Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

The three tomb owners simply couldn't believe it or accept it!
Five legends!

Five legendary-level powerhouses painstakingly trained by the Black Tomb.

If this were placed anywhere on the mainland, it would be a terrifying force capable of overthrowing small countries and severely damaging large ones.

Not to mention that it was equipped with a large number of high-level elites, with meticulous planning and perfect timing.

The target of the attack was a port city that was theoretically located in the rear and had relatively weak defenses!

This should be a sure thing, a fatal blow that would inflict excruciating pain on Effie and throw Cohen into complete disarray.

It was his strong response to the North's defeat and Cohen's provocation, a blow from Black Graves to demonstrate its authority!
The results of it?
The result was that the sharp knife he had placed his hopes on crashed headfirst into the barbed wire mesh, breaking and sinking to the ground.

Two out of five were lost, the rest were severely wounded and fled in disarray, and the elite force was completely wiped out!

And the one who accomplished all of this was a queen who was not even thirty years old!
"Cohen...it's Cohen again!"

The voices of the three tomb owners were distorted with extreme rage:
"He had anticipated this; he had already laid a trap."

Even Adel's power... we seriously underestimated it!
Effie... Effie!!

He had never felt such a sense of rage and chill as he did at this moment, a feeling of being fooled, belittled, and manipulated.

Cohen not only stirred up trouble right under his nose by supporting the Northern rebels, but also anticipated his retaliation and laid such a deadly trap, causing him to suffer heavy losses and lose face.

The terrifying strength that Adele displayed made him realize that Effie's high-end combat power was far more troublesome than he had anticipated.

One Cohen was troublesome enough, but to add another one, Adel, who could instantly kill a legendary figure by using the power of an array...

Meanwhile, news also came from the other groups that attacked the Pale Wings stronghold that they had all been wiped out.

The Darkwing and Bloodwing families had laid an ambush, cooperated seamlessly, and acted ruthlessly. The Black Tomb raiding force was wiped out before it could even put up a decent resistance.

Each and every one of these incidents proves one thing.

Not only is Effie's homeland heavily fortified, but the underground intelligence organization under Cohen, the Military Intelligence Bureau, is also far more powerful and capable of counter-surveillance and counter-attack than Black Tomb had anticipated.

The joint ambush by Darkwing and the Bloodwing family was swift and clean, leaving no survivors, demonstrating their ability to confront or even overwhelm the Black Tomb Legendary Assault Team.

The meticulously planned and seemingly inevitable "Shadow Strike" operation failed utterly, cleanly, and shamefully.

Not only did they fail to achieve any strategic objectives, but they also lost several valuable legends and a large number of elite troops, severely damaging the morale of the Black Tomb and greatly enhancing the reputation of Effie and his allies.

This further exposed to the entire continent another major loss to Black Tomb's high-end assault capabilities, as well as the embarrassing situation that its intelligence may have been infiltrated or anticipated by the enemy.

The three tomb masters whirled around, their soul fire locking onto the terrified prime minister. The coldness and madness in their gazes froze the elderly prime minister's soul.

"Avery!"

"Yes...yes!" Avery replied, bowing as he suppressed his discomfort.

"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly!"
Inside the Black Tomb, throughout Serene, search for every possible clue that might connect him to Effie, Cohen, or the Pale Wings!

Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free!

"Also... inform our friends in the Demon Gold Empire that the plan needs to be accelerated."

Effie... must pay the price! Cohen... must die!

……

While the three tomb masters and Sal were still planning their next round of retaliation, Effie and his "Northwest Continent Free Alliance" forces, riding high on the momentum of their great victory at Golden Sail Harbor, had already arrived.

With a more swift and fierce approach, they launched a long-planned large-scale strategic counter-offensive against the Demon Gold Empire on the western front and against the Serene Demon Legion on the southern front.

This time, the Alfie Alliance demonstrated more than just skillful local tactics or tenacious defense.

