Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Chapter 362 Nephthys's matter is put on the agenda!
As dusk slowly crept along the horizon, the rhythm of the tide swallowing and spitting out sand gradually became disordered, and the gentle sea breeze carried a soft whistling sound as it brushed past my ears.

Suddenly, the seagull that had been circling in the distance swooped down, its tremors shattering wave after wave of spray.

The knots in the mooring lines quietly came undone, and the warship "Corleone" bobbed with the waves, being pushed by the sea against the reefs bathed in the holy moonlight...

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Yadelle half-propped herself up on the large, boat-shaped solid wood carved bed.

She hooked the necklace that Cohen had carefully prepared for her from the bedside table.

She gestured twice at her neck, and the spring-like look in her eyes was gradually replaced by a smile.

She gently kicked Cohen, who was still pretending to be asleep on her, with her delicate foot, and her red lips curled slightly:

"You think you can bribe me with just a necklace?"

"Tell me, how many younger sisters did you find for me this time?"

Cohen dared not pretend to be asleep any longer. He got up, took the necklace from Adele's hand, lifted the Queen's snow-white chin, and held the necklace in his right hand, letting it hang down in front of his neck.

Fingers traced the necklace, fastening the clasp behind the neck.

The blue pendant lay on her porcelain-white skin, looking exceptionally charming.

Cohen bit Adele's earlobe:

"Giving your own wife a necklace, how can that be called bribery?"

Adele gently stroked the blue pendant on her chest and chuckled softly:
“Very well, if that’s what Your Majesty says.”

I have dispatched the Princess of Windsor, the Duchess of the Red Dragon, and the Marquess of the Roses to oversee the selection trials in various locations.

Cohen's expression stiffened, a bitter feeling rising in his heart, and he said with a bitter tone:
"Sister, I was wrong."

Since they're back, let them stay by your side and help you out, and also ease some of your burden.

Adele raised her eyebrows and stared at Cohen:

"Relieve stress?"
What kind of stress should be relieved?
Is it yours?
I think they'd love to fulfill my duties as queen!

Cohen didn't dare to reply and buried himself in Adele's body without making a sound.

Adele stretched out her toes to lift Cohen's leg off her and got off the bed.

While tying her long hair up, she said:

"Get up. Your Golden-Winged Daughter should be back soon, after a day and a night."

Is Isabella coming back?

Cohen instantly perked up, a surge of joy welling up inside him.

He hadn't seen Isa in a long time; the last time they met was right after she returned from negotiations with the Western Empire.

He then rushed to the dwarf tribe to carry out the plan to conquer the dwarf tribe agreed upon with the Western Regions Empire.

Seeing the Queen's gaze sweep over him, Cohen quickly composed himself and said in a serious tone:

"It seems that Miss Wenze has reached an agreement with the dwarves. This is truly a cause for celebration."

When the world descends into chaos and war, the dwarves can serve as a base for manufacturing magical weapons and mining magic crystals, providing our army with a continuous supply of weapons and magic crystals.

Adele rolled her eyes at Cohen, her red lips pursed, her voice laced with sarcasm:

"Yes, Miss Wenze has made such a great contribution. Is our King planning to reward her with his body?"

Cohen stammered and didn't dare to respond.

Adele snorted softly and said coldly:

"From now on, any woman you provoke, regardless of her status..."

"If you want to marry into the Corleone family, you'd all better become my concubines!"

Cohen naturally made repeated assurances and readily agreed.

As they spoke, Adele had already finished dressing and said:
"There's something I need to discuss with you. The selection process for the Bronze, Silver, and Gold groups has already begun."

There are still some issues with the Legends group.

Aside from Uncle Hauge and your Jade Grand Duke, the remaining four spots are a bit difficult to decide.

When it came to serious matters, Cohen also put away his tender feelings.

Hearing the Queen's words, he frowned slightly and asked:

"Are the commissioners unwilling to participate?"

Adele relayed the attitude of the commissioner's representative at the previous meeting to Cohen.

Cohen fell into thought; what the commissioner said wasn't entirely wrong.

Effiin's foundation is indeed inferior to that of established powers, and its legendary-level cultivators have only barely broken through, with very average combat strength.

They are no match for most of the legendary-level extraordinary beings from those powerful nations, let alone the contestants representing those powerful nations.

Although the Legends group has Bayonetta and Uncle Hauge to carry it, if the rest of the members are too bad, the overall score will drop.

Apart from the champion, the weight of each ranking in the four groups varies considerably.

The higher the extraordinary level, the more points you will receive.

Even though both are second place, the second place in the Legendary Group will definitely earn significantly more points than the second place in the Gold and Silver Groups.

How can we quickly increase the combat power of these legendary-tier characters?
Cohen's first thought was "Vaillant beverages".

