Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

The tomb guides the way patiently:

"There's no need for a life-or-death struggle, as long as Dean Dumbledore can't interfere with me."

I will personally visit that young emperor and reclaim the divine status that rightfully belongs to the more powerful one.

I will bear all the risks, all the consequences. As for what happens after I succeed…

The tomb's crimson eyes swept over the three, its voice carrying an unspoken hint:

"How to distribute the divine titles is a matter between the four of us."

Right now, we at least have one common goal—to move that divine essence from that little girl who doesn't deserve it, isn't that right?"

This proposal is undoubtedly very tempting.

Roosevelt, Gnus, and Drummond only needed to contend with Dunprado.

Although Dunprado is unfathomable, with three against one, they still hold an absolute advantage and the risk is greatly reduced.

The dirty work of directly attacking Cohen and seizing his godhood—which would most likely incur the wrath of Cobalt Soul Academy and unpredictable backlash—was done by Tomb, a guy whom Dumbledore himself defined as an "enemy of humanity."

If they succeed, they will have the opportunity to participate in the allocation of divine titles.

If it fails, or causes future trouble, the main blame will be placed on the grave. This is almost a perfect solution to minimize one's own risks.

Upon hearing that the tomb had offered to take on the main risks and "infamy," Roosevelt, Gnus, and Drummond exchanged a very brief glance.

There were no superfluous words, no impassioned oaths.

The elemental storm surrounding Grenius Tang began to swirl faster once more, his golden and silver heterochromatic eyes locking onto Dumbledore, his fighting spirit rising undisguised.

Drummond Quinn looked up from his reverie, an invisible mental pressure spreading out like the pressure of deep sea water.

Roosevelt Harper, the oldest demigod, sighed slowly. There seemed to be regret and helplessness in his sigh, but more than anything, there was a coldness after making a decision.

Its aura faintly connected with that of the other two demigods, forming an invisible barrier that slowly advanced towards Dumbledore.

Their silence and their stance have already given the clearest answer.

The great war has completely broken out!
The frozen air was torn apart by the violent force, and the sky seemed like a giant drum being struck by a heavy hammer, emitting a dull and painful groan.

The tomb was the first to move.

He didn't roar, but with a sway of his body, the "eternal blackness" that enveloped him surged and expanded like a living thing, instantly turning the entire sky above him into a despairing pitch black.

This darkness is not a simple shadow; it devours light, absorbs sound, and even the space itself seems to wither and die within it.

Surrounded by this cloud of death, the tomb transformed into a silent black lightning bolt, its target clear—directly aimed at Cohen and Adele atop the walls of Florence.

It moved so fast that, in the eyes of most spectators, it left only a black trail that devoured everything.

Almost at the same instant that Dunprado moved from the tomb, he also moved.

He didn't use any spectacular moves; he simply took a step forward.

However, with this seemingly ordinary step, a white light that seemed capable of cleansing all filth suddenly spread out beneath his feet, like ripples on a calm lake caused by a pebble thrown in, spreading silently yet rapidly forward.
An attempt was made to construct a barrier of light along the path leading to the tomb—or more accurately, a "barrier of knowledge and order."

Countless fine, ancient silver runes flickered in the white light, as if the pages of countless dusty books were being turned simultaneously, chanting the maxims of civilization's inheritance, and containing the "truth" about the underlying rules of the world that the Cobalt Soul Academy guards.

"Old Dean, it's been so long! Let's have a friendly spar!"

Roosevelt Harper’s aged yet steady voice rang out as he raised his palm and made a light, almost imperceptible, gesture toward the airspace where Dumbledore was located.

"boom--!"

The space around Dunprado seemed to be instantly filled with lead and mercury, transforming into an invisible mountain weighing tens of millions of tons, which crushed him from all directions.

This is Roosevelt's ultimate understanding of "force" and "space." It is not a direct attack on Dunprado himself, but rather an attempt to change the rules of his environment, making it difficult for him to move forward.

The white light and runes spreading beneath Dumbledore's feet seemed to have struck an invisible and extremely tough wall, causing their speed to decrease drastically.

"Roar--!!"

Almost at the same time Roosevelt made his move, Gnus Tang let out a roar that was a mixture of dragon's cry and storm howl.

The violent elemental domain surrounding him suddenly contracted, then exploded outwards in an instant.

His golden and silver heterochromatic eyes shone with a blinding light. His right arm suddenly expanded, and crimson dragon scales, shimmering with metallic luster, pierced through his sleeve and covered it. His five fingers transformed into ferocious dragon claws, with blazing white lightning and deep red lava fire wrapped around their tips.

