Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

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For the first time, a very obvious look of shock appeared on Lord Langdon Robert's usually calm face.

There was even a hint of anger at being offended.

A newly advanced Gold-level transcendent being actually asking to see a deity who holds the power of war and sits high in the pantheon.

This is blasphemy.

If it were anyone else, he probably would have already summoned the temple guards without hesitation and thrown this arrogant fool out like trash.

But the person in front of me is not only the prophesied child personally chosen by the God of Prophecy, but also, when he was only a second-tier superhuman, he faced the projection of the will of the God of War Ares in the "Summoning God" ceremony that shocked the continent.

And they successfully obtained a response from the God of War whose specific details remain unknown to this day.

This is also the source of Langdon's enduring special respect for Cohen.

Cohen seemed completely oblivious to the drastic shift in shock on Langdon's face, and without waiting for any response or attitude from the other party, his calm voice continued to ring out clearly:
"I do have a way to contact Lord Ares, the God of War, but it's too high-profile."

Making too much noise will attract unnecessary attention and trouble.

Therefore, I hope that Lord Langdon can convey my request on behalf of the Temple of Battle.

This is the safest and least conspicuous way.

Lord Langdon took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil within him, and slowly spoke, his voice low and carrying a hint of warning:

"Your Majesty should be well aware that the gods have not responded to the prayers of the believers for a long time."

"Whether it was the most devout priests of our Temple of War, or the fanatical followers of the Church of War calling out day and night, the God of War never gave even the slightest response."

Cohen met Langdon's scrutinizing gaze with a smile and said:

"Not responding does not mean that the gods do not receive the prayers of believers."

"If you, Lord Temple Master, do as I say, the God of War will surely descend in his avatar."

Langdon stared intently at Cohen, his gaze seemingly piercing through his soul.

After a brief silence, he slowly said:
"Alright, then please have Your Majesty rest outside."

Cohen's figure disappeared behind the heavy stone door, and Lord Landon slowly stood up and walked to the altar of the burning sacred fire.

Gazing at the majestic relief of Ares, the god of war, he knelt on one knee with utmost devotion.

With his hands crossed and pressed against his chest, the molten emblem, symbolizing the highest authority of the Battle Temple, radiated a scorching light from his palms.

Then he began to chant in a low voice in an ancient and obscure language.

Like invisible ripples, it pierced through the barriers of space, reaching towards the War Throne, high above the pantheon of gods, in the darkness.

Holy area.

Endless phantoms of clashing swords and galloping horses thundered and roared beneath the crimson sky, the air thick with the lingering stench of blood and gunpowder.

The kingdom of Ares, the god of war!

Ares, a figure as majestic as a mountain, sat on his throne with his eyes closed. His will, like an invisible storm, swept across countless battlefields in the lower realm, absorbing a continuous stream of faith power.

Suddenly, a message burning with golden flames of faith entered his sea of ​​consciousness.

This was a message from the Lord of the Temple of War in the Prime Plane, and Ares did not ignore it as usual.

After reading the message, Ares' eyes instantly shone with a dazzling light.

In the Prime Material Plane, as Langdon, the Temple Master of the Temple of Battle, was praying devoutly, he suddenly heard the thunderous voice of Ares, the God of War:
"King Effie, does Cohen Corleone wish to see me?"

Lord Langdon trembled and immediately replied respectfully:

"Yes, my lord!"

Ares instantly recalled the scene from the main council hall not long ago.

At that time, the gods tried every means to contact this king who had won two championships in the noble martial arts festival.

In the end, they were stopped by the combined efforts of Daphne, the goddess of ice, and Madora, the goddess of prophecy.

Ares never expected that this mortal, coveted by the gods and protected by prohibitions, would break the deadlock and come to him on his own initiative.

This wouldn't be considered a violation of Madora's ban, so even if Daphne knew, she wouldn't have anything to say.

Ares asked:
"Where is he now? Are you right next to him?"

The undisguised urgency and importance in Ares's voice sent a violent tremor through the depths of his soul, even for this Saint-level powerhouse who had served the God of War for a thousand years.

A tremendous storm raged within him:

How could this young king hold such a high position in the heart of the God of War?

He forcibly suppressed the turmoil within him, maintaining the most devout kneeling posture, and responded respectfully in his mind:

"Yes, Cohen is nearby right now."

Langdon had barely finished speaking.

Inside the meditation room, the eternally burning sacred flame suddenly erupted with an unprecedentedly dazzling red light.

