Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

"Go away."

Madora's final three words fell like an iron curtain descending, severing all possibility for the gods to continue arguing or spying on this mysterious king.

Although the gods had doubts, they wanted to ask Madora, the god of prophecy, what exactly he had predicted that would result in such a severe backlash.

Even the realm of gods can cause violent upheavals.

But under that unquestionable three-word divine decree, the gods had no choice but to obey.

Under Madora's pensive gaze, the projections of the gods scattered like startled starlight.

In just a few breaths, this magnificent hall, capable of containing the will of the universe, was completely emptied and fell into a deathly silence.

After the dust settled, Madora's imposing figure remained seated on the main throne.

However, deep within those silver eyes that had seen through countless epochs, a trace of profound weariness and doubt flashed.

He slowly raised his left hand, which had just smoothed out the undercurrents in the space, and inside lay a broken star chart.

The astrolabe was covered with a dense, spiderweb-like network of terrifying cracks, and the central part was shattered into several pieces, barely held together by the remaining divine power.

This was the very medium he had just used when he was trying to deduce the fate of King Cohen Corleone of Effie.

Madora's fingertips brushed against the cold, cracked fragments, her brow furrowed.

That's the problem.

He is a god of the highest order, a supreme being who holds the power of destiny and prophecy.

This being, while personally deducing the past trajectory of a human king as insignificant as dust—King Cohen of Efein.

However, it was forcibly intervened by a mysterious force that was overwhelming and domineering.

This force is brutal and cold, carrying an ancient sense of alienation that does not belong to the current world order.

It was like an invisible giant axe falling from the sky, abruptly severing the carefully constructed chain of fate he had built.

It even reversed the impact along the link, directly shattering the ancient treasure he was using for deduction.

The impact was so strong that it gave him the feeling that it was like a sleeping behemoth being disturbed for no reason and then retaliating angrily.

What Madora fears most is the source of this power!
Its rank has definitely reached the level of a chief god!
That was a terrifying existence comparable to him, Daphne, other veteran elemental rulers, and the four... now three "King" level demon gods of the Demon Realm.

Madora's consciousness rapidly searched through the vast and boundless pantheon of gods and demons:
Existing deities of order?
No!

Known slumbering ancient gods?
There are no matching features!
A chaotic evil god or demon lurking in the shadows of the astral plane?

Even less likely!
The power of these demons and evil gods bears the mark of decay and chaos, like the stench of rotting mud, making them easily identifiable.

But the power just now was completely different; it was ancient yet sharp, unfamiliar yet pure.

It was neither any of his well-known, god-level rivals nor old friends.

Simply put, this is a completely unknown god-level power!
This is what worries Madora the most!
Madora slowly clenched the broken fragment in her hand. Under normal circumstances, Madora would have used the power of fate and time to do everything in her power to find this unknown entity.

But not now.

The divine realm is facing unprecedented and significant challenges as the guardian and arbiter of order.

He bears the heavy responsibility of protecting the divine realm and ensuring the smooth implementation of the covenant of the gods.

Every bit of divine power in his body was extremely precious.

His energy must be focused on maintaining the overall situation and dealing with the sources of those disasters, and not wasted on tracing the past of a human king.

However, considering the unusual announcement made by the Ice Goddess Daphne in the hall—

"Queen Effie is my successor."

And her unusual move of preparing to abandon the Northern Empire and choose Effie in the future.

A sense of unease flashed through Madora's mind again.

Daphne, a woman who was cold and indifferent to everything, like the embodiment of the Ice Age.

Her choice was by no means a whim, especially at this juncture.

This human king must possess something that even she, the Ice Goddess, values ​​highly, and it might even be indispensable for dealing with future disasters!

Madora, facing the empty hall, murmured to himself:
"Since we can't trace back using divine power openly, then... let's start from the prime material plane."

Such a brilliant person would certainly not be unknown in the main plane!

His thoughts, like invisible tentacles, instantly connected the Demon Tide Continent, the Church of Prophecy, and Pope Atkinson!
……

After Daphne's projection in the main council hall disappeared.

On a massive, crystal throne in a frigid plane, gleaming and radiating boundless cold.

The Ice Goddess Daphne slowly opened her eyes. Her expression still carried the indifference of looking down on the mortal world, but a trace of solemnity quietly emerged deep in her eyes.

He let out a soft sigh, his thin lips moving as he lightly tapped the armrest of the throne with his fingertips.

Faced with such a severe and unexpected development, Daphne's once frozen heart inevitably stirred with a hint of restlessness.

To her utter surprise, the most secretive and deeply hidden part of her plan—Adel Angelion—was not detected by those high and mighty gods.

