Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

When Baphomet saw the formation activate, he realized that the plan had completely failed.

Without any hesitation, he immediately ordered a retreat.

However, the fearless Twilight Guardians seemed to have received some orders and intensified their attacks.

In the end, Baphomet could only rely on the trump card given to him by the demon god Valak to escape the Crimson Temple alone. His subordinates were all wiped out without a trace, and none of them returned.

Yadrian had just suppressed the main resistance force in the East District and hadn't even had a chance to catch his breath when he saw Baphomet fleeing back in a sorry state.

He quickly concealed his expression and said in a deep voice:

“Mr. Baphomet, you are far too impatient.”

As I told you beforehand, the Crimson Temple's defenses far exceeded expectations, and the fighting could not be concealed at all.

Now things have turned out differently. The deputy city lord of the West District isn't stupid; he has already activated the city-state's ultimate defense mechanism—the Blood Moon Veil.

Once this curtain is raised, it is impossible to pass through unless forcibly breached from the outside with overwhelming force.
Not only can it isolate the army, but it will also severely interfere with magical communication and detection.

Most of our previous efforts have been wasted; now, at best, we can only be said to have control of half of Dongcheng District.

The remaining western district has become a monolithic entity.

Moreover, they are now on guard, making it extremely difficult to use cunning or internal infiltration as before.

Next, we may really have no choice but to wait for His Majesty Sarr's main army to arrive and launch a head-on assault.

Moreover, with this curtain in place, the difficulty and casualties of the army's attack on the western district will likely be... alas!

Adrian let out a long sigh, looking exactly like a planner heartbroken that a good plan had been ruined by a brute.

Baphomme's expression changed several times, and he lowered his voice:
"I underestimated them. Fortunately, we still control half of the city-state!"

Adrian sighed:
"But it's only half a city-state. Our original plan was to seize the city in a flash and take advantage of the time difference."

Now that this has caused such a commotion, the vampire high command must have been alerted, and reinforcements from Twilight Continent may already be on their way.

Not only did we fail to completely capture the city-state, we also bought them time to react and reinforce.

"Mr. Baphomet, our plan this time has probably failed completely!"

Baphomme's face at this moment was not just ugly, it was as black as the bottom of a pot, with a reddish tinge of rising internal heat.

He looked up at the blood-red sky that stretched before him, feeling the considerable loss of magic power within him and the throbbing pain in his wounds. Thinking of his elite guard that had been wiped out, a strong sense of regret and panic welled up inside him.

He never expected that a surprise attack he thought he could easily control would trigger such a disastrous chain reaction.

Not only did they fail to even touch the treasure trove, but they also suffered heavy losses, alarming the entire city. What could have been a peaceful takeover of the East District turned into a mess that required a bloody battle to suppress, and the West District became an impregnable fortress!
He turned his head sharply and looked at Cohen, who had remained silent.

Cohen met Baphomet's gaze, shrugged, and said helplessly:

“Mr. Baphomet, I reminded you before.”

The Crimson Temple is no small matter; a swift and decisive victory is necessary, otherwise it could easily alert the enemy and lead to uncontrollable consequences.

Now that the 'blood moon veil' has risen, the situation has indeed become tricky.

With the western district now prepared, a direct assault would inevitably come at a great cost. Our original plan for a coordinated attack from within and without to quickly capture the entire city will now likely turn into a protracted siege.

This is clearly not in line with His Majesty's expectations.

He didn't directly accuse anyone, but the meaning behind his words couldn't be clearer.

You, Baphomet, ruined the entire plan by yourself, and you must take responsibility.

Baphomme's cheek muscles twitched a few times; he knew he had made a huge mistake this time.

Being greedy for quick success, causing heavy losses, and disrupting the overall strategy... any one of these would be enough to get him into serious trouble in the army, especially under His Majesty Sarr.

But things have come to this point, retreating and shirking responsibility will only make things worse.

