Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

"But you don't need to send anyone to fight me, nor do I need to find any deity to fight you."

Instead... I'll fight you myself!

A mortal at the peak of the Gold rank said to an ancient and powerful god who wielded the origin of darkness: I'll fight you.

silence.

It was a silence deeper, more deathly, and more suffocating than any before.

It was as if time, space, the churning darkness, and the dazzling divine light were all frozen in that moment.

A monstrous wave, powerful enough to shake one's soul from their body, swept everything away.

"What...what did he say?"

"Fight the God of Darkness...?"

"Did I hear wrong? Or did the divine force just now damage my brain?"

"He's gone mad... This time he's really gone mad, utterly and hopelessly insane!"

On the ground, lower-ranking soldiers and officers may still be in a state of confusion and disbelief, but those extraordinary individuals who have reached a certain level of strength and can understand the meaning of the word "god" are in a different situation.

Whether it was the garrison on the walls of Florence or the generals of the allied forces outside the city, they all wore expressions as if they were looking at a madman.

Some people even subconsciously took a half step back, as if Cohen's words themselves had some kind of contagious madness.

In the sky, the dozens of high-ranking deities laughed—a rare occurrence.

If the previous challenge against the four legends had a touch of tragic grandeur, like "an ant trying to shake a tree," and a faint speculation that "there might be unknown trump cards," then the answer was that the challenge was a challenge that was ultimately futile.

At this moment, challenging a supreme god is like a beetle on the ground declaring a duel to the sun in the sky.

The gazes of the gods all turned to the two goddesses behind Cohen—the goddess of light, Aetherial Dawn, and the goddess of ice, Daphne Frost.

Those gazes seemed to say:

Is this the human king you are willing to confront the god of darkness and even prepare to start a divine war to protect?
This is the human representative you've been eyeing?
Looking at him... his mind seems a bit off.

Even those gods who were neutral or had no ill will towards Cohen looked at him with incomprehension and sighs.

They may have admired Cohen's courage and responsibility in the past, but now, that courage seems to have turned into incurable folly.

Bahamut, the Dragon God, offered his commentary:
"To challenge an ancient god who wields the origin of darkness with the body of a mortal of the Gold Rank is beyond courage or arrogance; it is utter self-destruction!"

Erebus, the god of darkness, let out a strange laugh:

"Interesting...it's really...so interesting..."

Cohen Corleone, I'm starting to appreciate your ignorance.

Such folly is rare even in the vast expanse of time.

Very good... bug, I will..."

However, before Erebus could finish speaking, Cohen spoke again:
"However, I won't fight you right now."

He paused, then clearly uttered the following words:

"It's about fighting against your past self!"

"You from the past?"

On the ground, the absurdity and horror that had just frozen on the faces of countless people were quickly replaced by deep doubt and bewilderment.

They looked at each other blankly and whispered among themselves, completely unable to understand what Cohen was saying.

"The God of Darkness of the past, what does that mean?"

"Time reversal, returning to the past to fight?"

"This...how is this possible? What nonsense is he spouting?"

Even many of the gods in the sky showed obvious confusion and bewilderment on their faces.

"You in the past" sounds even more absurd and unrealistic than directly challenging the present God of Darkness.

Time is one of the highest realms that even gods find difficult to truly penetrate.

However, in stark contrast to the confusion of mortals and most gods, the expression of Erebus, the god of darkness, changed drastically the moment he heard the words "your past self," as if he had thought of something and was about to refute it.

Cohen did not give him a chance to speak:

"Your Majesty, the artifact 'Time Corridor' is now in your hands."

This statement was no longer a calm declaration, but rather like a silent thunderclap that exploded in the minds of all beings who could understand its meaning!
"A time corridor?"

"The Time God's natal artifact?"

"That legendary..."

"Didn't they disappear when the Ancient God of Time fell? Could it be..."

After a brief silence, a tremor even more intense and uncontrollable than before erupted.

In the sky, almost all the gods at this moment couldn't help but show extreme shock and horror on their faces.

All eyes turned to Erebus, the god of darkness.

Time Corridor!

That legendary supreme artifact that disappeared along with the ancient god of time!

It is said to possess incredible power to intervene in time, peek into, and even influence the past!
It... is actually in the hands of Erebus, the god of darkness?

This news was even more shocking than Cohen's challenge to the Supreme God himself, and it touched upon the hidden core interests and taboos of the gods.

Time is a realm that even the gods revere, and the whereabouts of this artifact is enough to cause turmoil in the pantheon!
Even Madora, the god of prophecy who had always remained aloof from worldly affairs, could not maintain her absolute composure at this moment, staring intently at Erebus, the god of darkness:
"Eternal Night...the Corridor of Time, is it with you?"

