Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

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Chief Heisenberg did not answer Samuel's question, but disappeared without warning, leaving behind a charred vortex that had been forcibly compressed and torn apart by space.

When he reappeared, Heisenberg was already standing in front of Fyodor.

The figure who had been so full of vigor not long ago, discussing with him how to use the artifact to perfect his own legendary realm and defeat the Lord of the Sequence, was now lying silently on his side in his mansion.

His aristocratic robes had long since turned into charred strips of cloth, and his exposed skin was covered with deep, bone-revealing lacerations.

There are charred and carbonized marks left by flames, and gray-blue necrotic spots caused by the freezing of muscle tissue by deep-sea ice.

There were countless terrifying wounds, as if they had been torn apart by giant saw teeth.

Without a doubt, it was the terrible damage caused by the dwarven warhammer or the runic greataxe.

Looking at the disheveled, unconscious, and high-level legendary superhuman before him, Heisenberg's face was filled with a terrifying, overwhelming rage.

Soon, two terrifying pressures, as deep and boundless as abyss and prison, carrying absolute order and a sense of scrutiny, suddenly descended like an invisible curtain.

Two figures appeared silently in mid-air not far in front of Heisenberg.

He wore a pure white robe representing the highest will of the empire, and his face was shrouded in a soft yet unfathomable holy light.

Its aura seemed to merge with the laws of heaven and earth.

These are the two saints from the House of Nobles responsible for protecting the administrative district!
One of the older saints lingered his gaze on Fyodor for a moment.

The sleeves of the robe moved without wind, gently brushing across the void.

A gentle light, imbued with boundless vitality and pure law and order, flowed from his fingertips, like the purest holy spring, softly enveloping Fyodor's battered body.

Where the light touched, the gruesome wounds that spewed the aura of law destruction, the charred, frosty, and rotten marks on their surfaces, seemed to be purified as quickly as they were being cleansed.

The terrible lacerations healed rapidly, and the damaged muscles and nerves were revitalized under the nourishment of divine power.

Even the tiny cracks in the bones are repaired and mended in a barely perceptible glow.

After a long while, Fyodor slowly let out a painful groan, the sound as if squeezed out from the depths of his shattered chest.

Then, with difficulty, he opened his eyes.

Those once sharp, grey-blue eyes were now filled with an exhaustion that seemed to drag consciousness into darkness, and the bewilderment of someone who had just struggled back from the brink of death.

He subconsciously contracted his pupils, and an instinctive wariness appeared on his face.

When his gaze focused and he saw Chief Heisenberg, who was standing close by with a face so gloomy it was almost dripping with water, he instinctively wanted to speak.

However, out of the corner of his eye, he keenly caught sight of two pure white figures hovering to his side, exuding a chilling aura.

Fyodor's lips trembled violently, forcibly suppressing the accusations and truths that were about to burst forth.

After experiencing that nightmarish ambush, he quickly regained his senses.

He understood Heisenberg's current predicament and the terrible consequences of revealing the truth about the stolen artifact at this moment.

The lost artifact passed down through generations of the House of Nobles!

This artifact is far more than just a powerful weapon.

Rather, it is the treasure accumulated by the House of Nobles through the hard work and resources of countless generations, and one of the important pillars upon which the House of Nobles can maintain its deterrent power in the face of future changes on the continent.

More importantly, according to information previously vaguely revealed by Heisenberg, this artifact holds extremely crucial strategic significance in the event of a potential massive upheaval that could engulf the continent—

It can continuously and efficiently produce various standardized, well-enchanted, and powerful magical weapons.

This will be a strategic force capable of determining the outcome of the battle!
Once this matter is made public, even Heisenberg will be greatly implicated.

Various factions within the empire will certainly seize this opportunity to launch an attack on the House of Nobles.

Especially since the two people in front of him were saints.

At the level of sainthood, one's stance, motives, and desires have long transcended the boundaries of mortal kingdoms and powers.

Their sense of belonging and belief in their respective power bases and families is actually quite weak, and they are basically inclined to a pure exchange of interests.

Over 90% of the Saint-level powerhouses on the continent share only one ultimate pursuit—

Collect more fragments of divinity, absorb more divine power, embark on the difficult and dangerous path to godhood, and strive to climb towards demigodhood, and even the unattainable eternal godhood.

An artifact containing powerful laws and possibly bearing a fragment of a broken divine essence or pure divinity would be an irresistible temptation for any saint.

But he himself lost this divine artifact that contained precious divine power...

He couldn't guarantee that these saints wouldn't leak the information.

Fyodor forcibly circulated the remaining magic power within his body, suppressing the surging blood and the metallic taste in his mouth, his voice hoarse and weak:
"It's nothing. I was just thinking of finding someone to spar with before the Martial Arts Festival. I just made a mistake."