It was his little man who first attracted the attention of the gods.

He won both the "Strongest Silver" and "Strongest Gold" titles at the All Nations Nobles Martial Arts Festival, and defeated a half-step legend at the seventh rank.

Even she, the Frost Sovereign who stood at the pinnacle of divinity and had been proud and aloof for billions of years, couldn't help but feel a little shocked by such a feat.

A seventh-tier warrior defeats a half-step legend?

This is not just unreasonable; it's a blatant violation of the ironclad rule of the extraordinary hierarchy inherent in the multiverse.

Each such battle against a higher level is like tearing a rift in the fate of mortals, forcing the gods to cast their gaze upon it.

"This kid... does have some talent for causing trouble."

A complex thought flashed through Daphne's mind, causing her already icy aura to drop even further:
"No wonder that girl Adel is so hung up on him..."

Daphne sighed softly as she recalled the projection that had appeared in the hall of the Council of Gods.

Her powerful entrance did indeed intimidate most of the gods, preventing them from acting recklessly on the spot.

The problem is that some guys simply won't be intimidated by this superficial intimidation.

Especially those veteran gods who stand at the top of the pyramid and whose strength is almost equal to their own.

Their divine senses, like invisible tentacles, could easily bypass her ice-sealing restrictions.

In a way she couldn't completely stop, it quietly reached out to that fragile mortal kingdom, towards... Cohen and Adele!

This matter was very difficult for Daphne.

No matter how powerful Daphne is, she cannot constantly unfurl a massive ice canopy to completely envelop the entire Kingdom of Efein and isolate it from the prying eyes of all god-level beings.

Especially if the prophet Madora, the god of prophecy, were to take an interest in Cohen.

Daphne's fingers, which were resting on the armrest of the throne, tightened suddenly.

Putting aside his own plans, the fact that he manipulated the memories of all living beings on the Demon Tide Continent three years ago by coercing the God of Truth and Memory, Loshien Hidden, is about to be exposed.

That kid is always getting into trouble!

Daphne was muttering to herself when—

boom--!
An extremely abrupt, domineering, and scorching golden beam of light, like a spear of judgment, brutally tore through the eternal frozen barrier of the icy plane.

It plunged straight into Daphne's magnificent palace, which was made of millennia-old ice.

The coldness on the plane was instantly dispelled by the scorching heat, and the huge ice crystal colonnade and dome began to sizzle and steam in the golden light.

This invasive light was filled with a familiar yet utterly repulsive aura.

Bright, holy, fiery, and inviolable!

Daphne slowly raised her head and looked towards the source of the light—

At the center of the blazing pillar of light, a tall, majestic, and exquisitely beautiful figure, radiating a pure and inviolable brilliance, is gradually taking shape.

Goddess of Light, Aetheril Dawn!
Daphne composed herself, looked at the descending Goddess of Light, and calmly said:

"Aetheril, our agreement hasn't been finalized yet."

Your actions have crossed the line!

Aetherel did not answer immediately, but narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze slowly sweeping over Daphne from head to toe, scrutinizing her for a long time.

This went on for quite some time, until Daphne was beginning to suspect that this Lady of Dawn might have changed her sexual orientation, before Aetherel finally spoke:
"I've heard about the Noble Martial Arts Festival of the Prime Plane."

The king of a small country won two championships, defeating a half-step legend with seventh-tier power, and thus obtaining the strongest gold rank.

Daphne's heart skipped a beat, but her face remained impassive, a chilling sneer curling her icy lips:

"Hasn't the Western Regions Empire always been the stronghold of your Light Gods?"

Why are you still so concerned about such a small country?

Upon hearing Aetherel mention Cohen, Daphne instinctively tried to steer the conversation toward dealing with the crisis in the divine realm and choosing a country to ally with.

Aetherel completely ignored Daphne's sarcasm, and the light around her suddenly surged:
"The invasion of void creatures and the crisis in the divine realm mean nothing to me."

I'm not interested in your alliance either; I've come to ask you something.

Her burning golden eyes were fixed on Daphne:
"You blocked my way before, preventing me from delving into the source of the power that could stir up the deep forces of the Shadow Dimension at the Noble Martial Arts Festival, and that strange participant..."

Aetherel's voice suddenly rose, carrying an urgent, long-suppressed question:
"Is the person who unleashed the power of shadow... the one who won two consecutive championships—Cohen Effin?"

It's actually quite easy to deduce: someone who can defeat a Gold Saint after the Seraph's descent is a strong contender for the title of "Strongest Gold Saint."

