Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

In the Crimson Hall, after hearing the young deacon's words, the other elders and deacons nodded in agreement, expressing opinions strikingly similar to those of Nightmoon Continent—believing that Sal and Hex were delusional and did not assess the threat posed by the "Magic Gold Empire" as significant.

Moreover, compared to Nightmoon Continent, the vampires of Twilight Continent are even more xenophobic and independent.

Vampires are a race that places great importance on bloodlines, traditions, and internal order.

They see themselves as the ancient and noble rulers of the lost land, and they mostly have an innate sense of superiority and alienation towards other races, whether werewolves, humans, or other aliens.

They are accustomed to living in ancient castles, underground palaces, or secret strongholds, maintaining a self-contained, hierarchical social structure.

They maintain their rule and cooperation by relying on absolute control of their territory, strong individual strength, and some unknown ancient secrets.

Actively forming alliances with other forces, especially those they consider "inferior," "uncivilized," and "short-lived," is not only against their traditions but is also seen as a stain on their noble lineage.

Therefore, the choice of Twilight Continent was almost inevitable.

Observe the situation calmly, defend our territory, and respond to all changes with constancy.

They believed that the defenses of their ancient castle, the individual strength of their vampire warriors, and those forbidden techniques passed down from antiquity were sufficient to deal with any external threat.

Unless the war directly reaches their territory, they prefer to remain indifferent bystanders, and may even step in to seize profits when both sides are weakened.

Blood Lord Lucius Aragell listened quietly to his subordinates' discussion, his crimson eyes showing no emotion, as if everything had been expected.

He gently waved his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet:

"I understand what you all mean."

Thrall and Hextech's magic gold empire was nothing more than a fleeting illusion.

My Twilight Continent need not trouble itself with this, nor should it lower itself to ally with those unclean things.

He raised his pale finger, a flicker of dark red light emanating from its tip, projecting a map of the Twilight Continent bathed in the soft crimson moonlight onto the center of the hall:
"Send orders to all castle lords, underground lair elders, and the various factions of the 'Night Families'."

Strengthen the border fog and bloodstain barrier, awaken the necessary castle guards, and put all vampire warriors on alert. However, without my order, no one may voluntarily step out of the Twilight Domain.

Closely monitor the movements of the Demon Gold Empire, Night Moon Continent, Mysterious Continent, and the Endless Alliance.

Especially the direction in which the Demon Gold Empire's army was assembling.

He paused, his crimson eyes narrowing slightly as he gazed at the areas on the map marked "Chaotic Demon Continent" and "Mechanical Continent," his tone carrying a predatory amusement:
"Let them make a scene. Once they've bled enough and are tired of fighting, we'll go check if there's any prey worth collecting, or to get rid of some bugs that are disturbing our sleep."

"We will obey your will, Patriarch." All the vampire elders and deacons bowed in unison, their voices echoing in the empty hall.

The Twilight Continent, this ancient and arrogant vampire kingdom, also chose to erect barriers and stand by indifferently in the face of the shockwaves of the establishment of the Demon Gold Empire.

They believe that the eternity of time and the nobility of their own bloodline are enough to extinguish the ambitions of any short-lived species.

However, they may have underestimated Sal and Hextech's determination, and they were unaware of the disruptive changes that the man who had infiltrated the eye of the storm under the name "Maine" would bring!

……

Crimson City, the southeastern gateway to Twilight Continent, the Blood Moon Barrier.

This magnificent city-state, standing on the southeastern border of Twilight Continent, is less a city and more a colossal fortress built for war.

The towering city walls were built of dark red "blood-weeping stone," which gleamed with a cold and austere luster under the eternal crimson moonlight.

The city walls were covered with jagged metal spikes, magical runes that emanated ominous energy, and magical crossbows that protruded like the fangs of giant beasts and were inlaid with huge blood-red crystals.

This is the first and one of the strongest lines of defense for Twilight Continent against threats from Chaos Continent and further southeast.

The one who rules this place is Cyril Pollak, the elder of the vampire clan, a half-step legendary powerhouse known for his rigor, ruthlessness, and expertise in defensive warfare.

He commands a well-trained regular army of nearly ten thousand, primarily composed of vampire warriors, blood golems, and powerful servants bound by "embrace" or contracts.

Furthermore, it transformed the entire city-state into a model of combining vampire magic with defensive fortifications.

The ubiquitous "Bloodstain Warning Barrier," "Mist Interference Array," and "Vampire Touch" traps are enough to make it impossible for any unauthorized intruder to move an inch.

Since the news of the establishment of the Demon Gold Empire came, the Crimson City-State has raised its alert level to the highest point in decades.