Rather, it is a suffocating, all-encompassing dominance.

This dominance first shocked the entire battlefield in the most direct, violent, and unimaginable way.

It also shocked the entire continent—

The Dragon Legion has emerged!
On the northern front, where the battle was most intense, the Demon Legion of the Demon Gold Empire, relying on its numerical superiority and supplies from the Demon Pillars, launched wave after wave of desperate charges.

After a charge, the sky over the front lines suddenly darkened.

It was not a gathering of dark clouds, but a deeper, more oppressive darkness, accompanied by a low, rumbling dragon's roar, that emerged from the horizon.

At first, there were just a few dark clouds on the horizon, but they quickly spread and approached at an alarming speed, blocking out the sunlight and casting terrifying shadows that sent chills down one's spine.

When the dark clouds completely covered the battlefield, the soldiers on both sides fighting bloodily on the ground—whether humans, elves, orcs, or those ferocious monsters—instinctively stopped what they were doing and looked up in horror.

A giant dragon!

Countless dragons!
They are not the traditional colored or metallic dragons of the legends on the mainland, which are elusive and aloof.

These dragons were generally more slender and agile, with dark-colored scales, mostly dark black and pale white.

Its wings are broad and powerful, with edges that gleam with a cold, bone-like sheen.

It exudes a strong aura of necromancy, shadow power, and a raging dragon's might.

Dragon!

A giant dragon from the legendary, sealed, dangerous, and mysterious Dragon Dimension!
Moreover, it was a fully-fledged dragon legion!

This is the first time in history that beings on the Prime Material Plane have witnessed such a large and organized dragon army participating in a war between mortal kingdoms!

They are not legendary creatures that fight alone, but rather they are arranged in a rigorous aerial combat formation.

The largest of these, the Mourning Dragonborn, shrouded in gray necromantic mist and with exposed bones, serves as the aerial fortress and command node.

The Shadow Dragonborn, with their agile bodies, ability to move between solid and shadow, and claws and breath imbued with shadow corruption, are the main force for high-speed assaults and hunts.

Mixed in among them are a small number of other dragonborn variants with thick scales and breath imbued with the power of violent elements.

The number of dragons, at a rough estimate, was as many as several dozen.

Each one exuded a terrifying aura that sent chills down one's spine, with the leading Elder of the Mourning Dragon and the Shadow Dragon Lord possessing a power that reached the legendary level.

These were the first and most powerful reinforcements that Isabella had painstakingly cultivated and maneuvered in the Dragon Plane, forging deep partnerships with groups such as the "Mourning Dragonborn" and the "Shadow Dragonborn."

Driven by Isabella's exceptional diplomatic skills, Cohen's strategic resource support, and the internal conflicts and opportunities within the Dragon Plane, these powerful and proud dragons agreed to cross the dimensional barriers and fight for Cohen and his allies.

This is both to fulfill the contract and gain benefits, and to gain an advantage in the new order of the future Dragon Plane.

At this moment, in the distant Dragon Plane, Isabella is pushing forward a war of unification that will sweep across the entire plane, according to her established strategy.

The old order of the six major dragon clans is being broken, and the prototype of a more cohesive dragon regime is emerging.

It is not long before the entire Dragon Plane is unified and effectively placed under Cohen's influence and even control.

The demon legions of the Demon Gold Empire on the ground, especially the low-level demons with limited intelligence, were in an unprecedented uproar and instinctively fearful under the overwhelming dragon's might and the oppression of the completely unfamiliar and terrifying creatures.

Even the high-ranking demon officers felt a chill run down their spines and a sense of foreboding welled up inside them.

As for the human officers and soldiers, needless to say, they were already trembling in fear before the vast dragon's might.

Then, destruction came.

The leading Elder of the Mourning Dragon let out a long, deathly roar, and his skeletal wings flapped violently.

The ashen breath of death cascaded down like a waterfall, sweeping across a dense array of demons.

The demon soldiers enveloped by the breath withered and decayed instantly, turning into gray dust.

