Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Chapter 355 Night Watch

The golden owl opened its eyes again, its pupils showing an even stronger surprise than before, and murmured softly:

"How many years have I been asleep? How come even Silver-rank prophets dare to predict things about Saints now?"
Where did Atkinson find such a reckless prophetic child?

The golden owl glanced at the dense array of runes engraved on the treetop and let out a faint sigh.

……

Windsordler and Freya exclaimed simultaneously. Windsordler asked in surprise:
"A saint?"
You're saying that giant owl was a Saint-level magical beast?

A look of seriousness appeared in Cohen's eyes, and he slowly nodded:

"His level was suppressed by some unknown entity, forcing him to guard the mossy giant tree here."

Freya continued:

"So you were going to reveal your identity just now?"

Cohen replied:

"Indeed, only the identity of the Child of Prophecy can gain the trust of a saint."

This owl is no ordinary being; if you don't do as he wishes, nothing anyone can change his mind.

Suppressing his astonishment, Windsordler asked:

"If he's so powerful, why do we need to deal with some giant insect nest?"

Cohen said:

"It's very simple. Not only is his level suppressed, but his range of movement is also restricted. In short, he cannot leave the area of ​​the Mossy Giant Tree."

Freya exclaimed in amazement:

"What kind of being could force a saint to do this?"

Cohen gestured for Freya to stop discussing the matter, then lowered his voice and said:

"Alright, let's hurry and find that giant worm's nest!"

Although it was said to be guided by the Golden Owl, Cohen actually already knew the location of the giant insect's nest like the back of his hand. In his previous life, this game instance was a must-do for players in the early stages.

Not only will you gain a fifth-tier mechanism, but you will also gain the friendship of a saint whose level has been suppressed.

The three quickly found the nest, which was roughly equivalent to a ninth-tier combat power.

It wasn't too difficult for Cohen and Windsordler to handle.

It didn't take long for Cohen to find the mother insect's trail. With a "Blade Waltz" and "Adding Fuel to the Fire" move, he easily took down the mother insect.

Without the mother insect, the remaining giant insects also fled frantically under the combined strangulation of Windsordler and Freya.

When they found the golden owl again, carrying the corpse of the mother insect, the owl stared at Cohen for a long time:

"You have a strong dragon aura about you. Are you living with a dragon?"

Cohen thought to himself that it was probably because he had been having too much in-depth conversation with Asuna last night and was carrying her scent.

He coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment and said:

"My job title is Dragon Seal Weapon Master."

The giant owl's eyes revealed an extremely human-like astonishment, and it uttered a trembling sound:
"How could humans actually hold such ancient secret positions?"

"You wouldn't happen to be the incarnation of one of those beings, would you?"

Despite the saint's persistent questioning, Cohen displayed considerable patience and replied:
Do you think His Holiness the Pope would choose a divine incarnation as the Child of Prophecy?

The giant owl slowly nodded:

“You’re right, Atkinson isn’t that stupid.”

Seeing that the two were having a good conversation, Cohen took the opportunity to ask:

"If I can help you get out of here, can you promise to serve me for a hundred years?"

A disdainful glint appeared in the giant owl's eyes as he said:

"Let's talk about it when you can do it. If even Atkinson can't do it, don't even think about it."

He then stopped talking to Cohen.

It stretches out its wings, flaps them lightly, and makes a sharp whistling sound.

Immediately afterwards, three leaves of different colors fluttered down from the towering canopy of the moss-covered giant tree—the Fire Leaf, Water Leaf, and Wind Leaf that Cohen and his companions had just seen.

Flames danced along the edges of the fiery red, lava-like blades; diamond-shaped dewdrops condensed on the surface of the water blades, which were as blue as jellyfish; and the indigo, jade-like blades were cutting through the air at a frequency visible to the naked eye.

What's even more striking is the extremely strong magical aura surrounding these three leaves, making them look like three top-grade magic crystals.

