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

After taking a quick glance around, it became apparent that many faces were brimming with excitement, while others kept casting their scrutinizing glances at Luca. Although Luca had never met them before, he knew they were all official personnel. He neither sought to flatter them nor kept his distance, simply responding with a smile. This demeanor actually earned him a bit more respect from the others.

"Don't be shy, just find a seat," Drumph greeted Luca and then smiled as he spoke. Luca nodded and sat down beside him.

He had been sitting here earlier, and no one made any further remarks as they all took their seats. Once everyone was settled, Drumph turned his gaze to the group in the meeting room, his expression gradually growing serious.

He spoke in a low voice, "I've called you here today for three main reasons.

"First, an update on the progress of the Northern Territory cleanup plan.

"Second, to discuss the merits and rewards for the Quagmire team who saved one hundred thousand lives.

"And third, I'm here to notify everyone that the 'Global Human Federation' is about to be established."

The first two points weren't much of a surprise to anyone, but when Drumph mentioned the third, everyone was taken aback. No one expected him to suddenly drop such a bombshell.

Only Luca had an inkling of what was coming, as the establishment of the federation was roughly around the same time as it had happened in his past life.

Drumph continued, "After Celephais has been cleared, the cleanup of the Northern Territory is almost complete. If nothing unexpected happens, we should be the fastest to finish in Summer Country. But now is not the time to slack off. Once the Northern Territory area is fully cleared, we'll need to establish shelters and secure zones to defend against the monster horde…"

Thanks to Luca's intervention in this lifetime, humanity was in a much better state than before. Not only had the damage caused by the monsters been significantly reduced, but with the help of the nodes, humanity's level of advancement was progressing much faster than before.

While Luca was deep in thought, Drumph suddenly looked over and smiled, "By the way, regarding the rewards for the Quagmire team after their commendation in Celephais, I've already reported your merits. If all goes well, we should have a resolution in the next couple of days. I should also mention that you'll likely be among the first to receive honors since the establishment of the Federation."

The group in the meeting room didn't react much when Drumph mentioned the earlier points.

However, when they heard that Luca and the others might be among the first to receive titles since the formation of the Federation, everyone was visibly surprised and shot him envious looks.

After all, this was the first time in human history that there had been a global union, a momentous shift of unprecedented scale. And Luca and his group, as the first batch of honorees under the Federation, would undoubtedly be marked in history.

Luca simply nodded at the remark, not really paying it much attention. After all, there were likely thousands of people who would make their mark in Federation history after the game's arrival. He didn't care much about such empty honors.

"Has the time for the Federation's establishment been confirmed?" Luca asked, focusing on a question that was more important to him. Everything this time—the arrival of the game, the circumstances—was different from his past life, so he needed to clarify the details before making any plans for the future.

Drumph nodded in response, "Yes, it's been confirmed. It will be exactly one week from now. By then, the Northern Territory should be completely cleared. You and the Quagmire team will accompany me."

Noticing something, Drumph turned to Luca and smiled, "If there's anything you need, just let me know. I'll make arrangements for you."

The people in the meeting room couldn't help but twitch at the corner of their mouths. This was as blatant as it could get—Drumph was openly offering Luca special treatment. But no one dared to comment.

After all, if they had Luca's level of merit, Drumph would likely be more than happy to do them a favor as well.

Luca, however, didn't have any particular demands. With his current strength, there was little the government could offer him. Still, such a good opportunity was hard to come by, and if he didn't squeeze something out of Drumph—the notoriously stingy guy—who knew when the next chance would come?

He thought for a moment and said, "I'm wondering if the Imperial Capital has established a safe zone. I'd like to bring my parents there."

Although the basement in Celephais was safe, monsters were unpredictable, and higher-tier monsters were impossible to stop. Unless nothing went wrong, Luca knew that if disaster struck, he wouldn't even have a place to cry.

In his past life, after the Federation was established, the safest zones were those set up in the capitals of various countries. But there were limited spots available, and even if one had money, it was hard to secure a place. So, Luca wanted to take this opportunity to secure a couple of spots for his family.

"That's fine," Drumph replied almost immediately, without a second thought. Given Luca's merit, such a request was nothing.

Luca felt relieved upon hearing that. Afterward, the meeting continued, discussing the cleanup situation in other areas of the Northern Territory, as well as minor adjustments and detailed planning for the cleanup. Luca wasn't really interested in these details and didn't pay close attention. The only thing that caught his interest was that Drumph had plans to have someone craft him a higher-level piece of equipment afterward. Both Starseeker and Obsidian had been damaged in the battle in Leaf City, and Luca was naturally very pleased by the idea. Without enough equipment, his strength would be severely limited in the real world.

