Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

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Time seems to be stretched infinitely.

The space is like solidified crystal.

Even the eternally burning sea of ​​holy flames in the Plane of Light instantly calmed all its waves.

In absolute silence and supreme purity, it is like the first moment when dawn pierces the darkness.

Just as the first ray of light at the beginning of creation took shape, a figure sat silently on the throne at the end of the palace, symbolizing the ultimate authority of the plane of light.

As the undisputed first goddess of the divine realm, the face of Aetheril Dawn, the goddess of light, cannot be simply described as "beautiful" in the mortal sense; it is a perfection and holiness that transcends all limits of art and imagination.

Her very existence is the ultimate interpretation of the words "perfection" and "holiness," a divine embodiment that transcends all artistic fantasies and mythological imaginations.

When Aetherial Dawn ignited the divine fire, raised her throne, and wove the sacred laws of the plane of light, her divine role was not limited to "light."

There's also "beauty" and "love".

Later, for some reason, Aetherel voluntarily stripped away and sealed the two divine duties of "beauty" and "love".

After the goddess descended, three seraphim stood beneath the throne: Michael, the "Right Hand of God" who wielded the sacred fire and the heavenly legions; Gabriel, the "Messenger of God" who conveyed divine pronouncements and protected the breath of life; and Raguel, the person in question.

The three deities simultaneously folded their wings of holy flame behind them in the most humble manner and bowed deeply toward the throne.

Aetherel's gaze swept indifferently over Raguel, and he said calmly:

"During the Noble Martial Arts Festival, the gods are forbidden to interfere in the affairs of the continent. Do you intend to violate the covenant?"

Raguel dared not conceal anything, much less embellish anything before the all-seeing gaze of the goddess.

He maintained his bowed posture, presenting the ins and outs of the matter to the goddess in the most concise and objective way:

"...Theoretically, no one in the prime plane can devour even a sliver of my divine will, unless that power comes from..."

Raguel cautiously raised his eyes and glanced briefly at the flawless yet frozen figure on the throne.

Aetherial Dawn's face remained serene, the aura around her flowing with an eternal rhythm, as if listening to a trivial matter unrelated to herself.

However, Raguel knew that what he was about to say would touch upon a forbidden area that was sealed in the deepest part of the plane of light, a taboo that even they, the seraphim, dared not speak of.

He took a deep breath that wasn't there, lowered his voice even further, and uttered those four words:
"The Shadow Dimension!"

Om-! ! !
The moment those four syllables fell.

The gentle and eternal light flowing throughout the entire Temple of Light suddenly and violently distorted without warning.

It was like a huge rock being thrown into a calm lake!
On the throne, Aetherial Dawn's perfectly sculpted body trembled almost imperceptibly.

Although things stabilized instantly, this momentary fluctuation was a raging storm for a goddess who wields the essence of light.

What's even more unsettling are her eyes.

Deep within those eyes, which seemed to contain endless light and death, and to forever maintain insight into all things and absolute rationality, a violent, indescribable wave suddenly surged.

It was not anger, not horror, not doubt.

It was an extremely complex emotion, deeply buried by time and divinity, yet forcibly torn apart at this moment.

It seems to contain a trace of unforgettable pain, an indescribable memory, and a regret that has been diluted by time but has never been eliminated.

There was even a slight, forcibly awakened tremor that she herself hadn't noticed.

The emotional fluctuations were so intense, so "human."

Stripped of "beauty" and "love," she is left with only absolute, luminous divinity, creating a stark contrast.

It was as if an inextinguishable flame had suddenly ignited inside a perfect ice sculpture.

Michael, Gabriel, and Raguel, the three seraphim, all bowed their heads.

The burning wings of light behind him unconsciously opened slightly, as if resisting some kind of invisible shock wave.

Dead silence.

Absolute silence enveloped the Temple of Light.

Even the eternally flowing sea of ​​holy flames beneath the temple seemed to hold its breath at this moment.

A bittersweet feeling, mixed with a sense of understanding, arose simultaneously in the hearts of the three seraphim.

here we go again……

How many years has it been since the goddess last showed such intense emotional fluctuations because of that person?
A thousand years? Ten thousand years? Or a hundred thousand years?

Time has long lost its meaning in the realm of gods.

But whenever anything about that person is mentioned, the Goddess of Light still gets caught up in these intense emotions.

After the ripples caused by the "Shadow Plane" in the Temple of Light slowly subsided.

The deathly still air was filled with a heavy, ancient sorrow that even the eternally burning holy flame could not dispel.

