Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Ironrock City raised the banner of "Slay the rebels, restore the kingdom, and reclaim Serene!"

Queen Garlin is not only the leader of the Restoration Army, but also a powerful saint.

If it weren't for the desire to avoid triggering a war between saints, perhaps a saint would have appeared on the front lines.

Although Queen Garlin did not personally participate, her very presence was the most dazzling banner and the most powerful encouragement.

Those taciturn, disciplined, and formidable orc warriors became the sharpest spears and the strongest shields in the Restoration Army.

In addition, the awakened former subordinates of King Peter were familiar with the terrain and defenses, and the long-standing discontent in the northern region towards the Tolingade puppet regime was ignited.

The speed of the Restoration Army's advance shocked the entire continent and caught the three tomb owners and Prime Minister Avery, who were stationed in Toringard, off guard.

Although the governor of the Northern Province, Edmund, received orders from the three tomb masters to "hold firm and await reinforcements, while harassing and containing them," he also received reinforcements from some of the Black Tomb's direct "Shadow Slayers" and a small number of demonized troops.

However, he severely underestimated the fighting capacity and will of the Restoration Army, and overestimated the solidity of his own defenses and the loyalty of his troops.

The battle was almost entirely one-sided and overwhelming.

Under the leadership of Queen Garlin, the Restoration Army launched a fierce offensive.

The orc legions supported by Effie often served as the vanguard of the assault. They were fearless and had an instinctive hatred for the evil aura of the Black Tomb, making them extremely powerful.

The Starbringer mages tore through the city walls and enemy ranks with precise and powerful spells.

Meanwhile, the human soldiers of the Restoration Army, led by Peter's former subordinates, were responsible for expanding the gains, mopping up the remaining enemy forces, and pacifying the people.

What made Edmund even more desperate was that many mid- to low-ranking officers in the northern provinces, local garrisons, and even some of the troops originally ordered to hold them off.

Upon learning that "Queen Garlin" was personally leading the army, seeing the legendary royal coat of arms and star-studded banners, and confirming that there were indeed many respected old nobles and generals they knew or had heard of in the restoration army, they turned against their own side or surrendered the city.

The Black Tomb's rule in northern Serene is far more fragile than they realize.

The collapse happened like an avalanche.

Towns surrendered without resistance, and defenses proved utterly ineffective.

Edmund’s several so-called counterattacks quickly crumbled in the face of the Restoration Army’s powerful offensive and the constant defections within the army.

Just five days!

In just five days, the vast northern province of the Kingdom of Serene was completely destroyed, except for a few isolated strongholds of the Black Tomb forces that were deeply entrenched and stubbornly resisting.

In most areas, the flags representing the Thrann royal family and Queen Garlene's Star Banner were once again flying!
The news caused a global uproar!
If the Iron Rock City uprising was previously regarded as a local rebellion that could be suppressed, then the change of control of the Northern Province within five days clearly announced this to the entire continent.

Two regimes emerged in the Kingdom of Serene: the newly formed "Orthodox Kingdom of Serene," represented by Queen Garlin, which possessed a terrifying rate of development, powerful military strength, and an astonishing base of popular support.

This is no longer a negligible rebel force, but a rapidly growing regime competitor that has already effectively taken control of large swathes of territory!
The situation on the mainland has become more unpredictable and dangerous due to the rise of Iron Rock City and the rapid recovery of the northern provinces.

……

Toringard, the Royal Palace.

The afterglow of the victory banquet celebrating the demon army's unstoppable advance and series of victories in the south had not yet faded.

The air still seemed to linger with the aroma of fine wine and the sounds of fawning laughter.

However, a magical message from Edmund, the governor of the northern provinces, instantly shattered all the celebration.

"...Our army was ambushed by the main force of the rebels at Bracken Pass, and the vanguard suffered more than half of its losses."