By the time the meeting was over, it was already afternoon.

Drumph invited everyone to stay for a meal, but Luca declined. Right now, what mattered most to him was getting some proper rest. To save Leaf City, he had not only exhausted all his trump cards but had also nearly drained his own physical reserves.

Drumph understood Luca's situation and didn't say much more, simply having a soldier escort him to the rest area.

The little girl, on the other hand, was temporarily placed under Luca's care. One reason for this was that the relationship with Leipoder was crucial. Back in Leaf City, it had been clear that those thugs had targeted his daughter.

The other reason was that the girl, apart from Luca, didn't let anyone get close to her and refused to communicate with others. Luca was concerned about her safety, so he had Drumph arrange a room, and decided to personally look after her.

Luca then led the little girl, following the soldier to the living quarters that had already been prepared.

As they walked, he took the opportunity to observe the makeshift shelter more closely.

Although it had been cleared, it was still evident that Shelter 102 had suffered significant damage during the previous attacks. Ruins and dark stains from blood were scattered everywhere, and the ordinary people walking along the streets all wore troubled expressions.

After a brief glance, Luca turned his gaze away. The shelter was essentially a safe zone established within the remnants of the original city, with soldiers building defensive lines to keep the monsters out.

The most difficult part of establishing a safe zone wasn't in the physical construction, but rather in the management of resources and the creation of new rules. The legal system, food supplies, medical resources, and currency were important, but the more pressing issue was how to manage the players—this unstable variable.

In the later stages, the Federation also spent a considerable amount of time and effort to perfect the new rules. It was clear that it would take ordinary people a long time to adjust to this new environment. However, regardless of how the rules were set, the most painful aspect of the apocalypse would be experienced by the ordinary people. Right now, the wounds were still fresh, but the real end of humanity was still to come.

Luca followed the soldier through a series of alleyways, and before long, they arrived at the military-designated residential area. Looking around at the greenery and facilities, it was clear that this had once been an upscale residential district.

Now, it was being used to house people like Luca and his group, including Cornbark and Tiltant.

After crossing a garden in the neighborhood, Luca followed the soldier to a luxurious villa. To his surprise, there were already people waiting at the entrance.

A group of men in black suits stood straight, almost like human darts, blocking the doorway. Beside them was a luxury black sedan parked at the side of the road. Luca couldn't immediately identify the make of the car, but just by the model, he could tell it was expensive. As soon as they saw Luca approach, the men turned their cold, piercing gazes toward him, their eyes sharp as knives, sending a chill through him.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" One of the soldiers, sensing that something was off, immediately drew his gun and positioned himself protectively behind Luca.

The leader of the group of men in black suits frowned and said, "This area is off-limits. Show us your passes!"

However, the men in black didn't even spare him a glance. Their cold, unwavering gazes remained fixed on Luca as they began to walk toward him. One of them spoke, "Our young master wishes to see you."

"Young master?" Luca raised an eyebrow, glancing toward the luxury sedan. The use of such a title suggested they were probably from the Imperial Capital. The question now was whether they were from the Willow Family or the James Family.

He raised his hand to stop the soldier who was about to open fire, stepping forward himself. Calmly, he met the approaching man's gaze and said, "I don't care who this 'young master' of yours is, nor am I interested in finding out. Now, get lost, and I'll spare your lives."

The leader of the suited men frowned sharply at Luca's words. A vicious glint appeared in his eyes, and the air seemed to thrum with the surge of violent energy in his clenched fists.

"High-tier player?!" The soldier at the front felt a tightness in his chest, a pressure rising from the man in black. The other soldiers, too, could sense the immense force radiating from him, their bodies stiffening in response. It had been some time since the game's arrival, and everyone now knew exactly what a high-tier player meant—essentially, a superhuman presence.

Luca was a little surprised himself. He hadn't expected them to come prepared like this. However, he didn't mind. High-tier players weren't anything new to him; he'd already killed more than a few. Adding one more to the list wouldn't make much of a difference.

By now, the group of strong men had reached Luca's side, and the overwhelming pressure they gave off made the soldiers behind Luca feel as though their legs were turning to jelly, as if facing some ancient, monstrous beast.

But Luca's gaze remained unfazed and calm, as if he were looking at a mere clown.