Michael, Gabriel, and Raguel, three seraphim who had stood guard for a long time, all had a divine secret, blurred by the passage of time, stirring up within their divine consciousness.

Although Aetherial Dawn was not an ancient god who existed at the beginning of creation.

But she had already amazed the world when she ascended to godhood.

She was once the holder of three top-tier divine positions:
Light: dispels darkness, defines order, and is the source of life.

Beauty: Its appearance is a miracle itself, extraordinary and admired by all things. Its radiance is enough to purify all the filth in the world, symbolizing supreme perfection and inviolable holiness.

Love: an ineffable resonance deep within the soul, drawing millions to it like moths to a flame, like travelers thirsting for a spring. It captivates all beings, causing them to offer up reason, time, and even their lives.

The goddess of light at that time was the hope of warm rebirth, the dazzling sun that made all the gods take notice, and the supreme being that maintained the emotional resonance between divinity and mortals.

All of these changes are closely related to the God of Shadows, who rose like a comet and fell like a meteor.

The name of that god of shadow may have been deliberately faded by time, but his deeds still circulate in countless corners of the multiverse.

He was not born into an ancient pantheon, but rather, in a turbulent era, with a mortal body, he ignited divine fire and ascended to godhood through his astonishing understanding and control of the laws of "shadow."

When he was first deified, he dared to venture into the demon realm alone to assassinate Bachin, one of the seventy-two demon gods.

The first four of the seventy-two demon gods are demon kings, who are the direct embodiment of the demon realm's will and are comparable to the level of a main god.

The fifth to twentieth are the Demon God Grand Dukes, terrifying beings with immense divine power, wielding core authority in the Demon Realm, and possessing devastating power.

The twenty-first to fortieth are Demon God Generals, possessing high-level divine power, commanding the Abyss Legion, and conquering various realms.

The rest are noble young men, with medium, weak, or negligible divine power.

Bachin, ranked eighteenth, is a genuine Grand Duke-level demon god.

It is a terrifying being that wields secret knowledge, deceit, and plague; its divine power is so great that many long-established deities are wary of it.

However, this nascent god of shadow possesses an unparalleled, almost instinctive, terrifying control over the shadow plane.

Like a ghost walking between reality and illusion, it actually broke through Bachin's layers of defense composed of countless demon legions and twisted laws.

The deadly shadow blade was thrust towards the throat of this Abyss Grand Duke.

Although the assassination attempt ultimately failed, the God of Shadow was defeated by Bachin's wrath and the encirclement of countless abyss lords.

Relying on the characteristics of the Shadow Dimension—which ignores spatial barriers and distorts the laws of reality—it forcefully tore apart the spatial barrier of the Demon Realm and escaped unscathed.

This battle cemented the Shadow God's formidable reputation.

As a new god, he proclaimed the unpredictable and powerful nature of the Shadow Force to the entire multiverse.

This also transformed the "Shadow Dimension," once considered a barren and desolate other dimension, into a mysterious realm that countless beings both feared and coveted.

At that time, the relationship between light and shadow, dawn and night, Aetheril and the god of shadow... was the most talked-about yet deeply shrouded legend in the realm of gods.

Rumors say they are rivals who respect each other and are each other's only confidants.

Some even say that the God of Shadows ventured alone into the Demon Realm to assassinate Bachin because the latter murdered the Goddess of Light's parents before she was deified.

However, a strange change occurred later.

No one knows exactly what happened.

It was a momentous event that swept across multiple dimensions and involved the most profound secrets.

The final result was—the God of Shadows... fell.

His divine fire was extinguished, his divine essence shattered, and his divine body dissipated into the endless void.

All that remained was his unique Shadow Plane, deeply bound to his own origin, like a lost kingdom without its master, drifting alone in the cracks of the multiverse.

Along with him, a "King" level demon god also perished – Vasak, the third-ranked of the Seventy-Two Pillar Demon Gods!
This demon god can be considered the most important strategist and advisor in the demon realm. He is knowledgeable about the past and future, as well as all hidden or lost things and knowledge.

Its importance in the Demon Realm is beyond doubt.

When news of the fall of the God of Shadows spread, and when the coordinates of the unclaimed "Shadow Plane," which contained the God of Shadows' lifelong power and secrets, were discovered by some powerful beings using secret methods.

Greedy gazes, like sharks smelling blood, were cast from every corner of the multiverse.

Several powerful deities, including some evil gods tainted by the abyss, intend to join forces to break the barrier of the Shadow Dimension.

To claim it as their own and seize the secrets left behind by the god of shadow.