He got a minor injury.

After speaking, as if he had exhausted all his strength, he tilted his head to the side and closed his eyes completely, as if even staying awake was the limit.

It's hard to say whether he was genuinely dizzy or faking it.

However, the two saints did not take their eyes off Fyodor, and their faces, shrouded in holy light, showed no expression.

But a deep sense of doubt was clearly visible in their eyes.

This level of injury—

The magic circuits within his body were in complete disarray, as if they had been ravaged by countless violent forces.

Although the wounds on his body had healed, they were still shocking, a mixture of residual injuries from the burning of terrifying flames, the freezing of deep cold, the tearing of sharp weapons, and even the cutting of space itself.

Can it be explained away as just a "typo" or a "sparring session"?
Their gazes slowly turned to Heisenberg, awaiting his explanation or confirmation.

This silent questioning from a saint is more oppressive than any words.

Heisenberg frowned slightly, his tone suggesting he was trying to suppress something, and asked in a deep voice:

"How is his injury?"

At this moment, the saint who had just performed the treatment answered on his behalf:
"These are all superficial injuries. The internal organs and energy core have experienced slight tremors, but the fundamental principles remain intact."

After a few days of rest and replenishment with sufficient life energy and high-level healing holy water, you will recover.

Heisenberg bowed slightly, showing the saint the respect due to him.

His voice was deep and subdued, yet it naturally carried the composure and weight befitting one of the highest authorities in the empire.

"Thank you for your help, two sages. As far as I know, this sparring match was indeed unexpectedly intense."

Ultimately, it was just a sparring match between two martial arts enthusiasts on a whim; nothing significant worth making a big deal out of it.

The two noble saints, shrouded in pure white light, exchanged meaningful glances between the illustrious chief of the noble academy and the unconscious Imperial Education Commissioner on the ground.

They clearly didn't fully believe this explanation, but the parties involved chose to let the matter drop.

Meanwhile, Heisenberg, the highest-ranking official outside the parties involved and one of the leaders of the House of Peers, gave a clear statement that the situation should be suppressed.

Given this premise, and since they are unaware of the truth, they lack sufficient motivation to investigate further.

Saints transcend, but that doesn't mean they would willingly jump into unknown political and power struggles.

Ultimately, both sides reached a tacit understanding based on the status quo.

The saints received a superficial explanation from the chief, while Heisenberg temporarily prevented the situation from spiraling completely out of control.

Immediately, the two figures faded away, as if merging into the air, and the immense pressure of the saints receded quietly like a tide.

After the saint left, Fyodor finally opened his eyes with difficulty.

His vision was still somewhat blurry, but his eyes clearly revealed deep pain and uncontrollable shame and indignation.

He tried to move his body, but was met with a violent spasm and muffled groan that nearly made him faint again.

Heisenberg did not immediately pursue the matter, but instead secretly notified the head of the intelligence agency, Manfred, to come urgently.

When Manfred arrived, this shadowy figure who controlled the empire's vast information network completely lost his usual composure and calmness upon seeing the scene before him.

Fyodor's injuries and Chief Heisenberg's loss of composure moved even this seasoned intelligence chief.

Manfred forcibly suppressed his emotions, took out a vial filled with a viscous, emerald-green liquid from his personal space, and carefully poured the precious "Fountain of Life" into Fyodor's mouth.

The immense life energy rapidly nourished the broken body, causing the deathly ashen look on Fyodor's face to fade slightly.

Once Fyodor's injuries had eased somewhat under the combined effects of the holy medicine and the saint's healing, Heisenberg finally asked his question.

Those eyes, burning with fire and suppressing a storm, possessed a power that could pierce the soul, and locked onto Fyodor:

"What exactly happened?!"
How did you get so badly injured?
Who did it?

Fyodor's face showed fear, anger, and boundless humiliation, but even more intense was a heart-wrenching shame for betraying trust and entrustment.

The immense pressure and regret made his lips tremble violently, and his teeth were so clenched that they almost broke.
"Sir, the forging furnace... has been stolen!"

lost!

The magical artifact is lost!

It really is lost!
It was as if a thunderbolt had exploded directly in Heisenberg's mind.

His body stiffened abruptly, and all his previous speculations, anger, and ominous premonitions were instantly crushed by the cold, cruel reality.

The powerful impact of that instant was a million times more intense than when he personally murdered the emperor!
Manfred, standing to the side, couldn't help but widen his eyes in surprise.

As the most astute eye in the heart of imperial power, he certainly knew what the words "forging furnace" meant.

