Online Game: I Started with Max Charisma and Caught the Goddess's Eye - Chapter 357

Chapter 357: Chapter 357: The Salon Gathering! Infiltrating Dragon Gate Mountain! An Unexpected Discovery!
Under the guidance of the bodyguards, Luca quickly entered the standalone villa. Sky James had been waiting inside and immediately stood up to greet him upon his arrival.

“I haven’t failed you. The task you gave me, I’ve completed,” Sky James’ first words were, despite his tired and haggard appearance. It was clear that, although exhausted, Sky James felt a deep sense of relief.

With that, he handed Luca a silver metallic card.

The card was adorned with intricate golden patterns, intertwining to form the shape of a hand. It looked extraordinarily mysterious.

Luca didn’t take the card immediately. He asked, “What is this?”

Sky James replied, “There’s a villa at the peak of Dragon Gate Mountain. They hold a salon gathering there, inviting only the top aristocrats from Summer Country. Very few people get to attend; only the heads of the major families and top elites in society receive invitations. This card is your ticket in.”

“A top-tier salon?” Luca took the card. It was cold to the touch, with a bit of weight to it, and he couldn’t tell what material it was made from.

“Don’t underestimate this card. It can fetch a price of hundreds of billions at an auction. I’ve paid a hefty price to acquire it,” Sky James said, sinking into the sofa with exhaustion. “I’ve done what I promised, but don’t forget, you made a promise to me too.”

His eyes were bloodshot, and his voice was weak.

His situation was far from good. Even though Hummer Nan trusted him, moving such a large sum of money was bound to raise suspicions. Sky James was under immense pressure right now.

If Luca were to back out now, Sky James was sure he wouldn’t survive for more than three days.

Luca reassured him, “Don’t worry. After I handle things at Dragon Gate Mountain, I’ll be the first to help you rebuild the James Family.”

Sky James had already shown his sincerity, so Luca didn’t intend to be stingy. As long as he could handle things at Dragon Gate Mountain, he would honor their agreement.

Upon hearing Luca’s words, Sky James let out a sigh. At this point, trusting Luca was his only choice.

After all, if the James Family or Hummer Nan discovered he was colluding with outsiders, especially Luca—his enemy—they would undoubtedly torture him to death.

“When does the salon start?” Luca asked.

Sky James replied, “Tomorrow night at eight.”

“Tomorrow, huh… How about going with me to check it out?” Luca asked with a smile.

Sky James rolled his eyes and said, “I’d rather stay alive for a few more days.”

The mountaintop of Dragon Gate Mountain was very likely the location of a Zenith Technology Company branch. The fact that he managed to get Luca this invitation had already shaken him to his core. He wasn’t about to go there and risk his life.

Luca didn’t press the issue. He put the card into his pocket and said, “Since you don’t want to go, then wait here for the good news.”

With what he wanted now in hand, there was no longer any reason for him to stay. After speaking, Luca left the villa without a hint of hesitation, leaving Sky James to watch him depart.

“Hope you come back alive…” Sky James sighed again. He was now completely entangled with Luca. All he could do was wish him success, hoping for the best, and leave the rest to fate.

…

After leaving Sky James’ villa, Luca didn’t rush to find Quagmire and the others. Instead, he sought out a dark alley, changed into a black stealth suit, and silently blended into the shadows.

In the starry night sky, a figure darted between rooftops and alleys, leaping from one building to the next like a ghost in the darkness, heading straight for the towering Dragon Gate Mountain that loomed in the shadows. Occasionally, pedestrians passing by would catch a glimpse of him and gasp in astonishment, thinking they had imagined it.

But by the time they looked again, Luca was often already gone without a trace.

“Mama, it’s Superman!” a little girl with two pigtails excitedly tugged on her mother’s hand, pointing at the black-clad figure who had just flashed by in the sky.

It seemed the man had noticed her gaze, as he turned his head and made a heart gesture with his hand.

The little girl was overjoyed.

“What superhero?” However, when the mother looked up, she saw nothing in the sky—only a bright full moon hanging high above and a few lonely clouds drifting by.

The little girl, however, was utterly convinced. “It’s Superman! It’s Superman!”

Her mother gently patted her head, thinking it was just the child’s imagination.

Or perhaps she had simply seen a bored player out for a late-night parkour run.

Luca’s speed was extraordinary. Even if someone spotted him, no one could catch up—not even players could keep up with him.

Before long, he had used the cover of night to reach the foot of the towering mountain.

Looking up, the peak of the mountain appeared as if a black sword was thrusting into the sky, disappearing into the clouds. The summit was invisible from his position. Along the road leading up the mountain, numerous streetlights lined the path, making it appear like a mystical road to the heavens.