Now, another freak has emerged who has won two championships in a row. It is highly likely that the two are the same person.

Daphne had a bad feeling; how could she have forgotten about this?

To prevent Aetherial from following Cohen's attention to Adele, she forcibly interfered with Aetherial's pursuit.

Now, these two threads have been connected by Cohen's damned identity as a two-time champion.

Given Aetherel's stubbornness and the certainty in his tone just now, it seems he can't deny it now.

She suppressed her emotions and said in a deep voice:

"Yes, it's him."

Aetherel's pupils contracted sharply, and the surging divine power of light around him surged uncontrollably like a runaway torrent.

On his near-perfect face, a surge of intense emotion, suppressed for countless millennia, was churning wildly.

Aetherel's incomprehensible reaction even stunned Daphne, who was used to the faces of the gods.

After a long pause, Daphne, with intense uncertainty and a hint of unbelievable absurdity, tentatively asked, "Say, you don't actually think this kid is the God of Shadows, do you?"

Aetherel's expression froze for a moment.

Those surging, intense emotions seemed to freeze instantly. She didn't directly answer Daphne's taunts, and her voice returned to calm.

"Have you seen the true face of the God of Shadows?"

Daphne was taken aback by this abrupt question.

She looked at Aetherel's "calm" appearance, which she was trying so hard to maintain but was on the verge of collapse, and a complicated look flashed in her eyes.

Perhaps it was sympathy, perhaps it was the usual irony, but more than anything, it was disbelief.

She pursed her lips, a hint of understanding in her expression, and replied:
"Never seen him. Your man is just like that Erebus, always hiding in the shadows."

However, I can tell you with certainty that Cohen is not some kind of god of shadow.

I didn't sense any divine aura from him at all, nor did I find any mark of supreme authority in his soul.

You should understand the workings of the supreme law better than I do—the reincarnation of gods is inseparable from their divine status.

I didn't sense any divine aura from him.

Aetherel's face visibly paled.

She took a deep breath, and the surrounding light rippled slightly as she spoke in a low voice:
"Let me see what he looks like."

Daphne narrowed her eyes slightly, a playful yet dangerous smile curving her lips:
"Look... it's not entirely impossible."

However, Ms. Chenxi, I must say this in advance.

This person is very important to my successor. You are not allowed to take any measures without authorization before the agreed time arrives.

Aetherel nodded silently.

Seeing that Aetherel had agreed, Daphne waved her fingers.

The extreme chill was no longer just a backdrop; it gathered in her palm as if it were alive.

The image of a young man is being meticulously sculpted and formed—

His hair was flying in the wind, his face was angular yet handsome, and his posture was upright.

His face was handsome enough to eclipse the stars, and he possessed a unique charm of unwavering resilience.

The outline of the ice sculpture became clearer and clearer, and the man's eyebrows and eyes began to appear.

Seeing Aetherel's expectant look, Daphne's face broke into a malicious smile, and she said:
"You'd better pray this kid isn't the reincarnation of your man."

"I've heard that this guy is surrounded by a large group of beautiful women."

Moreover, my successor is his queen, who is deeply in love with him and is absolutely infatuated with him.

To protect her beloved man, she even dared to defy him!

Soon, the crystal-clear ice sculpted a lifelike likeness of Cohen:

Young, handsome, with sharp eyes that seemed to pierce through the void, carrying the unique vigor and a touch of arrogance of youth, as well as a composure honed by hardship.

Staring at the young and handsome ice sculpture, Aetherel froze on the spot, and the magic of the entire icy plane seemed to freeze.

Seeing Aetherel's reaction, Daphne's face completely lost its usual indifference, filled with astonishment.

It was like witnessing the most absurd joke about the divine realm.

An unbelievable thought raced through her mind:

Could this kid really be... really the God of Shadows?

impossible!

His soul was nothing more than a pure, earthly thing, devoid of any divinity!

But Aetherel's reaction...

She felt that some of the beliefs she had built up over thousands of years were beginning to crack.

Just as Daphne was in turmoil, the light divine power that had temporarily subsided within Aetheril surged forth once more, a pure and violent power of light bursting forth.

The air alternated wildly between scorching heat and freezing cold, steaming up scalding white mist that distorted the view.

The icy aura that had accumulated over millennia in the Frozen Plane was being forcibly evaporated by this pure power of light and heat.

Daphne frowned, shattered the ice sculpture with a wave of her hand, and shouted in a deep voice:
"Calm down! If you keep going like this, you'll melt my entire icy plane!"

The sight of the ice sculpture shattering seemed to trigger a sensitive nerve in Aetheril.

