Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Several top favorites among the "strongest silver" players are also paying attention to this match.

Cohen's "old friend," Joren Wertheimer, the nephew of Heisenberg, the First Lord of the House of Nobles of the Middle Empire.

Casimir August, the eldest son of the Iron-Blooded Duke Cassio August, commander of the Northern Allied Army of the Empire.

It's worth mentioning that Lucien Murphy, the "Northern Warrior" who was defeated by Freya in the Bronze Group quarterfinals, was a direct subordinate of Casimir.

Besides these, there is the most popular candidate, the eldest prince of the Northern Empire, Jinlunga Cox, who is hailed as a genius in combat beyond his level.

The strength that Cohen displayed in the last game made them all jump.

It was too fast, completely beyond their expectations.

As the biggest rivals for the title of "Strongest Silver", the three of them unanimously focused their attention on Cohen.

Hrud slowly stepped onto the ring, looking at the calm and upright figure opposite him. His heart pounded uncontrollably, and his throat felt dry.

Having just witnessed Garth's crushing defeat firsthand, he had the most direct understanding of King Efein's strength.

It can completely overwhelm a sixth-tier peak "Shield Warrior" who has already unleashed the bloodline of the orc royal family in terms of strength.

This is absolutely a monster-level existence.

Garth, who could fight him to a draw, was easily crushed by his opponent, and Hrud had no belief in winning whatsoever.

His only goal now is to hold out a little longer against the opponent's mysterious and unpredictable power system, even if it's just to exchange two or three blows with him.

As long as I can demonstrate my skills as a top assassin in the Kingdom of Taren, avoid bringing shame to the kingdom, and end with a dignified defeat, that's enough.

Hrud took a deep breath, his muscles tensed, and his magic was adjusted to its peak.

"sneak!"

The moment the bell rang, symbolizing the start of the game.

Without the slightest hesitation, Hrud had already silently recited the instructions in his mind.

His figure melted directly into the flowing light and shadow on the arena.

A stealth skill even more powerful than that of "Light Walker" Woolf from the previous Bronze group.

There was no exaggerated smoke, no flickering afterimages, only an extremely natural sense of disappearance that blended perfectly with the environment.

It must be acknowledged that Hrud's talent and strength are beyond question, as he is able to represent a kingdom on the continent's most prestigious stage, the Noble Martial Arts Festival.

As an assassin and an elite trained by the Kingdom of Taren, Hrud's stealth skills have reached the pinnacle, and are the core skill that made him famous.

He has used this silent infiltration skill countless times to bring down his opponents in surprise and without a sound.

Even when facing a Gold-rank opponent, he was confident that he could close the distance to the most lethal point before the opponent could react.

While the audience held their breath and focused on the match, Hrud's figure had already blended perfectly into the shadows, dust, and even the refraction of light in the air.

Countless gazes swept across the arena, trying to spot Hrud, but to no avail.

A top-tier assassin!
Most of them felt a strange fear rising in their hearts, thinking that they could not survive an attack by an assassin of this level.

Hrud was like a ghost, his body so light that he felt no weight, making no sound, and his mental fluctuations were completely suppressed.

Cohen's figure grew larger and larger in his pupils, which also meant that the distance between them was getting closer and closer.

His breathing had stopped, and his entire body was like a statue, with only his pupils, which gleamed with a cold light, proving that he was still alive.

He was confident that he could launch a sufficiently threatening attack once he got within three meters.

Even if this move doesn't cause any damage to the opponent, it can still prove to everyone that he is a top-notch assassin.

However, just as Hrud had circled half the ring and positioned himself in the perfect offensive line he had envisioned,

The still figure moved.

Cohen didn't even look in any direction. He simply raised his left hand slightly, without casting any spells, incantations, or even a trace of energy fluctuation.

Point your index finger lightly and casually to the right front of your body.

This finger strike seems to be completely random, but it is precisely at the moment the fingertip touches the void that it is executed.

"Well--!"

A muffled groan, distorted with pain, exploded suddenly from the empty void, as if struck head-on by an invisible giant hammer!
Click!
The sharp, teeth-grinding sound of bones cracking reached the ears of everyone present.

Immediately afterwards, the seemingly empty space distorted.

Hrud's figure appeared suddenly in an extremely unnatural posture, as if forcibly torn from the canvas.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

Everyone could see that Hrud had a horrific, bowl-sized, through-and-through wound on his left shoulder.

boom! ! !
A heavy, muffled thud.

Once revealed, Hrud couldn't even maintain his standing posture. With an incredulous and horrified expression, he collapsed onto the cold stone surface ten meters away from Cohen!
His eyes were unfocused, and his face was filled with incomprehension and disbelief.

