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

But this was all the players and military forces that could be mustered in Imperial Capital in such a short time. It would be difficult to find large reinforcements anytime soon, and even the closest backup would need some time to arrive.

A nearby officer gave a self-deprecating laugh and said, "I have no idea where this node came from, but to release so many monsters at once... Seems like everything bad is coming our way in Summer Country."

Drumph sighed and replied, "Yeah, this monster horde appeared so suddenly. We didn't have time to prepare at all."

Under normal circumstances, even a monster horde numbering in the millions would be something that Imperial Capital's armed forces could handle without much difficulty.

But this time, the city was being attacked by a monster horde of tens of millions, something that even the bravest wouldn't have dared to imagine.

One must understand that even a top-tier city like Imperial Capital has a population of only about ten million. These monsters could completely fill a city of this size. It was hard to fathom the kind of hellish scenario that would unfold.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on such thoughts, because the monster horde was already less than ten kilometers away, and an overwhelming wave of Demonic energy was sweeping toward them. Looking out, all that could be seen was a vast, dark mass of monsters, stretching as far as the eye could see.

As the horde drew closer, many of the soldiers began to tremble uncontrollably. It was impossible to imagine just how overwhelming it would be to see tens of millions of monsters gathering in one place without witnessing it firsthand.

"They're almost here. Everyone, get ready for battle!" Quagmire stood at the front, his coat flapping in the wind. Hearing his command, Donlow, Fuzzsir, and the others quickly drew their Starseeker swords.

The sound of blades unsheathing rang out in quick succession! The glinting, sharp blades reflected a cold, deadly light, illuminating a myriad of eyes—each one unique, yet filled with the same unyielding resolve.

Determined like mountains! Murderous intent, chilling as ice!

Just at that moment, an abnormality appeared above the distant monster horde.

Nine fiery red lights suddenly tore through the dark clouds, staining half the sky crimson. A sea of flames erupted, and a nine-headed demon dragon, its body wreathed in flames, let out a deafening roar that shook the heavens. Countless monsters roared in unison, their terrifying presence shaking the very sky.

But what drew the most attention wasn't the nine-headed demon dragon.

It was the figure standing atop its back.

She stood proudly on the dragon's spine, her purple hair swirling in the wind.

With a pair of violet eyes, she gazed down upon the entire Imperial Capital. Her white dress fluttered as the immense divine power around her spread, casting an overwhelming aura over a radius of a hundred miles!

At that moment, the once-spirited Quagmire and the others all froze, their bodies rigid with fear. Their eyes were filled with terror. Although they had never seen this being before, the moment she appeared, they instantly recognized her identity from the overwhelming aura of sinful desire that surrounded her.

The Lord of Sinful Desire—Zenobia!

Everyone present held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

A goddess! And not just any goddess, but one of the top-tier divine beings!

The pressure they felt was not psychological—it was real, physically oppressive. Just standing opposite Zenobia, they felt as though their shoulders were weighed down by mountains, and the ground beneath their feet cracked with deep fissures.

"Is this the feeling of divine oppression..." Fuzzsir swallowed nervously, unable to contain his fear.

The others were fixated on Zenobia, sweat dripping from their foreheads, but none dared to wipe it away. The threat she exuded caused them all to tighten up in terror. After all, with the power of a divine being, if she chose to act, they would have no means of resistance. They could only await their doom.

However, to Drumph and the others' surprise, Zenobia didn't immediately attack them or command the monster horde to strike. Instead, she tilted her head toward Dragon Gate Mountain, her gaze cold and menacing.

...

Meanwhile, on what was left of Dragon Gate Mountain, two figures flew out from the ruins, both wearing grim expressions.

Ric slammed his fist into the nearby rubble and cursed, "Only half of the research data remains. Those two bastards must've intentionally destroyed the rest of it before leaving. Damn it!"

Marx's face was equally as dark. Those materials were directly tied to his life and livelihood. Losing half of them like this was unforgivable. Trying to reconstruct them would require a significant amount of effort. More importantly, Leipoder had been rescued, and the research results he had in his possession were incomplete. He had only managed to learn less than half of what was necessary, which naturally made him furious.

Ric glanced at the increasingly close monster horde in the distance and let out a long sigh. "Forget it, we'll deal with that later. Once things settle down here, we'll go after those two bastards."

He was currently holding the Sinful Divine Rank in his hand, and he had to get to Zenith's branch as soon as possible. He wouldn't feel secure until it was in the right hands.

After all, bringing the Sinful Divine Rank back would be an achievement, but if he lost it... that would be a grave mistake.