Three leaves circled around the giant owl, whose dark golden pupils suddenly contracted into vertical lines, and spiral-shaped elemental runes emerged from the depths of its eyes.

At the same time, the fluorescent vanes on the wings began to flash synchronously, outlining eerie runes on the edges of the wings.

The giant owl emitted a low-frequency hum that vibrated, and three leaves joined together at an incredible angle, forming the prototype of an equilateral triangle elemental array in mid-air.

The moment the triangular magic circle was fully formed, the giant owl's head gently swayed towards Freya.

The magic circle gradually enveloped Freya's body, and then patterns corresponding to the three elements lit up on her body—a ring of fire symbolizing the fire element, a floating water curtain symbolizing the water element, and a visible cyclone protective layer symbolizing the wind element.

The last three patterns coalesced into a diamond-shaped mark, which fell into Freya's hand.

The warlock's blood surged, and a diamond-shaped mark was hidden within his blood.

Having obtained the key to the scheme, Cohen expressed his sincere gratitude:
"Thank you!"

The golden owl flaps its wings:

"You can leave now. Keep what's going on here a secret. I don't want anyone else to bother me."

……

After leaving the Whispering Woods, Cohen said to the two of them:

"Siphon rune traps can be found in many places, but the best quality and most powerful ones have to be the 'Eternal Night Tomb'!"

"The Tomb of Eternal Night?"

Upon hearing the name, Freya's eyes showed a hint of surprise, and Windsordler also raised an eyebrow slightly.

Windsordler asked:

"You're not talking about the Night's Watch's Tomb of Eternal Night, are you?!"

Cohen nodded and said:
"Indeed, the 'Siphon Rune Trap' set up in the Eternal Night Tomb has withstood the test of time, causing countless tomb raiders to suffer defeat and regret."

That's absolutely the most suitable.

Freya whispered:
"Sir, I've heard that the Night's Watch is not a very easy group to deal with."

Cohen said with a smile:

"Compared to other organizations, the Night Watch is indeed more xenophobic, but there are still ways to communicate with them."

Let's talk as we walk.

The Night's Watch, or more accurately, the Gravekeepers' Order.

This organization has a history of over a thousand years. There are many theories about its origin, but the most widely accepted one is that in ancient times, there were several extraordinary and powerful individuals who had no descendants.

Fearing that their tombs would be coveted by those with malicious intent after their deaths, they joined together to form an organization specifically to guard their tombs.

Over time, the tomb keeper's reputation and competence were recognized by most people.

More and more high-ranking extraordinary individuals are choosing to entrust the Night Watch with the care of their tombs after death, and the Order's influence is growing.

Each tomb where the strongest are buried is called the "Tomb of Eternal Night," meaning it is forever shrouded in darkness, never seeing the light, ensuring that the place of rest will never be disturbed by outsiders.

Windsordler raised an eyebrow and asked:

Do you know the exact coordinates of the Eternal Night Tomb?
Is it possible to predict such things?

Aren't you afraid the Night's Watch will fight you to the death?

The mission of the Night's Watch is to protect the secrets of every Tomb of the Night, and the exact location of any Tomb of the Night is a closely guarded secret.

Anyone who seeks the location of the Tomb of the Night is considered a mortal enemy of the Night's Watch.

Cohen said:

"I don't have that ability. The coordinates of the Eternal Night Tomb are all cursed. I doubt even Pope Atkinson would dare to divine these things lightly."

Windsordler asked:

"You're not thinking of just going to their door and asking them for it, are you?"

Cohen snapped his fingers:
"That's my plan. The Night Watch has strongholds in major cities. I can just find their blind priests to make a deal!"

The Night's Watch is a three-tiered organization.

The highest rank is called "Eternal Prophet," a mysterious and supreme being who is said to be able to communicate with the Grim Reaper in Hell.

The next level, and also the highest governing body of the Night's Watch, is called the Night's Watch Council.