A chilling aura, enough to freeze one's soul, instantly shot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, making even this intelligence tycoon feel a chill run through his body. Who could possibly make a move against Constantine, who was protected by layers upon layers of spatial locking, magical monitoring, and the omnipresent surveillance arrays of the Noble House?

How could one possibly snatch a divine artifact from a top-tier expert with the title of the continent's number one legend and whose strength stands at the peak of the high-level legend rank, right in the heart of the Noble Academy, which represents the highest will of the empire?
What angered and horrified President Manfred even more was...

The Forging Furnace, this divine artifact, is of irreplaceable importance to the Noble Council's future plans, those hidden grand blueprints that are enough to influence the course of the continent's destiny.

As the head of the Imperial Intelligence Agency, Manfred knew better than anyone else.

The House of Nobles has many extremely covert plans, ranging from training elite individual soldiers to rapidly arming allied forces in key conflict zones, and even certain strategic operations that require specific magical equipment...

The initiation, execution, and ultimate success or failure of these plans all depend on the incredible power of the Forging Furnace.

The forging furnace continuously produces a variety of magical weapons of uniform specifications, with astonishing power, and capable of rapid deployment.

This is a strategic advantage that no magician or magic workshop can match!
But now... it's gone!
Manfred felt a wave of dizziness.

He seemed to see countless meticulously woven strategic networks crumbling.

Those secret plans, which had been the culmination of countless efforts and resources, vanished in an instant.

The House of Nobles' future security, strategic layout, and even its confidence in dealing with turmoil on the mainland have had one of its most crucial legs severed.

Think back to when Heisenberg handed the furnace over to Fyodor.

The two did discuss it and had similar concerns, after all, the forging furnace was too precious.

But they didn't think much about it. First, they had to win the Legendary Group competition, and they absolutely couldn't lose control of the Holy Radiance Academy.

Secondly, this is the headquarters of the House of Lords, the most central and defensively strongest part of the empire, the place where all eyes are on us.

Who would dare to make a move here?
But to everyone's surprise... the most impossible thing became the cruelest reality!
Not only did the other side dare to make a move, but they also had the ability and skill to carry out a shocking raid that would shake the entire empire without anyone noticing on the eve of the highly anticipated martial arts festival in this dragon's den and tiger's lair!

Heisenberg's anger could no longer be contained; his voice reverberated through the air.

What exactly happened?
Weren't you invited by the eldest princess of the Eastern Region Empire to discuss some matters?
Why did it turn out like this?

Fyodor was so shocked by the roar that he coughed violently again, and dark red blood foam once more spilled from the corner of his mouth.

His voice was filled with deep regret and resentment:

"They were discussing business, but when Princess Grace Tang of the Eastern Empire was discussing business, she brought a high-level legendary superhuman as her bodyguard."

After we finished discussing things, this guard, dissatisfied with my title as the strongest legend, wanted to spar with me.

At the time, I thought it was just a common squabble between extraordinary individuals, so I didn't suspect anything.

Since legendary-rank battles couldn't be fought in Constantinople, I joined them in the final arena.

Unexpectedly, Grace found out that the artifact was in my possession at some point.

They joined forces with the dwarven forging tribe, and even the merman chieftain of the sea tribe.

The four legendary ranks lay in ambush together, and I finally…

After hearing the whole story, Heisenberg's body seemed to have been struck by an invisible giant hammer, and he immediately hunched over.

Their voices had become a bit hoarse.

"When did Grace of the Eastern Empire have such a good relationship with the merfolk and dwarves?"

And there's the Temple of Battle!

Why did Langdon agree to lend the 'Final Arena' to Grace?

Manfred, who had recovered from his initial shock, regained the composure and rationality befitting an intelligence chief, and said in a deep voice:

"Sir, a few years ago, when Pirate King Yann Hughes was conquering the Weeping Banshees of the Endless Sea..."

One of them was a legendary merman.

According to intelligence gathered by our undercover agents after the war.

It can be confirmed that the powerful figure is none other than Claire, the current patriarch of the Tide Clan.

Grace is now Yann's fiancée.

Therefore, it's not surprising at all that Grace would join forces with Claire, who wields powerful deep-sea abilities and with whom she had previously fought, through Yann's connection.

"Secondly, regarding the dwarves..."

Manfred then changed the subject, his tone becoming more serious:

"Sir, the thousand-year-old conflict between the Western Regions Empire and the Dwarfs is not a secret."

For generations, the Monroe family had dreamed of completely conquering the dwarven tribes and incorporating their proud forging skills and astonishing reserves of mithril and oriental copper into the empire.

However, the ambitions of the Western Regions Empire were repeatedly thwarted.

Behind all this, it has always been the Eastern Empire's military that has been interfering.