The number of guards at the city gates has doubled, and all those entering the city, regardless of their identity or race, must undergo several rigorous checks and magical detections.

People from the Chaotic Demon Continent and the Mechanical Continent, in particular, are the focus of their "care".

Anyone whose identity is slightly unclear, whose behavior is somewhat suspicious, or whose magical detection shows a faint trace of abyssal or alchemical energy, will be immediately taken into custody by the ferocious vampire guards.

They were escorted to the depths of the "Crimson Temple" in the center of the city-state to undergo a mental examination by a high-ranking vampire mage.

In just a few days, many unfortunate merchants and adventurers have been taken inside, and very few of them have come out unharmed.

As dusk fell, the crimson moonlight draped the city-state in an even more eerie guise.

A luxurious carriage, pulled by four magnificent Nightmare Beasts and escorted by more than ten well-equipped and valiant guards, slowly approached the heavy gates of the Crimson City.

The caravan was luxuriously decorated yet tastefully, with the carriages engraved with the emblems and protective runes of certain ancient families from the Mysterious Continent, emanating a faint magical aura.

Seeing the other side's arrogant attitude, the vampire officers guarding the city gate dared not be negligent.

Although the other party comes from the Mysterious Continent, which currently has a relatively good relationship with the Twilight Continent, rules are rules.

He personally stepped forward and carefully verified the identity documents handed over by the convoy owner.

This is a noble pass issued by a powerful department of the Mysterious Continent, bearing multiple magical imprints. It clearly states the identity, title, purpose of the trip, and guarantor of the caravan owner.

The document is flawless, and the magic mark is genuine and effective.

The vampire officer gave a perfunctory greeting, then waved his hand and said, "Let them pass."

The heavy gate slowly rose with the groaning of its hinges, and the convoy smoothly entered the heavily guarded vampire fortress.

The vampires generally don't make things too difficult for nobles from the Mysterious Continent, especially those with complete credentials.

After all, the two sides have a considerable amount of trade in areas such as magical materials and rare knowledge.

The convoy entered the city-state and drove along the wide "Weeping Blood Avenue" towards the inner city.

The streets are lined with uniform dark red stone buildings with small windows. Occasionally, vampire figures dressed in elaborate or simple attire flash by in the shadows, casting indifferent glances.

Just as the caravan turned a street corner and temporarily escaped the direct sight of the city gate guards, a particularly tall and robust figure, wearing a heavy cloak and hiding his face in the shadow of the hood, silently slipped away from the guards beside the carriage.

He quickened his pace, opened the car door with remarkable ease, and slipped into the spacious interior of the luxurious carriage.

Inside the carriage, the decor was elegant, and a faint, calming fragrance permeated the air.

The tall figure who had just entered ripped off his hood, revealing a look of astonishment on his face.

He touched his bald head, stared wide-eyed at Cohen, and lowered his voice, his tone filled with shock and lingering fear:
"We...we just came in like this?"
They didn't even search me, and the questioning was just a few questions? They didn't even use any detection spells?
I'm prepared for a fight to break out at any moment!

Cohen smiled faintly and said:

"I've been operating under this identity in Twilight Continent for quite some time now."

The vampire race has a very contradictory personality.

On the one hand, they are extremely xenophobic and arrogant, regard their own bloodline as supreme, have a strong desire to control and are wary of their territory, and wish they could be isolated from the world and sleep forever in their castles and coffins.

On the other hand, they could not truly achieve complete isolation and self-sufficiency.

The long lifespan brings enormous consumption. Maintaining the operation of the ancient castle, conducting certain forbidden research, cultivating the new generation of vampires, and even maintaining their luxurious lifestyle and combat needs... all require massive amounts of resources.

Many of these resources are things that the Twilight Continent cannot fully provide—such as certain magical plants, rare minerals, knowledge carriers from other planes, and even fresh slaves and special blood sources.

Cohen turned back and looked at Baphomet:
"Therefore, they had to allow a limited number of credible outsiders to enter and conduct limited trade and exchange."

Merchants like us, who have long been traveling around the Lost Lands, have a good reputation, and can provide them with the supplies and channels they need, naturally become highly sought-after in their eyes.

Merchants from the Mysterious Continent, especially those with noble backgrounds, good conduct, and a good trading record, generally do not face much difficulty.

My identity is registered and has a certain level of credibility with several major vampire guilds and a few nobles in Twilight Continent.

Our goods, ranging from rare potion ingredients to ancient manuscripts, have always been popular.

As long as we don't actively violate their core taboos and don't do anything out of line during sensitive periods, routine inspections like today's usually don't cause too much trouble.

