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

After the monster horde attack, Summer Country quickly set up shelters in various regions to accommodate those left homeless by the disaster. The shelters were protected by military forces to ensure the safety of the displaced people. A temporary shelter was also set up near Leaf City, though it wasn't particularly close.

However, once Drumph received word that Luca and the others had actually managed to save the people of Leaf City, he immediately dispatched transport vehicles to the area. Three or four hours after escaping danger, Quagmire, Tiltant, and the others saw large black transport trucks from a distance on the highway, resembling a winding black snake.

The dreamlike illusions Luca had cast on the ordinary people had long since faded, and upon seeing the official personnel and the convoy, many of them were overwhelmed with joy and began to cry. Tuwnken, in particular, was crying uncontrollably—not because of the joy of survival, but because his arm, sore and nearly broken from carrying the little girl for so long, felt like it had been shattered.

Though the others weren't in quite as exaggerated a condition as Tuwnken, they, too, were in considerable discomfort. Their legs shook with exhaustion.

Soon, the official rescue team arrived before them.

With a screech of tires, the front transport truck's door swung open, and Drumph, along with a few special forces soldiers, hurriedly disembarked. When he saw the over 90,000 people standing before him, tears filled his eyes.

"Every time... you really did it," Drumph said, his voice trembling with emotion. Originally, he and many others from the official group had given up hope. To his astonishment, Luca and Quagmire's team had given him a miraculous surprise.

"Mission accomplished." Quagmire and the others were fatigued, their wounds still untreated, but their postures remained upright, and smiles crept across their faces. No matter how exhausting it had been, they had ultimately succeeded in saving the people.

"Take them away first." Now wasn't the time to discuss such matters. Drumph immediately ordered the soldiers to escort the ordinary people onto the transport trucks.

At the same time, he had learned the full extent of the situation from Tiltant and Cornbark.

When he heard that it was Luca alone who had lured the monster horde away to allow everyone to escape, Drumph glanced at the young man who was now taking the little girl from Tuwnken's arms. His expression was full of complex emotions.

"Thank you!" Drumph said, his words filled with gratitude and relief.

He had made the right choice after all.

If he hadn't kept Luca around, there would have been no way to save these 100,000 people.

The little girl who had been rescued from Leaf City had already regained consciousness, but she still didn't speak. Her bright sapphire-like eyes kept darting around, full of curiosity, yet also tinged with fear.

Luca comforted the little girl and, hearing Drumph's words, he simply smiled and said, "If you really want to thank me, then have the officials give me some proper rewards."

Upon hearing this, Drumph couldn't help but chuckle. "Don't worry. You'll definitely be properly rewarded for this!"

Saving 100,000 people was an incredible feat, and even if Luca hadn't mentioned it, they wouldn't dare to show him any disrespect.

At this point, the ordinary people had already begun to board the trucks under the soldiers' guidance.

Drumph had brought around 300 large transport trucks from the safe zone. Each truck could carry about a hundred people, so it wasn't possible to transport everyone at once. It would take about eight or nine hours to get them all to safety.

The ordinary people had already reached their physical limits, so Drumph could only arrange for the soldiers to set up a defensive perimeter on the spot. However, with the 30,000 soldiers he brought, along with Tiltant's armored vehicles, even if they encountered another monster horde, they would be able to hold out for quite some time.

Fortunately, the black rain Luca had left behind had delayed the monsters long enough.

By the time the monsters realized what was happening and began charging toward them, the last of the ordinary people from Leaf City had boarded the armored vehicles, and Quagmire and the soldiers had also gotten on.

"Luca, come here." After a moment of thought, Drumph waved at Luca. "Sit with me."

At his words, everyone turned to look at Luca, who was about to board the vehicle holding the little girl. However, there was no envy or jealousy in their gazes. They all knew that this was Luca's rightful reward.

"It's fine. I'll sit with them," Luca replied, surprising everyone. Without even a second thought, he declined Drumph's offer. Before Drumph could say anything else, Luca had already seated himself next to Quagmire and the others.

The credit for this was not his alone. Without the efforts of Quagmire, the Northern Territory army, and everyone else, he doubted that even if he had sacrificed his own life, he could have saved these people.

As for the size of the credit, Luca didn't care. What mattered to him was that they had managed to save these people.

Seeing the surprised looks on Quagmire and the others, Luca sighed and said, "Stop staring. You guys need to tend to your injuries. Hurry up and treat them. It'd be pretty ridiculous if you didn't die in the monster horde, but died on the way back instead."

Although Quagmire and the others had taken a brief rest and treated their wounds earlier, the injuries they sustained from the monster horde were too severe, and their breathing was unstable. Upon hearing Luca's words, they suddenly felt the pain in their wounds, which they had previously forgotten about.