He forced himself to compose himself, managing a smile that looked more like a grimace, and said to Cohen:
“Mr. Maine, it was indeed my oversight this time. I was too hasty, underestimated the temple guards, and also underestimated the reaction speed of the vampire city-state, which led to this situation.”

Rest assured, I will take full responsibility. I will personally explain to His Majesty Sal that it was my greed for credit and rashness that ruined your perfect plan and led to a passive situation in the war.

"I, Bhavamsa, will bear all the blame; I will never implicate you, sir!"

His words, seemingly generous and responsible, were actually a strategic retreat to deflect Cohen's blame.

Hopefully, Cohen will put in a good word for him later in front of Sal, considering his "willingness to take responsibility," or at least not kick him while he's down.

Cohen looked at Baffame's forced composure and wore a sincere expression of camaraderie.

He stepped forward, patted Baphomet on the shoulder, and spoke in a gentle but firm tone:
"Rest assured, attacking the Crimson City is a weighty responsibility entrusted to us by His Majesty. Success or failure, honor or disgrace, we shall share the burden together."

I will not let you bear the blame alone.

Although this matter arose from the adults' eagerness to win, the initial intention was also for the sake of the empire, to seize city-states more quickly, and to acquire resources.

On the battlefield, the situation changes rapidly, and who can guarantee that they will be able to make perfect plans?

Your Majesty is a ruler of great talent and vision, and will surely be able to see through everything and understand your good intentions.

At that time, I will personally report the battle situation to His Majesty together with you, and explain the advantages and disadvantages.

At the same time, the merits of the elite troops under the master's command who fought bravely, risked casualties to attack the temple, and held back the enemy's core guards will be recounted one by one.

I believe His Majesty is fair in rewarding and punishing, and will certainly weigh the consequences.

As Baphomet listened, he felt a little more at ease, realizing that Chief of Staff Maine was a kind person who hadn't taken the opportunity to kick him while he was down, but instead was willing to help share the burden and explain.

He nodded gratefully.
"Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Maine! Your words put my mind at ease! Now, what should we do? Should we hold our ground in the East District and wait for His Majesty's army to arrive, or..."

Cohen said slowly:

"Of course, we must immediately consolidate the defenses of the East District, wipe out the remaining resistance forces, ensure our army's complete control over the East District, and on this basis, establish a solid bridgehead and command post."

At the same time, small elite units were dispatched to try to investigate the weaknesses of the 'Crimson Blood Boundary' and see if there were any loopholes, even if it was just to pass on intelligence.

Furthermore, immediately and as quickly as possible, report the detailed situation here to His Majesty Sarr, requesting His Majesty to determine the next course of action, and urge the main force to advance at an accelerated pace, lest anything unforeseen arise.

Baphomme nodded repeatedly: "That's what I meant too. I'll follow your arrangements from now on!"

Cohen turned to Adrian, who had been silently observing, and said:
"The clearing and takeover of the defense system in the East District will require your continued efforts. At the same time, try to gather as much intelligence as possible about the defense of the West District and the initiative of the sub-city."

Prepare for the upcoming tough battle.

Next, Cohen and Baffmie jointly sent the message back to the rear through secret channels.

Emperor Sal was greatly encouraged upon hearing the news, especially upon learning that the eastern district had fallen under his control, which almost meant that the gates of the Crimson City-State had been opened.

He immediately decided to personally lead the expedition, both to boost morale and to personally oversee the operation and ensure a complete victory in this strategically significant first battle.

The army of the Magma Empire, personally led by Emperor Sal, marched triumphantly into the eastern district of the Crimson City-State.

The East District, originally the luxurious mansion of City Lord Cyril Pollack, has now been temporarily transformed into the command center of the Demon Gold Empire's army.

The black and red banner with metal gears, symbolizing the union of the Chaotic Demon Continent and the Mechanical Continent, fluttered on the main tower of the castle, replacing the bat wing emblem of the vampires.