This single finger strike not only pierced his body, but also reduced his dignity, skills, and strong self-confidence as a top assassin to dust.

The Imperial Arena fell into a brief, suffocating silence, before erupting into an even more terrifying uproar than before.

"It's...it's over again?"

"Hrud?"

This is a top-tier assassin trained by the Kingdom of Taren, capable of assassinating even a Gold-ranked being!
I didn't even see how he appeared before he was instantly killed?

"He pointed!"
He just pointed at it with his index finger?
Could this be a fixed match?

"Oh My God!

At least Garth activated Bloodlust, but Hrud was instantly killed before he even had a chance to attack?!

This...this is completely from a different dimension!

In one section of the spectator area, the officials of the Kingdom of Taren's delegation looked extremely grim.

Their elite fighters, considered the top assassins with the greatest hope, didn't even last a second on stage before being ejected from the ring like trash, their fates unknown.

Even though they had considered that there was a significant gap between Hrud and Cohen, they still found it hard to accept that he was instantly defeated without even exchanging a single blow.

This is the top-tier Silver-rank assassin in the country. He definitely has the strength to enter the top ten in the Silver Group of this Noble Martial Arts Festival.

How could we have suffered such a crushing defeat?
The way they looked at Cohen was filled not only with fear, but also with a profound sense of powerlessness and awe.

This is no longer at the level of a contestant; this is a blatant case of being outclassed.

Observers from other factions felt an even more chilling sensation wash over them.

They were well aware of Hrud's strength; as a top assassin trained by the Kingdom of Taren, his stealth abilities were by no means undeserved.

Indeed, most viewers couldn't make out Hrud's figure.

Yet, even with such top-notch stealth, it was like child's play in front of Cohen, easily defeated with a single finger.

The Kingdom's Noble Martial Arts Festival has a long history, producing many strong fighters, and overwhelming victories are not uncommon.

The princes and nobles of the five great empires, the outstanding students of the Holy Radiance Academy, and the inheritors of ancient secret families have all staged scenes of overwhelming destruction.

But that is often a difference in skill level, or the instantaneous power unleashed by secret techniques or skills.

A battle always has a process; the weak may only be able to withstand a few blows, but at least they struggled.

But someone like Cohen Corleone—

In the first match, he crushed Gars, the "Shield Warrior" who had activated his orc royal bloodline and whose defense was strong enough to withstand attacks from the Gold rank, as easily as crushing a beetle.

The second match was even more outrageous. With a flick of his finger, he completely disregarded the top-tier stealth ability that made the Silver-ranked assassin Hrud famous, instantly piercing through him and ejecting him from the arena.

Two games in a row!
Two top-tier Silver-rank geniuses from different countries, representing different paths—one the pinnacle of defense and the other the pinnacle of stealth and assassination—are both genuine peak Silver-rank geniuses, and have already touched the threshold of Gold.

The results of it?
One move, just one move, no follow-up, not even a proper confrontation occurred.

If it weren't for the blindingly bright monitoring stones placed on both sides of the arena, the magical fluctuations and mental scales would clearly indicate Cohen's extraordinary level.

They all thought Cohen was already at the Gold rank.

Both Garth and Hrud are beings capable of shaking the early stages of the Gold rank. Even if they were to fight a true Gold rank opponent, they would never end up so helplessly.

If we consider King Cohen Corleone's previous achievements—commanding an elite orc legion, defeating the combined forces of two great empires, possessing divine and demonic equipment, and maintaining good relations with top organizations and forces such as the Pale Wings of Cobalt Soul Academy, the Church of Light, and the Church of Prophecy—we can see that...

When these messages circulated in mainland China, they brought astonishment that overturned people's understanding, concern about the dramatic changes in the mainland's political landscape, and fear of the methods and tactics employed.

So today, on the arena of the Noble Martial Arts Festival, when he easily defeated two peak Silver Seed players who were capable of shaking the Gold rank with his pure personal combat strength.

A deep sense of fear rose in everyone's hearts.

Most importantly, to this day, no one has been able to ascertain his true combat strength.

Is the combat power he's shown now his ceiling, or is it just a simple warm-up?

With such formidable combat power at the Silver rank, coupled with the youngest legendary queen on the continent, it's hard to believe what heights Effie will reach in the future.

Joren Wertheimer, Kazimir August, Kinlunga Cox, and several other players who were considered contenders for the "best Silver" rank all sat up straight.

"A formidable rival!"

"An absolute formidable rival!"

The same thought was churning in the minds of the three of them.

……

The competition continues, and Cohen's next eight games will be much easier.

Because Cohen's methods of dealing with his opponents in the first two games were too brutal and merciless.

To prevent being thrown out of the ring without dignity like Garth and Hrud, the next eight opponents conceded defeat before the match even began.

