Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Torg's voice grew softer and softer, carrying a strange awkwardness:

"Even the top brass of the intelligence agency seriously discussed whether to cater to his preferences, train a few beauties, and try to send them into the Effie Palace to get close to His Majesty."

However... the plan was ultimately shelved.

It may sound ridiculous, but it's true—

There are very few women on the mainland who can rival His Majesty Corleone's queens and princesses.

"Even the few remaining famous beauties, like the Elf Queen and the Mermaid Chieftain, are beyond the reach of the intelligence agency..."

No matter how powerful the intelligence agency is, it's impossible for them to plant the Elf Queen or the Mermaid Chieftain as their agents in Cohen's harem.

The moment Torg finished speaking.

Princess Grace Tang, who had been sitting quietly to the side and behind, like a perfect backdrop, had a dangerous glint in her eyes, filled with intense mockery.

Cohen felt his inner waist and abdomen being pinched hard with perfect precision by a slender finger that exuded amazing elasticity and warmth even through his clothes!
He endured the pain, suppressed his emotions, and said nonchalantly:
"I see. It seems I need to change my policy toward Effie from now on."

Thorger wondered what the other party meant by saying that. Did they want to work with Effie again?

It's not impossible, but it's ridiculous to expect the devil to have any credibility or stance.

Furthermore, the other party's fiancée was once a close friend of Princess Isabella of Effie, which provided a basis for their cooperation.

Torg suppressed these chaotic thoughts in his mind and stopped investigating them.

He had achieved his goal for the day; he had exposed enough and the rewards were tempting enough. He quickly composed himself and had a brief but pragmatic exchange with Cohen on specific details such as potential future technical support, intelligence sharing (mainly regarding Prince Shazo), and the framework for cooperation on the ghost ship.

Of course, all of this is limited to verbal, unspoken promises.

Whether it was the secret collaboration between Cohen and Torg, the deep connection between Torg and the Noble House Intelligence Agency, or even the forbidden creation like the Ghost Ship... none of these could possibly leave a trace on paper.

Ultimately, this meeting, filled with shock, intimidation, intelligence exchange, and unexpected awkwardness, came to a close in an eerie atmosphere.

"Mr. Ya'en, Her Highness the Princess..."

Thorger Chambers gave another standard military salute. Although his back remained straight, the sharpness that belonged to the Imperial Governor between his brows had been replaced by a hint of relief.

"Looking forward to our future cooperation!"

Torg turned and left the reception room with his usual steady steps.

The heavy oak door closed silently behind him.

Just as the door closed—

hum!
An invisible force field, carrying a sweet and alluring aura, instantly filled the entire reception room like a pink veil.

The flames in the fireplace seemed to be tinged with an ambiguous peach-pink halo.

Grace Tang, sitting upright in the side seat, had her aloof, noble, and unapproachable majesty as the eldest princess of the Eastern Region Empire rapidly melting away like ice and snow under the sun!
Instead, there is a deep-seated allure and seduction that seems to awaken the primal desires of all things.

Her red lips curved into a languid yet dangerous smile, enough to make even saints fall for her, exuding a deadly allure.

Grace stretched lazily, the elegant movement showcasing her perfect body curves.

Turning to the side, a fair and jade-like hand gently rested on Cohen's waist, which had just been twisted, like a nimble snake.

Grace's voice, with its seductive and teasing tone, whispered in Cohen's ear:

"My dearest Your Majesty Corleone, in addition to being known as 'unfathomable' and 'possessing incredible combat prowess,' you have also acquired an extra reputation on the continent: the romantic title of 'collecting beauties of the continent.'"

I wonder what your queen will think when she finds out about this?

Cohen forced himself to remain calm, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, and subtly moved an inch away from that demonic claw:
"Clearly, this is a clumsy slander by the Noble House Intelligence Agency..."

Grace traced circles on the other person's waist and abdomen with her fingertips, her breath sweet as orchids:
"I feel like these are all true."

Then, suddenly, she pinched the soft flesh with force. Cohen gasped and grabbed her flailing wrist.

"Woman, you are playing with fire."

Grace raised an eyebrow:

"You dare?"