Of the three high-ranking necromancers accompanying the army, one was killed and two were seriously wounded... A large number of well-equipped and well-trained orc heavy infantry appeared in the rebel army. Their combat power far exceeded expectations. They were well-organized, fearless, and equipped with armor-piercing heavy crossbows and war machines that appeared to be crafted by elves...

Our flank was attacked by elite enemy cavalry, suspected to be Star Knights of the Starburst Clan… We have now retreated to Grayrock Fortress, but the rebel forces are formidable and we fear we cannot hold out for long. We earnestly request reinforcements from the capital!"

Through the communication crystal, Governor Edmund's voice, though strained to remain calm, still betrayed his panic and exhaustion, echoed in the silent hall.

Every word was like a cold hammer, striking the hearts of every Serene executive present.

Prime Minister Avery, who had just been basking in the joy of expanding his territory, lost all color in his face at a visible speed, turning ashen white.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but only managed a short, breathy sound, his eyes filled with disbelief and deep fear.

The rebellion in the north... isn't that just a minor ailment?

Edmund has tens of thousands of border troops and some elite troops attached to the Black Tomb!
It's only been a few days, only a few days since Jialin ascended the throne?

How could they possibly have lost? And lost so badly at that!
On the Shadow Throne, the two eerie green flames of souls beneath the hood of the three tomb lords froze abruptly the moment Edmund's voice rang out, then suddenly burst into intense flames, as if icy rage surged within them.

There was no roaring, no slamming of the table, but the temperature in the entire hall seemed to drop by tens of degrees in an instant, and the air became thick and heavy.

An invisible pressure, like a tangible iceberg, crashed down, causing everyone, including Avery, to stop breathing and their souls to tremble.

The three tomb owners are truly hard to believe!
It has only been a few days since we received the news that Jialin had become queen of Ironrock.
At this moment, he finally understood why Thrall of the Demon Gold Empire, who possessed a massive demon army, was so badly defeated and suffered heavy losses on the eastern front by Efein, or rather, by Cohen Corleone.

He had always believed that it was due to the low combat effectiveness and poor command of the Magma army, as well as Cohen's cunning.

But now it seems that he had seriously underestimated the true fighting power of the rumored orc legion under Efein's command from beginning to end.

No, it wasn't just orcs, but also the elite of the Starburst race.

The hall was deathly silent, save for the crackling of the soul flames of the three tomb masters and Prime Minister Avery's heavy, suppressed breathing.

After a long silence, that chilling voice rang out again, carrying an almost frozen killing intent:
"We...made a mistake. A fatal mistake."

He slowly rose from the throne, and shadows writhed and rose behind him as if they were alive.

"Underestimating your opponent will come at a price. But you can't make the same mistake twice."

“Avery”.

The three tomb owners turned their gaze to the Prime Minister, whose face was deathly pale.

"Your...your old minister is here!"

Avery was startled and immediately bowed, his voice trembling.

"Effie..." The eerie light from under the hood of the three tomb masters shone towards the southeast, where Effie was located.

"Cohen Corleone... do you like to do these underhanded things behind the scenes, and do you like to support your agents to cause me trouble?"

Alright, I'll let you experience what it's like to have your backyard on fire.

Do you think you're the only one who knows how to use feints and diversions, the only one who knows how to support rebels?

"Initiate 'Shadow Strike' plan."

The target: Effie's homeland, and... those pesky strongholds of the Pale Wings.

"Operation Shadow Strike" is a retaliatory raid planned by Black Tomb for a long time. It aims to use the enemy's own methods against them, create chaos in Effie's homeland and the territory of its important allies, strike at their war potential, tie down their forces, and test the strength of their defenses.

The plan was meticulously devised by the top strategists and intelligence officers of the Black Tomb, and involved months of detailed intelligence gathering in the early stages.

Especially after allying with the Demon Gold Empire, and receiving intelligence support from the veteran intelligence officer "Mayne," the entire plan became even more detailed and meticulous.

Based on Cohen's advice, the following targets have been selected:
Golden Sail Port: One of the most important maritime hubs, trading centers and naval bases in the southern part of Eifine.