Only the twisted skeleton remained, collapsing in place.

The Shadow Dragon Lords moved about like ghosts, their breaths a silent torrent of shadows.

Wherever it passes, light distorts, matter corrodes, and the demon's fel energy shield melts like ice and snow encountering boiling oil. Its body is eroded by shadow, turning into a void shadow creature or simply disintegrating.

Their sharp claws can easily tear through the hardest demon carapace, and a sweep of their tails can clear an entire area.

The other dragons also displayed their unique abilities: flames, acid, lightning, ice...

Dragon breaths of various attributes intertwined to form a destructive web of death, covering the depths of the Demon Gold Empire's defenses.

The dragons did not breathe fire blindly; they seemed to have received basic coordination training, and their breath coverage avoided duplication and waste, focusing their attacks on the demons' command centers, troop concentration points, and those demon pillars and war machines that exuded strong fel energy.

Meanwhile, on the back of the dragon, fully armed elven archers and human magic-breaking crossbowmen were prominently displayed.

As the dragons maneuvered to evade or swooped down, these "dragon riders" unleashed a precise and deadly barrage of arrows and alchemical projectiles upon the ground, further reaping the benefits from the chaos that had engulfed the demons.

The sky had become the hunting ground for the dragon legion.

The Demon Gold Empire is not without aerial units. Its small number of gargoyles, bat demons, and even enslaved wyverns or flying monsters are no match for the well-trained Demon Dragon Legion.

After the initial shock and elation, the Efein coalition forces on the ground erupted in thunderous cheers.

Commanders quickly seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The infantry phalanxes, heavy cavalry groups, and war machines that were already prepared were deployed under the air cover and fire support of the Dragon Legion.

They launched a massive all-out offensive against the demoralized Demon Gold Empire's defenses.

For the first time on the front lines, the demon legions of the Demon Gold Empire encountered a comprehensive, three-dimensional, and utterly incomprehensible dimensional reduction attack. Accustomed to winning through sheer numbers and fearless demon charges, they had never witnessed such a desperate scene where the sky was completely dominated by the enemy, destruction rained down from above, and they were utterly powerless to retaliate.

The Demon Gold Empire's defenses collapsed rapidly.

The organized demon forces were divided and surrounded by the dragon's breath and ground troops, and were eventually annihilated.

The demon pillars exploded one after another under the focused attention of the dragon's breath, cutting off the fel energy supply and further exacerbating the chaos among the demons.

The first appearance of the Demon Dragon Legion dealt a crushing blow to the arrogant Demon Gold Empire's demonic alliance in such a shocking and overwhelming manner.

This was not only a brilliant tactical victory, but also a huge shock at the strategic and psychological levels.

It proclaimed to the entire continent that Effie and his allies not only possessed top-notch individual combat skills like Adele, and not only had a well-trained army and advanced tactics, but also possessed unprecedented strategic power capable of changing the balance of power on the continent!
"Dragons... a whole horde of dragons... fighting for them?"

The commanders on the front lines of the Demon Gold Empire, witnessing this scene, turned ashen-faced, their hearts filled with absurdity and despair.

The news spread like wildfire back to the rear, reaching both Thrall's palace and the Underworld Palace of the Three Tomb Lords.

They finally realized that the trump cards and hidden power of Cohen and Effie that they were facing were far more unfathomable than they had imagined.

The landscape of the continental war was completely rewritten from the moment the Dragon Legion spread its wings and soared over the battlefield.

And Cohen's grand scheme, spanning multiple dimensions, has finally revealed its terrifying and magnificent tip to the world at this moment.

……

The report states that Effie's dragon legion appeared out of nowhere on the battlefield of the Northwest Continent, crushing the demon legion of the Demon Gold Empire with overwhelming force.

Like a meteorite tearing through the sky, its intense light and deafening roar not only ignited the war in the northwest, but also swept across all forces on the entire Demon Tide Continent with unstoppable momentum.