It provides a 20% bonus to attack damage and spell power for 5 minutes.

But he quickly rejected the idea.

Unlike those of the Gold and Silver ranks, the true combat power of the Legendary rank comes from the power of their own domain.

Simply increasing magical and physical attack power will not bring about a qualitative change in combat strength.

Legendary rank has reached the level of utilizing the rules of the domain. The more thoroughly they understand the rules, the stronger their combat power.

Simply put, the power of the legendary rank is the power of "rules".

For example, the Queen's sister's "Frozen" domain.

With her innate talent as a chosen one of the gods, plus the complete ice-attribute divine essence that Daphne placed within her, Adel possessed the power to achieve her goal.

It's like being exposed to and understanding the rules of "freezing" from a young age without even realizing it.

Therefore, at the Northwest Regional Exchange Conference three years ago, even though he had just broken through to the Legendary level, his understanding of the rules had reached a terrifying level, and he was very skilled at using them.

In addition, the "freezing" rule suppresses the lower-level rules.

This allowed Adel, who had just entered the Legendary rank, to completely freeze three veteran Legendary rank councilors of the "Black Tomb" with a single move, shocking the continent.

However, the level of the domain rules was fixed when these legendary-level extraordinary beings broke through to the legendary level, and could not be changed.

The only solution is to improve their understanding of the rules.

How could he improve these people's understanding of the rules in a short period of time? Cohen carefully recalled his gaming experience from his previous life.

In the previous game, top players summarized three methods to improve the rule comprehension of legendary-level extraordinary individuals.
The first and simplest principle is the guidance of higher-level inheritance.

For example, a saint from the same source of rules could provide close guidance to a legendary-ranked individual.

This is very simple in the game. As long as players are willing to spend money, the game's official team will provide suitable saint NPCs for players to choose from.

In reality, however, this is far too difficult.

Not to mention that there are already very few saints in Effie, and they are all saints from the Starry Race, whose cultivation system is different from that of humans.

Even if you could find someone, it's uncertain whether they would be willing to provide guidance.

Understanding rules is a highly private matter, and normal people would almost never share it with others.

Not to mention the saints who are high above.

Another path is the one taken by the Queen's sister, which involves comprehending the divine essence or fragments of the divine essence. This is even more difficult than the first path.

It's simply impossible to find that many divine fragments in a short period of time. Besides, even if there were, it's impossible to use them to help legendary-level beings comprehend the rules.

The true purpose of this thing is for the Hundred Star Saints to build divine kingdoms and achieve demigod status, or even godhood.

That leaves only the last option, which is relatively time-consuming, but it's currently the most feasible one.

Real-world pressure in the field.

By fighting against higher-level rule users, they pressure ordinary legendary-level transcendents, forcing them to deepen their understanding of their own rules under extreme conditions.

However, this method has a low success rate, and not everyone can grasp the deeper rules under extreme conditions.

Cohen gathered his thoughts and shared them with Adele.

Adele pursed her red lips, thought for a moment, and then said:

"It seems that only the third method is feasible."

"A low success rate is fine; let all the legendary-level experts in the country try. Eventually, a few will succeed."

Cohen said:

"There are also sparring partners."

They must be veteran legends, or have a deep understanding of the rules.

Adele began to speak:
"I'm one of them, I..."

Cohen immediately interrupted Adele:

"No, you can't make a move."

You must not act until I am absolutely certain that I can deal with those who want to seize the divine status.

Even normal training.

This is an order, an order from the King and her husband.

Adele's lips moved, but she didn't say anything more.

Cohen thought for a moment, his expression becoming somewhat unnatural, and said in a low voice:
"We'll most likely need to ask 'Pale Wings' for help with this."

"Why don't we wait until Miss Wenze returns and discuss it with her?"

Adele raised an eyebrow and said:
"Perfect timing! When she returns to the country, you can go with her to the Golden Wing Family to discuss the marriage alliance and the legendary-level sparring partnership!"

Cohen's expression stiffened slightly, but fortunately, Adele did not act out on matters of national importance.

Adele reached out and slapped away Cohen's furtive hand, saying:

"The selection of contestants below the Legendary rank has been arranged according to your suggestion."

Besides your women, there are two more spots in the Gold Group that need to be selected.

There aren't many people in the golden age of 40 in China, so I had them compile a list and selected the best from among them.

If you have nothing to do these next couple of days, keep an eye on this matter.

The silver and bronze groups will conduct nationwide auditions, following the format of the Extraordinary Arena.

Cohen wrapped his arms around Adele's slender waist and whispered in response:
"Okay, leave everything to me."

You've always been the one taking care of everything, big and small, for Effie.

Now that I'm back, you should take a good rest and relax for a while...

...At the Military Intelligence Bureau building, Nefertis handed Cohen the list of candidates who met the eligibility criteria for the Gold Group, submitted by nobles of all ranks within the country.