Crimson City, as the most crucial and fortified border fortress in the southeast of Twilight Continent, is a thorn in the side that any army intending to invade the heart of Twilight Continent from the southeast must remove.

It is also one of the core pillars of the Twilight Continent's defense system.

In Thrall's ambitious campaign to conquer Twilight's End, regardless of the chosen main objective, the Crimson City-States will inevitably be a crucial obstacle that must be overcome.

Therefore, obtaining the most detailed defense intelligence before launching a full-scale offensive becomes a crucial and extremely dangerous preliminary task.

Cohen's visit was carried out under the direct orders of the Demon Lord Sal, as the newly appointed "Chief of War Staff," to personally conduct on-site reconnaissance and intelligence verification at the front lines.

This was both Thrall's initial test of his abilities and an important step in formally incorporating him into the war's decision-making circle. Thrall was quite satisfied with Korn's surrender and the demonic bloodline within him, which largely dispelled his doubts about his identity.

But due to his ruthless nature, he will never lack necessary monitoring and checks and balances.

Sending Baphomet, a capable lieutenant under the command of the Pillar Demon God Valak, to accompany the new Chief of Staff was ostensibly to protect his safety, but in reality, it served as a pair of "eyes" placed beside Cohen, and also as an invisible deterrent.

Before Thrall officially revealed his "Demon Descent" plan to the entire core, Baffrom had been deeply involved in the Magnum Empire's overall strategic planning for Twilight Continent, and had a considerable understanding of the Crimson City's original defense system, troop composition, and even potential weaknesses.

That's why he understands all too well how difficult it would be to infiltrate such a heavily armed vampire border town and obtain core military intelligence during this sensitive period when the atmosphere is tense and the alert level is at its highest.

The fact that Cohen could infiltrate so effortlessly using a fake identity, his precise grasp of the loopholes in the social rules of Twilight Continent, and the depth of his cultivated noble identity all secretly alarmed Baffomier.

At the same time, I am also glad that His Majesty the Demon Lord was able to recruit such a talent into his ranks.

Upon hearing Cohen's answer, Baphomet quickly concealed the surprise on his face and reverted to his shrewd and capable demon general appearance.

He lowered his voice and said slowly:

"The Chief of Staff is absolutely right. His Majesty's mission is very clear: we need to find out the latest troop deployment of the Crimson City-State after the establishment of the Demon Gold Empire."

This includes the garrison locations of various troops, troop rotation patterns, magical defense facilities, and especially detailed parameters and energy nodes for the 'Crimson Temple' and the city wall barrier.

Information on the personal guard of Lord Cyril Pollack, and whether any newly transferred special forces or powerful individuals are stationed in the city.

This intelligence is related to the focus of our first wave of attacks and subsequent operational plans.

The information you previously possessed, while valuable, is certainly outdated.

What should we do next?

After Baphomet finished speaking, he looked intently at Cohen.

Although he was responsible for surveillance, he was also clear that the main task of this trip was to gather intelligence.

In this respect, the former Chief Intelligence Officer of the Mysterious Continent is clearly more professional.

He was willing to follow orders temporarily while observing Cohen's abilities and methods.

Cohen said slowly:

"Of course, we need to gather more information. Let's go meet my informant."

"Informant?"

Baphomme raised an eyebrow, then suddenly realized.

Yes, given that Maine was able to enter the city so easily during this period and has such a good understanding of the internal rules of the vampires, it would be strange if he hadn't developed several reliable sources of information.

He just didn't expect that Cohen would have informants he could directly contact even inside a military stronghold like Crimson City.

The extent of this infiltration is rather alarming.

Cohen seemed to notice Baphomet's surprise and explained calmly:
"I have cultivated this noble status for many years and have established connections and business dealings with merchant guilds in several city-states of Twilight Continent, some lower and middle-class nobles, and even some disgruntled vampire officers."

Interests are the best bond.

Although Crimson City-State is strictly militarized, it is still a city-state with residents, commercial activities, and garrison troops, so there are bound to be gaps.

I did have some information about Crimson City through certain channels before, but that was all in the past.

As you said, with His Majesty's ascension to the throne and the establishment of the Magma Empire, the Twilight Continent was not without reaction, and Cyril Pollack was no mediocre man; their defensive deployments would inevitably be adjusted.

My previous intelligence can only be used as a reference, not as the basis for formulating an attack plan.

Therefore, we need entirely new intelligence!

"Then... shall we contact your informant now?"

Baphomet asked, his hand unconsciously resting on the weapon at his waist. Although he was also in disguise at the moment, he instinctively went into a state of alert.

Cohen nodded and gave the coachman an address in the bustling inner city of the Crimson City-State—there was a shop there famous for selling rare spices and works of art.