He didn't use any ranged attacks. Instead, with the primal ferocity of a dragon's battle, he shattered the void with a single step. His giant claws, covered in dragon scales and wreathed in lightning and fire, tore directly at the "white domain" that was struggling to spread in front of Dumbledore!
Wherever the claw-like wind passed, space was distorted by the intense heat and torn apart by lightning with tiny black cracks, filled with the purest power and destructive beauty.

Dunprado remained unmoved, merely raising his left hand slightly in the face of the terrifying spatial pressure exerted by Roosevelt and Gnus's dragon claws capable of tearing mountains apart.

A white light, far more solid than before, shone from the tip of his left index finger, drawing a mysterious symbol in the air.

The symbol resembles both text and a pattern; the moment the symbol takes shape, the terrifying spatial pressure exerted by Roosevelt instantly disintegrates.

At the same time, he made a grasping motion with his right hand, and a huge, ancient book made of pure light unfolded in front of him. The pages moved without wind, and the runes flowing on them instantly detached from the pages, turning into silver-white chains that bound Grenus's dragon claws.

"Dean Dumbledore, you are indeed formidable. Even the two of them combined cannot defeat you. You are probably the number one expert on the human continent!"

Drummond Quinn's voice, as resonant as the deep sea, rang out gracefully beside Dunprado. Then, he abruptly raised his hand:
"Buzz—!!!"

A terrifying pressure originating from the spiritual and soul level suddenly descended.

That was not a tangible force, but a suffocating "deep-sea will"!
Even those who were only affected by the aftershocks felt their thoughts become incredibly heavy, as if they were being dragged into the ocean depths of thousands of meters, surrounded by endless darkness and terrifying water pressure.

Countless negative whispers and mental shocks originating from the ancient ocean, like the most cunning leeches, burrow into consciousness.

Around Dempado's body, space distorted like ripples on water, and translucent chains appeared out of thin air, silently wrapping around his limbs and torso.

These chains are not known for their strength, but they carry a strong sense of "imprisonment," "indulgence," and "assimilation," aiming to drag him into an eternal nightmare in the deep sea.

For the first time, three demigods standing at the pinnacle of human power truly joined forces against an enemy.

Roosevelt's "Space Seal" suppressed the environment from a macro perspective, Grenus's Dragon Claw launched a direct attack with absolute power, and Drummond's "Deep Sea Star Lock" interfered and eroded the spirit and soul, all in conjunction with the invisible spatial confinement.

Their attacks were not chaotic, but rather subtly complementary and coordinated. Although they could not be described as an exquisite combined attack formation in their haste, the pressure generated by the simultaneous application of three completely different yet supreme domain powers to one person was enough to make any demigod change color!

The pure white light surrounding Dunprado suddenly contracted inward, becoming more solid, like an ancient scholar's robe woven from light.

With his left hand, he maintained the runes that resisted the pressure of space, while with his right hand, the silver rune chains he controlled collided fiercely with Grenus's dragon claws, erupting with blinding light and violent energy turbulence, causing the phantom of the book to tremble violently.

At the same time, a more complex phantom of a headband appeared on his forehead, radiating a serene and wise light, stubbornly resisting Drummond's all-pervasive deep-sea spiritual erosion.

He blocked it, but it was clearly no longer easy.

Under the combined suppression of the three demigods, his movements inevitably became sluggish.

"Whoosh-!"

In that instant of delay and restraint, the lightning bolt of "eternal silence" transformed from the tomb swept across the edge of the area where Dumbledore was sealed off, like a ghost.

With an aura of death that could freeze one's soul, it rushed toward the nearby walls of Florence, toward Cohen and Adele!
On the city wall, a fierce wind howled, making Cohen's black hair and robes flutter wildly.

The figure of the tomb, not far in front of Cohen, went from extreme motion to extreme stillness, revealing its outline shrouded in a black robe.

His eyes were fixed on Cohen's face, with a cruel, cat-and-mouse-like look and a hint of triumphant satisfaction at his impending victory.

However, to his slight surprise, the young emperor did not show the despair, anger, or fear he had expected.

Cohen simply stood there calmly, and even... I could see an almost mocking smile at the corner of his mouth.

That look was as if he were not looking at a demigod who brought death, but at a clown who overestimated himself.

Not only the tomb, but all the spectators who could see this scene clearly, whether it was the heart-pounding tension on Effie's side or the shock and confusion of other forces, all clearly saw the unusual calm and mockery on Cohen's face.

"Playing tricks!"

A flicker of fury at being looked down upon by ants swept through Mu's heart, but more than that, there was a cruel anticipation of destroying this ridiculous composure.

Without further hesitation, and even too lazy to waste words, he raised his right hand, which was shrouded in black robes, and slowly closed his five fingers in the direction of Cohen and Yardel.