The lowest level consists of the various functional departments of the Night's Watch Order—

The "blind priest" was responsible for communicating business and exchanging information.

The "Raven Apostles" and "Hellfire Knights" are responsible for guarding the cemetery and pursuing enemies.

The "skeleton craftsmen" were responsible for building the tombs and setting up traps and mechanisms.

Seeing Cohen's confidence, Windsordale felt relieved and followed Cohen to a major city in northern Ceylon.

After entering the city, Cohen went straight to a cemetery on the outskirts, then took out a magic crystal and tossed it to the cemetery caretaker, saying:

“I want to see your ‘blind priest’.”

The gravedigger was a gloomy old man. Upon hearing Cohen's words, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and his aura instantly intensified.

He then picked up the magic crystal that Cohen had thrown at him, examined it, and then spoke in a hoarse, unpleasant voice:
"Cemetery No. 723".

Cohen said no more and led the two into the cemetery area, where they found the 723rd grave the old man had mentioned.

Windsordler frowned and said:
"Could that priest be sleeping in this tomb?"
Are these night watchmen dead or alive?

Before Cohen could speak, a deep voice came from beneath the tombstone:

"Young lady of the Winged Elf race, we Night Watchmen are all living, breathing human beings."

please!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the tombstone that had been standing suddenly cracked open, revealing a staircase leading deep into the earth.

Cohen's eyes narrowed slightly. After a brief pause, he pulled the two of them down the steps.

The three of them proceeded down the spiraling steps, surrounded by gloomy and cold stone walls. Every ten steps, there was a dark green bronze lampstand, the serpentine patterns on the lamp base gleaming with a chilling light.

At the end of the stairs was a circular stone chamber, in the center of which sat a figure surrounded by bronze lampstands.

The slowly rising face of the figure made Freya instinctively take two steps back and snuggle closer to Cohen.

Windsordler also frowned deeply, his face showing a wary expression.

The blind priest's skin appeared puffy and pale from prolonged lack of sunlight, with deep purple blood vessels twisting and forming a spiderweb-like pattern under the skin.

The area where the eyeballs should have been was covered with dense gold threads, as if they had been stitched together by hand. Blood vessel-like patterns extended from where the gold threads met the flesh. The grotesque and terrifying face evoked a strong sense of unease.

The blind priest seemed to have grown accustomed to this gaze, his voice hoarse:

"It seems you haven't reached the point where you need to make arrangements for your passing. Are you here for your elders?"

Cohen steadied himself and said in a deep voice:
“I’m not here to find the gravedigger; I’m here to make a deal with you.”

The blind priest let out a soft exclamation, turning his head toward Cohen, his stitched-up eyes glowing with a chilling blood-red light.

Cohen took out the "Eye of Fate" that he had just shown to the Golden Tycoon and calmly said:

"I'll tell you the exact location of Anselm Garfield, the vice president of the Thieves' Guild in the Kingdom of Ceylon and a tomb raider."

In exchange, give me a fifth-tier mechanism used in your Eternal Night Tomb, the 'Siphon Rune Trap'.

The blind priest stood up abruptly, a hint of excitement flashing across his pale face, and asked:

"Can we really find him?"

Cohen waved the "Eye of Fate" in his hand and said calmly:

"Are you doubting the abilities of the Child of Prophecy?"

The blind priest immediately replied:

"Deal, but I need to verify the accuracy of the information before I give you the authorization."

Cohen nodded slowly:

"Yes, I have full trust in the Night's Watch."

He then gave a location for the "blind priest".

After hearing this, the blind priest immediately took out a communication stone and contacted someone.

After whispering a few words, the blind priest said:

"We'll have the results soon, and if your information is true, you can gain my personal friendship."

If you ever need our help in the future, I can offer you a discount…

The blind priest stopped speaking immediately, realizing he had said something wrong.

Cohen's lips twitched slightly. Who would want to deal with a gravedigger for no reason?