At the foot of the mountain stood a massive, ancient gate, its plaque reading “Dragon Gate Mountain” in bold characters, with a brushstroke that seemed as powerful as iron. The overall aura was imposing.

Luca observed briefly, noticing that a few fully armed soldiers were stationed beside the gate. At the base of the mountain, there were also several patrols from the Imperial Capital’s guard, making the area highly secure.

The terrain was open, and guards were everywhere. It was clear that he couldn’t act as recklessly as before.

Luca thought for a moment, then dark mist began to swirl around him, quickly enveloping his entire body. He swiftly blended into the shadows and began moving quietly towards Dragon Gate Mountain.

“Huh?” A member of the Imperial Capital’s guard squad vaguely noticed what seemed like a shadow moving across the area. But when he looked again, he found nothing, the open ground was empty, completely still.

“What’s wrong?” asked a colleague nearby.

The guard frowned and said, “I thought I saw a figure over there, but when I blinked, it was gone.”

“Did you see a ghost?” another colleague joked.

The first guard laughed and said, “This is the era of players. Even if we saw a ghost, we could send it packing with one swing.”

The group laughed, the previously tense atmosphere now relaxed. However, none of them noticed that as they spoke, the shadows beneath their feet twitched. Then, like a snake, the shadows silently merged with the darkness of Dragon Gate Mountain and swiftly slithered towards the peak.

Luca was cautious, constantly on alert as he moved. To his surprise, he encountered no difficulties. As he approached the top of Dragon Gate Mountain, it seemed just like any ordinary peak—nothing out of the ordinary, certainly not the legendary Dragon Gate Mountain he had expected.

“Nothing at all?” Luca thought, puzzled. His main purpose in coming here was to scout the area and see if he could make any discoveries. But now it seemed like his trip had been in vain.

As he was considering whether to head up to the mountain villa to take a look, Luca suddenly stopped in his tracks and held his breath. Just moments ago, he had heard some faint voices, as if a conversation was taking place nearby.

One voice said, “That guy… still hasn’t said anything…”

Another replied, “These scientists… tough nuts…”

The first voice continued, “The artificial monster is critical… the minister went himself… won’t hold up for long…”

The voices were distant, muffled, and as they grew fainter, the sounds eventually faded away completely.

However, the information that had been conveyed sent a shockwave through Luca’s mind.

Artificial monster? Scientists?

He immediately thought of one person.

Leipoder!

Luca instantly put the pieces together.

No wonder Sky James had been unable to find any news about Leipoder!

It turned out that Leipoder wasn’t with the James Family at all—he was here, at Dragon Gate Mountain!

Luca had almost decided to turn back, but that thought vanished immediately. Without a second of hesitation, black mist swirled around him, concealing his presence as he moved swiftly in the direction from which the voices had come.

Whether it was for treating Tracer or for the Primordial Crystal within the artificial monster, he had no choice but to take the risk and investigate further.

The two people who had been speaking were just ordinary individuals, so Luca didn’t have to exert much effort to follow them. As he got closer, he saw them more clearly under the streetlights—two individuals in white coats, wearing glasses, looking like doctors or scholars.

They hadn’t noticed Luca at all. As they continued walking toward the mountain top, they kept chatting.

One of them, a slightly chubby middle-aged man, said, “I heard they’re going to hold a salon tomorrow. Do you think anyone will be selected by the higher-ups to join our organization?”

The other man, tall, thin, and balding, scoffed, “In the past few salons, the higher-ups couldn’t find any talented individuals from Summer Country. I think most of them have already been screened out.”

“I’m guessing that this time we’ll just get a bunch of corrupt capitalists and politicians. Don’t get your hopes up.”

The chubby man disagreed, “I don’t think so. The establishment of the Global Federation has brought out a lot of talented individuals, many of whom are as good as, or even better than, us. They’re the elite of the elite. Take that Luca, for example—he’s probably in the top tier of all global players. If a person like him were willing to join our organization, the minister would definitely agree.”

“I’ve heard of that guy too,” said the thin, balding man. “But I doubt it’ll happen. I heard that little brat has quite the temper—he’s killed a lot of James Family and Willow Family members, even some of their patriarchs.”

“Getting someone like him into our organization would be just as difficult as trying to recruit that Leipoder guy,” he added.

The chubby man chuckled, “No worries, our minister specializes in dealing with all sorts of troublemakers.”

The thin man also laughed.

As they continued their conversation, they failed to notice that behind them, in the shadows, a cold-eyed figure slowly emerged. It was none other than the very person they had been talking about—Luca!