"you--!!!"

The moment Cohen pointed out the "Time Corridor," Erebus, the god of darkness, was about to unleash his fury, murderous intent, and shock and panic at having his greatest secret exposed in an instant.

The divine power surrounding him instantly became extremely unstable, as if it would completely erupt and devour everything in the next second.

"Erebus, how dare you!"

The goddess of light, Aetheril, and the goddess of ice, Daphne, reacted with lightning speed.

In the instant Erebus's aura changed drastically, the two goddesses flashed forward almost simultaneously, blocking Cohen's path without hesitation.

Aetheril was enveloped in an incredibly resilient holy light of dawn, like a radiant barrier.

The icy blue divine power beneath Daphne's feet spread wildly, instantly forming a crystal-clear extreme ice barrier.

The two goddesses, their eyes sharp and their divine power fully unleashed, locked their gazes on the escalating darkness ahead, ready to face Erebus's sudden attack at any moment.

The atmosphere instantly became extremely tense, and a chaotic battle at the level of a supreme god seemed imminent.

Soon, the boiling killing intent of Erebus, the god of darkness, gradually dissipated.

He felt the gaze of dozens of deities focused on him from all directions.

I felt the gaze of Madora, the god of prophecy, calm yet imbued with immense pressure.

Here, at this moment, surrounded by the gods and under the watchful eyes of everyone, with the god of prophecy personally questioning him, he, Erebus, could neither deny nor refute.

Madora may not be able to directly divine the exact location of the "Time Corridor," but he certainly has the ability to divine whether this artifact is related to Erebus.

A forceful denial would only make one appear guilty, solidify suspicion, and potentially trigger a deeper investigation by the god of prophecy, which could have even worse consequences.

Erebus glanced intently at Cohen across Etheril and Daphne.

He couldn't understand how this secret, which he had kept hidden for countless epochs, could be so easily revealed by a mere Gold-rank mortal.
Who exactly is Cohen Corleone, and how does he know?
But now is not the time to dwell on that.

Under the gaze of the god of prophecy, and under the watchful eyes of all the gods, he must give a response.

"Indeed, the Time Corridor... is indeed on me."

This brief acknowledgment was like throwing a boulder into an already turbulent lake, stirring up even greater waves of turmoil in the hearts of the gods.

The speculation has been confirmed: the missing artifact of time is indeed in the hands of the God of Darkness!

Erebus seemed to realize that mere admission was not enough; he had to provide a “reasonable” explanation.

He paused, then continued:
"It's the natal artifact of the Ancient God of Time... However, I obtained it by chance while adventuring in the endless void."

It has absolutely nothing to do with the fallen Ancient God of Time.

A corridor of time.

That was no ordinary divine artifact. It was the natal weapon of the ancient god of time, the core symbol of his authority and power.

The name itself, in the realm of the gods, represents a past shrouded in mist and buried in silence.

The legends and speculations surrounding it have never truly ceased over the past 30,000 years, yet it has always been shrouded in a thick fog of mystery.

Several eons ago, a great upheaval occurred in the realm of the gods.

It was an era long enough for most of the gods present, yet one that has not been forgotten because of its profound influence.

The Ancient God of Time, who had ruled the divine realm for countless years and held supreme authority over time, and who was the chairman of the council of the main gods at the time, suddenly perished one day.

It wasn't a gradual decline, nor was it defeated; rather, it was as if it had been wiped off the plane of existence by an invisible giant hand.

Along with his vast and mysterious divine kingdom of time, as well as the gods and retinues most closely associated with him, all vanished, as if they had never existed.

This incident directly led to a power vacuum and restructuring of the Council of Gods, and left behind the biggest and most perplexing unsolved case in the divine realm.

Who, or what, could cause such a complete and utter fall of a supreme ancient god who controls time?
No one knows.

All attempts to explore ultimately vanish like a stone thrown into the sea, either buried by the dust of time or met with an ominous end.

It was after that that Madora, the god of prophecy, an equally ancient and mysterious deity who held the power of fate and prophecy, gradually took on the responsibility of coordinating the divine realm and presiding over the council of the main gods, with the support of the other gods.

Even so, the truth behind the fall of the Ancient God of Time, and the whereabouts of his natal artifact, the "Time Corridor," remained a thorn in the side of Madora and all the gods who knew the truth. And now, Cohen, a mortal of the Gold Rank, casually points out that this supreme artifact, missing for tens of thousands of years and sparking countless speculations and searches, is actually in the hands of Erebus, the God of Darkness.