Squads of heavily armored troops patrolled the streets, taking control of key locations.

The resistance in the eastern district has been largely quelled by the overwhelming force of the Sal army and the coordinated efforts of the Yadrian.

Inside the largest council chamber of the mansion, torches and magical lamps illuminated the space as bright as day. Thrall, the Demon Lord, now self-proclaimed Emperor of the Demon Gold Empire, Thrall Ignarion, sat upon a hastily placed stone throne, a pleased expression on his face.

He personally led the expedition and won the first battle, capturing the most important gateway to the southeast of Twilight Continent in a manner that was almost bloodless.

This brilliant start far exceeded his expectations, and his gaze fell on Cohen, who stood respectfully below, his admiration undisguised.

After all the core high-ranking officers of the army had arrived, Emperor Thrall spoke loudly:

"good very good!
Chief of Staff Maine and General Buffett, you've done an even better job than I expected!
In just a few days, they not only successfully turned key figures within the vampire clan against them, but also seized control of the eastern part of the Crimson City-State.

It opened the southeastern gateway for our army's advance into Twilight Continent, and earned the empire its first great achievement!
Chief of Staff, your planning, your courage, and your grasp of timing have all impressed me greatly.

As expected of the talented individual recommended by Mavis, I was right to entrust you with the important tasks of being a vanguard and a strategist.

Tell me, how did you manage to do that?

Details! I want to hear the details! Especially how Dongcheng was brought under control so quickly; such a feat deserves a hefty reward!

Sal seemed very interested, ready to hear a brilliant report on the capture of the city, and had already thought about how to reward the two "heroes", especially Chief of Staff Mayne, who had brought him such a surprise.

However, Cohen did not show any pride or joy when faced with Sal's praise and questioning.

He lowered his head slightly, his eyes carrying just the right amount of "heaviness" and "self-reproach," and began to recount the whole story.

Cohen's voice rang out in the hall, unhurried and deliberate, succinctly and clearly recounting Adrian's defection and the process of using his identity and warrants to control key nodes in the East City. But then, his tone subtly shifted, and he continued:

"Originally, everything was progressing smoothly. We had basically taken control of the East District and planned to welcome His Majesty's army into the city after completely stabilizing the East District and trying to interfere with or control the city's core magic array, in order to take the entire city in one fell swoop."

Cohen paused slightly at this point, seemingly finding it difficult to speak, but continued, "However... in the process of taking control of the East City, we unexpectedly discovered some concrete information about the Crimson City-State's core resource warehouse—the Crimson Temple Treasury."

At the time, I believed that this treasure vault was heavily guarded, directly under the Supreme Council of Twilight Continent, and independent of the city-state system.

Attacking the treasury might trigger internal strife in the Crimson City-State, thus helping us to conquer it more easily.

However, I underestimated the enemy's reaction speed and failed to anticipate that the attack on the treasure vault would last so long and cause such a great commotion.

The operation against the Crimson Temple was met with fierce resistance from the temple guards, and the temple was not breached in a short time.

The intense energy fluctuations and sounds of battle inevitably shook the entire city.

The command hall suddenly fell silent, and Sal's expression gradually froze.

Baphomme, standing to the side, dared not utter a sound.

Cohen's voice was even lower, filled with regret, as he continued:

"The deputy city lord of the West District and his generals reacted faster and made more decisive decisions than I expected."

They immediately realized that Vice-Captain Adrian might have betrayed them, and decisively activated the city-state's ultimate defense mechanism—the 'Blood Moon Veil'—to completely isolate the eastern and western districts.

This resulted in our army only being able to control half of the city-states, and our originally perfect plan fell apart.

This not only allowed the West District to prepare adequately and mobilize its forces, but also gave Twilight Continent time to react and potentially provide reinforcements.

The upcoming battles will likely enter a more difficult and potentially more costly phase of siege warfare and attrition.

