Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

On the continent of Demon Tide, in the capital of the Central Empire, at the State Guesthouse in Kuntandin.

Deep within the state guesthouse, a quiet room is isolated from all the noise and dust of the outside world.

Afternoon sunlight streamed through the magnificent crystal windows, casting dappled shadows in the quiet room covered with thick velvet carpets.

The air was filled with the smell of expensive incense and old parchment scrolls.

The area around the quiet room was filled with extremely subtle magical fluctuations, forming an invisible barrier.

This place has been transformed into a sacred land that is inaccessible to ordinary people and can only be entered by the most powerful and wealthy.

Pope Atkinson—who is hailed as the voice of destiny on earth—is comfortably reclining in an armchair inlaid with magical gems.

Well-maintained, well-defined fingers casually pick up a high-quality parchment list with gold-stamped edges.

The list is filled with a dense array of gold coin figures and a catalog of rare items.

And its signature was none other than that of an imperial duke whose fiefdom was richer than any other on the continent and whose power was immense.

This is the sincerity the other party is showing in order to "listen to the guidance of fate".

Atkinson's gaze seemingly casually swept over the list, as he plotted how to extract even more donations from this devout believer.

The All Nations Nobles Martial Arts Festival is a grand event that spans the Demon Tide Continent, bringing together the most elite bloodlines and powers across the entire continent. It is also an invisible arena for the powerful figures of the entire continent.

Power, ambition, grudges, deals, alliances, and even marriages all surge fiercely beneath this seemingly pure curtain of martial arts.

For His Holiness Pope Atkinson, the supreme leader of the Church of Prophecy, this is an "unmissable golden period" that comes only once in a decade.

Especially on the eve of the mainland's impending great turmoil, even more people came seeking guidance on their destiny.

Requests for "prophetic consultations" poured into the quiet room that the Central Empire had specially prepared for him.

In the past two days, his doorstep has been almost worn down by visitors, and those who can knock on this door are all powerful figures who can shake the mainland with a stomp of their feet.

Even though the duke presented an astonishingly lavish gift list.

But in His Holiness the Pope's current to-do list, he is merely one of the more plump "lambs of piety."

Those who can afford to have His Holiness the Pope personally conduct divination are all figures at the pinnacle of power on this continent.

His schedule was filled with audiences with all sorts of powerful and influential figures, each visitor carrying a deep longing.

They placed their hopes for the future in his few words and offered their enormous wealth to the altar of prophecy.

at this time--

“Buzz——!!!”

A silent, yet deeply penetrating, sacred roar suddenly erupted without warning.

Atkinson jolted violently and abruptly looked up.

Deep within the pupils, a silver light, symbolizing the power to discern destiny, flashed intensely—a direct reflection of a divine miracle.

God of prophecy!

The Great Ruler of Fate—Your Majesty Madora!

He is calling himself!

He traversed countless planes and actively projected the divine oracle directly into the core of his soul!

Your Majesty Madora, the one who symbolizes absolute destiny and coldly overlooks the cycle of billions of beings in all realms.

It has been three whole years since he has responded to any believer's prayers.

Even his most sincere appeal, made by the nominal chief spokesperson, was like a stone sinking into the sea, only to be met with cold silence.

What does this sudden, proactive, and so intense call mean?
A terrifying thought exploded in Atkinson's mind like a thunderbolt:

Something earth-shattering must have happened, enough to alarm the Lord of Fate, who has been silent for three years, to personally inquire about the mortal realm.

Atkinson's heart instantly became complicated and uneasy.

In recent years, he has done a lot of things behind the back of the god of prophecy.

For example, interfering with King Gaius of the Kingdom of Ceylon's prayers to the god of prophecy through the sacrifice of the Divine Charter;
For example, without the permission of the God of Prophecy, Cohen was secretly given the identity of the Child of Prophecy;
For example, by using the Vatican's intelligence network and wealth spread across the continent, they secretly collected scattered fragments of the divine and demonic charter and studied those ancient forbidden powers that were explicitly prohibited from being touched.
For example, he conspired with Cohen to seize the fragments of divine power left behind by the fallen dark gods in the dark land of Zhom, which had been reduced to chaos and scorched earth...

As for other practices such as intercepting the power of faith, treating believers who come seeking guidance as fat sheep to be slaughtered, casually fooling them, being perfunctory, and secretly raising the price of prophecies, there are many more.

The most dangerous and likely to be exposed act happened just recently.

Right there at the Noble Martial Arts Festival, in front of almost all the top nobles and dignitaries on the Demon Tide Continent.