Cohen suddenly grabbed Grace by the waist and pushed her onto the sofa. A look of panic flashed across Grace's face.

"Hey, don't mess around, I was just kidding."

Cohen lifted Grace's chin, his eyes becoming much deeper:

"I'm not kidding you..."

"do not move……"

……

……

……

She took two steps back. At this moment, she had long lost the composure that belonged to the imperial princess, and was only a flustered girl who felt offended and seen through.
"What are you doing? I can't play with you a second time. Go find that elf."

Cohen chuckled softly, his tone softening slightly:

"It was just a simple hug, don't overreact..."

……

In the Imperial Arena, after a fierce group stage, sixteen extraordinary individuals who emerged from various countries across the continent finally gathered together and stepped onto the next step towards the highest glory of the Gold Group.

The roar of the arena subsided at this moment, and sixteen enormous floating magic arenas lit up like stars, surrounding the golden scepter that symbolized the highest honor of the Gold Division of the Noble Martial Arts Festival.

The "Strongest Bronze" is a bronze trophy.

"Strongest Silver" is a crown of silver.

The "Strongest Gold" is a golden scepter.

The clamor in the stands subsided into a deep, resonant tide, with countless eyes focused on the screen displaying the names of the opposing teams.

The list of the top 16 is itself a mirror reflecting the current political landscape on the mainland.

As expected, the five great empires demonstrated their profound strength, and having secured ten spots, they should have been the undisputed protagonists.

Of course, this is all on the premise that Effie, the dark horse who took up four spots, didn't exist.

Besides these fourteen people, the remaining two are Kallian, the "Hand of All Laws" from the Kingdom of Ceylon, and Marsos, the "Dark Thunder" from the Kingdom of Windbreak.

According to the competition rules, the upcoming elimination rounds will be brutal and direct:
The eight group winners will be randomly drawn against the eight group runners-up to determine the top eight. The winners will then face off in pairs until a single champion is crowned.

Each lot signifies a different fate.

In the center of the training ground, the enormous dome-shaped light screen attracted everyone's attention.

Golden magic flowed across the curtain, and the entire arena fell silent instantly.

Every pair of eyes was fixed on the screen of light—contestants, nobles, commoners, envoys from various countries… The air seemed to freeze, and time seemed to slow down.

at last!

The golden light on the screen suddenly converged, bursting forth with dazzling brilliance. Several lines of names, shimmering with magical light, were prominently displayed on it, clearly indicating the brutal first round of the elimination tournament.

Cohen's main focus was on Effie's rivals.

His opponent this time was none other than Selene Winterburg, a ninth-tier "Chaos Warlock" from the Northern Empire, whom Melantha had defeated once in the group stage.

Isabella and Windsordler each drew formidable opponents, both from the five great empires.

Opposite Isabella stood Reinhardt, the "Holy Warrior" of the Western Empire, whom Cohen had personally defeated in the group stage.

This warrior, who believes in the "oath of revenge," may have lost to Cohen, but his ability to advance from the group stage is beyond doubt.

Windsordler's opponent is also a "Forest Whisperer" from one of the five great empires, proficient in nature magic, rumored to be able to communicate with ancient trees, and equally powerful.

Melantha's opponent is Kallian, the "Hand of All Laws" from the Kingdom of Ceylon.

After the groups were determined, the eight matches took place simultaneously in several giant, independent barrier arenas.

Magical radiance rose and fell, and the rumble of energy faintly emanated through the barrier, captivating the attention of all the spectators.

Overall, apart from the match involving Effie, the results of most other matches were as expected.

Those seeded players who were widely favored before the start of the competition and symbolized the highest level of the younger generation of the five empires all declared their dominance with a powerful presence: "King of the Devious Assassins" Gabriel Dela, his battle was like a ghostly dance, and his opponents often fell before they could even see his true form. His spatial assassination technique was impossible to defend against.

"First Prince" Xia Zuo Tang is a dragon vein sorcerer who inherited the bloodline of the golden dragon. His powerful attack leaves his opponents with no chance to fight back.

"Ocean Catastrophe" Greg Yarvis summons roaring waves and giant phantom ocean monsters, transforming the entire arena into a raging, turbulent sea, where his opponents are powerless, as if drowning.

