Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Pope Atkinson and Cohen had a cooperation agreement, whether for clues to the fragments of divinity promised by Cohen in the agreement, or for Cohen to provide certain guidance and assistance in the prophetic activities of the Prophecy Church.

Atkinson needed to stand up for Cohen to ensure that Cohen's status as the prophesied son would not be questioned by outsiders.

However, since he had not had any prior contact with Cohen, Pope Atkinson had always denied Cohen's status as the prophesied son.

Now, in order to cover up this lie and at the same time provide Cohen with stronger identity protection.

Atkinson chose to attribute Cohen's identity as the prophesied son to the god of prophecy.

However, as the saying goes, it takes a hundred lies to cover up one lie.

Shazor pointed out that the god of prophecy had not appeared in the world for a long time, which made Atkinson's words seem less credible.

Fortunately, Atkinson had anticipated this and made preparations in advance.

He presented the crystal shards in his hand to the crowd, and Cohen's phantom image was reflected on the shards.

Atkinson calmly said:

"This is a fragment of the Mirror of Destiny, bearing the mark left by my Lord."

It will only resonate with the true children of prophecy.

An eerie silence fell over everyone once again.

Just then, Ysera Munn, the council president of the Night's Watch, suddenly spoke, her voice hoarse:

"The ancient Night's Watch records that the one who can draw the mirror of destiny will surely tear the curtain of time."

The Child of Prophecy cannot be wrong!

The deep, ethereal voice sent a chill down everyone's spine.

Pope Atkinson wore a strange expression. The Mirror of Fate did indeed exist, and it was indeed something left behind by the god of prophecy.

But it wasn't this fragment in his hand; his previous statement was entirely fabricated by Atkinson.

Unexpectedly, Ysera was so accommodating and actually covered it up.

If he hadn't actually never had any contact with the Night's Watch, he would have suspected that he was putting on an act with Ysera.

Even the oldest order of the Night's Watch acknowledged this claim, and no one questioned Cohen's identity anymore.

Consequently, the level of importance attached to Cohen also rose to a new level.

The prophesied child chosen by the god of prophecy.

Such a person is favored by the gods and is only suitable to be a friend, not an enemy.

People outside the House of Nobles in the Central Empire seemed quite delighted, after all, this prophetic son was the consort of their Empress.

Once Cohen's identity as the prophesied son was confirmed, the neutral forces that were initially dissatisfied with him becoming the Empress's consort began to accept this fact from the bottom of their hearts.

In comparison, the expressions on Prince Shazo's and Crown Prince Greg's faces were not so pleasant.

A flicker of emotion crossed the eyes of Langdon, the Temple Master of the Battle Temple.

The other party is actually the chosen one of prophecy by the God of Prophecy?

Does the God of War know about this?

If they knew, why did they still send down a divine oracle to have Cohen join the "Divine Guard Training Camp"?
The fact that the most valued follower of the God of Prophecy became the personal guard of the God of War... seems illogical no matter how you look at it.

Lord Langdon frowned, his mind racing with thoughts.

A strange light gleamed in the eyes of Archbishop Clement of the Church of Light, who wondered whether he should continue to strengthen the alliance between the Church of Light and Cohen.

The people on the VIP platform immediately fell into different thoughts.

Meanwhile, Cohen, who was at the center of everyone's attention, also received a secret tip-off from Grace.

After reading the message Grace sent, Cohen couldn't help but twitch his lips slightly. Pope Atkinson was too audacious, daring to put himself on the hat of being favored by the god of prophecy.

She pursed her lips slightly, pondered for a while, and then suppressed her thoughts.

Anyway, no one would actually go to the God of Prophecy to verify the matter of the unknown invasion of the God's Realm.

The god of prophecy no longer responds to the prayers of believers, nor does he pay attention to these matters.

Overall, Pope Atkinson's statement stands up to scrutiny.

Moreover, this is equivalent to giving yourself a protective charm.