Connecting inland waterways to the endless sea, it was a hub for merchant ships and a land of abundant resources, making it extremely strategically important.

Destroying this place could severely damage Alfie's maritime trade, cargo transport, and naval power.

Other key border towns and locations in Effie.

This includes key iron ore producing areas, military industrial towns, and transportation hubs, with the aim of spreading the message across multiple locations, creating widespread panic, and forcing Effie to divide his forces for defense.

To ensure the success of the raid, Black Tomb deployed an astonishing amount of resources.

Each raiding force is led by at least one legendary-rank transcendent from the Black Tomb, and equipped with three high-ranking (peak gold-rank or near-legendary) members as core combatants.

The rest of the group consists entirely of extraordinary individuals of the Silver rank or higher.

This lineup is so impressive that it's enough to breach the defenses of most cities in a short time.

As the primary target, Golden Sail Port received "special attention"—led by a full five legendary-level powerhouses.

Among them are a legendary Shadow Master skilled in shadow assassination and spell breaking, a legendary Necromancer adept at large-scale destructive necromancy, and a legendary Skeleton Tyrant with astonishing defense and terrifying power.

There are also two legendary sorcerers, one an expert in curses and the other in battlefield control.

Such a combination would be sufficient to confront a small army on the front lines, let alone to raid a port city that is theoretically located in the rear.

At a time when the Serene Demon Legion was advancing triumphantly in the south, attracting most of the continent's attention, these elite raiding forces led by legendary powerhouses...

They silently fired from multiple directions at Efein's homeland and the Pale Wings' stronghold.

……

Golden Sail Harbor, midnight.

Sea fog blanketed the area, and the moonlight dimmed.

The lighthouse beams pierced through the fog, guiding returning fishing boats and patrolling ships.

Most of the city had fallen asleep, with only a few lights and the noise of drunkards remaining in the dock area.

Suddenly, most of the magical defense nodes in the port area simultaneously emitted piercing alarm lights, but then mysteriously went out.

This is the result of the legendary Shadow Master and the sorcerer working together to disrupt and sabotage.

The port's magical shield didn't even rise completely, dissipating like a punctured bubble.

Next are the main wharves on the east and west sides of the port, as well as the warehouse area facing the inland waterway.

Fully armed and exuding a chilling aura of death, the elite Black Tomb warriors, led by a legendary expert, surged forth. Slaughter descended instantly.

The port guards, patrol teams, and even some sailors on the docked warships were almost powerless to fight back under the pressure of the legendary-level power and the sudden attack.

Skeletal warriors and vengeful spirits summoned by necromancy pounced on the crowd, sharp blades piercing from the shadows reaped lives, and fel flames ignited the wooden piers and warehouses...

The initial stages of the raid went more smoothly than expected.

In less than half an hour, key facilities, docks, and parts of the warehouse area in the port area had fallen under the control of the Black Tomb raiding forces.

The legendary Skeleton Tyrant smashed the lighthouse base with a single punch, and the legendary Necromancer began setting up a large-scale undead conversion array, attempting to transform the corpses in the port into a new army of the undead...

"Target control, clear out remaining resistance."

Establish a defensive line and prepare for follow-up support...

The legendary Shadow Master, leading the group, commanded in a hoarse voice, his eyes gleaming with cruelty and excitement.

Taking over Golden Sail Port would be a heavy blow to Effin and Cohen!
However, just as the Black Tomb raiding force had fully penetrated the port and begun to split up to control key locations, plunder supplies, and establish stable strongholds.

A sudden change has occurred!

Based on the entire Golden Sail Port city area, countless huge silver rune lines emerged and connected from the ground, from the building walls, and even from the air, like veins.

A vast, ancient, cold energy wave, containing endless majesty and terrifying magic, instantly enveloped the entire port area!

An ancient composite magic circle, so vast it was unimaginable and so complex it was dazzling, suddenly appeared before everyone!
"This...this is a magic array?"