Ash Lancelot, the "Holy Lance," is a sacred spear formed from pure and unparalleled light and power. It possesses an absolute sharpness that can penetrate any defense, cleanly and decisively ending battles.

These names, like stars hanging high in the sky, easily made it into the top eight.

However, what truly shocked the entire continent was the dazzling performance of the four contestants from Effie!
Four people! Four people from the same country! They all defeated their opponents and advanced to the quarterfinals!

Whether facing the five dominant empires or established top seeds from other countries like Kallian, none of them could become a stumbling block on their path.

This record-breaking feat instantly made Effie shine brighter than all the other players on the field.

Isabella and Windsordler, needless to say, already possess profound foundations and strength.

Although their opponents were from the five great empires, it was not a problem for the Golden-Winged Daughter and the future Elf Queen.

As for Melantha, who was unbelievably beautiful, she revealed her terrifying side.

The most breathtaking battle was between Melantha and "Hand of All Laws" Kallian.

Although Kallian was born into a kingdom, he was by no means weak. His brilliant record of defeating powerful imperial opponents in the group stage was enough to prove his strength.

Yet even such a person couldn't last a single minute against Melantha.

However, after this battle, everyone finally saw through Melantha's true nature.

She is a Sequencer who ascended to the extraordinary level by taking a magic potion!
Its level has even reached the terrifying half-legendary rank.

After a brief moment of shock, people suddenly realized what was going on.

The legend of King Efein leading his team deep into the "Lost Lands" is well-known. He established some kind of cooperation with the "Mysterious Continent" that resides there and the cursed witches who are the inheritors of forbidden knowledge behind it.

The "Endless Alliance" he established was able to develop rapidly precisely because of the mysterious continent.

No wonder Melantha is so powerful, because among superhumans of the same level, those who follow the Sequence are naturally stronger than ordinary superhumans.

The power of the Sequencers is a shortcut obtained at the cost of their lives!
The crowd wasn't surprised by Melantha's strength, but rather shocked that she could reach the level of a half-legend at such a young age.

As is well known, although Sequencers do not encounter any bottlenecks in advancing through taking potions, each time they take a potion, it is a serious challenge to their lives.

Every time you take a potion to advance in rank, it's a gamble! At best, you'll lose control and go mad; at worst, you'll perish.

It can be said that each advancement was a test of life and death.

So young, yet she has already reached the realm of half a legend... How many times has she faced death on her path to becoming a magic potion? What inhuman suffering has she endured?
When the other three members of Effie, each with their own unique background—the powerful backing of the Golden Winged Daughter, the ancient heritage of the Elf Princess, and Melantha's terrifying strength as a half-step legendary sequencer—forced their way into the top eight, the audience, though gasping in surprise, could always find a reason to explain it:

Heritage, talent, secret arts, or the well-known "Mysterious Continent" background.

However, when it was Cohen's turn to play, everyone's understanding was overturned.

He defeated Selene Winterburg, a seeded player from the Northern Empire, a ninth-tier "Chaos Warlock" known as "Frosty Will".

He defeated his ninth-tier transcendent opponent once again and advanced to the quarterfinals!
"Chaos Warlock" is a variant of warlock, a natural spellcaster.

Selene Winterburg, a ninth-tier seed player from the frigid Northern Empire, is synonymous with mystery and unpredictability.

This rare branch of spellcasters represents the very boundary of mortals' understanding of magic.

The power of a Chaos Warlock does not stem from painstakingly researched arcane formulas, nor from supplications to the elemental realms.

They are the "chosen ones," outcasts who have ventured into the opposite of order—those extremely chaotic planes, such as the Chaos Sea or certain violent elemental planes—and survived.

Their magic is essentially "chaos," which is both complementary to and counteracts the stable order at the beginning of creation.

When Selene was still a mortal girl, she was caught up in a spatial turbulence and accidentally stepped into the most violent and chaotic core area of ​​the ice elemental plane.

In fact, the so-called twist of fate was actually arranged by someone... by God.