An offensive, profane, almost beastly, primal killing intent instantly solidified in her eyes.

That was the instinctive reaction to having one's only thought forcibly destroyed.

The temperature in the entire temple dropped several degrees again with that look!

However, she quickly regained her senses, her rationality and calm returned, and she spoke coldly:
Why did you break it?

Daphne couldn't be bothered with such a trivial matter; all her attention was focused on that incredible possibility.

Her eyes were sharp as knives, and her tone was more solemn than ever before:
“Is it really him?

Is this man truly the God of Shadows?

Aetherel's silence lasted an suffocatingly long time.

She seemed to need immense strength to organize her thoughts and fight against the tumultuous, tearing pain in her heart caused by her memories.

Finally, he slowly opened his mouth:
"uncertain."

Daphne's eyebrows shot up, wondering if she had misheard.

"What's the meaning?
What does uncertainty mean?

Her voice rose several octaves.

Aetherel did not answer immediately; she turned her face slightly to the side, avoiding Daphne's scrutinizing gaze that seemed to rip her soul apart.
"Actually, I've only met him once, and he wasn't this... well, energetic back then."

"and many more!"

Daphne was completely flustered and didn't even care about maintaining her divine dignity.

She took a step forward, her eyes flashing with a remarkably human-like astonishment, and even unconsciously lowered her voice like an ordinary woman gossiping:
"Aren't you two a couple?"

He also does this when he's sleeping...

Um... so it turns out it's a Platonic relationship after all..."

Aetherel closed her eyes and said softly:
"He is the god of shadows who wields the power of shadow, assassination, secrecy, and annihilation."

His appearance, his physique... even his very existence, are inherently linked to chaos and concealment.

I'm probably the only one who has ever seen his face.

He does resemble the king somewhat; he must have looked quite similar to the king when he was young.

The absurdity and mockery on Daphne's face had vanished, replaced by absolute calm and rational analysis:
"Among the hundreds of millions of living beings on the mainland, it is perfectly normal for a few to have similar appearances."

For beings like you and me, when judging a person, especially a deity, appearance is always a superficial indicator.

It is the most unreliable form of proof.

What we see is the aura imprinted deep within the soul, fused with the essence of rules.

It is the divinity that runs through the past and the future and represents the source of authority; it is a divine nature that cannot be separated from or transcends reincarnation!

From these perspectives, Cohen's soul contained nothing but messy romantic love and worldly power.

He was—a completely, utterly pure mortal!

Aetherel listened in silence, the almost crushed flame in the depths of his golden eyes struggling back and forth as Daphne's resolute analysis unfolded.

Finally, she raised her head, the confusion in her eyes replaced by a resolute determination:
"Then... let me get a more certain and direct answer."

Her voice regained its strength, but it was even colder:
"I'm going to find Madora."

As soon as the words were spoken, a bridge of light leading to the Prophet's plane slowly rose up.

Daphne couldn't help but shudder. She was already worried that Madora might develop some interest in Cohen, personally deduce his past, and thus discover her previous scheme.

Now, things have gotten really bad; Aetheril is now going to Madora's door to ask her to deduce everything about Cohen.

"Aetheril!"

Daphne's voice suddenly rose, and her figure flashed, appearing like a ghost before the still-unfinished Bridge of Light, demanding sharply:
What did you promise me before?

I promised to let you see that mortal's appearance, and you promised not to take any action.

"If you go to Madora now, isn't that breaking your promise?"

Aetherel completely ignored Daphne's words, her eyes showing no remorse or intention to change her mind:

"I owe you a favor."

Daphne:
"?"

Daphne was completely stunned. She opened her mouth, but for a moment she couldn't find any words to express her feelings.

"you--!"

Her rebuke had barely uttered a single syllable.

Aetherel didn't even give her a chance to finish speaking.

call out--!
There were no extra actions or verbal explanations.

A purer and more concentrated radiance erupted from Aetheril's body.

In an instant, he transformed into a golden comet that tore through the laws of space and disappeared before Daphne's eyes.

Daphne stood frozen in place, her heart filled with regret.

I should have known better than to let her watch it.

However, Daphne really didn't expect that Cohen would actually look so much like the God of Shadows.

Despite her frustration, Daphne's inner alarm bells had already gone off.

Now is not the time for regrets.

If Madora really does deduce my plans on the Demon Tide Continent, I will try to keep the number of people who know about it to a minimum!
She stared intently at the rapidly healing spatial rift in the direction Atheriel had gone.

The figure blurred and distorted instantly, then transformed into an ice spike, chasing after the golden comet. (End of Chapter)