The entire space was instantly dyed a pure crimson.

A figure, whose grandeur and majesty defy description, materialized amidst endless red light and the surging phantom of war.

Ares, the god of war... descended in His avatar!

Lord Langdon immediately understood, and, enduring the oppressive power of the divine might, struggled to his feet, his voice tinged with awe:
"Your subordinate will go and invite His Majesty Corleone immediately!"

Langdon didn't dare to delay for a moment, and in a flash, he disappeared from the spot.

A moment later, the heavy stone door opened again.

Cohen walked in calmly.

He calmly raised his head, his gaze meeting without fear the supreme being that seemed to be formed from the very laws of war.

It was as if the person standing before them was not a supreme deity who held the power of war, but an old friend they had not seen for a long time.

Inside the meditation room, the light of the sacred fire dimmed under the oppressive aura of Ares' avatar.

A god and a human gaze at each other from afar.

The air seemed to freeze, and time seemed to stand still at that moment.

Ares looked the young human up and down, who was highly regarded by both the God of Ice and the God of Prophecy, his mind racing.

What makes this mortal so special that he could gain the favor of those two supreme beings?

What exactly is hidden within him?
Under Ares's scrutinizing gaze, powerful enough to freeze the soul of a Saint-level expert, Cohen wore a perfectly measured smile of respect.
"Great God of War, we meet again."

Ares's face was expressionless, but his voice carried a sense of vicissitude that seemed to transcend time:
"It's only been a few years since we last met, and you've already made such a name for yourself on the Demon Tide Continent."

The Noble Martial Arts Festival crowned him with the Silver and Gold Group titles.

Your name and your actions have nearly turned the entire realm of the gods upside down.

Cohen truly hadn't expected that his actions on the continent would attract such high attention from the Divine Realm.

However, with Daphne as his backer, he wasn't too worried about attracting the attention of the gods.

After a moment of contemplation, Ares asked:
“You went to great lengths, even using the temple's channels to reach me.”

What kind of deal do you want to make with me this time?

Cohen's smile softened, and his voice carried a composed control over the rhythm:

"I hope the God of War can do me a favor."
In return, I will provide you, Lord War, with the information you most desire and long for.

A serious look appeared in Ares's eyes. Instead of asking Cohen what help he needed, he asked:

Do you know what information I most want to know?

Cohen met Ares's gaze, his voice clear and steady:
"What you most urgently want to know right now, God of War, is the choice that concerns the foundation of your future divine kingdom!"

He leaned forward slightly and said, word by word:

"That is, in the great war of nations that is about to sweep across the entire continent of the Demon Tide."

How will the situation evolve in the Central Empire, the land to which your divine roots lie?

More importantly, among the three forces at the heart of imperial power—the Klein family, the Imperial House of Nobility, and the military—who will ultimately truly grasp the supreme authority of this vast empire?

Ares's eyes flashed with surprise and doubt. He remained silent for several breaths before slowly saying:
"If you didn't lack any divine aura, I would suspect that you are an incarnation of the prophetic god Madora on the human continent!"

Cohen ignored Ares's words, his expression unchanged, and continued:

"If I'm not mistaken, the God of War will choose the Central Empire as his contracted state in the future."

Your biggest dilemma right now is not whether to choose the Central Empire, but which faction within the Central Empire to support.

What if the side you've poured your divine power into and heavily invested in is eliminated early in the struggle for supremacy by other forces?

Even if the divine kingdom can be safely established on the land of the central empire in the future, it will probably only be relegated to the most barren, remote, and desolate corners of the empire, where the power of faith is as thin as a desert.

What use would such a divine kingdom be to you in restoring your power and returning you to your peak?

Cohen's words struck Ares's deepest anxieties precisely.

Ares the God of War is a native deity from the Central Empire; his divinity and the foundation of his authority are rooted in this.

All of this originated from the ancient and war-torn land of the Central Empire.

His primary choice was undoubtedly the Central Empire!
However, the Central Empire is based on the order of the gods, led by the god of prophecy Madora, while Ares is a chaotic faction god who governs chaos, war, destruction, and bloodshed.

Trying to force one's way into this land bathed in the divine light of order is simply incongruous.

Therefore, he had to choose a side. He had to select a proxy from among the three powerful domestic forces within the empire.

An agent willing to bear his chaotic war divinity and win a fertile land of faith for his divine kingdom.