Throughout the group stage, Cohen essentially won both of his two matches and advanced to the next round.

This is absolutely unprecedented in the history of the Noble Martial Arts Festival.

Six others also achieved a perfect record, just like Cohen: Joren Wertheimer, the "Arcane Knight" of the Central Empire; Kazimir August, the "War Priest"; and Kinlunga Cox, the "Frost Warrior" of the Northern Empire.

Hayden Costa, the "Trickster" of the Southern Empire.

Mills Knight, the "Dragon Knight" of the Eastern Empire.

Besides the five people from the five great empires mentioned above, the undefeated qualification of one other person caused everyone to be astonished.

It was none other than the Red Dragon Duchess of Effie, the "Dragon Warrior" Asuna Iliad.

It's Effie again!
While most people were somewhat prepared for Cohen's formidable strength, Asuna's ability to advance with a perfect record was something they never expected.

The opponent didn't even use the contracted dragon on their body during the group stage; they achieved a complete victory simply by relying on their exquisite martial arts skills and accompanying dragon-type magic.

Similar to the Bronze Group, after a month-long round-robin group stage, a total of fifty players from the Silver Group advanced to the knockout stage.

The knockout stage has officially begun.

If the Noble House had previously tried to manipulate the knockout stage to eliminate Cohen earlier...

Now they have completely given up on that idea, and some people from the Empire have even secretly sent messages to the House of Nobles, hoping that they will not meet Cohen in the knockout stage so early.

To avoid being eliminated early.

The elimination process for the Silver Group is the same as that for the Bronze Group, consisting of six rounds, with one player receiving a bye in each of the second to fourth rounds.

With the draw concluded, the match schedule for the first round of the Silver Group knockout stage was displayed on the "Mirror of the Sky".

Cohen looked at his own name; his opponent came from an unknown small principality.

Aside from the five great empires, several kingdoms, and Effie, this small principality was the only contestant to make it into the Silver Group elimination round.

Unfortunately, without any powerful backers, he was placed in Cohen's group in the first round.

However, Asuna's opponent is quite intriguing; he is a "freestyle monk" from the Eastern Empire.

This monk from the "Sanshou" school only lost one match in the group stage, and that loss was to Jinlunga, who is widely recognized as the strongest fighter.

Their strength is also very formidable.

The significance behind the Central Empire's House of Nobles assigning Asuna this opponent is self-evident.

If you can't get rid of Cohen, then get rid of his lover first!
As the bell rang, the competition officially began.

In the knockout stage, most of the battles are between representatives of the Empire and the Kingdom, and the strength is very close, so there are very few situations where one side can crush the other.

Of course, there are a few exceptions.

For example, Joren Wertheimer, the "Arcane Knight" of the Central Empire, and Casimir August, the "War Priest".

Kinlunga Cox, the "Frost Warrior" of the Northern Empire.

Hayden Costa, the "Trickster" of the Southern Empire.

Mills Knight, the "Dragon Knight" of the Eastern Empire.

The matches between these seeded players were basically one-sided, with them easily defeating their opponents.

Soon, as the names scrolled on the screen, it was Asuna's turn to appear.

The player who made a big splash in the Bronze Group will face off against the Eastern Empire, a team that has always been at odds with Effie.

The duel between the two sides was naturally regarded as the highlight of the first round of elimination matches.

Whether it's Asuna's extraordinary profession as a "Dragon Warrior" or her glorious record of winning every match, it's enough to attract a lot of attention.

The first to step into the arena was Mulan Far, a "Sanda Monk" from the Eastern Empire.

Unlike most superhumans who use magic, the energy that "monks" rely on for survival is called "qi".

It is also known as the magic of air.

This "magic of air" permeates the multiverse and flows within every living being.

Monks create various magical effects and enhance their physical functions by manipulating the ki within their bodies.

With each accumulation of training, one gains more refined martial arts skills and more precise luck techniques, thus acquiring immense power.

There are three main sects of martial monks in mainland China: Sanda Sect, Shadow Sect, and Four Symbols Sect.

Of course, there are other schools of thought, such as the Eternal Death faction, which Ryder Gallo, one of Cohen's subordinates in the Lost Lands, works for.

The "Sanshou Monk" school of martial arts that Mulan works for originated from an ancient temple in a remote and dangerous mountainous area of ​​the Eastern Empire.

Adhering to the supreme ideal of "using one's own body as a weapon to temper one's mind".

They believe that abandoning reliance on complex weapons and armor, and instead honing one's bones, muscles, blood, and even will to the extreme, is the purest path to extraordinary power.

The martial monks of the Sanda school have three extraordinary characteristics: "steel body", "blood circulation", and "breaking through qi and acupoints".