He confidently "proved" that Cohen was indeed the "Son of Prophecy" personally recognized by the great prophetic god Madora!
To put it bluntly, this is a blatant act of using the name of the gods to engage in factionalism and self-interest.

Could it be that someone secretly reported me?

Just as Atkinson was hesitating, the air in front of him suddenly changed dramatically.

There was no sound, yet an invisible pressure suddenly descended.

Countless particles of light, shimmering with a cold, silvery glow, emerged and rapidly converged in the center of the quiet room, as if they were living things.

The light rays twisted and intertwined as if they had a physical form, outlining a blurred silhouette that was full of pure order and constantly stretching.

Pope Atkinson was even more alarmed, for this was a sign that the prophet Madora was about to appear.

So fast!

They appeared immediately upon being summoned?

Even in the past, during normal times when His Majesty Madora responded to prayers, he rarely voluntarily conjured such a clear and imposing avatar on the human continent.

More often than not, they are merely whispers of oracle or symbolic projections of divine light.

Such a direct and swift personal arrival is simply unbelievable!

Atkinson was overwhelmed with a thousand thoughts, but he quickly suppressed them.

The next second, at the core of the silvery light, a tall, majestic, and ethereal figure with a blurred face but exuding a cold sense of order completely solidified.

Atkinson's face was now filled with an expression of intense devotion, a mixture of boundless longing, profound gratitude, humble submission, and fervent adoration.

His voice trembled violently with excitement, as if his very soul was resonating with it:
"My lord!
Great and wise helmsman of destiny!
You...you have finally...finally been willing to bestow your supreme mercy and blessings upon you, your most humble and devout servant and believer!

Madora waved her hand with an undeniable air of authority:

“Something big has happened in the Divine Realm recently, and I haven’t been able to focus on the human continent. You’ve been working so hard lately.”

Atkinson said sincerely:

"It is my honor to share my Lord's burdens."

Madora's incarnation is utterly straightforward.

The voice that pierces the soul gets straight to the point:
"I'd like to ask you about someone, King Alfein, Cohen Corleone. Do you know this person?"

Pope Atkinson felt a sudden jolt in his heart.

Sure enough, the conspiracy between him and Cohen had been exposed.

Before the master of destiny who controls the trajectory of all things, any attempt to conceal is a laughable joke.

He had no doubt that Madora only needed a thought to see all the secret deals between him and Cohen.

He couldn't fathom why the great prophet Madora had condescended to consult him, a mere mortal agent, because she had encountered a setback in her deductions about Cohen.

Atkinson's voice became much more cautious as he spoke softly:

“My lord, my deal with King Cohen of Efein was entirely out of public interest.”

As for giving him the identity of the prophesied son, it was also to better solidify his deception…

Madora, the god of prophecy, was startled and interrupted Atkinson abruptly:
"Wait, what did you say?"
Is this King Efein the prophesied son of the Church of Prophecy?

Madora's voice was incredibly urgent and piercingly harsh; he was almost losing his composure.

Such a formidable figure, turns out to be one of our own?

Atkinson paused for a moment, then said cautiously:

"I guess so, it's part of our deal."

Madora regained her composure and said in a deep voice:

"Tell me in detail what happened between you two."

Seeing that Madora didn't seem to be blaming him, Atkinson secretly breathed a sigh of relief and tried his best to keep his voice respectful and calm:

"It is my greatest honor to be able to resolve the doubts of my lord."

Atkinson bowed slightly, his posture humble, and quickly organized his thoughts before recounting everything between him and Cohen:
"Speaking of which, His Majesty King Cohen Corleone of Efein rose to fame on the continent not initially because of his hard power, but because of his astonishing ability to make prophecies."

He paused, seemingly recalling the scene at the time:
"The accuracy of his predictions... is simply beyond reason."

One time might be luck, two times might be coincidence, but when the predictions for crucial moments are accurate ten or a hundred times, it is by no means accidental.

The secret agents of various forces on the mainland were all shocked by this.

Naturally, everyone began to speculate that this must be the glory of the God of Prophecy manifesting in the mortal world, or the coming of the Son of Prophecy to Effie.

Cohen truly began to shine during the Six Saints War, which shook half the continent—

The Black Tomb organization launched a premeditated, annihilating assassination attempt against the Golden Wing's daughter!

Atkinson's tone became serious.

Madora raised an eyebrow slightly, and uttered a chilling name in a low voice:

"'Black Tomb'?"
Is the organization founded by King Agares, ranked second among the Seventy-Two Demon Gods?

Atkinson nodded quickly, his tone carrying a hint of natural disdain for the "Black Tomb":

"It was the organization of lackeys created by the Demon God. And the Golden Winged Daughter who was assassinated was also of extraordinary and noble status—she was the core heir of the 'Pale Wings,' the supreme society founded by Lord Cavendish Libra who held the balance of contracts and fairness and maintained the commercial order of all worlds."

