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

"I offer my life for our Lord!" The followers of the cult were filled with fervor, each eager to sacrifice themselves. To have their bodies used by Jormungandr was an honor beyond measure.

Tia shook her head slightly and said, "If an ordinary body could bear our Lord's power, this wouldn't be an issue. Our Lord requires an extraordinary vessel—in other words, a genius!"

The cultists fell silent, realizing the difficulty of the task.

Where could they find such a person in these circumstances?

Suddenly, one of the deacons had an idea. His eyes lit up as he said, "Lady Tia, what about that boy from before?"

Tia considered for a moment before nodding slightly. "His talent is indeed extraordinary. To break my Blood-Sealing Formation at such a young age, his potential ranks among the highest even on the Eternal Continent."

"Then it's settled. Gather everyone and come with me. We'll bring that boy back for our Lord! I'm sure our Lord will be more than satisfied with such a vessel, and you'll all be well rewarded for your efforts!"

Upon hearing this, the Nightmare Cult followers were filled with excitement. They could hardly wait to capture Luca and present him to Jormungandr.

The previous dream had been so enchanting, so utterly intoxicating—they had all experienced it firsthand.

If given the chance to relive that dream, they would be willing to sacrifice anything.

...

Roar, roar, roar!!!

On the Iron Mountain army's side, Hydra raised its nine heads to the sky, letting out a deafening roar. Its massive wings, spanning the sky, flapped powerfully, sending storm-like winds sweeping across Beast Forest.

The monsters, seemingly commanded by Hydra, became frenzied and surged toward the Iron Mountain army with renewed energy.

For monsters, human flesh had an irresistible allure—eating humans was their primal instinct. They could already taste the meat!

This monster horde was far larger than the one they had faced before. As far as the eye could see, the land was swarming with monsters—endless, countless hordes.

Among them, Luca spotted at least seven or eight Lord-level monsters, including a few high-level ones.

As the overwhelming tide of monsters rushed toward them, the soldiers of the Iron Mountain army gripped their weapons tightly, their faces filled with tension.

Even though they were exhausted, they forced themselves to stay alert and ready.

The players, too, prepared themselves for battle.

While dying once would bring significant losses, if Riverfall City fell, they would lose everything.

Cassman, seeing the situation, quickly shouted orders to the soldiers. "Everyone, retreat from Beast Forest for now! Set up a second defensive line at Wind Plain!"

The soldiers had fought nonstop and were on the brink of collapse. If they were hit by the monster horde now, the army could easily be wiped out.

Although retreating temporarily might not offer a perfect solution, it would at least give them a chance to regroup and catch their breath.

Thankfully, several mid-level warriors had arrived from Riverfall City to help share the burden and give the army a fighting chance.

"Hahaha, the Demon King is already out! You're all doomed—every last one of you!" Rudolph, now restrained, cackled maniacally, flailing his arms and speaking incoherently.

In his deranged state, it seemed he was envisioning everyone being torn to pieces by monsters—especially that brat Luca, whom he pictured being ripped apart in the most gruesome way.

The others glanced at him with pity.

They couldn't tell if his mind had been shattered by the lightning strike.

Or Franklin's voodoo curse had left him mentally unhinged, causing hallucinations.

Why did he believe the Nightmare Cult would come to rescue him?

He was no longer of any use, and the most cost-effective solution for the cult would be to dispose of him.

Still, no one had the time to dwell on Rudolph. He was handed over to the Iron Mountain army for safekeeping and promptly forgotten.

In the sky, Lucia and the other high-level warriors hovered, their gazes locked on Hydra, which was now surrounded by a horde of Lord-level monsters.

Each of their expressions was grave.

Kurk sighed, "To be honest, if I had a choice, I'd rather not go head-to-head with that nine-headed beast."

Bayou rolled his eyes. "Riverfall City is overrun, with its residents trapped in nightmares. If you want to run, go ahead, but you'll be leaving them all behind. Let's see how well you sleep at night after that."

Bright, ever the silent type, said nothing and simply wiped his dagger clean.

Lucia, on the other hand, was far more optimistic.

Surrounded by crackling lightning, she chuckled, "It's just a high-level monster. So what if it's an Overlord or a King-level monster? Does it think it's invincible? Let's see how many of my Heavenly Thunder Purple Fire strikes it can handle!"

On the ground, Luca shot a wry glance at his teacher.

She was half-right. Hydra did, in fact, possess an invulnerability of sorts.

As long as its nine heads weren't severed simultaneously, it could keep regenerating.

And each of its heads held the power of a high-level monster, with unique abilities—a truly troublesome foe.

Time was running out. The Iron Mountain army had already begun its tactical retreat.

Hydra's massive form surged forward, its overwhelming presence suffocating.

Without hesitation, the high-level warriors transformed into streaks of light and charged toward Hydra.

They intend to intercept it before it could break free of Beast Forest.

Luca quickly called out to Franklin, "Teacher, this monster's weakness is its nine heads! You have to sever all nine at once to kill it!"

Franklin, just about to take off, paused in surprise. "How do you know its weakness is the nine heads?"

Sophia also glanced over, equally surprised.

