.

In the blink of an eye, the arrows hurtled toward the guards, leaving no time for escape.