As he closed his five fingers, the "Eternal Blackness" behind him, which had been devouring everything, suddenly churned and deformed, instantly transforming into a giant hand that covered half the sky.

The giant hand carried a suffocating pressure of death, as if even light, sound, life, and space itself would be annihilated in its palm.

It moved silently and swiftly, like lightning, and grabbed down at the two tiny figures on the city wall!
They want to crush, devour, and turn everything around them into nothingness, including Cohen, Yardel, and everything else!
Countless people closed their eyes, unable to bear watching any longer.

In the tomb's crimson eyes, a cold light of impending victory had already appeared.

however--

Just as that terrifying dark giant hand was about to close and completely grasp Cohen and Adele in its palm!
A sudden change has occurred!

A beam of light, a seemingly thin, weak, and even somewhat inconspicuous grayish-white light, suddenly appeared from behind Cohen without warning. Its speed was extraordinary, exceeding both sight and perception.

Time seemed to be stretched infinitely at this moment, and then frozen in an instant.

"laugh--!"

A soft sound.

So subtle as to be almost imperceptible.

Then, under the watchful eyes of everyone—including the tomb, including Roosevelt, Gnus, Drummond, Dunprado, and every spectator below who witnessed this scene.

That giant dark hand, formed from "Eternal Silence Black," contained the terrifying power of the Death Law of the peak demigod, the Tomb, capable of easily annihilating legends and crushing saints...

It broke off cleanly at the wrist.

The break was as smooth as a mirror, with no explosion, no black mist of dissipated energy, and not even any decent sound.

The severed dark hand vanished silently into the air the instant it left the arm, like a popped soap bubble, leaving no trace.

"Ugh—!!!"

Immediately afterwards, a scream of extreme pain, shock, and disbelief suddenly erupted from deep within the tomb's throat.

The right hand that Mu had raised, as if making a grasping motion, was also cleanly severed at the wrist.

My hand is broken.

A peak demigod, in the instant of going all out and determined to win, was effortlessly severed by a seemingly weak grayish-white light, as easily as cutting tofu, severing the giant hand formed by the laws and simultaneously severing his real flesh and blood hand!
The entire room fell silent.

A deathly silence.

It was as if even the wind, the breath, the heartbeat, and the thoughts were frozen in that moment.

For the first time, a near-dull look of shock appeared on Roosevelt Harper's usually impassive face.

The arrogance and fighting spirit in Grenus Don's heterochromatic eyes froze instantly, turning into unparalleled horror.

Drummond Quinn's deep, star-like eyes trembled violently, as if he had seen the most incredible paradox in the universe.

Even Dunprado, though seemingly expecting it, couldn't hide the unease that crossed his eyes when he witnessed this horrifying scene.

All the spectators, friend or foe, gaped, their eyes wide, their minds blank, unable to comprehend what was happening before their eyes.

Mu clutched his bare wrist, which was still throbbing with a strange, annihilating pain. His crimson eyes were filled with extreme agony, but even more so with a sense of utter disbelief that defied all reason and bordered on madness.

No...not possible!

That's absolutely impossible!

He is the tomb!
He is the founder of the Black Tomb, a being who has mastered the laws of death and annihilation and stands at the pinnacle of demigods!
Even if Roosevelt, Gnus, Drummond, and Dunprado joined forces, they might be able to defeat him, or even severely damage him.

But it was absolutely impossible for him to so casually, so... almost insultingly, to sever his fully-condensed Law Hand with a single blow and simultaneously severely injure his physical body!

What was that inconspicuous gray-white light just now?
The power attached to it... that withered, decaying, yet carrying a more ultimate sense of destruction that transcends its "death"...

Could it be... a deity?
Was it a deity that forcibly descended in an incarnation or intervened?

No! Impossible! If a deity could descend to the mortal realm at this moment, it's impossible that he wouldn't have received any warnings from the upper realm.

There is absolutely no way that the demons would allow a deity to intervene so easily!
Then...who is it?!

Mu suddenly raised his head, staring intently at the direction from which the grayish-white light had come, towards the void behind Cohen, a void that seemed to hold the secret to devour everything.

The scene before them, which was both mind-blowing and chilling, was like the coldest ice water, instantly extinguishing all the burning passion and greed in the hearts of Roosevelt Harper, Gnus Don, and Drummond Quinn for seizing godhood.

The three demigods reacted with extreme speed and extreme realism.

Almost at the same instant that the grave emitted that agonizing scream and the smooth cut of the severed hand came into view, the terrifying spatial pressure that Roosevelt had exerted around Dunprado receded rapidly like a tide.