Luca quickly improvised, "I read about this monster in some ancient texts a couple of days ago."

"Ancient texts? I don't recall seeing anything like that," Franklin muttered, a bit confused. But with no time to dig deeper into Luca's claim, he simply nodded and shot into the sky, joining the other high-level warriors as they charged toward Hydra.

Sophia cast Luca a suspicious look, sensing that he was hiding something.

However, she trusted her junior and knew he wouldn't joke about something this critical. Curiosity aside, she didn't press the matter.

The second monster horde battle began with a crack of thunder as Sophia unleashed a massive bolt of lightning.

Boom!!!

Nine silvery-white lightning bolts descended from the sky, transforming into lightning serpents that struck Hydra's nine heads simultaneously.

The lightning exploded, causing Hydra to stagger in mid-air from the powerful impact.

Though Lucia's attack didn't seem to cause any real harm, it certainly enraged Hydra.

All nine heads roared in fury, and one of them opened its enormous mouth, gathering an icy blue energy.

The temperature around them plummeted, and snowflakes began to fall from the sky. Sharp icicles formed mid-air, raining down like a storm of spears toward Lucia and the others.

Franklin raised his black tome, summoning dark gray Witch Doctor magic that manifested as five runes, each one attaching itself to a different member of the group. A gray-black barrier formed around everyone just as the ice spears struck.

Each ice spear shattered into fragments upon hitting the barrier, which only rippled slightly in response.

Lich's Shield!

This high-level Witch Doctor skill created defensive shields for both the caster and multiple targets.

It significantly boosting both defense and vitality.

After casting Lich's Shield, Franklin didn't stop. He rapidly flipped through his black tome, continuously layering spell after spell on the group.

Lich's Blessing! Life Blood Curse! Totem Barrier! Disease Immunity!

Under the barrage of protective and augmenting spells, the group's strength and aura grew even more formidable.

Hydra, meanwhile, found itself afflicted by various curses Franklin had cast, weakening its power significantly and easing the pressure on the team.

Though Witch Doctors might lack raw combat power, their support abilities were among the best.

As long as they weren't killed outright, even severely wounded or missing limbs, Franklin could bring his allies back into the fight in no time.

Once a Witch Doctor reached high levels, their ability to heal, buff, shield, and debilitate enemies made them invaluable on the battlefield.

A Witch Doctor could fill the role of several classes at once, making them incredibly powerful.

With a Witch Doctor on their team, Lucia and the others felt a huge weight lifted off their shoulders, allowing them to fight with full force.

As the high-level warriors engaged Hydra, the Iron Mountain army clashed with the monster horde.

However, they didn't stand their ground, fighting as they retreated.

Thanks to Cassman's timely orders, the army managed to avoid the brunt of the horde's strongest attacks.

Moreover, mid-level warriors from Riverfall City had joined Luca's group and were helping cover the army's retreat from the rear.

Because of this, the initial encounter with the monsters didn't result in any casualties.

The Iron Mountain army quickly retreated.

Before long, they had exited Beast Forest, crossing Starlight Lake and arriving at the vast expanse of Wind Plain.

The wide-open plain gave them a clear view of the battlefield.

With their backs to Riverfall City, the army only had to face the monsters coming from the front, rather than being surrounded like they had been in the forest.

More importantly, several thousand city guard soldiers were already waiting for them.

With the reinforcements, the Iron Mountain soldiers could rotate and rest.

As soon as the two forces joined, the second wave of the monster horde battle officially began!

There was no need for speeches, only one word:

Kill!

The roar of the monsters mingled with the battle cries of players and soldiers, reverberating across the plains.

Brilliant lights from various skills illuminated the battlefield, while blood and severed limbs flew in all directions.

The clouds in the sky were scattered by the violent winds, and the ground shook under the bombardment of powerful attacks. Screams and howls filled the air.

In mere moments, Wind Plain was stained red with blood.

Sophia gripped her crystal ice staff, her blue hair flowing even in the absence of wind, surrounded by delicate snowflakes.

Those tiny, harmless-looking snowflakes became deadly weapons in her hands, effortlessly shredding monsters into bloody pulp.

Catherine, with her agile form, darted through the monsters, her silver spear whirling like a silver dragon.

With a swift flash of light, she pierced through the heads of monsters, her movements clean and efficient, wasting no time.

Luca fought alongside Catherine at the frontlines.

His movements appeared ordinary at first glance, but every thrust of his spear struck the monsters' vital points, delivering maximum damage with minimal effort.

When monsters attacked him, he dodged their blows with seemingly casual sidesteps and turns.

Meanwhile, his magic runes continued to shift.

Fire serpents, iron swords, ice lances, vines, air steps, thunder strikes—each spell followed the next seamlessly, forming a continuous, unbroken rhythm of power.

There was nothing flashy or excessive about his fighting style. It was simple, yet effective.

But in Luca's hands, it felt as though every move was calculated, every change perfectly timed, as if he had mastered every variable of the battle.

To those watching, it didn't feel like they were witnessing a fight.

It felt like they were watching a master perform on a grand stage, showcasing the pinnacle of skill—a perfect blend of technique and instinct.

Yes, this was art.

The art of battle!