Cohen took the list and placed it on the table, without looking at it immediately.

Instead, he reached out and took Nephthys's small hand, pulled her into his arms, and whispered his greeting in her ear.

They spent a long time whispering sweet nothings and expressing their love.

Only after he had taken full advantage of the situation and vented his emotions did he release the girl from his arms and turn to talk about serious matters.

Cohen picked up the list that had been on the table and began to examine it carefully.

The list is not long, but each person's name has detailed notes on their family relationship, rank, and meritorious service.

The contestants who represent their country must have a clean background.

Cohen looked at it for a while and asked:
"I see these are all lists submitted by the nobles, and they are all sons of nobles."

"Aside from these nobles, is there really no one else in the entire Effie who could break through to the Gold rank before the age of forty?"

Nephthys whispered:

"That's not the case. It's just that, apart from nobles, it's very difficult to get a list of the other eligible people."

Moreover, the Gold Group only needs to select one main contestant and one reserve, so the requirements for them are not high.

Therefore, to avoid too much workload, the scope of the discussion was not expanded that much at the time.

They were selected directly from the sons of nobles.

Cohen shook his head slightly and said:
"It's not just about participating in the Noble Martial Arts Festival; it's about setting an example for the whole country."

In the great upheaval to come, all living beings on the mainland will be treated equally.

Even empires and kingdoms face the crisis of destruction, and the so-called noble status is even less important in the face of turmoil.

Since the operation has already been launched, the Golden Group might as well not limit itself to the nobility.

Nephthys frowned slightly and asked:
"But if we were to conscript them now, it might not be in time."

According to the original plan, the selection process for the Gold Group only had ten days, so enough time needed to be allocated for the preliminary rounds of the Bronze and Silver Groups.

Cohen pondered for a moment and then said:
"There is a simple way."

I'll go find Raymond; the Extraordinary Arena should be able to help us."

Nephthys's eyes lit up, and she nodded, saying:

"That's true. Those commoners who break through to the ninth rank before the age of forty, whether for fame or to obtain funds for cultivation."

It will definitely leave its mark on the Extraordinary Arena.

Cohen thought to himself that it was time to find Raymond. He had promised to let him participate in the selection for the "God Guard Preparatory Camp" but hadn't kept his promise yet.

It's not for any other reason than that becoming a god's personal guard will grant the favor of the god of war, which will be extremely beneficial in future wars.

Cohen collected his thoughts, looked at the list again, and seemed to notice something unusual, adding:
"There are also some nobles or commoners who have been dealt with in the past."

As long as it's not a matter of principle, you can participate in the selection competition this time.

Nephthys blinked and asked:
"What do you mean by 'sir'?"

Cohen picked up the list, waved it around, and said with a smile:

"You haven't been involved in Effie's political affairs for very long, and you're not sensitive enough to some of the data."

The eastern border of Effie is the birthplace of our Corleone family, and it is home to a large number of deeply entrenched noble families.

Many of them even have marital ties with the Corleone royal family.

Logically speaking, the noble system in the Eastern Territory is second only to Florence in the entire Effie.

But why are there so few extraordinary individuals from the Eastern Realm on this list?

Cohen paused deliberately, giving Nephthys a brief moment to think, before saying meaningfully:
"These bureaucrats below are adept at guessing what their superiors want and deliberately flattering them."

They like to generalize and condemn everyone.

This way, he could please the king while also reducing competition for his sons, nephews, and descendants!

After Cohen's reminder, Nefertiti suddenly realized and blurted out:

"Those nobles in the Eastern Territory were affected by what happened three years ago!"
Those below deliberately used this as an excuse to remove them from the selection list.

Cohen pinched Nephthys's cheek and said:
"Correct answer."

Now you know what to do, right?

Nephthys nodded seriously and replied:
"I understand, sir. Don't worry, I guarantee that no talented person will be overlooked!"

Having resolved the issue of the selection scope, the two then began discussing the specific selection methods.

Cohen asked:

How do you plan to select these two candidates?

Is there any specific plan?

Nephthys said from the side:
"Since there aren't many people, we'll just randomly group them up and let them fight against each other."

Selection will be based on the situation in battle.

Cohen replied:

"Okay, let's arrange it that way then."

Notify those on the list to come to Florence as soon as possible, and also notify those who are not on the list.

The official match is scheduled for five days from now, at the Extraordinary Arena in Florence.

Nephthys agreed.

Cohen then asked:

"You're also going to participate in the Bronze Group competition. How about it, are you confident?"

Nephthys replied softly:

"As for the champion, I estimate I can't beat Freya."

However, finishing in the top three should be no problem.

Nephthys has been busy with the Military Intelligence Bureau in recent years, so her progress in the extraordinary level has been relatively slow. She is still only at the peak of the third tier.