The legendary Shadow Master was horrified. He had never seen such a large magic array before, one that could cover the entire city!
Soon, the legendary rank of the Black Tomb discovered that the surrounding space seemed to be frozen.

Feeling immense pressure and threat, they all paled and attempted to defend themselves or break through.

But it was too late.

The ancient stone slabs on the ground of the central square of the port were now all shining with a breathtaking silvery-white light.

Where the light converged, a graceful and elegant figure quietly emerged.

Adele wore a magnificent ice-blue mage robe and a crystal crown, as if she had emerged from moonlight and ice crystals.

Her exquisite face was expressionless, and her deep blue eyes were calm and still, like an unmelting glacier.

She simply watched quietly as those Black Tomb legends invaded her territory and wreaked havoc.

Then he gently raised his right hand.

As she moved, the ancient magic array activated throughout the port emitted a tsunami-like magical hum.

The clouds in the sky were dispersed by an invisible force, and the moonlight seemed to be drawn and gathered into her raised palm.

An indescribable low temperature spread outwards from her center, and the moisture in the air instantly condensed into tiny ice crystals that fell to the ground, buildings, and even the ocean waves, all of which were covered with an indestructible layer of dark blue ice at a visible speed.

"Frozen...Eternal Prison".

Ada's red lips parted slightly.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, no dazzling light.

Only a faint, almost imperceptible, ice-blue ring of ripples, centered on Yardel, swept silently yet irresistibly across the entire port area.

Wherever the fluctuations passed, time seemed to slow down.

The legendary sorcerer, who was chanting in an attempt to unleash a large protective barrier, froze instantly.

Along with the surging magic around him, he was frozen into a lifelike ice sculpture, his eyes still filled with horror and despair.

The legendary Skeleton Tyrant, roaring and unleashing a torrent of deathly aura as he transformed into a colossal skeletal giant and charged towards Adele, froze in his final moments.
The massive skeletal body was instantly covered with thick, rune-shimmering, dark blue ice.

Then, with a "crack," it shattered and annihilated along with the soul fire within, turning into a sky full of ice crystal dust.

Just one strike!
The two powerful legendary-level experts, one a sorcerer skilled in protection and control, and the other a skeletal tyrant known for his defense and strength, couldn't even put up a decent resistance.

Within the absolute freezing power enhanced by this ancient magic array, they were instantly frozen and their souls were annihilated!
The strange phenomenon of legendary-level beings falling once again appeared, shaking the entire Northwest Continent.

The remaining three legends—the Shadow Master, the Necromancer, and another sorcerer—stood frozen in place like rabbits being stared at by an ancient frost dragon, boundless fear gripping their throats and freezing their minds.

They could clearly sense the terrifying magic array that enveloped the heavens and the earth, and the queen who seemed to wield the power of absolute zero.

Its power level was completely beyond their comprehension; it was simply an existence they could not contend with!

Adele's gaze swept over the remaining three pale-faced legends, and behind them, the Black Tomb elites who were stunned by this miraculous scene.

"Leave no one alive!"

Adele's voice was cold and clear, yet it sounded like the tolling of a judgment bell, echoing deep into the soul of every intruder.

As she spoke, countless elite troops of the Effie, court mages, and powerful members of the Pale Wings, who had been lying in ambush for a long time and were hidden by illusion arrays and cover, appeared one after another throughout the port.

Meanwhile, in the thick fog off the port, the silhouettes of the massive battleships of the Eifine North Sea Fleet, resembling sea fortresses, came into view, their broadside gun barrels gleaming coldly.

The raid on the Black Tomb has completely failed!

……

The news that Yardel, at Golden Sail Harbor, used the power of the ancient frost magic array to freeze and instantly kill two Black Tomb Legends with a single strike, and forced back and severely injured the remaining three Legends, almost annihilating the elite Black Tomb raiding force.