Based on his current observations, the Imperial Noble Council, a behemoth with a history older than the royal family, deep roots in every corner of the empire, and control over vast resources and extraordinary power, seems to have a greater chance of winning.

Moreover, Heisenberg's old fox methods and ambitions are more in line with the appetite of the chaotic faction.

However, the political landscape is ever-changing, and it is not impossible that the Klein royal family and the military might secretly join forces to kick the House of Nobles, the "strongest entity," out of the game.

He naturally couldn't ask the prophetic god Madora about such a matter, since the Central Empire was their territory, and it had always been a worry for Ares.

Ares was silent for a moment, then asked in a deep voice:
"Did Madora tell you this or Daphne?"

Whoever they are, their actions violate the covenant of the gods!

A hint of sarcasm appeared at the corner of Cohen's mouth:
"My Lord, if your righteous accusation were uttered by Cavendish Scales, the God of Contracts and Fairness who wields the scales of contracts and regards rules as his life, or by Risen, the God of Law who inscribed the law into his divine nature..."

Perhaps it can still have some deterrent effect.

It's rather ironic that these words come from the mouth of you, the supreme god of war who commands war, chaos, destruction, and bloodshed.

You should yearn more than anyone else for the immediate promulgation of the divine covenant, and for this continent to be plunged into an endless abyss of war!

Ares narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice:

"Then tell me first, how will the Central Empire develop in the future?"

Cohen replied calmly:

"The Central Empire will fall into a state of complete division within three years of the announcement of the Covenant of the Gods."

The Klein royal family and some pro-royal forces will use their legitimacy and the Imperial Guard to control the central, fertile plains and parts of the coastal administrative districts centered on the "Kingdomin Special District".

The Imperial military, with its powerful and unruly marshals and generals, will rely on the major military regions to carve out the vast northern and western borders of the empire, as well as some strategically important areas.

As for the House of Lords.

Heisenberg will unite with the deeply entrenched local governors, the powerful financial magnates who control the empire's economic lifeline, and most of the minor nobles to firmly control the southern and eastern parts of the empire, as well as the resource-rich commercial hubs.

The remaining areas will be devoured like hungry wolves by countless military nobles with their own armies, lower-class rebels who rise up in rebellion, and even foreign forces that take advantage of the chaos.

This resulted in scattered, turbulent, and precariously maintained fragmented lands!

Ares' pupils constricted slightly.

This was exactly the scene he least wanted to see.

In the future struggle for supremacy among nations, the greatest enemy of the Central Empire will not be the covetous eyes from the outside, but rather the internal disintegration.

Because the Central Empire was too big!
Its territory was vast enough to accommodate more than a dozen kingdoms.

Its resources are so abundant that they would make any power covet them.

Its entangled interests are as complex as billions of intertwined roots.

No single power can control all the resources and interests of this vast empire.

Even the Klein royal family, which nominally possesses supreme legal authority.

The Klein royal family itself is a product of the compromises and infighting among various nobles, warlords, merchant groups, and supernatural organizations at the beginning of the empire's establishment.

It is more like an elected representative and symbol.

For ten thousand years since its founding, the empire has been able to maintain a superficial unity and strength by continuously expanding outwards and relentlessly plundering the wealth and resources of the entire continent.

It was the Klein royal family that constantly used the "cake" they plundered to satisfy the countless greedy "wolves" within the empire.

But this stability is disrupted when faced with an unprecedented upheaval like the Covenant of the Gods, when external expansion halts, when the feast of plunder is interrupted, and when the "cake" used to appease various forces can no longer satisfy their ever-growing appetites.

The fragile balance between the Klein royal family and the Imperial House of Nobility, the military, local tycoons, and financial groups is bound to be broken.

In particular, the person sitting on the throne of the Central Empire now is a woman in her early twenties.

She simply had no ability to stabilize this imperial behemoth, which was destined to disintegrate, amidst the impending monstrous waves!
Cohen seemed oblivious to Ares's change in expression, his voice clear and firm:
"Lord War God, you can look towards the southeast of the empire. Those administrative districts that seem prosperous and peaceful but are actually rife with undercurrents are quite different."

You'll know whether what I said is true or not.

Ares suppressed his turbulent emotions and calmly said:
"I trust your judgment, so you mean that the Central Empire, this land on the verge of fragmentation, is no longer suitable as the place where my divine kingdom is bound?"

Cohen slowly shook his head:

"No, the division of the Central Empire is only temporary."

