Online Game: I Started with Max Charisma and Caught the Goddess's Eye
Chapter 457: Nova’s Suspicion and Uncertainty

Chapter 457: Chapter 457: Nova’s Suspicion and Uncertainty

After ending the call with Donlow, Nova’s suspicion deepened.

"They’re clearly hiding something important from me... I have to find out what’s going on—fast," she muttered to herself.

Though she had already decided to uncover the truth behind what Morning Star and Luca were hiding, she didn’t go directly to confront Luca.

If she really did that, not only would she fail to get the answers she was after, but it would also severely damage her standing in Luca’s eyes.

Pacing back and forth in her office for a while, Nova devised a plan.

"When the moment comes that you need my help, that’s when you’ll finally tell me the truth."

The main monster horde was about to arrive. Without Luca’s help, Donlow alone would never be able to guarantee the safety of the shelter.

When that time came, Donlow would have no choice but to turn to her for aid.

"This monster horde had better be powerful enough... Only then can we force those people in Shelter 102 into a dead end."

Just as she made up her mind, a knock came at the office door.

"Commissioner, some monsters have already been spotted on the outskirts of the canyon. The main force of the horde is approaching quickly."

"I understand. There’s no need to worry. We’ve made thorough preparations for this monster horde. The base’s armed forces are more than capable of withstanding a large-scale assault."

Nova replied to her subordinate with a tone of deliberate calm.

Though she did feel a certain amount of pressure herself, she wasn’t about to let her subordinates see it.

If they lost confidence before the monster horde even arrived, Daskhollow Base would almost certainly be destroyed in the upcoming assault.

"Commissioner... would you like to come take a look at the monsters yourself? They’re... they’re just too strange."

The soldier outside the door spoke in a trembling voice.

Nova raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

"Strange? Are they unusually powerful?"

"Some of them are definitely strong, but most aren’t particularly high-level. The strangeness isn’t about their strength. I... I can’t quite put it into words. That’s why I’m hoping you’ll come see for yourself."

Before the soldier could finish his sentence, the office door was pushed open.

Nova stepped out and said bluntly, "Take me there."

At the entrance of the canyon where Daskhollow Base was located, a squad of soldiers was huddled behind sturdy fortifications, watching the nearby monsters with wary eyes.

A massive horde of monsters had gathered together, forming a grotesque ball of flesh.

At the very center of this fleshy mass was a monster of staggering strength—a Level 75 entity.

Every soldier was gripped by fear.

The weaker ones didn’t even dare look in the direction of the monsters.

Only the more seasoned and powerful squad leaders managed to suppress their terror enough to analyze the situation.

But even they were at a loss for an explanation regarding the bizarre behavior of the monsters.

Just as desperation began to set in, Nova finally arrived.

"Commissioner, you’re finally here! You have to take a look—every single monster has clustered together!" the leading officer exclaimed excitedly upon seeing her.

Nova gave a firm nod.

She quickly moved to the very front of the defensive line.

There, she raised her binoculars and focused on the massive sphere of monsters.

She immediately recognized that the monster at the core of the mass was extremely powerful.

Its level was even higher than hers—meaning that if this monster were to launch an attack on Daskhollow Base, the entire base could very well be destroyed.

Around the high-level monster, the lesser creatures seemed to be channeling their energy into it.

With just a rough glance, Nova made her assessment.

"The strongest monster is attempting to absorb the power of the others into its own body. This process takes time. That’s why they haven’t launched an assault yet."

As soon as she said that, she drew her custom-made pistol.

"What we need to do now is strike first! Before that monster reaches a level we can no longer handle—we destroy it!"

The moment her words fell, Nova opened fire directly on the fleshy monster mass.

The other soldiers at Daskhollow Base instinctively followed her lead, opening fire on the cluster of monsters alongside her.

Bullets and artillery shells rained down, slamming into the monstrous sphere.

But the barrage of attacks had no effect.

Only Nova’s assault managed to severely damage the monstrous fleshball, killing a large number of the monsters on its outer layer.

And now, the true form of the strongest monster at the very center was revealed to all.

It was a creature composed entirely of dense, living shadow.

Upon seeing its real form, Nova’s face twisted into an expression of sheer shock.

She had seen records of similar monsters once before—in the archives of Zenith Technology Company’s headquarters.

"Run! Get back to the base, now!"