This ambush in Florence was not only a bloody battle between two organizations, but also a blatant provocation and defilement of the sacred divine order by the forces of the abyss…

Madora remained calm, waving her hand to interrupt Atkinson's performance, and said in a deep voice:

"Let's get down to business."

Atkinson's expression remained unchanged, and he quickly went straight for the core:
"At that time, no one knew that this person was King Efein; he appeared under the name of the 'Lord of Shadows'..."

"and many more!"

Madora interrupted Pope Atkinson again, her tone becoming much more urgent:
"The Lord of Shadows?"
Lord of Shadows!
What is his relationship with the God of Shadows?

Atkinson coughed lightly and said cautiously:

“My lord, ‘Lord of Shadows’ is just a code name that Cohen used in the Extraordinary Arena. It has no other meaning.”

Madora frowned, a probing glint in her silver eyes, and asked in a deep voice:
"Extraordinary Arena?"

Is it the one from Ares?

Pope Atkinson quickly replied:

"Yes, it is the arena that the God of War established on the continent for duels between extraordinary beings."

It was under the title of 'Lord of Shadows' that Cohen first made a name for himself in the Florence Arena.

Madora closed her eyes and fell into deep thought.

The silver light shone on his face, making his features appear even more austere, and time flowed by in the brief silence.

Atkinson dared not breathe, and could almost hear his own heart pounding like a drum echoing in the deathly silence.

He secretly glanced up and could only see that frozen silver light and shadow.

Madora's brief moment of closed-eye contemplation felt like an eternity to Atkinson.

He didn't know why Cohen's codename "Lord of Shadows" had elicited such a strong reaction from the God of Prophecy.

Finally, Madora opened her eyes again.

His eyes returned to their usual calm, but the scrutinizing light within them was now even more focused, devoid of any superfluous emotion, as he spoke calmly:
"continue."

Atkinson showed no impatience and continued:

Yes, my lord.

As I just mentioned, Cohen shone brightly in the Battle of the Six Saints at Emerald Lake, but the most impressive moment was what solidified his reputation as the "Son of Prophecy."

Not the battle itself, but the incredible prophetic foreshadowing behind this earth-shattering conflict!

Pope Atkinson deliberately emphasized his words, his eyes flashing with awe at the unknown power:
"According to subsequent investigations, this matter was not as rumored, where Cohen was merely passing by or was hired by the Pale Wings and thus became involved."

The truth is... before the attack even began, this young monarch of Efein had already known everything!
Afterwards, according to core members of the Pale Wings, several days before the attack, Cohen had warned the Golden Wings in an unquestionable tone.

The accuracy of its warnings... is simply terrifying!
He not only accurately predicted the absolute fact that the attack would happen, but also clearly pointed out the specific time of the attack, the main location of the attackers, and the breakthrough point.

He even learned in advance about the core combat force that Black Tomb would deploy—including several legendary and saintly ranks that had never appeared in public records!

It was this timely and impeccable prophetic warning that gave Pale Wings precious time to react.

This allowed them to urgently adjust their defensive layout, mobilize hidden forces, and lay deadly traps in the most critical core layer.

The young king thus won the Pale Wings' immense gratitude... as well as the favor and friendship of the Golden Wings herself.

Oh, this Golden Winged Daughter is now Princess Cohen.

Madora narrowed her eyes and said in a deep voice:

"You mean, he predicted all of this himself?"

Pope Atkinson straightened up slightly, his expression shifting to a deeper solemnity and bewilderment:

"Yes, that's what I find most puzzling. This is only the beginning of his prophetic abilities."

Subsequently, during the ambush of the Golden-Winged Daughter in the Black Tomb, Cohen accurately pointed out several secrets, such as the secret deal between a legendary demon of the Black Tomb and a prince of the Northern Empire, the secret method of breaking the seal on the dragon egg, and the corruption of the disciples of the Archbishop of the Church of Light by the people of the Black Tomb, etc.

The entire audience was shocked.

Everyone was speechless, stunned by this deduction that sounded like a divine pronouncement.

It was precisely through these secrets that the usually neutral Church of Light was drawn into this great war, ultimately leading to the Black Tomb's crushing defeat..."

Pope Atkinson's voice echoed continuously in the solemn quiet room, like a dusty scroll of history being slowly unfurled.

He talked about Cohen's prophetic abilities, which first shone in the Battle of Emerald Lake, his gradual rise in the "Lost Lands," and his balancing act with various forces...