Your Majesty, this matter is entirely due to my lack of foresight, insufficient planning, inadequate anticipation of unforeseen circumstances, and failure to prevent the situation from escalating in time.

I am willing to accept any punishment.

The hall was silent except for the crackling of the magical flames burning beside Thrall's throne.

Sal's gaze slowly shifted from Cohen, who looked "self-reproachful," to Baphomet, whose expression had been constantly changing and whose eyes had been darting around ever since he entered the hall.

Thrall knew Baffrome too well. This fierce general, who came from Valak's army, was brave but greedy, impulsive, and loved to compete for credit. He also had an almost instinctive fanaticism for wealth and resources.

Although Cohen's report was worded tactfully, taking the blame upon himself, the key information it revealed, along with Baphomet's guilty and short-tempered demeanor, and his reluctance to meet his gaze, gave Sal the answer to the truth.

Given Maine's cautious and meticulous planning style, prioritizing the overall situation, he would never risk creating unnecessary complications by launching a reckless attack on a treasure trove that is clearly a tough nut to crack at this crucial moment when he has control of the entire city.

Moreover, without Baffame's approval or even his personal leadership, how could Mayne, a chief of staff who had only been there for a few days, have mobilized that so-called elite unit that was supposedly carrying out "probing operations"?
This was clearly Baphomet's greed for the treasure's resources. He was blinded by greed and ignored Mayne's advice, arbitrarily mobilizing and even personally leading his elite troops in a strong attack, only to kick a hornet's nest.

The plan to "surprise attack and seize the city" was exposed due to the disturbance, causing the "cooked duck" to fly away halfway.

They also suffered the loss of valuable elite troops for nothing, and turned the victory that was about to be won into a tough battle that they had to fight hard!
The thought that the Crimson City-State, which could have been fully taken over as a perfect forward base, is now only half there, with the other half becoming a tough nut to crack that requires time, manpower, and resources to conquer, and may even attract vampire reinforcements is unbearable.

Sal's anger suddenly flared up.

This was not just a tactical setback, but also disrupted his strategic rhythm of quickly opening up the situation and intimidating all sides.

Moreover, this kind of low-level mistake caused by his subordinates' greed for credit and recklessness made him feel even more ashamed.

Sal didn't speak, he just stared coldly at Baphomet.

There was no roar or scolding in his eyes, yet they filled Baphomet with more fear and pressure than any thunderous rage, as if a heavy mountain was pressing down on his heart, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

Time seemed to stand still. The air in the hall was so heavy it was almost dripping with moisture. The generals and advisors standing on both sides also sensed the eerie atmosphere and Sal's anger, and they all held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

Finally, Sal slowly spoke:
“Baphumie”.

Bafu was startled and immediately knelt on one knee, lowering his head even further:

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Sal's voice revealed no emotion:
"Now that the eastern district of Crimson City has been captured, the subsequent cleanup and defense matters will be handled entirely by Chief of Staff Mayne."

As for the West District… I have my own plans. From this moment forward, you are no longer part of the vanguard. Return to the Empire and serve me; I need you by my side for the time being.”

This sounds like a move to bring Baphomet back to the emperor's side, a seemingly more intimate appointment.

But those with discerning eyes present could understand the implication—"returning to the emperor's side to serve" meant stripping Baphomme of his independent command and the opportunity to gain military merit as a vanguard general.

In the upcoming great battle, it's likely that Baphomet will have nothing to do with it. Being able to keep his current position and his head is probably already a mercy from His Majesty.

Baphomme's face turned deathly pale instantly, and his body trembled almost imperceptibly.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but under Salna's icy gaze, all his explanations, pleas, and boasts stuck in his throat, turning into a dry, hoarse sound:

"Yes... Your subordinate obeys."

He knew that he had really failed this time. Not only would the credit he had earned be greatly reduced, but his future prospects were also shrouded in a thick shadow.

All of this stemmed from his uncontrollable greed.