Before the flames of war among nations are completely extinguished, one power will reunify the central empire.

It was no longer a fragile balance maintained by the Klein royal family through compromise and spoils, but a complete conquest of iron and blood!
On this land of the Central Continent, an unprecedented, highly centralized and unified imperial power will emerge.

Ares, the god of war, had a sudden, violent twitch in his eyes.

Cohen's depiction of a "unified centralized empire" is full of the beauty of iron and blood and power, perfectly matching his ultimate aesthetic of war and conquest.

This was exactly what he longed to see; Ares's voice carried an barely suppressed urgency and inquiry:
Which faction?
Who can complete this bloody conquest?

Cohen's smile deepened:
"This is the second question I need to answer for you, God of War: which of the three forces will ultimately prevail?"

Cohen paused, then said in a deep voice:

"The Klein royal family!"

Ares's eyes clearly showed doubt.

The Klein family?
The Klein family, seen as a product of compromise, lacking a strong will, and now ruled by a young empress?
How were they able to accomplish this unprecedented, bloody conquest amidst the combined attacks of the House of Nobles and the military, on the ruins of a crumbling empire?

Cohen slowly raised his hand, pointed to himself, and said:

"Lord War God, there is some very important news that you may not know yet."

I am now the fiancé of Empress Shanes Klein of the Central Empire!

Ares's eyes widened in surprise. He thought to himself, "No wonder you have so much confidence in the Klein royal family. It turns out you were just bragging about yourself."

That's quite a big promise.

Ares suppressed his emotions and said with a half-smile:
"After all this talk, you're hoping that I, the god who controls war, will stand by your side and support you on your path to unifying the Central Empire?"

Faced with Ares's almost blunt revelation, Cohen showed no embarrassment at having his ambition exposed, and calmly said:

"My Lord God of War, I have never placed my hopes on the support of any deity."

Of all the gods, besides Daphne, you are the one who has had the deepest contact with me and understands my potential and methods the best.

You should know better than anyone that I don't need anyone's charity or support.

What I need is equal cooperation and transactions, mutually beneficial based on shared interests and goals.

Ares's playful smile gradually froze, and he fell into deep thought.

Time seemed to stretch out in Kamui's silence.

Every second felt like an eternity.

After a long while, Ares's voice, like the clang of metal on metal, finally rang out again:

"What can I do to help you with?"

Cohen's voice suddenly turned low:
"In the previous Silver Group match, I broke the soul link of a 'War Priest' named Kazimir August's divinely bestowed weapon."

He will immediately go to the Church of War and request the divine servant under the God of War to renew his soul contract.

A strange look appeared in Ares's eyes:

"Do you want me to order his request to be rejected?"

Shouldn't we renegotiate the contract with him?

A cold glint appeared in Cohen's eyes:

No, quite the opposite.

I hope that when the God of War sends someone to re-establish his soul contract, he will include an additional soul contract!

……

Compared to the eternally burning holy fire of the Temple of War, the omnipresent oppressive aura, and the endless stream of devout believers, the headquarters of the Church of War appeared exceptionally desolate and bleak.

The long years of peace have made most people on the mainland almost forget the cruelty and brutality of war.

Apart from a few border regions where the flames of war have not yet died down or areas of localized conflict, the Demon Tide Continent has not experienced a full-scale war that swept everything and left mountains of corpses and seas of blood for far too long since the Great War between Gods and Demons.

The largest war to date is the civil war in the Kingdom of Ceylon that Cohen recently instigated in the Northwest Continent.

Even this war only affected a small corner of the northwestern continent, and only involved the Kingdom of Ceylon and Efein.

Therefore, compared with other churches with powerful divine forces and the Lord God, the Church of War has very few believers.

The headquarters of the Church of War was not located in the bustling core area of ​​Constantine, nor even within the city limits of the capital.

Instead, it lies isolated in the northwest, in a satellite city called "War-Torn City-State".

The city-state of war means that the flames of war never cease and the god of war lives on forever.

However, walking on the wide but sparsely populated streets of the city at this moment, one can only feel an almost frozen silence and a desolate sense of being forgotten by the times.

The stone buildings, engraved with ancient battle patterns, stand silently, and the peeling murals on the walls depict long-forgotten epic battles. The dusty statues cast long, lonely shadows on the street corners.

Fortunately, this silence and desolation will come to an end in two years.

The war sweeping across the continent will make the War Church the most prosperous and sought-after church, second only to the Prophecy Church! (End of Chapter)