Without the slightest hesitation, and without even exchanging a glance with Grenius or Drummond, his figure transformed into a blurry streak of light, retreating rapidly and instantly widening the distance between him and Dumbledore, the city walls of Florence, and especially the unknown entity that had just unleashed its greyish-white light.

The profound and dignified air that belonged to the oldest noble family had vanished from his face. His eyes, which had seen through countless worldly affairs, were fixed on the direction of the city wall, devoid of any of the previous composure, and filled only with focused vigilance.

Effie had such a backup plan!
What a miscalculation!

Gnus Don's response was equally swift.

His grotesque right arm, covered in dragon scales and wreathed in lightning and fire, which had just been fiercely battling Dumbledore's runic chains, was suddenly retracted.

He let out a low, wary nasal sound, and the burning fighting spirit and arrogance in his golden and silver eyes were now completely replaced by shock and disbelief.

He stared intently at the tomb's bare wrist, which was still radiating an aura of annihilation, then suddenly looked in the direction from which the gray-white light had come.

Without the slightest hesitation, the tall and robust body also retreated rapidly, each step shattering the void and leaving charred lightning marks, quickly rejoining Roosevelt and creating a safe distance.

Drummond Quinn's figure also blurred for a moment, and the next moment, he appeared in the air not far behind Roosevelt and Gnus.

The invisible deep-sea mental pressure and the translucent star-water chains surrounding him had vanished without a trace, as if they had never existed.

With wide eyes, they fixed their gaze on the direction of the city walls of Florence, as if facing a formidable enemy.

The three of them retreated simultaneously, and their combined efforts to suppress Dumbledore's offensive collapsed instantly.

Are you kidding me?! Even Mu, who is recognized as having the most bizarre methods and top-tier strength among the four, suffered such a great loss in a single exchange. His hand was easily severed by that mysterious and unpredictable attack, and his Law Body and his physical body were injured simultaneously.

This goes beyond the realm of demigods.

Faced with such an unknown and terrifying existence, any rash action is tantamount to suicide.

Mu clutched his severed wrist. The wound wasn't bleeding; instead, there was an eerie emptiness and waves of excruciating pain that pierced his soul, a pain that carried a sense of withered decay.

He staggered back a few steps, each step leaving faint black ripples in the void, a sign that the chaotic laws of death and annihilation within him were uncontrollably dissipating.

Just then, a figure in emerald green, radiating a gentle yet chilling life force that even demigods would find unsettling, slowly emerged.

It wasn't just the tomb, nor just the three human demigods who retreated in surprise. At this moment, everyone on the entire Florence battlefield who could see this scene clearly—whether they were the surviving soldiers and strongmen of Effie's side, the assassins and allies of the Black Tomb, or the spies and infiltrators of other forces watching from afar—was also present.

All eyes were drawn as if by an invisible magnet, fixed on the emerald green figure that suddenly appeared in front of Cohen and Yardel.

That's the figure.

It is this unknown existence.

With a casual gesture, a seemingly insignificant grayish-white light severed the giant dark hand of the tomb, which had condensed the power of peak demigod laws, and simultaneously cut off the tomb's real hand.

When did such a terrifying existence appear on the mainland?

Could it be some reclusive old monster who has lived for countless eons?

Or is it... that some deity has descended in a way they cannot comprehend?

Questions, fear, curiosity, disbelief... a whole host of emotions surged wildly in the hearts of every witness.

Even many people on Effie's side were bewildered and shocked at this moment.

They knew His Majesty was unfathomable, that the Queen harbored secrets, and that Dean Dunprado might come to their aid.

But they never knew that there was such a terrifying ally hidden beside His Majesty.

Just then, the figure shrouded in soft emerald light began to undergo a clear change.

The vibrant yet ancient and majestic green light of life slowly recedes inward, like the receding tide.

The light gradually outlined the silhouette of a tall, graceful, and almost unreal woman.

A slender yet powerful waist, long and straight legs, and a stunningly curvaceous bust and hips...

Even a silhouette gradually becoming clearer in the light is enough to give anyone who sees it a breathtaking sense of beauty—a perfection that transcends race and desire, purely derived from the harmony between life and nature.

As the last wisp of emerald light merged into the figure, her true appearance was finally revealed beneath the sky shrouded in the aura of war and death.

In an instant, it seemed as if even this battlefield, filled with desolation and bloodshed, was swept away by a fresh, tranquil, and vibrant breeze.

What appeared before everyone was a woman of breathtaking beauty.

Her features were exquisitely beautiful, every line as if meticulously sculpted by the Creator with the finest brushstrokes. What was most captivating was her eyes.

Her eyes were clear and bright, as if they could reflect all the beauty in the world, yet they also carried an inviolable majesty belonging to nature and life itself.

The Elf Queen—Vilekis the Destroyer! (End of Chapter)