With that thought in mind, Cohen stopped thinking about it and turned his attention to the upcoming Bronze Group match.

……

The Bronze Group group stage has begun, with the first batch of twenty contestants heading to their respective drawn-out arenas.

The "Mirror of the Sky" displays information about the participants on each arena.

The crowd's attention was mainly focused on the five major empires and some of the favorites to win the championship.

Among the first batch of twenty contestants, only one contestant came from the five great empires, a young girl from the Southern Empire.

This girl attracted a lot of attention as soon as she appeared.

Besides the fact that the other party came from one of the five great empires, it was also because the other party's profession was very niche.

While it may not be as ancient and mysterious as Cohen's "Dragon Seal: Weapon Master," it is still quite unique and special.

The class name scrolling on the Mirror of the Sky is "Light and Shadow Walker".

Many people with limited knowledge may not know what this job entails when they see the name of this profession.

Cohen was slightly surprised when he saw the profession, and whispered to Nephthys, who was preparing for the match beside him:

"This person should be the most promising candidate in the Southern Region Empire to compete for the 'Strongest Bronze' title."

Although Asuna comes from the Central Empire, she had never achieved the extraordinary due to her physical condition, and she didn't know much about the common knowledge of extraordinary professions.

Having even less knowledge of this ancient profession, he asked:
"What is the Light and Shadow Walker class? Is it very powerful?"

Cohen patiently explained:
"A Lightwalker is a spellcaster who uses light and shadow as weapons."

They do not create pure light or darkness, but rather intricately weave, twist, and refract existing light, engaging in combat by creating illusions, traps, energy beams, and physical shadow blades.

It is highly deceptive, and its fighting style is similar to that of a mechanical sorcerer like Freya.

Of course, the most powerful thing about the Light Walkers is their innate skill, Light Leap.

They can briefly blend into a shadow or a bright light, instantly moving to another shadow or light area that is large enough to cover their figure, and launching a surprise attack from an unexpected direction.

This skill is essentially unsolvable for low-level transcendents with weak soul power and perception.

Nephthys said thoughtfully:

"It is indeed quite tricky, but I am confident that I can handle it."

Cohen smiled and said:

"You are a mind sorcerer. As long as you can lock onto her mental fluctuations, no escape techniques will work on you."

However, for the other contestants, things are likely to get tough.

Although the eyesight of the people in the VIP area couldn't compare to that of Cohen, who had extensive gaming experience from his previous life, they still had no problem recognizing the "Light and Shadow Walker" class.

Upon seeing the name of the figure of light and shadow, "Woolf Smith," Prince Violet of the Northern Empire raised an eyebrow, glanced at Prime Minister Winston of the Southern Empire, smiled, and said:

"Light and Shadow Walkers, it's been so many years since I've seen anyone take up such an extraordinary profession."

It seems the Southern Empire is well-prepared for this year's 'Strongest Bronze' competition!

Prime Minister Winston, with a similarly gentle smile, humbly stated:

"Prince Violet is too kind. This child has only been fortunate enough to inherit an ancient legacy and lacks practical experience."

The 'Frost Warriors' sent by the Northern Empire this year are even more anticipated. It's said they've mastered the secret technique of Ice Vein Resonance, making them capable of fighting opponents of higher levels.

"This contestant shares the same surname as His Excellency the Prime Minister, could it be..."

A slight smile appeared on Prime Minister Winston's lips:
"It is indeed my little granddaughter."

"congratulations!"

The other imperial representatives also offered their congratulations.

Having such an outstanding descendant gives the older generation face in the outside world.

While everyone was exchanging pleasantries and chatting idly...

The match on the stage also came to a quick conclusion.

Wolf Smith's opponent is a fire mage from a small country in the Land of Dragons.

I've never even heard of the "Light and Shadow Walker" class, and I know absolutely nothing about their fighting style.

He had just come on stage and was still chanting incantations in a low voice.