Time passed slowly. The blind priest had just informed Cohen about the "Raven Apostles" and "Haunted Knights" near the location he mentioned. These apostles and knights were specifically responsible for dealing with tomb raiders like Anselm who had offended the Night's Watch.

After a while, the communication stone beside the blind priest lit up. Upon hearing the confirmation from the other party, the priest said sincerely:
"Thank you for your generous assistance. You have gained the friendship of our Night's Watch Order."

Cohen smiled and nodded.

The blind priest did not delay any longer. He chanted a few incantations, and a crack immediately appeared in the stone chamber floor. A shadowy figure entered the crack.

Windsordler raised an eyebrow and asked:
"Could this underground place be an eternal tomb?"

Cohen shook his head and said:
"It's hard to say. Maybe there is, or maybe it's just a factory that mass-produces mechanical puppets."

Not long after, the blind priest returned to the stone chamber with an ancient bracelet in his hand.

The blind priest handed the bracelet to Cohen and said respectfully:
"You must be looking for a mechanism for the young lady beside you."

The energy siphon trap is a fifth-order magic array, which this young lady cannot yet master, so I sealed it onto this bracelet.

"The mechanism can be activated simply by using the bloodline of a sorcerer."

Cohen replied:

"Thank you."

The blind priest then took out a notebook and handed it to Cohen, saying:
"These are some tips from the skeletal craftsman who created this mechanism. I hope they will be helpful to you."

Cohen raised an eyebrow, but did not take the laptop. He stared at the blind priest without saying a word.

The blind priest gave a bitter smile and said:

"Nothing can be hidden from the prophesied son."

Your Majesty Corleone, this is just a small token of my appreciation.

There is no other meaning.”

The other party immediately recognized Cohen's identity, which didn't surprise Cohen. He calmly replied:

"You didn't just contact the 'Raven Apostle' or the 'Hellfire Knight,' did you?"

The blind priest did not deny it, but answered honestly:

“Your Majesty is right. I just contacted Councilor Lorenzo.”

Cohen said calmly:
"Lorenzo Voven, the seventh councilor of the 'Night Watch Church'."

A high-level legendary cultivator, primarily responsible for business in the Northwest Continent.

I feel truly honored to have him value me so much.

The blind priest quickly replied:

"The councilor has no other intention than to make friends with His Majesty Corleone."

A slight smile suddenly appeared on Cohen's lips. His gaze swept over a bronze lampstand not far away, and he asked:
"You want to know the exact location of the Thieves' Church's headquarters?"

The blind priest's voice immediately rose several pitches:

"Your Majesty knows?"

Although the other person was blind, Cohen could still clearly sense his intense emotions.

As a lawful neutral faction, the Night's Watch has only one mortal enemy: the Church of Thieves.

The embodiment of baseness and greed, the termite of civilized order, the epitome of cunning and conspiracy, the malignant tumor under the veil of morality, the dojo of Roxin the Evil Voice, the God of Theft and Lies, on the human continent.

As the Church of Thieves, the tombs of high-ranking extraordinary beings guarded by the Night's Watch are naturally their favorite places to visit.

The Night Watch had been trying to find the Thieves' Church's headquarters and eradicate these despicable thieves.

Unfortunately, the Thieves' Church was very well hidden and frequently changed locations.

Cohen's expression remained calm, and he made no comment.

The blind priest quickly said:

“Your Majesty Corleone, if you can help us find out the headquarters of those despicable thieves, the Night's Watch will forever be your and Alfion's most loyal allies.”

Cohen raised an eyebrow, his tone slightly amusement:
"You mean you want me to risk offending Roxine the Eerie Voice, the God of Theft and Lies, by performing divination for you?"

The blind priest's face immediately stiffened, revealing an embarrassed expression, and he said:
“We can…we can help you avoid this risk.”

Although the Night Watch Order is not as powerful as organizations like the Cobalt Soul Academy, the Black Tomb, and the Pale Wings, which span the entire continent.