The ice element and the goddess of ice and snow, Daphne Ice, was laying out her plans on the human continent at that time. The first country she chose was the Northern Empire, whose attributes were extremely compatible with her own.

Therefore, many contingency plans were left for the Northern Empire, and Selene was one of them.

However, Daphne later found a more suitable Yadel in the Northwest Continent, and thus abandoned these backup plans.

Although Daphne no longer pays attention to this pawn she casually placed, Selene's power after successfully becoming a "Chaos Warlock" is undeniable.

The terror of "Chaos Warlocks" stems from their core talent, born from being altered by the power of planes:
A wild surge of magic.

This powerful spellcasting talent makes her spellcasting form, range, and side effects highly random—

A targeted frost ray might suddenly transform into an indiscriminate frost nova with a radius of ten meters, or summon out-of-control ice elementals; a regular fireball could become a lava tsunami that burns down city walls; a chain lightning could turn into a thunderstorm grid that covers the entire square.

The enemy cannot be dealt with using standard magic defense or countermeasures.

This "uncertainty" itself is a form of defense and psychological deterrence.

Moreover, its energy level and conversion efficiency far exceed those of ordinary arcane or elemental magic.

She doesn't need complicated spells or mediums; she can unleash a storm simply by thinking about it.

When in chaotic environments such as battlefields, alternate dimensions, or the center of magical storms, her recovery speed and potential far exceed those of spellcasters of the same rank.

This ninth-tier Chaos Warlock, who was widely recognized as extremely troublesome, incredibly destructive, and with an unsolvable defense, was defeated by Cohen, a mere seventh-tier Warlock.

And it was a crushing defeat!
The battle was so fast it was dazzling, and so absurd it was suffocating.

Selene was clearly not careless.

At the start of the battle, she unleashed the most powerful and wildest wave of magic.

A spell that should have been an "Extreme Cold Ray" twisted and expanded the moment she raised her hand, transforming into an "Extreme Cold Storm" mixed with violent ice spikes and chaotic freezing air currents.

Like a runaway frost behemoth, it roared and pounced on Cohen.

Wherever it passed, even the barrier walls formed layers upon layers of strangely shaped ice crystals, which was already at the peak of the ninth rank!

Anyone who has witnessed Selene's fighting knows that this kind of attack is unavoidable and impossible to defend against!

However, something incredible happened:

The wild, icy storm, powerful enough to freeze souls and tear through steel armor, melted away the instant it struck Cohen's body.

No matter what level of spell Selene casts next, it won't cause any real damage to Cohen.

Selene's prized ice magic had absolutely no effect on Cohen.

The battle ended incredibly quickly, and incredibly strangely.

The previous defeat to Melantha was understandable, as Melantha was a half-step legend with a high level and was also a Sequencer.

Why was it that even a seventh-tier player like Ke Koen was able to defeat Selene so easily?

Cohen himself didn't expect to defeat Selene so quickly.

He had experienced firsthand the power and difficulty of dealing with the "Chaos Warlock" in his previous life.

Finally, he came to a more reasonable explanation: it was because of Adel that his resistance to ice magic had increased.

He spends all day engaging in deep conversations with a transcendent being possessing an ice-attribute divine nature, spending his days and nights together, their skin touching, their souls intertwined.

It had already imbued Cohen's body and even soul with a trace of pure, ice-type divine law aura.

Selene's frost magic naturally didn't have much effect.

This was truly thanks to the Queen's sister's help.

With the first round of the knockout stage concluded, the top eight teams in the Gold Group have been officially determined.

Half of the eight quarterfinalists come from the same country, which is unprecedented in history.

However, given that Cohen is the only truly native superhuman, everyone could only marvel at King Effie's incredible luck with women and accept this fact.

With Cohen's victory, unsurprisingly, "Golden Eye" once again reaped a huge fortune.

However, what makes these behind-the-scenes manipulators a little scared is that, judging from Cohen's posture, it seems that he really might get the "strongest gold"!
If that's the case... they still remember that three people bet on the last option, and each of them got the highest payout.

Now they can only hope that Prince Shazo and Crown Prince Greg, who are the most popular choices, can stop Cohen from winning the championship! (End of Chapter)