The power centers of the five great empires—those ancient halls located in the heart of the continent, which have always overlooked the winds and clouds and held the fate of billions of lives in their hands—all fell into a deathly silence after receiving detailed intelligence.

Prior to this, although the war on the Northwest Continent was becoming increasingly fierce, the expansion of the Serene Demon Legion, the desperate struggle of the Demon Gold Empire, and the tenacious resistance and even local counterattacks of Efein had all affected the nerves of various forces.

But for the five great empires that occupy the center of the continent, have a profound history, and are very self-important, it was more of a fierce conflict that took place on the periphery.

This is another direct confrontation between Black Tomb and Effie.

While they were certainly paying attention and investing intelligence resources, and even taking some covert actions, their main focus was on the preparation and maneuvering of the "Covenant of the Gods," which hung over everyone's heads and concerned the fate of the continent and even the multiverse.

However, everything changed when a fully-fledged dragon legion appeared.

Dragons are mythical creatures at the top of the food chain, and their individual strength is enough to influence the course of a local battle.

The organized dragon races that appear in legion form are a strategic force capable of overturning traditional warfare models and disrupting the existing balance of power on the continent.

The sky will no longer be safe.

Any army without equal or counterbalanced air power is likely to become lambs to the slaughter in the face of the Dragon Legion.

City walls, natural barriers, and even complex terrain will all lose much of their defensive significance in the face of a colossal beast that can soar through the sky and breathe dragon's breath.

Even more terrifying is that this reinforcement comes from the Dragon Plane—a secondary plane that has long been isolated from the Prime Material Plane, possessing a unique power system and a powerful dragon civilization.

How did Cohen Corleone manage to open and stabilize such a dimensional portal?

And how did they persuade those rumored arrogant, greedy, powerful, and difficult-to-communicate dragon races to willingly intervene in the war of the prime plane on such a scale and in such a manner?
The implications behind this are chilling upon closer examination.

This could mean that Cohen possesses stable and controllable transplane channel technology or knowledge.

This could mean that he has reached a deep and stable alliance or even a master-servant relationship with some powerful forces in the Dragon Plane.

More likely, it means that he holds an irresistible bargaining chip that could tempt the entire dragon race.

Either way, it was enough to keep the rulers of the five great empires up at night.

This means that in the future "battle for supremacy" and even in response to the potential upheavals brought about by the "Covenant of the Gods," Cohen and the Effie Alliance he represents have already grasped a trump card that is enough to change the course of the game.

In the Middle Empire, in the depths of the House of Nobles, in the Heart of Rock.

Around the round table sat several richly dressed elderly men, each of whom was the true ruling core of the Central Empire's Noble Council.

However, at this moment, these important figures, who could usually shake the empire's territory with a stomp of their feet, had lost their usual composure and majesty.

All eyes were focused on the elderly man at the head of the round table, known as the "Heisenberg Chief".

Chief Heisenberg was staring intently at the intelligence scroll in his hand, the veins on the back of his hand faintly visible.

The scroll contained a very detailed description of the demonic dragon legion on the northwestern battlefield, and even included magically imprinted battlefield footage—the sky-covering dragon wings, the devastating dragon breath sweeping across the land, and the scene of the demonic legion collapsing under the dragon's might, all of which challenged the bottom line of this emperor who had seen countless storms.

Finally, Chief Heisenberg slowly raised his head, his voice hoarse:

"The Dragon Plane... the Mourning Dragonborn... the Shadow Dragonborn... at least two large clans, more than thirty adult dragons, of which at least five possess legendary-level combat power... fighting together, clearly having received basic tactical training..."

With each word he uttered, the air in the room seemed to grow even more stagnant.

"Who can tell me," Chief Heisenberg's gaze slowly swept over his colleagues, the oppressive feeling in his eyes causing everyone to subconsciously hold their breath, "that our House of Nobles has been around for thousands of years and has invested countless resources."