Body of Steel: Practitioners of the Sanda school temper their bodies through special breathing techniques, medicinal baths, and striking hard objects, making them far stronger than ordinary people.

For example, Mulan, although he is currently a Silver-tier transcendent, like Cohen, has already advanced to the "Golden Body" through acquired training and professional talent.

Qi and Blood Transport is a defensive and healing skill. Striker Monks possess powerful Qi and Blood Transport abilities, enabling them to quickly recover stamina, heal minor injuries, and resist toxins and paralysis effects during combat.

Finally, there's the powerful attack skill: Piercing Qi and Penetrating Acupoints.

The attacks of the Sanda monks not only damage the surface, but also penetrate the enemy's body with their energy, damaging the internal organs and meridians. Their attack methods are tricky and ruthless.

He can be described as a top master of close combat.

The Central Imperial Noble Council's arrangement of this opponent for Asuna can be described as meticulously planned.

Judging from the previous group stage matches, Asuna's main fighting style is still close-range combat. Facing a fighting master with a golden body like her, she has a high chance of losing.

Indeed, this was the case; regarding the outcome of the match, the VIPs were more inclined to favor the local martial monk from the Eastern Empire.

Mulan was tall and imposing, standing like an iron tower.

He was simply wrapped in a coarse cloth robe that had been starched until it was slightly faded, revealing his strong limbs.

His bronze-colored muscles were gnarled and twisted like the roots of an old tree, each one seemingly having undergone countless hammerings and grindings.

His hands, with their thick knuckles, hung at his sides, encased in heavy spiked gauntlets.

His bald head gleamed, and his face resembled a stone Buddha in an ancient temple—resolute and composed. Just by standing there, an aura as heavy as a mountain emanated from him.

As Asuna slowly stepped into the arena, the entire arena seemed to light up for a moment.

Her chestnut hair, which flowed like a waterfall of tassels, was not tied up high like that of an ordinary samurai, but was instead held back on both sides by a thin, reddish-gold hairband that hung down to her waist.

Her face was exquisitely beautiful, with a high and elegant nose, slightly pursed red lips, and a slender, long rapier hanging at her waist. Her steps were steady and light, and her beauty was breathtaking.

His gaze calmly fell upon the bald monk opposite him, who was as serene as a mountain.

On one side is a heavily burdened ascetic, and on the other is a stunningly beautiful martial goddess burning like a raging fire.

With a hum, the game bell rang.

In an instant, two completely different auras exploded out.

boom!
Mulan made the first move, without any probing or feints.

He let out a low growl, like a dormant volcano suddenly erupting.

His thick legs, bulging with muscles, unleashed a terrifying speed far exceeding his heavy frame.

He transformed into a charging war fortress, his right fist piercing the air with a shrill whistling sound as it struck his opponent.

The sharp spikes on the fist spun and tore through the scorching air, the punch was incredibly fierce and powerful.

This is the essence of Sanda's "aggressive and overwhelming" style, aiming to completely crush this seemingly weak figure in front of him.

A fierce glint flashed in Asuna's eyes, and she drew her rapier with her right hand.

Clang—Buzz!

A precise and swift thrust, like a crimson lightning bolt, aimed directly at Mulan.

It wasn't a block, it pierced straight through.
The sword tip does not thrust in a straight line, but rather cuts in along the vortex of Mulan's boxing style.

puff!

A very faint sound of something piercing through the air pierced the howling wind of the punch.

Mulan's forward punch suddenly froze, a point of crimson-gold light piercing through the very center of the hard metal fist.

The fists in his hands, forged from special high-quality steel and engraved with shock-absorbing runes, were pierced through as if they were made of paper.

The sword tip pierced precisely through the gaps between the fingers and the fist, and blood exploded instantly with a loud bang as the energy was pierced.

The excruciating pain, like an electric current, instantly spread from Mulan's thick arm to all the nerves in his body.

The massive body charging forward seemed to have crashed into an invisible wall, all the violent energy pinned to the spot by this precise sword strike.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

Mulan's imposing figure stood frozen in place, just a step away from Asuna.

That iron fist, powerful enough to shake a hill, was now firmly pierced by a slender, ornate longsword, rendering it immobile.

Mulan was shocked. The opponent's sword had actually pierced through his golden body. The huge impact made him lose his senses for a moment.

In that one second of distraction, Asuna vanished from her spot.

Mulan shuddered, and then Asuna appeared to his right rear, where he could no longer exert force.

Soaring into the air, spinning.

That long, powerful right leg slammed into Mulan's arm.

Click!

The clear sound of bones cracking echoed throughout the entire venue.

Mulan's burly, rugged body was struck as if by the tail of a real dragon; before he could even scream, he was tumbling and flying backward! (End of Chapter)