He then straightened his magnificent attire, put on his elegant and reserved noble mask again, and said to Baphomet:
"Let's go see my old friend and see how many fresh secrets about this city-state we can get from him."

Remember your place; you are now my personal bodyguard captain.

Baphomet took a deep breath, nodded, and pulled his hood down again, reverting to his usual taciturn and loyal guard persona.

The carriage moved smoothly along the street illuminated by the blood moon, heading towards the seemingly ordinary shop.

……

Upon arriving at the shop, Cohen greeted the shopkeeper and then led Baphomet directly to the back room of the shop.

The back room of the shop is a seemingly ordinary storage room, but the subtle magical patterns on the walls and the faint sense of isolation in the air indicate that it has been specially treated.

Cohen and Baphomet had barely settled in when the heavy wooden door was silently pushed open, and a figure slipped in without a sound, then slammed the door shut and locked it.

The newcomer appeared to be in his forties, with a pale face, deep-set features, and typical vampire characteristics.

He was tall and straight, dressed in a dark casual suit made of fine materials, and his demeanor exuded the competence unique to soldiers and a touch of vampire aristocratic elegance.

Upon entering the room, his gaze first fell upon Cohen. He bowed slightly, performing a simple and standard greeting, without uttering a word, as if awaiting instructions.

Then, his gaze turned to Baffmie, who was standing to the side and behind Cohen.

When the middle-aged vampire man saw clearly Baphomet's imposing figure and unique aura, which even disguise could not completely conceal, his pupils contracted almost imperceptibly, but his face remained calm.

However, Baphomet's reaction was completely different!
The moment he saw the person's face clearly, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning; he jolted violently and almost cried out in a low voice:
"Yadrian... Yadrian?! Yadrian, the vice-captain of the Scarlet Guard of the Scarlet City-State?"

"It's you?!"

Baphomet's voice was filled with undisguised shock.

As a core member who was deeply involved in the strategic planning of Twilight Continent under the command of the Demon Lord Thrall, Baffom was very familiar with the situation of Twilight Continent, especially the key target, Crimson City.

He was not only familiar with its defense system and troop composition, but also conducted detailed research on the names, appearances, positions, and even some personality traits of some key figures.

Adrian is the second-in-command of the Crimson Guard, the core armed force of the Crimson City responsible for daily city defense, security, counter-espionage, and some internal security work. His position is second only to the captain of the guard.

He is one of the most trusted aides of Elder Cyril Pollack, the city lord, and is known for his ruthlessness, efficiency, and extreme loyalty to vampire traditions.

How could someone like that be Cohen's informant?

The vampire man named Yardrian seemed unsurprised that Baphomet could immediately recognize his identity and position.

His face remained expressionless; he simply nodded calmly and said, "Indeed, I am Adrian. And you are?"

Baphomet was even more shocked and didn't know how to answer for a moment. His mind was still immersed in the shock of the explosive fact that "the vice captain of the Scarlet Guard was an inside man".

Cohen, who was standing to the side, seemed to have anticipated Baphomet's loss of composure. He spoke up at the opportune moment, calmly introducing the two parties and indirectly answering the turmoil of questions churning in Baphomet's mind:

“Yadrian, this is Mr. Baphomet.”

He is one of His Majesty Thrall's most trusted and capable lieutenants. This time, on His Majesty's orders, he has come with me as advance intelligence agents to Crimson City-State to clear obstacles and pave the way for our upcoming great campaign.

After introducing Baphomet, Cohen turned to Baphomet, who was still in a state of shock, and said:

“Mr. Baphomet, since you have already recognized Adrian, I will not go into details about his identity.”

You guessed it right, he is the vice-captain of the Crimson Guard of Crimson City.

At the same time, he is also one of my most trusted and important intelligence partners, and he is well aware of almost all the core secrets of the internal and external defense of Crimson City.

With his help, the difficulty we face in obtaining the information His Majesty needs will be greatly reduced.

In fact, Adrian was one of Ryder Gallo's most trusted and relied-upon core subordinates during his time in Twilight.

His loyalty and competence to Ryder are beyond question.

Ryder Gallo, as the former "shadow prime minister" of Twilight Continent, left behind a legacy and network of connections that are indeed unfathomable.

When Cohen decided to infiltrate the Demon Lord Sal's inner circle, Ryder handed over most of the secret forces he possessed and the contact information of the relevant personnel to him.

Yadriyan is the most crucial link in this chain.

Baphomet took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and tried to restore his calm expression.

He looked at Adrian with a complex expression, and his opinion of Cohen rose to a new level.

This newly appointed war chief of staff is likely more capable and shrewd than he had previously imagined. (End of Chapter)