It's simply unbelievable.

Although Erebus acknowledged the ownership of the artifact, he tried his best to distance himself from the fall of the Old God of Time by claiming that it was "obtained by chance during an adventure in the endless void."

This explanation sounded somewhat weak to the gods.

The endless void is indeed full of unknowns and adventures, but to "accidentally" obtain the Time God's natal artifact sounds too unbelievable.

Moreover, the timing of the fall of the Ancient God of Time and the disappearance of the artifacts was so close, and Erebus happened to be one of the most active and rapidly expanding gods of that period...

The possible connections between them are enough to make any god with a brain think wildly.

Doubt, scrutiny, suspicion, and even greed for that artifact of time came from all directions toward Erebus.

Erebus, of course, refused to take the blame, and immediately looked toward Madora, the god of prophecy.

The chief of the council of gods, who possesses the power to glimpse fragments of the river of fate, is the deity most capable of clearing himself of any suspicions.

Madora slowly closed her eyes. In the air, countless tiny silver rays of light appeared out of thin air, intertwined, trembled, and then quickly vanished.

That was a scene of fate's trajectory being briefly disturbed and then forcibly smoothed out.

Time seemed to stretch out in the silence.

Every second felt incredibly heavy.

Finally, Madora opened her eyes. In the depths of her eyes, countless images seemed to flash by rapidly before returning to a profound calm.

"The fall of His Majesty Time... indeed, has nothing to do with Eternal Night."

The gods' eyes flickered slightly, but their suspicions were not completely dispelled. In their view, Erebus had simply shifted from being the murderer to being an informant, or even a "lucky fisherman."

Madora's gaze, calm yet carrying a heavy pressure, turned to Erebus, the god of darkness, and continued:

"but……"

This "however" caused the darkness surrounding Erebus to freeze slightly.

“Eternal Night, after things are over here, you must hand over the ‘Time Corridor’.”

This artifact belongs to the ancient god of time.

His Holiness Time once clearly conveyed his will: in his absence, the custody of the 'Time Corridor' belongs to the entire Council of Gods, not to any individual deity.

Madora's words were firm and decisive, leaving no room for negotiation.

This is not only about holding Erebus accountable for possessing the artifact without permission, but also a reaffirmation of the ancient rules of the realm of gods and the final will of the departed ancient gods.

Erebus could not refuse this request, nor could he afford to refuse it.

The God of Darkness was experiencing unusually intense emotions.

Submitting a "Time Corridor"?
This supreme artifact, which he had hidden for tens of thousands of years, from which he had comprehended part of the mysteries of time, and which he regarded as his own possession, was like tearing out his heart and pulling out his bones!
An endless rage and destructive desire roared within his dark soul, almost threatening to overwhelm his reason.

But he couldn't.

Madora's calm yet weighty gaze, the watchful eyes of the surrounding gods each with their own agendas, and the unyielding stance of the goddesses of light and ice, ready to fight at any moment.

If he turns against them now, he may face not only light and ice, but also pressure from the entire Council of Gods under the leadership of the God of Prophecy, and he may even be confirmed as a greater suspect in connection with the death of the Ancient God of Time.

Erebus forcefully suppressed his anger:
"……it is good."

With Erebus's consent, the gods turned their attention back to the instigator of the storm—Cohen Corleone.

This mortal not only proposed the insane idea of ​​challenging the supreme god, but also casually revealed the secrets of the divine realm that had been sealed for tens of thousands of years, forcing a supreme god to hand over the supreme artifact he had obtained.

What exactly does he want to do?
Under the watchful eyes of countless people, Cohen seemed completely oblivious to the tumultuous waves that had just occurred, involving the main god, the ancient god, and the supreme artifact.

Meeting the venomous gaze of Erebus, the god of darkness, which seemed to want to devour him alive and tear his soul apart, he spoke:
“Your Majesty Eternal Night, continuing from what you just said, my method is for you to use the ‘Time Corridor’ to retrieve your past self before you were deified and before you entered the realm of Saints… your legendary-level past self.”

Then, I'll fight your legendary past self.

Right here, at this very moment, with the gods as witnesses.

As agreed with the four parties, I win, and you will no longer pursue the matter of Vilekis from now on.

I lost. Virekis and I are at your mercy.

how is it? "

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room fell into an eerie silence once again.

The gods now understood Cohen's thoughts. The one he wanted to challenge was not Erebus, who was now the chief god of darkness, but Erebus in the past, before he was deified, or even before he became a saint and was at the legendary level.