The Eastern Empire had long wanted to use the dwarves to annex the territory of the Western Empire.

Through elusive, clandestine channels, they continuously provided the dwarven resistance with strategic materials, sophisticated tactical blueprints, and even directly hired extraordinary individuals to serve as reinforcements in crucial battles.

Given this relationship, it's quite normal for Grace Tang, one of the contenders for the throne of the Eastern Empire and wielding supreme power, to be able to know and command several legendary dwarven experts.

Finally, there's the Battle Temple... Just like the Education Commissioner said, if the Eastern Empire's Princess were to borrow the 'Final Arena' from Lord Landon under the pretext of sparring with her subordinates...

I don't think Lord Langdon will refuse.

Chief Heisenberg slowly suppressed his anger, calmly considering Manfred's analysis, and quickly asked again:
"So why would Grace target us? We have no grudge against her, and I was even planning to cooperate with her fiancé, the Pirate King!"

Manfred fell silent.

Heisenberg realized he had asked a stupid question after he finished asking it.

That's a magical artifact!

A divine artifact that can disregard the quality of raw materials, requires no master-level craftsmen working day and night, and directly uses pure energy to create a physical magical weapon!
A strategic weapon powerful enough to arm hundreds of thousands of troops to the teeth!

For the Imperial Princess, who is single-mindedly focused on seizing the throne, dealing with Xia Zuo, and ambitiously becoming the second Shanes Klein, could there be a more compelling reason?
Heisenberg's eyes turned cold, and he quickly raised another crucial question:

"How did they know you had the artifact?"

This statement is like a boulder thrown into a stagnant pool.

The three were startled at the same time. Was there a traitor among them?
This sinister thought, as venomous as a snake, instantly sprouted wildly in the minds of the three.

This possibility is even more terrifying than the artifact being stolen itself.

But... only the three of them know about this. Who is the traitor?

Manfred frowned, and soon a more unsettling possibility surfaced in his mind:
"The Child of Prophecy?"

Could it be that King Alfie has made his move again?

This speculation sent a chill down the spines of both Heisenberg and Fyodor.

However, Heisenberg quickly abandoned this conjecture:
"Don't think of him as something mysterious. No matter how powerful his prophetic abilities are, he can't make prophecies out of nowhere."

Why would he go to such great lengths to predict the whereabouts of a closely guarded artifact in the Central Empire if no one gave him a hint?

Just then, Fyodor seemed to have thought of something and said:

"By the way, the two dwarves who came both claimed to be descendants of the dwarf chieftain who lost this artifact."

One of them also used his life essence to activate the forging furnace.

A startling light suddenly flashed in Manfred's eyes as he quickly came up with a more plausible explanation:
"Noble Martial Arts Festival!"

During the Martial Arts Festival, King Tandin is the eye of the storm.

All parties, both overt and covert, are frantically maneuvering, probing, and seeking cooperation!
The dwarves, especially the forging tribe, possess the continent's most advanced forging techniques and mineral resources, making them a target for various parties to court.

Grace Tang, or the Eastern Territory delegation behind her, must have secretly contacted the dwarven representatives who were also lurking in Constantine during the Martial Arts Festival.

The representatives of the dwarves were precisely the two legendary figures who ambushed the chairman of the council.

When Chairman Fyodor used the Forge, the two dwarves keenly sensed the artifact's aura.

Thus, a shocking conspiracy targeting the artifact was instantly formed.

Grace needs the artifact as a foundation for her succession struggle, while the dwarves need to reclaim their tribal sacred object to wash away their shame.

The two sides hit it off immediately!
Furthermore, Grace had already established a connection with Claire, the merfolk chieftain, through Yann Hughes… making it inevitable that the four legends would join forces to set a deadly trap!

As Fyodor listened to Manfred's meticulous and logically rigorous analysis, a strong sense of agreement appeared in his eyes:
"That's right, President Manfred's analysis is correct."

This is the most likely, and the only reasonable, explanation.

Otherwise, there is no way to explain why two legendary dwarven figures happened to be in Constantine and precisely participated in this ambush!
It has been less than two days since I received the smelting furnace.

The dwarves don't have any long-distance intercontinental teleportation arrays. Even if they are legendary-level, they cannot cross two continents in two days to travel from the Northwest Continent to the Central Empire.

The only explanation is that the two of them had actually been lurking in Constantine all along!

It has to be said that things in this world are truly wondrous.

The existence of the "Book of Time and Space" in Cohen's possession not only completely cleared him of suspicion, but also made the people of the House of Nobles sit idly by and watch their wild speculations.

This conjured-up truth was so plausible and convincing that it perfectly concealed Cohen, who was hiding behind the scenes and manipulating everything like a ghost! (End of Chapter)