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

Under the combined pressure of Andrea and Luca, Lucas finally slunk away, looking rather defeated.

“Your companion doesn’t seem all that reliable,” Andrea remarked softly, her gaze following Lucas’s retreating back.

Luca nodded. “He’s indeed a bit unreliable. But he’s also the one who first recruited me into Lord Crimson King’s army. And right now, he’s still my captain.”

Andrea turned to Luca, visibly surprised. “He’s your captain? But his strength is clearly inferior to yours! Anwar must be getting old—he can’t seem to make sound judgments anymore.”

From Andrea’s tone, Luca could clearly hear the disappointment she held toward Anwar. Yet he wasn’t particularly surprised.

After all, from everything that had happened since arriving in Dragon Bone City, Luca had already deduced that the Crimson King’s trust in Anwar had waned.

He had no intention of continuing that topic. The internal scheming and political maneuvering within the Crimson King’s ranks didn’t interest him in the least. What he really wanted now was information about his new mission.

“By the way,” Luca said, his tone turning serious, “Lord Crimson King ordered me to clear out the Dusk Wharf. Where exactly is it located? And before I start this mission, are there any crucial details I should know?”

Andrea seemed to recall something. “Yes—there’s quite a bit of important information you need. Come with me. The records related to Dusk Wharf are stored in the Grand Library of the Dragon Bone City Magic Academy.”

He gestured for Luca to follow, leading him toward the tall spire that rose high above the northern district of Dragon Bone City.

The towering spire was unmistakably the symbol of the Magic Academy.

The northern district, as Luca soon noticed, was the most desolate part of the city—a perfect refuge for mages who preferred solitude and quiet as they delved into their studies of arcane mysteries.

Along the way, Andrea shared a wealth of information with him—details about each of Dragon Bone City’s six major districts, their respective functions, and the unspoken rules one needed to follow to survive here.

Through Andrea’s explanations, Luca quickly began to form a clear understanding of Dragon Bone City.

Dragon Bone City, a metropolis of immense scale, was composed of six distinct regions, each serving a unique purpose within the grand design of the Crimson King’s dominion.

The district where the Crimson King’s palace stood was known as the Sky District. It was built upon the colossal spine and skull of the dragon’s skeleton—literally suspended above the rest of Dragon Bone City.

Every major structure in the Sky District served a military purpose. The Crimson King’s grand palace stood at its heart, surrounded by the officers’ training grounds and the forges where the soldiers’ weapons were crafted.

Ordinary citizens had no access to the Sky District. Even those like Luca and Andrea, who held special status, were required to move quickly to their designated buildings once they entered. Lingering in the open air was strictly forbidden.

Beneath the Sky District, Dragon Bone City was divided into five surface zones.

The two were now heading toward the northern district, also known as the Mage District. Anyone wishing to purchase magical materials, scrolls, or seek the assistance of mages had to come here. The entire area was protected by powerful magical barriers, making it nearly impossible to force one’s way in. Access required a special permit, which could only be issued by high-ranking officers.

Apart from the Crimson King himself, there were only six or seven people in the entire city who had the authority to grant such a pass—and Andrea happened to be one of them.

Adjacent to the northern district lay the Central District. Despite being located at the very heart of Dragon Bone City, it was primarily a residential area for commoners. Alongside them lived a large number of merchants, as Dragon Bone City was not only the largest city in the region but also its economic and trade center.

Beyond the central district extended the eastern, western, and southern districts.

The Eastern District bordered a vast river, where a fortified water stronghold stood. It was the first part of the city Luca and Lucas had seen upon arriving. The entire area was densely populated with soldiers—it functioned essentially as an enormous military encampment.

The Western District, by contrast, was barren and desolate, filled with graves and tombs. Legends said this was where the dragon had been slain. Because of that, many residents chose to bury their ancestors there, believing it a place of sacred rest.

The bleakness of the area, combined with the abundance of tombs, attracted necromancers. Normally, necromantic magic was heavily restricted within the city. But as the Crimson King’s situation grew increasingly dire, he had been forced to relax those prohibitions. As a result, the Western District had become even more dangerous than before.

Finally, there was the Southern District, the largest of all—and the city’s main trading hub.

No matter what kind of goods one was looking for, everything could be found here. The thriving trade in the Southern District was so extensive that it now hosted fourteen massive markets, each teeming with merchants and buyers.

At the same time, it served as the main hub for the Crimson King’s military supplies, where vast quantities of weapons, armor, and rations were procured and distributed.

Like all ordinary soldiers under the Crimson King’s command, Luca had been assigned quarters in the Eastern District.

“Who knows,” Andrea said with a teasing smile, “maybe Lucas is already fast asleep in a comfortable room somewhere.”