Just as Ric was lost in these thoughts, he suddenly felt something was off. He spun around, only to see a streak of purple light rushing toward him. In the blink of an eye, it was right in front of him.

A powerful sin burst forth, enveloping him. A pair of slender hands grabbed his neck, freezing Ric in place. Inside, his heart seemed to flip and churn as though a storm was brewing.

"How is this possible… How can you be here?" Ric's face turned pale as he looked at the stunning woman before him, her long purple hair flowing around her. His expression was filled with disbelief.

Zenobia didn't speak. She simply extended a hand and gave a slight gesture. The Sinful Divine Rank, cracked and dull, flew out of Ric's pocket and landed in her palm.

A dark light flashed, and in the blink of an eye, it disappeared.

Sensing the faint sin still lingering in the rank and the almost depleted burst of energy within it, Zenobia's brows furrowed, and a colder, more intense gleam filled her eyes.

That damned human had dared to use her Divine Rank to nourish that filthy Sophia. If she caught him, she would make sure he wished he had never been born!

Feeling the pressure on her grip intensify, Ric tried to resist, but one of Zenobia's hands held him down with such force that he couldn't move at all. His once-proud primal power was completely powerless under her suppression.

Even Luca, had he been here, would not have expected such a scene. He had thought that with Ric's strength, he could at least delay Zenobia for a while. But instead of holding her off, Ric couldn't even land a single blow.

Zenobia didn't pay any attention to Ric's struggles. She calmly asked, "Where is he?"

"L-let me go…" Ric couldn't even hear clearly. His mind was completely consumed by the fear of death. He didn't even know what she was asking.

His primal power surged wildly around him, as he desperately tried to break free from Zenobia's hold. But it was all in vain. The seven-colored primal power began to melt away as soon as it touched the sin burst forth, like snow in the fire.

Marx, standing off to the side, was completely frozen. No one knew better than him how strong Ric was. Yet here, Ric was reduced to nothing more than a helpless child in Zenobia's grip.

When he thought about Zenobia's identity, even Marx's scalp began to tingle with fear.

After all, she was a genuine goddess! And not just any goddess—she was among the top-tier divine beings. Even those behind them, the most powerful factions, feared her. How could Marx not be terrified?

"I'll ask you one more time: Where is he?" Zenobia's voice grew colder, and the pressure in her hand intensified, causing Ric's throat to creak and deform.

"G-g-g... I... I don't know who you mean…" Ric's face was turning crimson, his voice barely squeezing out between clenched teeth. It wasn't that he was being brave, but he had no idea who Zenobia was referring to. He assumed she was asking about the figures behind him, the ones whose identities he could never reveal, no matter what.

"Don't know? Then what use is your life?" Zenobia slowly withdrew her hand and glanced toward the direction of Imperial Capital.

Ric, now on the ground, coughed violently. Sensing the killing intent from Zenobia, he looked up at her, just about to beg for mercy.

But then, Zenobia flicked her finger lightly, and a wisp of purple flame floated toward him. The flame, no bigger than a fingernail, moved slowly, but within it contained an immense, terrifying divine power. At this moment, Ric felt as though he were frozen in place—he couldn't dodge. All he could do was watch, his face filled with fear, as the purple flame came closer and settled on his forehead.

"Boom!!" The moment the flame made contact with Ric, it exploded like gasoline being poured over him, engulfing his entire body in a fiery blaze.

"Ah—!" A shrill, agonizing scream echoed across the mountaintop of Dragon Gate Mountain. The people below looked up in shock, seeing a figure, wrapped in purple flames, falling from the peak.

When it hit the ground, there was a loud bang, and the impact cracked the earth beneath him.

Even so, Ric was not dead.

He crawled, his broken body dragging itself away from Dragon Gate Mountain, an intense will to survive driving him. The scene was horrifying.

The purple flames that engulfed him were highly unusual. Though they burned fiercely, they caused no damage to the ground or the surrounding environment. It was as if the flames were clinging to him, consuming only his life force, like maggots crawling on his body, relentlessly eating away at him.

"This is... Ric?" Someone recognized him, their face filled with disbelief and horror. They couldn't fathom who could have caused him to end up like this.

"Help... help... please..." He crawled, his body scorched and ragged, screaming for help from those around him.

The inhuman torment he was enduring was beyond what any ordinary person could withstand. Even Ric's incredible willpower was no match for the agony; it had turned his existence into something worse than death.

However, no one dared to help him now.

One by one, people rushed away, fearful of getting caught up with him.

On the mountaintop, Zenobia didn't spare him a second glance.

She turned toward the trembling Marx, who was shaking uncontrollably. Her cold voice cut through the air, "And you? You don't know where that person is either?"