Woolf, who had been far away, suddenly appeared behind him, a long sword pressed against his neck.

At this moment, the light and shadow in the distance that looked exactly like Woolf's slowly disappeared.

A tall bronze golem beside them emitted a cold, mechanical sound:

“In arena number five, the Southern Empire representative, Wolf Smith, wins, earning 2 points.”

Similar sounds echoed across the ring.

The Bronze Group's superhumans are limited by their physical strength and magical power, so their battles end very quickly.

The outcome can be decided in just a few minutes, unless the two players are very evenly matched, in which case the duel will last longer.

Time passed by, and the atmosphere in the arena grew increasingly intense.

Compared to the bustling spectator area, the VIP area was much quieter.

For these important figures, the Bronze Group competition didn't really interest them much.

Before the finals, these people were mostly talking about their own things and didn't pay much attention to the competition.

They only pay attention when their own country's athletes are competing.

Suddenly, Prince Quentin's voice rang out in the VIP area:
"That little girl in arena number three... Did any of you sense anything familiar about her?"

Prince Quentin of the Eastern Empire had extensive connections on the continent, and given his status, everyone turned their attention to Arena Number Three upon hearing his words.

Soon someone said:

"This must be the representative from Efein, Nephthys... I heard she's one of King Efein's confidantes."

They're quite strong; they've already won several matches in a row.

Prince Violet of the Northern Empire let out a soft exclamation and said, "A warlock?"
Or is he a mind sorcerer?

This technique…

After Prince Violet's reminder, everyone realized something and their expressions became quite strange.

Just then, Prince Xiazuo sneered:
"What a daring Effie! She actually dared to take in members of the Night Rose family!"

The Night Rose Family!
The Night Rose Clan, a sorcerer family, was destroyed by the combined forces of the five great empires for conducting forbidden experiments.

At its peak, the Night Rose family, though not as powerful as top-tier families like the Pale Wings, was still very influential on the continent.

Especially in the area of ​​sorcerer inheritance, during the heyday of the Night Rose family, the Night Rose family had influence all over the continent.

Although the Night Rose family had been extinct for over a century, the people in the VIP area were all extremely perceptive and quickly discerned the clues from Nephthys's spellcasting techniques and methods.

Grand Duke Roland chuckled and said:

"Why is Your Highness in such a hurry to label me?"
During its heyday, the Night Rose family had branches all over the mainland.

It's not impossible that after the destruction of Night Rose, its bloodline secrets were scattered among the common people.

It would be far too unreasonable to convict someone solely based on their habitual practice of casting spells.

Prince Quentin said calmly:

"Your Highness, there's no need to pretend you know what you don't. Many of the spellcasting techniques of the Night Rose family can only be learned by direct descendants."

Many people present had experienced the Night Rose family era and should be very clear about this matter.

Prime Minister Winston suddenly interrupted:
"The spell that Miss Nephthys just used should be called 'Mind Siphon,' which requires the Night Rose family's special eye technique as a medium."

Prince Quentin was right; she is indeed a direct descendant of the Night Rose family.

The atmosphere in the VIP area changed completely.

Just then, Her Majesty the Empress's voice came from afar:
"Cohen had already informed me about Nephthys's identity beforehand."

Nephthys is not a member of the Night Rose family; this has been confirmed by both the Emperor and His Majesty Emperor Monroe of the Western Regions Empire.

At this moment, Archbishop Clement, the Privy Councilor of the Church of Light, also said with a smile:
"The Oracle of Light once said that the sins of Night Rose have long been forgotten with the passage of time."

If someone insists on pursuing lineage rather than the crime itself... they might offend our Lord's doctrine of 'forgiveness'.

As he spoke, he glanced meaningfully at the Eastern Empire.

The emperors of the two great empires have already confirmed Nephthys's identity, so even if Nephthys herself admits that she is a member of the Night Rose Sorcerer Family, it doesn't matter.