Fortunately, it was only a punishment based on his position. It was fortunate that Cohen was there to speak up for him. He subtly gave Cohen a grateful look.

Sal stopped looking at him and turned his gaze back to Cohen, his tone softening slightly:

"Mr. Maine, please ascertain the strength and weaknesses of the West District's defenses as soon as possible and formulate a plan for a strong attack."

I want to see the complete Crimson City-State raised under the banner of the Demon Gold Empire as soon as possible. Do you understand what I mean?

Cohen bowed, his voice firm:
"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"Let's all go back."

Sal waved his hand, seemingly tired, or perhaps suppressing his anger.

Cohen, along with a grief-stricken Baphomet and a group of generals and staff, silently withdrew from the council hall.

Stepping out of the hall and onto the veranda, Bhavam was utterly dejected, as if he had aged considerably in an instant.

He glanced at Cohen beside him, who remained calm and composed, his lips trembled slightly, but he ultimately said nothing and walked dejectedly toward his temporary residence.

After this battle, Cohen not only gained Sal's complete trust, but also entered the core decision-making level of the Magma Empire, consolidating his position, and even got rid of Baffom, his spy, from his side.

From now on, he has completely established himself in the Demon Gold Empire!
……

The battles that followed in Crimson City reverted to the most brutal and traditional siege mode.

Having lost the element of surprise and the convenience of internal support, the army of the Demon Gold Empire had no choice but to launch a head-on assault against the West District defenders who were relying on the Blood Moon Veil.

Emperor Sarr personally led the expedition, stationed in the eastern city to direct and coordinate the campaign.

Countless demon soldiers, mutated monsters, and abyssal summons from the Chaotic Demon Continent, along with the steel golems and alchemical artillerymen from the Mechanical Continent, surged day and night against the blood-red barrier that stood across the city.

The deafening roar of magic and alchemical cannons nearly destroyed the entire West District.

This battle lasted for three days and three nights.

The vampire garrison in the western district was exceptionally tenacious. Under the command of the deputy city lord, they used their familiarity with the terrain and the cover of barriers to launch a series of attacks, inflicting heavy casualties on the Demon Gold Empire.

However, the gap in strength and the depletion of resources are ultimately difficult to bridge.

The ever-growing army of the Demon Gold Empire gradually overwhelmed the defenders' defenses.

Based on his understanding of the vampire city-state's defense system, Cohen also pointed out several areas where the barrier energy was relatively weak for the attacking forces.

It also accurately analyzed the defenders' possible troop deployment and counterattack patterns, helping Sarr to formulate more targeted attack priorities and rotation rhythms.

While his suggestion could not completely avoid casualties, it undoubtedly significantly improved offensive efficiency and reduced unnecessary losses.

Finally, in the dead of night on the third day, accompanied by a deafening roar and the mournful cries of countless magical runes, the Blood Moon Curtain, having exhausted its energy, began to collapse irreversibly.

The army of the Demon Gold Empire surged in like a flood breaking through a dam, pouring in through multiple breaches and engaging in the final and most brutal street battle with the remaining vampire defenders.

As the darkest hour before dawn passed, the last vampire flag in the western district of the Crimson City was replaced with the black and red gear flag of the Demon Gold Empire.

This strongest defensive line, stretching across the southeastern part of Twilight Continent, has fallen completely.

However, the price paid by the Demon Gold Empire was extremely high.

Adding to the losses suffered by the elite guards at the Crimson Temple due to Baffrom's reckless advance and greed, the casualties incurred by the Demon Gold Empire in its attempt to conquer this city-state are staggering.

Among the dead were a large number of valuable demon soldiers who had been "converted," expensive war machines, and many mid- to low-ranking officers.

However, for the newly established Demon Gold Empire, it was all worth it!
But the impact of this victory far exceeded the Crimson City-State itself, stirring up a massive wave in the Lost Lands! (End of Chapter)