Just as they were gathering their strength, preparing to launch an attack on that plane that had lost its master's protection—

A pure white light, whose fury and power were beyond description, descended with a thunderous roar, like a divine spear of punishment that had traversed an endless sea of ​​stars!
The Goddess of Light, Aetheril Dawn, has personally taken action! Several powerful deities who had joined forces to covet the Shadow Plane were no match for Aetheril's divine might, which was unleashing endless grief, rage, and chilling killing intent.

His divine status was nearly shattered, and his divine kingdom collapsed.

After this battle, the entire multiverse understood—the Shadow Plane is an absolute forbidden zone for the Goddess of Light, Aetheril Dawn.

It is the only untouchable taboo in the heart of that goddess who has been stripped of love and affection, leaving only cold light and order.

From then on, no one dared to covet the Shadow Plane again.

After a moment of suppressed silence, Aetherel's expression returned to calm, and she asked:
"The one who can devour your fragments of will may also be one of Erebus's people."

Raguel responded cautiously:
"The incident occurred at the arena of the Noble Martial Arts Festival, where the Archbishop of the Holy See was also present."

If it was someone from the God of Darkness who made the move, the Holy See wouldn't have failed to report it.

Aether fell silent again.

Her gaze seemed to pierce through the crystal dome of the temple, through the dimensional barrier, and land on the mortal named Cohen Corleone in the Prime Material Plane.

Her fingertips lightly traced the runes on the armrest of the throne, which were flowing with liquid holy light.

This movement was so subtle that it was almost imperceptible, yet it caused the divine cores of the three seraphim below to simultaneously shudder slightly.

They were all too familiar with this gesture—it was the gesture of a goddess when she was intently deducing the trajectory of fate.

At the same time, the eternally burning sea of ​​holy flames beneath the temple began to boil.

Immediately afterwards, above the boiling holy flames, space distorted violently, like the surface of water tossed with a stone.

Countless pure laws of light spontaneously converged and intertwined, projecting a picture into the void.

The scene unfolds like rapidly turning pages of an epic book, instantly sweeping across the magnificent landscapes and grand cities of the Demon Tide Continent, finally locking onto the heart of the continent, the capital of the Central Empire—Kuntandin!

Focus on the aristocratic martial arts festival arena, where the excitement of the crowd and the surging energy have not yet completely subsided!
In the footage, Cohen Corleone's figure is gradually becoming clearer...

However, just as the image was about to completely freeze—

Swish——!!!
A cold, icy blue light, as if piercing from the endless void, suddenly and fiercely penetrated the light and shadow image that was about to take shape.

For the first time, a deep rage clearly surfaced on Aetherial Dawn's flawless face:

Daphne!

"Who gave you the audacity to trespass into my luminous plane!"

The radiance of the entire Temple of Light suddenly became blinding, like billions of invisible swords of light being drawn from their sheaths.

Below, the boiling sea of ​​holy flames surged with towering waves and roared deafeningly.

The response to this overwhelming divine wrath was an even more chilling cold.

rustling-

Countless crystal-clear and beautiful snowflakes ignored the laws and barriers of the Temple of Light, as if they were born out of thin air.

Beneath the dome of the sacred temple, above the churning sea of ​​holy flames, it fluttered down in abundance.

These are no ordinary snowflakes; each six-sided ice crystal contains the primordial cold power that freezes the soul and seals the laws of ice.

Wherever they passed, even the raging waves of holy flame seemed to freeze instantly.

At the heart of this wondrous spectacle of ice and light colliding violently and laws twisting, a figure, like a queen emerging from an ancient icy abyss, quietly materialized.

Ice element and ice goddess, Daphne Ice!

Her appearance was in no way inferior to Aetherial Dawn, but she possessed a completely different aura.

Aetherel is a pure and holy being, stripped of love and affection, embodying only light and order.

Daphne, on the other hand, possesses an innate, deeply ingrained, extreme coldness and aloofness.

The three Seraphim – Michael, Gabriel, and Raguel.

In the instant Daphne's figure solidified completely, they exchanged a fleeting but knowing glance.

Without a word, they retreated silently and in perfect unison, completely relinquishing control of the central battlefield.

The confrontation between two goddesses of god-like status was enough to destabilize the divine status of ordinary deities.

Their presence here would not only be of no help, but could also become a burden to the Goddess of Light.

Daphne Ice's icy blue eyes pierced through the surging flames and drifting ice crystals in the temple, meeting Aetherial's burning gaze without fear.

The voice carried an undeniable air of aloofness:

"Aetheril, as the rotating chairman of the Council of Gods, it is inappropriate for you to openly violate the covenant of the gods and interfere with the noble martial arts festival on the human continent."