No detail was overlooked, no matter how small.

Atkinson's narrative is rigorous and lengthy, with a tone that is sometimes amazed and sometimes solemn, striving to outline the incredible legendary trajectory of that mortal king in an objective manner.

The conversation continued until they got to the Florence battle three years ago.

Even now, Atkinson speaks of it with amazement:
"That was a war in which the Central Empire, the Eastern Empire, and the Black Tomb joined forces to destroy the Efein Kingdom."

Three absolute forces capable of crushing all existence.

Absolutely no one could have predicted the final outcome.

Faced with an overwhelming disparity in troop strength and power, Cohen Corleone led tens of thousands of orc legions and, through various means, managed to turn a legendary figure and a saint of the Black Tomb against their cause, annihilating all the invading enemies.

The First World War shocked the continent.

Atkinson's eyes were strikingly bright:
"His incredible prophetic abilities in these matters are truly beyond my comprehension."

No wonder everyone believes he is the child of prophecy.

Atkinson's tone became more serious, and he leaned forward slightly, as if he were about to reveal a deeper secret:

"Later, I had several encounters with him and discovered that he could accurately deduce the coordinates of the Star Marrow Core and even predict the drift trajectory of the Zhom Continent."

It was precisely these heaven-defying prophetic abilities, which transcended mortals and even touched upon the core level of the exclusive domain of gods, that ultimately led me to choose cooperation, or rather, investment.

Then there's the recent Noble Martial Arts Festival, where he also displayed an incredibly powerful ability to predict and deduce.

In the Bronze Division competition, he helped one of his lovers use an ancient secret technique that had been lost for tens of thousands of years to win the title of 'Strongest Bronze'.

"And he himself..."

Atkinson's voice became extremely solemn:
"Furthermore, he demonstrated an understanding of the rules, control over power, and some kind of mysterious skill in battle, which shocked the entire continent."

Upon hearing this, Madora's face finally showed surprise, her eyes flashing with countless thoughts, and she remained silent.

Atkinson observed Madora's performance, his voice carrying a deliberate calmness and a deeper inquiry:

"When he was at a lower level, he could predict things at the legendary level, the saint level, and even things involving the gods..."

But what puzzles me most is that he did not suffer any backlash or show any signs of paying a price.

This is absolutely absurd.

Is it truly possible for someone in this world to arbitrarily seize the power of fate without paying any price?

Madora fell silent again for a long time.

Every detail Atkinson just recounted—from the Black Tomb ambush to the Florence comeback, from the Star Marrow coordinates to the Zhomon trajectory, from ancient secret arts to mysterious skills that tear through the mortal realm…

Like billions of burning meteors, they collided and spun wildly deep within his consciousness.

Suddenly, the look in his eyes trembled violently, his pupils contracted, and his aura trembled uncontrollably:

"Could it be him..."

But this turbulent emotional upheaval lasted for less than a second.

The next instant, Madora's aura returned to its usual cold calm and control, and her voice became much more unfathomable:

"The iron law of fate is something no one can defy, and no one can be exempted from."

Prophecy always comes at a price; that remains true forever!
No one can glimpse the trajectory of fate without paying a price, unless... he has already paid it!

Has it already been paid?
Pope Atkinson was somewhat bewildered. What did he mean by "he has already paid"?

According to the terrifying causal hierarchy involved in Cohen's prophecy—

The plot of the demon king, the fall of the saint's soul, and even the fate of the banished gods.

Any single deduction could be enough to instantly crush a legend, or even a demigod, into dust by the backlash of fate!

How could a mere mortal who had just reached the Gold rank have paid such a heavy price?
This logic simply doesn't make sense.

Atkinson's lips moved, his intense curiosity urging him to investigate further, but Madora was clearly no longer willing to talk.

After a brief pause, Madora solemnly instructed:
"That's the end of this matter. As for your relationship with Cohen and its future development, that's up to you."

You can pretend I never came today, nor did I ask anything.

Atkinson's mind was in chaos, countless questions stuck in his throat, yet he couldn't utter a single word under that cold, divine gaze.

He could only nod stiffly and heavily, relying on instinct.

Madora stopped looking at him, her gaze piercing through the barriers of space, projecting precisely onto the spot where Cohen was.

In his silver eyes, there was no longer the indifferent scrutiny of the mortal world, but a contemplative look that was extremely complex and difficult to fathom:

"Is the vitality I see something you brought about...?"

So you already knew!

So, it wasn't a coincidence that you and King Vasak, who was ranked third among the Seventy-Two Demon Gods and knew everything about the past, the future, and all hidden or lost things and knowledge, perished together...? (End of Chapter)