Sages followed one after another, even at the cost of legendary deaths, in an attempt to establish contact with the Dragon Plane.

Not only could they not subdue even a single demonic dragon, let alone persuade the entire race to join the cross-dimensional war as an army!

"But now, a young man from a newly emerging country that has only risen for a few decades, whose age may not even be a fraction of the age of some of the antiques in the family collections of some of you here, Cohen Corleone."

he made it!

He not only accomplished this, but he also managed to get at least two powerful dragon clans to willingly serve him!

"what does that mean?
This means that he holds the key that our noble house has dreamed of for generations but could not obtain.

This means that he may have already forged an unbreakable alliance with one or even multiple dominant forces in the Dragon Plane.

This means that on the future chessboard of the continent, he possesses a trump card that none of us have!

Fyodor said in a deep voice:

"We underestimated Effin and Cohen. We should have paid more attention to them during our last trip to the Dragon Plane!"

Heisenberg made the final decision:
"The preparations for the Covenant of the Gods are almost complete; now we must refocus our attention on this person."

In my capacity as the Chief Justice of the House of Lords, I hereby order—

Immediately suspend the 'limited observation' strategy regarding the war in the Northwest.

From this moment forward, all intelligence resources of the Noble Council Intelligence Agency must be directed to the Northwest Continent, especially to Effie, Cohen Corleone and all their associated forces, including the Pale Wings, the Star Clan, the Kingdom of Ceylon, the Winged Elves, and the Supreme Council, with the highest level of support.

I need to know everything about Cohen Corleone.

His source of power, his network of allies, his technological trump cards, and especially the full details of his connection with the Dragon Plane!

In addition, a new special task force will be established, directly led by me, drawing on the Empire's top planar scholars, dragon language experts, contract mages, and legendary rogues.

At all costs and using all covert means, we must infiltrate, investigate, and obtain the true information about the Dragon Plane in the shortest possible time.

I need to know exactly what happened inside the Dragon Dimension, how Cohen did it, and whether we can replicate it, or... sever this connection!

As Heisenberg issued his orders one by one, the atmosphere in the Rock Core Hall became extremely tense, filled with the impending storm.

Chief Heisenberg finally surveyed the crowd, his gaze profound.

"Gentlemen, the appearance of the Dragon Legion has broken the old rules of the game."

We must adapt as quickly as possible and find ways to take the initiative on the new board.

Otherwise... the glory of the empire may be tarnished.

The continent of the future may no longer resemble what we know.

With Heisenberg's personal directive, the most secretive and efficient intelligence machine within the behemoth that is the House of Nobles of the Central Empire began to operate at an unprecedented power.

Countless gazes and hidden threads, like sharks smelling blood, silently turned towards the Northwest Continent, towards Effin, towards Cohen Corleone, and even more so towards that mysterious and dangerous Dragon Plane.

……

The Central Empire, Constantine, Imperial Council Hall.

The atmosphere in this hall, which symbolizes the supreme authority of humanity's strongest empire, is unusually solemn today.

The towering dome, painted with murals depicting the expansion of territories by past emperors, now seemed shrouded in invisible dark clouds.

Sunlight streamed through the enormous glass windows, casting dappled shadows, yet it could not dispel the chill and turmoil that permeated the hearts of every high-ranking official of the empire.

The empire's most powerful figures—royal elders, hereditary nobles, high-ranking officials from various departments, military commanders, and representatives of powerful local governors—gathered here.

What they were passing around were magical battle reports and related magical video recordings about the appearance of a well-organized dragon legion on the northwestern continent battlefield, which decisively defeated the main force of the Demon Gold Empire.

The hall was completely silent, save for the faint rustling of papers turning and increasingly heavy breathing.

In the images, the dragon's wings blot out the sky, its breath burns everything in its path, and the demon army collapses like stalks of wheat under the dragon's might...

Each image struck like a hammer blow to the hearts of these seasoned imperial leaders! (End of Chapter)