Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Faced with Cohen's complaints, Daphne felt a little guilty, realizing that she had indeed done something wrong.

When the Goddess of Light suspected that Cohen was the reincarnation of the God of Shadow, she came to her to inquire about everything about Cohen, including his power, his experiences, and the people around him.

Daphne knew better than anyone how deep Aetherel's obsession with the "God of Shadows" ran.

She knew even better that if Aetheril were to personally descend to the Prime Material Plane and use prophecy or even retrospective divine magic to investigate Korn, then Adel's origins would likely become impossible to conceal.

Adel's existence is a matter of life and death for her, and she absolutely cannot let any outsiders notice her too early.

Therefore, Daphne told Aetherel the information she had.

However, it was clear that the mighty Ice God wouldn't admit his mistake in front of Cohen. He coughed lightly and said:

"You have the nerve to say that? If you hadn't made such a big splash on the mainland, Aetheril wouldn't have been asking so many questions."

"If I hadn't covered for you, she would have come down to investigate you herself long ago."

These blatant lies and distortions of the truth left Cohen speechless.

After Daphne finished speaking, she deliberately severed her divine senses, not giving Cohen a chance to refute her.

The exchange between the two was brief. After Daphne's divine sense left, several more divine senses arrived.

There are gods of darkness, gods of war, and gods of fire.

However, these divine thoughts were quickly severed by a golden light and a blue light.

The two supreme goddesses who control the origin of the elements acted simultaneously.

In an instant, a sacred barrier was erected in front of Cohen, blocking all prying eyes.

With the Goddess of Light and the God of Ice joining forces, the other gods, though dissatisfied, could not say anything.

On the high platform, Madora, the prophetic goddess shrouded in the mists of fate, her gaze, devoid of joy or sorrow, seemed to pierce through layers of space, calmly sweeping over the few waves of divine thought that had either retreated, lay dormant, or still surged with resentment. Her voice rang out:

"He has two championships, so he can be blessed twice as usual. Who wants to be next?"

Divine thoughts collided, tested, and weighed silently in the void, vying for ownership of this "second grace."

This is not just a blessing, but also a precious opportunity to access the "secret" and leave a "mark"!

Before the gods could reach a conclusion, Cohen spoke up again:
"Your Majesty, God of Prophecy, Your Majesties, I would like to speak with the God of War privately."

Ares couldn't hide the smile on his lips, and a domineering, golden divine light, carrying endless war will, instantly enveloped Cohen.

The gods could only show expressions of regret.

The fact that the Ice God and the Goddess of Light joined forces to protect this mysterious king made them very curious about what secrets he held.

A divine realm constructed purely of burning battle intent and boiling lava—Ares's divine thoughts echoed in Cohen's mind:

"How did things go last time?"

Cohen knew about Aresti because of his previous attempt to turn Kazimierz against him.

Ares begins with this incident, his intention clear—to remind people of human relationships.

This lays the groundwork for the next "deal"!
A perfectly timed and genuine smile of gratitude immediately appeared on Cohen's face:

"Thank you for your help, God of War. With Kazimierz's assistance, our future plans will be much smoother."

He cleverly transformed the "defection of Casimir"—a favor provided by Ares—into a strategic arrangement that would benefit both sides.

This clarifies that this not only helped Cohen, but also directly served Ares's core interests in the Central Empire in the future—supporting the Empress.

Ares's expression flickered slightly; he saw through Cohen's rhetoric, but he wasn't offended.

I even quite admire this wisdom of maximizing benefits within the rules.

Such a talent is qualified to cooperate and form an alliance with him.

He got down to business:

"What did the Goddess of Light talk to you about just now?"

Cohen replied gently:

"The God of War believes that His Majesty Aetheril possesses the supreme power to wield light and purify all things."

Would I dare to casually tell others about the private conversations I had with her?

The implication is that if you can defeat the Goddess of Light, I can tell you.

Can he defeat Aetheril?
Are you kidding me? That crazy woman, for the sake of a dead Shadow God, even dared to knock down a terrifying being of godhood with a single blow from a newly ascended powerful god.

Although Ares was warlike, he was by no means stupid.

They certainly wouldn't provoke this formidable goddess just to satisfy their curiosity.

The God of War's lips moved, and he said in an annoyed tone:

"Alright, I won't ask you anything else. Just tell me what you want."

Cohen's smile suddenly widened, even taking on a sly, fox-like quality:
"No, I have no intention of asking the God of War for anything. On the contrary, I want to give the God of War a great gift."