Daphne's question precisely hit the most sensitive sore spot in Aetherel's behavior—the rule-maker leading the way in breaking the rules.

This is a serious accusation that could shake Aetheril's leadership position in the Council of Gods!
A chilling smile played on Aetherial's perfect lips.

"Whether it's suitable or not, that's for me to decide!"

Her radiance suddenly subsided, and she slightly raised her slender hand—

boom! ! !
The sea of ​​holy flames below, which had been briefly suppressed, surged and boiled violently once more as if it had been injected with endless fuel.

The towering waves of light and flame, carrying the fury of burning away the void, frantically washed away and evaporated the falling ice crystals and snowflakes.

Her gaze was fixed on Daphne, staring directly into the core secret tightly guarded deep within her soul:
"I originally just wanted to take a look on a whim, but now I'm even more curious about what exactly you've planned on the human continent."

How could you, the Ice Goddess known for your 'eternal solitude', lose your composure like this?
They're even willing to tear off the mask of civility, trespass into my divine realm, and obstruct my divine vision?

As he spoke, divine power surged in his hands, causing the sea of ​​holy flames below to boil once more.

Daphne felt a surge of anger. Three years ago, she and Lothien Hidden, the God of Truth and Memory, helped Cohen and Adel seal the memories of the entire continent for five years.

Although the matter was done discreetly, it could fool ordinary gods, but it could never fool the old woman in front of them who held the power of light, knew all things, and whose position was unfathomable.

Especially when her "gaze" began to focus on Cohen himself.

Daphne was speechless; where did this kid get such a strong attraction?

Why is even Aetherel, who has already voluntarily given up the divine duty of "love," paying so much attention to him?
Just as Aetheril was about to lock onto Cohen again, Daphne once again shattered the illusion of the Holy Flame Sea.

A complex light flashed deep within his icy blue eyes, and his cold, aloof voice unusually carried a hint of negotiation:

“Aetheril, let’s… make a deal.”

The divine power surging around Aetheril did not subside; instead, the blazing white light became even more dazzling.

Her fiery eyes were fixed on Daphne, as if to say: What right do you have to negotiate with me?

Daphne ignored the other person's gaze, which seemed to incinerate her, and said calmly:
Two years!
Within two years, you will no longer pay attention to, interfere with, or spy on the human continent in any form—divine vision, oracle, or projection of divine thoughts.

In exchange, I'll tell you what you most want to know.

The light surrounding Aetheril grew even more intense, and it seemed an inevitable battle was about to erupt. Daphne spoke calmly:
"Your lover may not be completely dead yet."

As soon as she finished speaking, the light emanating from Aetherel froze, and Daphne could feel the overwhelming emotional turmoil emanating from her.

"If you dare joke about something like this, don't blame me for tearing your icy plane apart!"

Daphne's voice regained its calmness, even carrying a rare hint of solemnity:

"I'm not so bored as to use something like this to amuse you."

"I only recently learned about it myself."

She paused slightly, as if weighing whether to reveal her source, before finally saying:
"It was Madora, the 'god of prophecy,' who told me this."

When he was making his plans on the human continent some time ago…

Daphne's gaze seemed to pierce through the dimensional barrier, landing in the direction of the Prime Material Plane, her tone carrying a subtle hint of inquiry:

"Unexpectedly, a trace of extremely faint, yet incredibly pure, aura belonging to the origin of the 'Shadow God' was detected."

This aura, though faint and fleeting, was undeniably real!

Aetherel sneered:
"Nonsense, if he were still alive, he would definitely come looking for me."

As Daphne watched Aetherel's near-out-of-control state, a complex emotion flickered deep within her icy blue eyes—a mixture of pity and bewilderment.

She tilted her head slightly and tentatively said:

"Is it possible that you're not actually that much in someone's heart...?"

A world-burning holy flame, more violent than ever before and containing all of Aetherial's chaotic emotions and rage, instantly traversed space and slammed into Daphne's face.

Daphne was prepared. With a wave of her hand, a wall of ice crystals that seemed to freeze time and space instantly took shape.

*Sizzle—Boom!*
The holy flames collided violently with the ice wall, unleashing a terrifying surge of energy powerful enough to tear apart a sub-plane.

The temple trembled violently, and the Sea of ​​Holy Flames surged into a raging torrent.

Daphne remained motionless amidst the energy storm, only letting out a soft sigh.

The sigh carried a hint of helplessness, and also a sense of knowing it was inevitable. (End of Chapter)