So, throughout the journey back, Luca couldn't help but listen to the pained cries and groans that echoed around him.

Especially Fuzzsir's voice, which was the loudest. He was rolling around, screaming at the top of his lungs, "It hurts so much, it hurts so much!" At this point, Luca almost regretted telling him—maybe he'd rather the guy just keep on screaming until he truly passed out from the pain.

Turning his gaze back toward the dim sky, Luca could see the city, now nothing more than a tiny black dot on the horizon, and the convoy of transport trucks stretching out like a giant dragon. His mood lightened just a little bit.

Except for Celephais, Leaf City should be considered the first city he had saved since his rebirth. And these 100,000 people were the most Earthlings he had ever managed to save since coming back to life.

No matter what, things were moving in the right direction. There would no doubt be obstacles along the way, but at least they were still on the correct path.

The sky was growing dim, and dawn was approaching. The transport trucks, filled with people, wound their way down the curved roads, heading toward the safety zone.

Along the way, they naturally encountered a lot of monsters, but they were quickly dealt with. Even when they faced some high-level monsters, Luca and Quagmire, along with the others, were more than capable of handling them.

They pressed on along the winding roads, the distance to the temporary safety zone shrinking with every mile. The first light of dawn began to appear on the horizon, bathing everyone in a cool but gentle glow.

Meanwhile, atop the tallest building in Leaf City, Zenobia stood on the rooftop. The cold wind lifted her skirt as countless monsters kneeled in submission behind her.

The light of dawn illuminated her, yet it seemed as if the radiance itself was being consumed by her presence.

Her eyes, calm and unwavering, watched the convoy retreating in the distance. There was no visible emotion on her face, and it was unclear what she was thinking.

Behind her, the million monsters quivered in fear, none of them daring to lift their heads.

...

At the same time, to the north of Leaf City, in the plains, stood a tightly defended city.

This was Fire City, one of the first cities in the Northern Territory to have completely cleared out all the monsters. However, it had since been renamed "Shelter 102." In the future, nearly all cities around the world would abandon their original names.

These cities were the first seeds of what would become the future safety zones.

Luca's convoy arrived at "Shelter 102" around noon.

The blazing sun hung high in the sky, and along the only road leading into the city, many people were already waiting.

Luca and his group were the last ones to arrive at Shelter 102. Many of the earlier arrivals hadn't left and were quietly waiting along the sides of the road. When the leading convoy appeared in the distance, a loud cheer erupted from the crowd, with people chanting the name of Morning Star.

Some were so overcome with emotion that tears welled up in their eyes. Even from a distance, Luca and his group could feel the overwhelming passion.

They exchanged glances and couldn't help but smile.

As the convoy slowly approached, the excitement and gratitude from the crowd towards Luca and his team were evident in their eyes.

Quagmire instinctively puffed out his chest and lifted his chin. While it looked somewhat comical, in his mind, this was the moment to stand tall with pride.

After all, they were soldiers who had won the battle, the heroes who had saved 100,000 people from Leaf City. If they showed any sign of weakness now, it would tarnish everything.

It seemed the transport convoy was aware of the significance of this moment for many people, as they slowed their pace. Drumph didn't stop them, simply watching the scene with a smile.

As the convoy neared, some in the crowd rushed forward and threw prepared bouquets of flowers into the air. While it was a kind gesture, many soldiers were startled, thinking it might be an ambush. However, Luca and his group weren't bothered and embraced the rare moment of glory.

Before their return, Drumph had already arranged everything.

So, as the convoy entered Shelter 102 and came to a stop in the open space.

Soldiers quickly moved in, organizing the civilians getting off the trucks.

Quagmire and the others were immediately taken to the medical room for treatment. Though their injuries had been addressed before leaving, the venom from the monsters couldn't be taken lightly. Improper care could easily lead to lingering complications.

Meanwhile, Luca was summoned by Drumph to attend a meeting. Also called to the meeting were Tiltant and Cornbark.

Originally, it should have been Quagmire attending, but the man had pushed himself too hard for the sake of attention, aggravating his injuries. As soon as they entered the city, he began vomiting blood and had to be rushed to the emergency room. So, Luca, who was in better condition, filled in for him, and he was already supposed to be part of the meeting anyway.

As they entered the meeting room, it was clear many people were already waiting. Upon noticing Luca and the other two behind Drumph, several of them instinctively stood up.

"We've heard about what happened in Leaf City. You did an excellent job, an outstanding one!" a tall, broad-shouldered elder stepped forward and gave Luca's shoulder a hearty clap. His joy and excitement were genuine, with no hint of pretense.