Ares raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes:
"This isn't like you at all!"

Would this cunning little king, who dares to fleece even the gods, voluntarily offer a "grand gift"?
Ares, of course, did not believe it.

Cohen's smile remained unchanged, instead appearing even more composed and confident.

He met Ares's oppressive, scrutinizing gaze, his voice steady and clear:
"I intend to call upon all soldiers in Effie to convert to the War Church!"

Ares's expression flickered.

A country!
Moreover, it's a nation that just shone brightly at the Noble Martial Arts Festival and has unlimited potential!

What does the faith of its entire military mean?
This means that a vast, pure, and fighting-will-filled power of faith will flow into his war kingdom like a torrent bursting its banks!
This is enough to make his divine fire burn even brighter, his divine status more stable, and even allow him to touch the threshold of a higher level!
However, he quickly realized that his opponent must have another trick up their sleeve, and asked with a hint of sarcasm:

"I'm afraid it won't be that simple."

Cohen smiled and said frankly:
"Of course, given our excellent cooperative relationship, Lord War, you may simply treat all these devout believers as fanatics!"

Ares almost couldn't keep his composure any longer:

"You've got a really good idea!"

Fanatics are the ultimate believers who burn their souls, dedicate everything, and are willing to die for God.

They need at least twenty years of unwavering faith and devotion.

They need to achieve great feats in the divine war and undergo the tempering of their souls by divine fire.

Only then can one ultimately obtain the glorious mark of a 'fanatic', and you casually say 'consider him a fanatic'?
How much divine power will I have to expend out of thin air? How much of my divine essence will I have to relinquish?
You're undermining the very foundation of my divine nature!

Cohen said casually:
"Consider this as an initial investment, Lord War God."

The more battles I win, the better it will be for our plans!

"invest?"

"Exactly!"

Cohen's voice suddenly rose, carrying a seductive power:

"Think about it!"

He stepped forward, as if sketching a grand blueprint for war:

"The army of Efein worships the great god of war and basks in your glory."

Their morale was soaring, and their fighting spirit was boundless!
Fight for you, fight for war, under my command!

The more battles they win, the wider the lands they conquer, and the stronger the enemies they sacrifice!

In Cohen's eyes, an ambition shone as brightly as the stars:

"Then they bring you the sacrifices of war, the torrent of faith, and the true fanatics forged in blood and fire."

Its quantity, quality, and value far surpass what this 'small' initial investment can possibly achieve.

Besides choosing to believe in a particular deity out of their own hearts, the most important reason for believers is to enjoy the benefits of the deity's divine authority.

For example, followers of the goddess of agriculture possess superior farming skills, while followers of the goddess of light can cast light-based spells more quickly.

Followers of the God of War can enjoy two bonuses when engaging in warfare.

High morale: Rekindle the fighting spirit of weary soldiers and inspire the cowardly to charge forward!
Energy surges: making the heavy body feel light again and unleashing the depleted strength once more!

These benefits do not come out of thin air, but rather are the result of burning divine power, invoking the laws of war, and transforming the power of the divine essence into a gentle stream of supreme grace flowing into the depths of believers' souls.

The stronger the buff, the wider its range, and the longer its duration, the more divine power it consumes.

And this is especially true of fanatics.

The fanatics of Ares, the god of war, basked in a war glory far exceeding that of ordinary believers.

They can enjoy a 30% morale boost and a 30% stamina recovery boost on the battlefield.

what does this mean?
This means that an army composed of fanatics would be a tireless, fearless, and perpetually charging war machine.

It is an iron torrent capable of tearing apart any defense and crushing any enemy.

However, this coveted and terrifying gain comes at a price that is equally terrifying.

The birth of every fanatic is not merely the accumulation of twenty years of devout worship, but also requires outstanding achievements in divine wars.

Its soul must undergo the cruel tempering of the God of War's divine fire, and in the end, Ares himself must expend a massive amount of divine power and a trace of precious war divine essence to imprint the 'Fanatical Mark' that symbolizes ultimate glory and power.

This mark is like a never-ending extractor of divine power. As long as the mark exists and the fanatics are fighting, the mark will continuously draw divine power from the source of Ares' divine kingdom to maintain that 30% double blessing that is enough to defy fate.

A fanatic is a heavy burden of divine power!

Ten or a hundred of them would form a surging river of divine power!

What if hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of Afyin soldiers in the future are all 'considered' as fanatics?
Ares seemed to see the core essence of his vast divine kingdom being frantically extracted by countless invisible straws.