No one will hold this matter against them anymore.

Furthermore, given the slightly threatening statement from the strongest church on the mainland, everyone present wisely refrained from pressing the matter further.

Cohen had long known that once Nephthys made a move, it would not escape the notice of the five great empires and the representatives of these top powers, so he sent letters in advance to Emperor Monroe of the Western Empire and the Holy See.

The Western Empire and the Holy See were happy to let Cohen owe them a favor.

To put it bluntly, the existence of a few surviving members of a sorcerer family that has been extinct for hundreds of years has no impact on them whatsoever.

The match continued, and Nefertis quickly and easily defeated her opponent, extending her winning streak to five games.

As the competition has progressed to this point, almost every player has played half of their matches. Apart from the players from the five great empires, only Nephthys from Efein stands out as someone who remains undefeated.

Even a contestant from the Southern Empire couldn't last a minute against Nephthys.

If each group has fifty people, and each person takes turns playing, it would take a month to finish.

In order to shorten the competition and avoid pointless battles.

The organizers still used a lottery system to ensure that each contestant would fight ten times against the other contestants.

The rankings are determined by the results of ten matches. If there is a tie, a separate tiebreaker match will be played until the top five teams in each group are determined.

Besides Nephthys, a female contestant on ring number eight also attracted everyone's attention.

Freya, the princess who restored the Kingdom of Ceylon.

In the VIP area, Prince Xiazuo said meaningfully:
"This must be the princess whom King Effie personally supported."

A mechanical sorcerer, and a sorcerer at that; it seems His Majesty has a unique fondness for young female sorcerers.

Saying this in front of so many ministers of the Central Empire was clearly a deliberate attempt to sow discord.

After all, Cohen is now the Empress's husband.

Archduke Roland chuckled and retorted:

"Your Highness Shazo is quite interested in King Corleone's private life."

Prince Violet spoke up to shift the focus and ease the tension:
"Interesting. This princess who is trying to restore her kingdom is facing an opponent who is one of the people from the Kingdom of Ceylon itself."

Everyone present knew the Ceylon Kingdom's ulterior motives: they wanted to use the noble martial arts festival, a public arena, to defeat the so-called fake princess.

Therefore, after seeing Freya face off against a contestant from the Kingdom of Ceylon, everyone began to pay close attention to the developments in the match.

Freya's opponent is a Tier 3 "Beast Tamer".

This must have been a special gift from the Kingdom of Ceylon for Freya.

Beastmasters, as the name suggests, rely on tamed magical beasts to assist in battle. Generally speaking, the level of the tamed magical beast cannot exceed the user's own level, and a bronze-level beastmaster can only tame one magical beast, otherwise they are likely to suffer a backlash.

However, when they saw the magical beast that Freya's opponent brought out from the spatial equipment, they were all taken aback.

On Arena Number Seven, Freya, who had easily won three consecutive matches, finally encountered her first competitor from the Kingdom of Ceylon.

As soon as the beast tamer from the Kingdom of Ceylon entered the arena, he immediately summoned two high-level bronze magical beasts.

The Shadow Blade Leopard excels in speed, while the Rock Armor Lizard excels in defense.

The appearance of two high-level bronze magical beasts instantly caused an uproar among the crowd watching the match.

A third-tier beast tamer can actually control two magical beasts of the same level at once?

But soon, everyone understood something from the beast tamer's defeated expression and extremely unstable aura.

The other party clearly enhanced their soul power through some kind of secret technique or drug.

Although it can control two equally powerful magical beasts for a short time, once the effects of the drug wear off, it will inevitably suffer a severe backlash.

At least this animal trainer is now useless.

The spectator area immediately erupted in chaos, with many people glaring angrily in the direction of the Kingdom of Ceylon.

By using secret techniques and forbidden drugs to undermine the fairness of the martial arts festival, the Ceylon royal family has truly abandoned even the most basic sense of dignity.