Luca gave a faint nod. “That’s entirely possible. He’s the kind of person who never worries about anything anyway.”

Their casual conversation continued as they arrived at the entrance to the Northern District.

Two sinister-looking scarecrows stood on either side of the enormous iron gate, their hollow eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. Andrea reached into his cloak and drew out a pass glowing with a soft blue light.

The iron gate creaked and groaned as it slowly swung open.

“The next time you wish to enter the Northern District,” Andrea said, “you’ll have to present this pass. It’s yours now—keep it safe. If you lose it, the only person who can issue a new one is Lord Crimson King himself.”

As he spoke, Andrea pressed the glowing blue pass into Luca’s hand.

Luca accepted it solemnly and tucked it away carefully.

The moment they stepped inside the Northern District, Luca could feel the immense surge of magical power flowing through the air.

This magic was derived from chaotic energy, and the moment he felt it, Sophia, who had long lain dormant deep within his dreams, also stirred faintly.

As a powerful mage herself, Sophia was extremely sensitive to magical energy.

Her consciousness slowly began to rise from the depths of Luca’s subconscious, her ethereal presence brushing faintly against his awareness. She could have spoken to him directly now—but she sensed that the timing was not ideal.

The magical energy surrounding them was simply too overwhelming, and any rash movement might draw unwanted attention. So she chose to remain silent—for now.

Andrea led Luca swiftly through the desolate corridors of the Northern District until they reached the towering Mage Tower that loomed over the skyline.

The two of them began ascending its long spiral staircase, each step echoing faintly in the still air.

At last, when they reached the top, a weathered wooden door came into view.

Without hesitation, Andrea pushed it open—

—and in an instant, both of them were teleported into a magnificent magical hall bathed in golden light.

Dozens of mages moved gracefully about the chamber, their robes swaying as they channeled and studied arcane spells.

As Luca and Andrea stepped out of the teleportation circle, an elderly mage with silver-streaked hair approached them, smiling warmly.

“Andrea,” the old mage greeted, “what brings you to our academy today? Has Lord Crimson King issued new orders?”

The white-haired mage smiled as he spoke to Andrea, all the while casting curious glances at Luca, as if assessing him.

“I’m here to retrieve the records related to the Dusk Wharf,” Andrea explained calmly. “Lord Crimson King has decided to assign the mission of cleansing the wharf to this young man beside me. His name is Cole.”

Andrea gestured toward Luca as he made the introduction. Then he turned back to him.

“This is Gure,” Andrea said. “He’s a mage of the Prophecy School. You’re not a mage yourself, so I should emphasize this—the Prophecy discipline is considered the most difficult among all the magical schools.”

Andrea had barely finished speaking when Gure quickly waved his hand.

“There’s no such thing as the most difficult or the easiest branch of magic,” Gure said modestly. “Every school is complex in its own way, and I wouldn’t dare call myself a master.”

Despite his humble words, the satisfied smile tugging at his lips betrayed him. It was obvious he was quite pleased to be addressed as “Master.” His eyes gleamed with the quiet pride of a scholar confident in his own brilliance.

“Enough small talk,” Gure said briskly after a moment. “Follow me—I’ll take you to the section of the Grand Library where the Dusk Wharf archives are stored.”

He turned and led Andrea and Luca into a corridor shimmering with seven-colored light.

The moment Luca stepped through, a wave of dizziness hit him. The space within the corridor felt distorted and unstable, as if reality itself were twisting.

From somewhere ahead, Gure’s voice drifted back, calm and slightly echoing.

“Feeling dizzy on your first passage is normal. This corridor was constructed by many mages working together, so the energy running through it is extremely dense. Don’t worry—it’ll pass soon. Once you get used to traveling here, you won’t need me to guide you anymore.”

Luca nodded weakly, forcing himself to stay steady as the swirl of colors surrounded him.

After several minutes of walking through the prismatic haze, Gure suddenly stopped. He raised one hand and traced a glowing sigil in the air.

Instantly, a door of pure white light materialized before them.

“All the records are inside,” Gure said. “Go ahead and take a look. But let me remind the newcomer—none of the materials in there may be taken outside. Other than that, there’s nothing special to worry about.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Gure’s body dissolved into a stream of seven-colored radiance, vanishing from sight.

Andrea turned to Luca with a faint smile.

“Mages are always like that,” Andrea said with a faint chuckle. “All the knowledge they possess makes them far too proud of themselves.”

He paused for a moment, then added, “I won’t be going in with you. There are other matters I need to attend to. Take your time inside and study the information about Dusk Wharf carefully.”

With that, Andrea turned around and walked away, his footsteps echoing softly as he disappeared down the glowing corridor.