How can this be considered "initial investment"?
This is clearly like inserting tubes into the lifeblood of his godhood, Ares, to bleed him dry!
It's about getting him to pre-pay for the war benefits of ten thousand years to come!

This is a high-stakes gamble, a colossal gamble with his very essence as a war god as the stake!
He felt his war godhood throbbing with pain. Ares looked at the smiling, seemingly harmless but ruthless and audacious mortal king before him.

A complex mix of intense heartache, the frustration of being outmaneuvered, and a hint of attraction he himself was unwilling to admit was burning fiercely within him.

"That damned little fox, how dare he make such a deadly condition?"

Ares roared madly in his heart.

"But war sacrifices, torrents of faith, the forging of true fanatics, endless conquests, vast wars..."

These whispers, like those of the devil, continued to tempt and sway him.

To give or not to give?
To gamble or not to gamble?
After a long period of contemplation, Ares finally spoke slowly:
Give me a specific number.

Cohen thought for a moment and gave a suitable number:

"One hundred thousand."

"No, my divine power is also very precious and cannot be wasted casually."

At most 30,000.

"You are also a powerful deity, what impact can a few points of divine power have? Besides, I don't fight every day."

Eighty thousand, I suppose.

"You're treating this like buying vegetables at a market. At most, it's 50,000. If it's okay, great. If not, just find another deity to bless you!"

Cohen smiled broadly:

"Alright, then fifty thousand it is. Thank you for your blessing, God of War!"

Ares felt like he'd been tricked by this kid again.

He suddenly raised his giant hand, the crimson-gold war runes on his fingertips flashing wildly, and a terrifying power containing the violent laws of war and a trace of divine origin that had been forcibly severed rapidly condensed in his palm.

hum-

A crimson-gold parchment scroll, formed from pure war fire, with lava and gold runes flowing along its edges, exuding an aura of endless slaughter and the pressure of a contract, appeared out of thin air.

He then abruptly tossed the heavy war contract to Cohen.

Cohen neither dodged nor avoided, but with a bright smile on his face, he steadily caught the war contract containing the buff permissions of 50,000 War God "Fans".

The next second, the God of War's divine domain dissipated, and Cohen's figure reappeared on the high platform.

When Madora saw that the God of War had also returned, she didn't want so many gods to stay in the prime plane for too long, lest something happen in the divine realm.

The absolute will of order, transcending divine conflict and rising above time and space, is clearly imprinted in the core consciousness of every deity:

"Alright, the blessing ceremony is over. We can't stay here any longer, so let's all prepare to leave."

Gods, return to your places!

Having said that, an irresistible and awe-inspiring will descended, not as an attack or an expulsion, but as a declaration of order itself.

It is the ironclad law that maintains the boundary between gods and mortals, and the final clearing order before the covenant of the gods is about to take effect.

The eight supreme divine figures, capable of overturning galaxies and controlling the origin of elements, along with that sacred space that isolated all laws and bore divine power, were all declared to "return to their rightful place" by the God of Prophecy.

They vanished without a trace, as if they had never existed.

Until this moment
The high platform, which had witnessed so much divine power, so much awe, and so much wonder, was completely restored to emptiness and deathly silence.

As the gods vanished, everyone present in the Imperial Arena felt as if they had experienced a bizarre, thrilling, yet incredibly real dream.

Their gazes were fixed on Cohen with incredibly complex expressions.

What happened today is even more shocking than when Cohen won two championships in a row.

Whether it was the prophecy goddess Madora leading so many elemental gods to descend, or the ice goddess Daphne and the light goddess Aetheril vying to have a private chat with Cohen.

All of this is enough to make everyone present remember it forever.

These powerful figures, who could usually cause an earthquake on the mainland with a stomp of their feet, looked at Cohen with disbelief, shock, deep-seated awe, incomprehensible confusion, and a hint of indescribable fear.

Yes, fear!
Fear of the unknown, fear of power, fear of the one who can speak on equal footing with the gods, who even makes the goddesses of light and winter vie for his favor, and who allows the god of prophecy to personally preside over the blessing.

Cohen wasn't interested in talking to them any longer. He gave Shanis a look and then led his men away from the venue.

……

After the Noble Martial Arts Festival ended, the clamor and glory of King Tandin gradually receded like the tide.

The delegations from various countries have already embarked on their journeys home.

Effie was no exception. The golden lion banner that had fluttered in the arena of the martial arts festival, bearing unparalleled glory, now concealed its brilliance and prepared to embark on its journey home.