The attitudes in the VIP area were also varied. Prince Violet of the Northern Empire chuckled and said:

"It seems that this princess is becoming a bit too much for Gaius to handle, so he has resorted to such underhanded tactics."

Amidst the discussions, the match on the arena officially began.

The animal trainer knew he couldn't hold out for long, and the longer he did, the greater the backlash he would suffer afterward.

Therefore, he must act quickly.

After summoning the monsters, immediately have the two monsters form a pincer attack.

The Shadow Blade Leopard closed in at high speed, while the Rock Armored Lizard charged forward to draw fire.

He then followed closely behind, wielding a longsword.

Dealing with warlocks is actually quite simple; once you can get close, you've already won half the battle.

However, before he could even pick up speed, the beast tamer immediately felt a heavy weight on his body, and the speed of the two monsters suddenly decreased.

Immediately afterwards, dark brown chains appeared beneath the feet of the man and the two beasts, restricting their movement.

Such a fast casting speed!

From the moment the tamer launched the attack to the moment Freya set up the "gravity trap" and "chain mechanism" in the path of the opponent's movement, the entire process took no more than five seconds.

The fact that a third-tier mechanical sorcerer could set up two second-tier mechanisms in such a short time is enough to prove Princess Ceylon's exceptional talent as a sorcerer.

Almost instantly, the people in the VIP area made the above judgment.

"I've heard that Princess Freya's relationship with Cohen is also ambiguous. It's truly astonishing how he manages to gather so many talented women."

The faces of everyone in the Central Empire darkened once again.

This empress's husband is perfect in every way, except that he's a bit too promiscuous.

Just as everyone was discussing it, the match on the stage suddenly became turbulent again.

Second-tier traps are clearly insufficient to restrain third-tier monsters for long.

Before long, the Shadow Blade Leopard and the Rock Armor Lizard broke free from the "gravity trap" and "chain mechanism" and continued to rush towards Freya.

But just then, Freya's third mechanism was ready.

"Swarm Puppet"!
A miniature self-destructing mechanical insect is one of the rarest and most difficult to master among bronze-tier mechanisms.

The dense swarm of bee-like golems pounced on the rock-armored lizard's vulnerable spots, such as its eyes and joints, forcing it to halt its attack once again.

Upon seeing this, the animal trainer's face immediately showed a look of horror.

The rock-armored lizard's greatest weakness is its eyes. Once its eyes are attacked, it will immediately enter a bloodthirsty state and is very prone to losing control.

Normally, he could barely suppress a single demon beast.

However, he is already finding it extremely difficult to control the two demonic beasts using secret methods, and if the rock-armored lizards were to go berserk...

Forget about fighting the enemy, I'm afraid I'll be devoured by the ferocious rock-armored lizards first.

The beast tamer had long lost the will to continue the attack and quickly took out a flute from his pocket, preparing to forcibly take back the rock-armored lizard.

But before he could even play the flute, his lower body suddenly went numb, and his entire body stiffened briefly.

"Paralysis Trap"!
The animal trainer's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.

Freya had just set up a "gravity trap" and a "chain mechanism," and secretly hid a "paralysis trap" as well?
How can it be?

How could a third-tier mechanical sorcerer possibly set up so many traps in just a few seconds?
And can it be completely controlled?
These traps themselves are not deadly, but for the beast tamer who controls the two monsters, they are enough to cause him the most severe backlash.

The paralysis trap is only of the first level. For a normal third-level superhuman, it will at most slow down their movements.

However, at this critical moment, the tamer's momentary lapse in concentration caused him to miss the best opportunity to control the rock-armored lizard.

As the swarm of golems self-destructed, the rock-armored lizard went into a state of complete bloodlust.

A powerful backlash of soul energy surged forth like a tidal wave. The beast tamer collapsed to the ground, blood gushing from his mouth and nose, while the out-of-control monster was forcibly teleported off the arena by the bronze golem! (End of Chapter)