Like a depth charge dropped into a continent already boiling over with war, the shockwaves and chain reactions it triggered were far more intense than the ice of that night at Golden Sail Harbor, quickly sweeping through the upper echelons of various forces across the continent.

Shocked!

incredible!

This was the first reaction of everyone who heard the news.

Many years ago, when Adel Angelen made a stunning breakthrough to the Legendary rank at the Northwest Continent Exchange Conference, becoming one of the youngest Legendary-level powerhouses in recorded history.

Her name is closely associated with accolades such as "genius," "youngest legend," and "pearl of the mainland."

However, in the years that followed, especially after Cohen Corleone emerged and attracted almost all the attention with a series of earth-shattering achievements, things changed.

Adele's public image seems to have gradually faded.

When people talk about Adaline, they mostly praise her stunning beauty; the title of "the most beautiful woman on the mainland" is undisputed.

Or perhaps it affirms his domestic political abilities, which enabled him to govern Effie effectively and support a massive war machine.

Perhaps due to their recognition of their array formation expertise, Florence's protective arrays are renowned, even replicating ancient long-distance teleportation arrays that had been lost for tens of thousands of years.

She was regarded as Cohen's most capable assistant, strongest supporter, and closest partner.

However, many people, especially those who have never personally experienced the Northwest Continental Exchange Conference or who do not have a deep understanding of the internal situation of Effie, are not familiar with it.

It seems that everyone subconsciously overlooked, or rather forgotten, that this Queen, who focused on domestic affairs and assistance, was herself a legend!
Moreover, he is a top genius who stepped into the legendary field at a very young age through his own talent and hard work!

Her fighting prowess is by no means ordinary!

On that night at Golden Sail Harbor, Yardelle declared this to the entire continent in the coldest, most direct, and most shocking way.

"One strike freezes two legends!"
This was not achieved through military encirclement and suppression, nor through conspiracy or traps.

Instead, in a direct confrontation, he single-handedly ended the lives of two long-established and infamous legendary Black Tomb warriors in an instant.

This forced the other three legendary ghosts to flee in panic, and their elite troops were almost completely wiped out!
Within Serene, especially among the nobles and officers outside the Black Tomb faction, a chill and a sense of relief inevitably arose amidst the shock.

I was glad I hadn't been too far ahead in the northern rebellion, and I was also chilled by Effie's hidden strength.

Adele's strength showed them another possibility in fighting against the Black Tomb, and the suppressed thoughts in their hearts began to stir again.

Iron Rock City, the newly established Starry Empire, was filled with jubilation.

Queen Garlin publicly praised Adele's power at the court assembly, calling her "a symbol of the unbreakable friendship between the starlight and Effie" and "a ray of light against darkness."

This move greatly boosted the morale of the Northern Alliance and deterred those forces that were secretly watching and wavering.

Other neutral forces and secretive organizations on the mainland that were observing the situation began to reassess Queen Effie's strength.

In this battle, Adele not only demonstrated her terrifying personal combat prowess, but also exposed Effie's astonishing intelligence and strategic planning abilities in anticipating the Black Tomb attack.

……

Tolingade.

When the detailed battle report on the disastrous defeat at Golden Sail Harbor was presented to the three tomb owners.

The terrifying, tangible mental shock, like an out-of-control storm, swept through the entire hall in an instant.

The high-ranking undead standing in the hall didn't even have time to scream before their soul fires were extinguished and their bodies turned to dust.

Even Prime Minister Avery was shaken by this violent pressure and had to retreat repeatedly, his face turning pale.

However, he himself was also burning with anxiety. His greatest fear had always been Ironrock City in the north and Effie, who supported it.

The power these two forces are now displaying makes this traitor feel utterly terrified.

The Third Tomb Master, the Hundred-Star Saint who ruled Serene and looked down upon all living beings, could no longer maintain his indifference and composure.

As if struck by an invisible thunderbolt, he stood frozen before the throne.

He emanated extreme chaos, anger, disbelief, and a hint of... fear that even he himself was unwilling to admit. (End of Chapter)