Using a time-traveling artifact, "retrieve" your past self from the river of time to confront your present enemy.

This idea... is insane, audacious, and unheard of!

But upon closer examination, given the potential power of the legendary artifact, the "Time Corridor," this seems to be a feasible solution.

However, many gods, especially the ancient ones, still disregarded Cohen's words.

They understood better than mortals what the word "god" meant.

It is not merely the accumulation of power, but a leap in the essence of life, a fusion of laws, and the wielding of authority.

A true deity's very existence is already imprinted on the foundation of the multiverse, making them fundamentally different from mortals.

Even if it is just a fragment of this deity's "past," a legendary form before He ignited His divine fire and raised His divine kingdom, it could never be equivalent to a legendary powerhouse in the ordinary sense.

Divinity can flow backwards.

Even if a deity's "past self" is temporarily "retrieved" from the river of history by the "Time Corridor," even if their power level is limited to the "Legendary" category.

It is also inevitably deeply imbued with the divinity, divine status, and even the understanding of laws possessed by the "present body".

It's not just the inheritance of combat experience and skills; it's the innate advantage of one's life status, the superior position of being compatible with the laws, and the dimensional difference in understanding the essence of power.

In short, the "legendary past life" of Erebus, the god of darkness, possesses true strength far surpassing that of ordinary legendary peak beings, and can even unleash power comparable to that of ordinary saints.

That was a legend imbued with the glory of the supreme god, a prototype and echo of divinity.

And what about Cohen Corleone?
No matter how brilliant he is, how many tricks he has up his sleeve, or how many miracles he can create, he is currently, undeniably, only at the peak of the Gold rank.

There is an insurmountable gap between gold and legend.

Between legend and "legend imbued with divinity" lies an even deeper canyon.

Cohen's move seems to have found a suitable opponent to fight against.

But in reality, he was likely facing a monster cloaked in legend, possessing some divine qualities and powers.

What he must contend with is not only the power of the Dark God's "past," but also the projection and blessing of his "present" divinity onto the past.

He is still challenging a "god," only a "god of the past."

The gap between them may not be as despairing as that between mortals and gods, but it is by no means something that a single Gold rank can easily bridge.

Countless gazes once again focused on Cohen, their emotions complex and difficult to discern.

The God of Darkness didn't give everyone much time to think, as if afraid that Cohen would change his mind, or that other gods would raise objections, and quickly spoke:

"I agree!"

He even deliberately turned towards Madora, the god of prophecy, and emphasized in a hoarse voice:
"Madora, that's what he said himself."

I used my legendary past to fight him. I didn't force him; it was his own condition, you all heard it!

He had no reason to refuse if he could achieve his goal without bloodshed.

He really didn't want to go to war with the goddess of light, Aetheril, the goddess of ice, Daphne, and even the elven deities who were clearly on Cohen's side, unless absolutely necessary.

That will be a brutal and unpredictable battle between gods.

Even if he wins, he will pay a heavy price and may be taken advantage of by other covetous gods.

Now, Cohen himself has offered a solution: to use his legendary past self in battle. This is exactly what I wanted and couldn't be happier!
In Erebus's view, this was not a challenge at all, but rather Cohen was courting death.

He has absolute confidence in his past.

He was able to fight his way out of the endless abyss and the void, climbing step by step to the position of the Dark God. Every stage of his past must have been the most outstanding, terrifying, and unparalleled existence among those of the same level.

His legendary status is a legend forged by bathing in the blood of the abyss and treading on the corpses of countless powerful figures; it is a legend blessed by the laws of darkness and possessing unparalleled talent.

Moreover, as those ancient deities realized, once his "past self" is manifested through the "Time Corridor," it will inevitably be nourished and blessed by the pure dark divinity of his present self.

That past body will not only be a shadow of his past, but also an extension of his divinity and godhood.

And Cohen Corleone?

Even if a Gold-ranked individual has some hidden trump cards or some bizarre adventures, it's all in vain in the face of the absolute gap in power, status, and experience.

The ending was already predetermined.

Erebus looked at Cohen and said coldly, "Who are you going to fight first?"

Cohen said with a faint smile:

"No rush, let me make some preparations first."

Prince Xiazuo, who was not far away, sneered and said:

"What, are you scared now? At this point, what preparations do you still need to make?"

Cohen glanced at Xia Zuo indifferently, then looked away and slowly closed his eyes.

next moment--

A clearly discernible surge of magical energy slowly rose from his body.

His expression was eerily calm, yet his words silenced the entire world:
"Entering Legendary Status!" (End of Chapter)