The brief peace, or rather the calm before the storm, has come to a complete end with the conclusion of the martial arts festival.

The war in Ceylon naturally had to continue.

Cohen knew that Effie would be at the center of the storm in the days to come.

Countless political, military, diplomatic, and resource allocation tasks will instantly overwhelm the Florence Royal Palace.

Even the queen's sister, as powerful as a goddess, could not support the situation alone.

Therefore, Isabella, Windsordler, and Asuna have already led their delegations back home.

Freya and Belmody remained at the state guesthouse because they were going to enter the Dragon Dimension with Cohen.

Nephthys also waited for Cohen to go to the Temple of Akoran to find the Key to the Black Rose, so she didn't leave either.

Princess Grace wanted to stay a few more days, but because of her cooperation with Torgue, she needed to verify the information provided by Torgue about the Shazo Group, so she did not stay any longer.

Chief Claire, reminded by Cohen, knew that the Southern Empire was preparing to launch another attack on the Merfolk, and quickly bid farewell to Cohen.

In the blink of an eye, most of the women around Cohen left.

Late at night, after putting Bayonet to sleep, Cohen opened the Book of Time and returned to Effie first.

Such a momentous event as the blessings from the gods naturally needed to be reported to the Queen.

Furthermore, after the martial arts festival ends, the war in the Kingdom of Ceylon will soon resume, and there are many things that the two of them need to discuss.

A flash of light appeared, and Adele was clearly already waiting.

Seeing the perfect face etched into his soul, Cohen had no intention of discussing serious matters and immediately embraced him.

After a passionate, deep kiss, Adele lifted her head from Cohen's embrace, her brows slightly furrowed.
"You have a strange smell."

Cohen was startled. Could it be that he hadn't completely cleansed up the intimacy with Sister Bay earlier?

That's impossible. Cohen is a seasoned veteran; he would definitely pay attention to such a small detail.

Soon, Adele confirmed that the smell was coming from Cohen's chest.

Following Adel's gaze, Cohen's expression shifted slightly, and he took out the semi-divine artifact "Heart of Dawn" that the Goddess of Light, Aetheril, had given him.

Adele's gaze darkened slightly:
"A necklace in the style of women?"

It's a semi-divine artifact, who gave it to me?

Cohen was slightly startled.

When Aetheril gave her the Heart of Dawn, she naturally sealed it, otherwise it wouldn't have been able to hide it from so many gods present.

However, Cohen never expected that Adel would not only see through the necklace he was wearing at a glance, but also accurately determine its level.

This left Cohen puzzled.

If it's because of the divine essence within Adeline, then the Ice Goddess Daphne was also present at the time, and even she herself didn't realize it. Adeline had just reached the Legendary Rank, so how could she have sensed it?

Seeing Cohen's stunned expression, a hint of displeasure flashed across Adele's brow:

"What, you think the necklace I gave you is too low-grade?"

Cohen snapped out of his daze and quickly explained:
"No, sister, this was bestowed by the Goddess of Light, Aetheril Dawn. It was a divine gift from the Noble Martial Arts Festival."

Goddess of Light?

Adele murmured a sentence, her face showing no trace of reverence for an elemental god, and said softly:
Why would she give you a necklace?

Cohen told Adele the whole story.

Adele gently played with the necklace and whispered:
"So, you brought her into the Shadow Dimension before she was willing to give you such a personal item?"

Cohen nodded:

"I heard that the Goddess of Light once had some interaction with the God of Shadow, which may have touched her heart."

Adele narrowed her eyes, her gaze falling on Cohen's face, and asked:

"Haven't you ever wondered why the Shadow Dimension appeared in your body?"

Cohen thought to himself, "This is a setting from a game in my past life. What's there to be curious about?"

Even more outrageous things like time travel have happened, so carrying around a different dimension isn't a big deal.

But he couldn't tell Adel about these things, and could only say that he didn't know either.

Adele held the necklace in her hand and gently stroked it.

Cohen aptly changed the subject:

"Sister, even the gods didn't notice anything unusual about this necklace, how did you know?"

Adele murmured softly:
"How did I know...?"

Adele stared at the necklace, lost in thought.

Suddenly, a terrifying aura that made Cohen tremble and his soul almost annihilate erupted from Adele!
The aura flashed by in an instant, yet it instilled in Cohen an unprecedented sense of terror.

This is a power that even Madora, the most powerful god of prophecy in the divine realm, has never felt!

This fleeting aura even shook the entire Divine Realm! (End of Chapter)