This is also related to someone's "lack of integrity".

The "Mind Warlock" is an extraordinary profession with extremely high barriers to entry, requiring assistance from a family's inherited system.

However, Cohen's promise to search for the treasure left behind by the Nephthys family's "Night Rose" has not yet come to fruition.

This caused Nephthys's cultivation progress to gradually slow down.

It wasn't that Cohen was intentionally trying to delay; it was simply that there had been no news regarding the "Black Rose Key," the key to unlocking the Night Rose family's treasure.

Thinking about this now, Cohen asked:

"By the way, has the Military Intelligence Bureau found the whereabouts of the 'Key to the Black Rose'?"

With the help of the Starbringers and the clues I provided, it shouldn't be too difficult to find it.

Nephthys hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded under Cohen's watchful gaze:
“It was conceived three months ago, but it was too far away, and my husband was busy with things in Ceylon at the time, so he didn’t tell you.”

Cohen felt a mix of emotions, pulled Nephthys into his arms, and whispered:

Why didn't you tell me sooner?
If I don't ask, how long are you going to keep this from me?

Nephthys replied:

"Anyway, I'm not in any real danger in Florence, so I don't need to take action myself."

As for extraordinary levels, just let fate decide.

Cohen pinched Nephthys's cheek and said fiercely:
"How can it be unrelated?"
Aren't you going to rebuild the Night Rose family?

Don't you know that if the difference in extraordinary levels between two people is too great, it's very difficult for them to have offspring?

Nefertis blushed bright red at Cohen's words.

Cohen pulled Nephthys's face close to his own, stared into her eyes, and asked:
"It was my fault for not keeping my promise to you, so please tell me your whereabouts so I can make amends in time."

Nephthys then spoke:
"In...in a place called the Temple of Akolaan in the province of Mosha in the Central Empire."

The Military Intelligence Bureau's investigation team discovered a place near the temple that resembled the geographical information provided by the gentleman.

They also found the priest with the golden rank that the gentleman had mentioned in the temple.

Regarding the key left behind by the "Night Rose" sorcerer family, the Black Rose Key, which can unlock the family's treasure.

Cohen had never seen it in person; he had only found a strategy post for the "Black Rose Key" adventure dungeon on a game forum in his previous life.

I remember the general geography of this instance, and that there was a Gold-rank priest as an NPC.

Therefore, when giving instructions to the Kuomintang agents, they were told to find abandoned and remote temples and shrines.

Cohen pondered for a moment, then said:
"Mosha Province is located in the southern part of the Central Continent, not far from the imperial capital, Kuntandin."

Taking advantage of this Noble Martial Arts Festival, let's go to Mosa Province and retrieve the Black Rose Key.

This will allow you to complete your family's warlock lineage.

Nephthys whispered:

"Actually, there's no need to rush. The security risks for you going to the Central Empire this time are already high."

There's no need to change your itinerary for this...

Cohen swallowed the rest of Nephthys's words with his mouth, and after a long, lingering kiss, he said in an unquestionable tone:
"That's settled then, there's no room for negotiation!"
Alright, go and inform the participants in the Gold Group to hurry up and get to Florence.

Tell them that in five days, King Effie, Queen, Princess, Cabinet, and Grand Dukes of the Four Realms will all be present at the match.

Let them perform well; it will also set a benchmark for the selection of the Bronze and Silver groups!

The presence of the head of state and the entire core leadership at the selection site will undoubtedly greatly motivate the contestants.

This will also serve as a very positive example for the upcoming nationwide selection of bronze and silver group contestants.

Nephthys quickly made the arrangements, and as expected, the news that the King and Queen would be present at the Golden Group selection caused a huge uproar throughout Effie.

For this king who rarely appears in the public eye, most of the people of Efe hold a hidden reverence in their hearts.

The great deeds of King Effie had long been known throughout the entire continent.

With King Effie's epic rise and Queen Effie's reputation as the youngest legend on the continent.

This allowed Effie, a country that previously had a very low profile, to make a big splash on the mainland.

In addition, in the last four or five years, under the joint rule of the King and Queen, Effie's level in all aspects has been improving by leaps and bounds.

Infrastructure, economy, industry, military, and international standing have all seen significant improvements.

The people have developed a near-faith-like devotion to this mysterious king.

The nobles were even more eager.

Herman Donaldson's story had already spread throughout the aristocratic circles. Because of His Majesty the King's favor, he rose from a commoner to a hereditary viscount and chief justice in just over five years.

They became role models of success stories that everyone admired.

These nobles also hoped to take this opportunity to promote their sons, nephews, and younger generations to shine in the competition.

He gained the favor of His Majesty the King and His Highness the Queen, and soared to great heights!
……

(End of this chapter)