Her face was still frozen in disbelief, but she was already shouting orders at the top of her lungs to the surrounding soldiers.

The troops were confused.

But a few quick-thinking ones turned and immediately sprinted back toward the base.

Once someone took the lead, the others naturally followed in succession.

Nova herself did not choose to retreat.

She made the decision to stay behind and buy time for the others to escape.

Only ten seconds later, the thick shadows from the core of the fleshball surged outward rapidly.

Nova reached into her pocket and pulled out a lantern glowing with a dusky yellow light.

[Item Name: Carrying a Lantern at Dusk]

[Item Description: A lantern that emits a perpetual dusky-yellow glow. Even in the deepest darkness, it illuminates a limited area.]

[Item Effects:]

1.Carrying a Lantern at Duskpermanently illuminates an area around it. The size of the area depends on the surrounding intensity of dark energy.

2.Once darkness is illuminated, Carrying a Lantern at Duskbegins to absorb the life force nearby. The user must remain constantly aware of their physical condition.

3.Each use cannot exceed one quarter-hour. If used longer, the user will undergo rapid aging that cannot be avoided. Even gods, once caught in this aging, will ultimately fall.

The moment Carrying a Lantern at Dusk was revealed, its dusky-yellow glow lit up the space surrounding Nova.

The encroaching darkness was instantly repelled.

Nova once again urged the remaining soldiers to flee.

"Run as fast as you can! I can only hold them off for—at most—five minutes! If you can’t make it back to the base in that time, I won’t be able to save you!"

Her words instantly ignited the soldiers’ will to survive.

Every single one of them began sprinting toward the base gates with everything they had.

At the same time, the personnel inside the base received Nova’s message.

"No matter what happens, you must close the gates in exactly 4 minutes and 40 seconds! Even if I haven’t made it inside—close them!"

Her tone was firm and uncompromising, leaving no room for negotiation. The people inside the base immediately sprang into action.

The massive gates at the entrance to Daskhollow Base began to descend slowly.

Seeing this, the fleeing soldiers grew even more panicked.

They ran with wild desperation, each of them fighting for their lives.

Back on Nova’s end, the thick shadows had already engulfed the defensive fortifications completely.

She could no longer sense anything within the areas shrouded in darkness.

At the same time, the radius of the dusky yellow light cast by Carrying a Lantern at Dusk was beginning to shrink.

"Silent Dark Shadow... is far beyond anything I can handle. Even Carrying a Lantern at Dusk won’t hold out for much longer. I need to start thinking about my own escape."

Nova’s mind raced with calculations and contingency plans.

Seconds ticked by. The first group of soldiers had already made it safely back inside the base.

The lantern’s light had now shrunk to a small circle, barely illuminating the ground beneath Nova’s feet.

Time had run out.

Nova had no choice—she had to flee now.

Casting one last glance toward the fleshball in the distance, she raised her custom-made pistol and unleashed a fierce barrage of fire.

Every shot was swallowed by the dense shadows.

But Nova showed no sign of frustration.

She never expected those attacks to succeed anyway.

Their only purpose was to cover her retreat.

As the shadows reached her feet, Nova dropped Carrying a Lantern at Dusk on the ground beneath her.

Then she turned and sprinted toward the base entrance at full speed.

The dusky yellow glow radiating from the lantern was gradually consumed by the encroaching shadows.

Finally, the darkness wrapped around Carrying a Lantern at Dusk completely—

and the last glimmer of yellow light vanished.

Nova used those precious few moments to slip through the base gates just in time.

But instead of feeling the relief of a narrow escape, her heart was filled with confusion and unease.

"What the hell is going on? Silent Dark Shadow isn’t supposed to appear outside of the Eternal World... Could the intel recorded at HQ have been wrong? Or is this monster horde actually triggered by chaotic energy from the Eternal World?"

A thousand theories raced through Nova’s mind.

But it was clear that none of them could be confirmed anytime soon.

The dense shadow had completely blanketed Daskhollow Base.

Though the base’s internal defenses could still hold out for a while, all external communication had been severed.

She couldn’t call for help from headquarters, nor could she contact Luca or anyone else.

After fully grasping the situation, Nova let out a bitter laugh and muttered to herself:

"In the end, I’m the one who’s ended up completely isolated. Now all I can do is hope that Luca and Donlow will come to my aid."

Just moments ago, she had been planning to watch Donlow fall into desperation.

But now, it was she who had ended up trapped in it first.