However, it has been passed down for many years and the organization has many high-level combatants.

To be fair, they are a decent ally.

However, Roxin Guiyin, the God of Theft and Lies, is notoriously vengeful. Given his current strength, it would be extremely unwise to offend such a powerful deity without significant benefits.

He suppressed his thoughts and said calmly:
"How do you avoid it? Are you relying on your 'Eternal Prophet' who has been sleeping all along?"

I'm guessing you must have spoken to Pope Atkinson. What did His Holiness say?

The blind priest's face grew even paler; he knew his promise was far too weak.

They did indeed approach the Pope of the Church of Prophecy, who refused for the same reason.

However, he was still unwilling to give up. He opened his mouth, but his voice was clearly lacking in confidence:
"Pope Atkinson's intentions are clear, and many people are watching his every move."

Your Majesty Corleone is different. You are the Child of Prophecy, blessed by the gods, and backed by the 'Pale Wings'.

"The God of Theft and Lies, Roxin the Eerie Sound, won't be constantly monitoring the movements of the human continent, as long as we maintain secrecy..."

The blind priest's voice grew fainter and fainter under Cohen's ambiguous, half-smiling gaze.

Cohen smiled calmly, not ruling out any possibility of a definitive answer, and took the notebook from the blind priest, saying:
"Let's discuss this matter again after His Excellency the 'Eternal Prophet' awakens."

Upon hearing that there was still room for maneuver, the blind priest immediately perked up, took out a prepared communication stone from his robes, handed it to Cohen, and said:
"This is Councilor Lorenzo's contact information. Your Majesty can contact him directly if you need anything."

Cohen's eyes flickered slightly, and he suddenly asked:

"Speaking of which, you guys are always digging up graves all over the mainland, do you even know where Gaius's family grave is?"

The blind priest let out a utterly astonished "Ah!"

His expression immediately turned serious, and he said in a deep voice:
"Your Majesty Corleone, we, the Night's Watch, are absolutely neutral and will not participate in the conflicts between human nations."

I would never do something like that...

Cohen chuckled and said with a smile:

"Nothing else, I'm just curious."

I won't disturb your rest any longer.

After saying that, he led Windsordler and Freya away from the cemetery, but before leaving, he glanced once more at the extinguished bronze lampstand in the stone chamber.

After the three left, the lamp stand suddenly burst into flames, and then a figure slowly emerged, gazing at the direction where Cohen and the others had left for a long time.

The blind priest respectfully said:

"Your Excellency, he should be able to deduce the location of the Thieves' Church..."

Representative Lorenzo nodded and said:
“I just heard it, and he said it on purpose for me to hear.”

The blind priest's face showed astonishment:

"Did he know that the adults were here too?"

Representative Lorenzo's tone carried a hint of emotion:
"As expected of the Child of Prophecy, the Netherworld Lantern that the prophet crafted for us can conceal our presence in front of a saint, yet he still managed to discover it."

The blind priest asked:

"Could it be that he noticed the Netherworld Lantern and that's why he suspected that you were here too, sir?"

Lorenzo narrowed his eyes slightly:
“Besides us Night Watchmen, who would recognize such a thing? Besides, when the Netherworld Lantern is not in use, it is no different from an ordinary bronze lampstand.”

After a sigh, the blind priest continued:

"So what should we do about this?"
King Effie should be easier to talk to than Atkinson.

Lorenzo nodded slowly and said:

"I'll discuss it with the other members when the next parliamentary session is held."

Judging from the signs, the Prophet will soon awaken as well.

Ideally, an agreement should be reached with the prophet after he awakens.

We must strive to eradicate the Thieves' Church, this malignant tumor, before the mainland descends into complete chaos.

"When the great war breaks out in the future, even more supreme beings will surely come to us to guard the tombs. If we don't eliminate this cancer, the reputation of the Night's Watch will be severely challenged!"

……

(End of this chapter)