Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Adeline opened her eyes in the bath, her mind returning to normal, and she composed herself.

Soon, a splashing sound came from behind.

Then Cohen's warm chest pressed against hers, his arms naturally encircling her waist, and he buried his face in her neck, breathing deeply.

Greedily inhaling the queen's fragrant scent, Cohen gazed at the "Heart of Dawn" necklace hanging before Adele, his fingers gently caressing the curves of her lower abdomen, and softly asked:
"If you don't like it, you can keep this necklace here."

I'll ask you for it when I need it for the Elf Queen.

Adele looked down at the shimmering Heart of Dawn in her palm, a gentle smile playing on her lips, and said:
"If I were jealous, where would all these queens come from in your palace?"

Carry it with you at all times.

Cohen chuckled and pulled her closer, kissing her collarbone amidst the rippling water.

After lingering for a while, the two began to discuss serious matters, and Cohen took the opportunity to talk about his plans for the near future...

……

As expected, the Noble Council was initially reluctant to acknowledge the matter concerning the Dragon Plane.

It's not that I want to renege on the reward, but I'll just say that a drastic change has suddenly occurred within the Dragon Plane.

Out of concern for His Highness the Emperor's safety, we hope to postpone this matter for the time being.

However, with the combined efforts of several factions within the empire, Heisenberg ultimately couldn't resist and obediently brought out the Dragon Plane.

This is a top-secret facility hidden deep beneath the Noble House, with a level of security no less than that of the Heart of the Rock.

The room was circular, and the walls were cast from a single piece of dark silver metal that could completely isolate energy fluctuations and mental detection. The metal was smooth as a mirror and cold and silent.

A huge crystal ball floats in the center of the dome, its soft yet cold light shining down and illuminating the few people in the room, who represent the core of power at the very top of the Central Empire.

Empress Shinise Klein sat in the main seat.

She wasn't dressed in elaborate formal attire, but rather in a neatly tailored dark-colored court dress. Her long golden hair was pulled up, revealing her beautifully shaped neck and flawless face.

To her left sat, in order, Prince Heinz Klein, dressed in a crisp marshal's uniform; the amiable-faced Prime Minister, Duke Hayes Glenn; and the refined-looking Foreign Minister, Marquis Beren Windrunner.

Opposite Her Majesty the Empress was only one person, the chief of the House of Nobles, Duke Heisenberg Wertheimer, who possessed the composure and perseverance befitting a leader of a thousand-year-old noble family.

At this moment, Chief Heisenberg was bowing slightly, explaining to Empress Shanes in a steady and earnest voice, filled with impeccable respect:
"Please don't worry, Your Majesty. Regarding the opening of the Dragon Plane, the Noble Council has absolutely no intention of violating the rules of the Martial Arts Festival or reneging on the rewards."

This matter concerns the reputation of the Empire, and the House of Nobles would never do such an unwise thing.

This is because the Dragon Dimension has recently experienced extremely drastic and unprecedented abnormal changes.

The intensity and range of the chaotic storm surged, the spatial rifts became extremely unstable, and even signs of awakening and agitation were detected in several dormant ancient dragon kings.

The danger level of the entire plane has been raised to the highest level.

His Highness the Imperial Consort is of noble status, a treasure of the empire, and a pillar of His Majesty's esteem.

In the event of any mishap during the exploration, the House of Nobles cannot bear the responsibility.

We are only asking for permission to postpone this exploration because we are deeply concerned for His Highness the Emperor's safety.

It is a rare privilege for our Central Empire to have such an outstanding and promising royal consort as His Highness Corleone.

The members of the House of Peers held him in the highest esteem and did not wish to see any accidents occur.

"To be frank, Your Majesty, even our internal research and development team, faced with such a dramatic change, has decided to temporarily seal the dimensional entrance and observe for at least ten months until the dimensional environment becomes relatively stable before resuming operations."

Heisenberg's words were impeccable and sincere.

They completely absolved themselves of any suspicion of trying to renege on their debts, shifting all responsibility to the "force majeure" dimensional anomaly, and firmly pinning their starting point on the impeccable banner of "for the safety of the Emperor's consort."

The atmosphere in the enclosed room was somewhat stagnant.

Prime Minister Hayes maintained a smile, but his eyes seemed thoughtful.

Beren, however, wore a sneer, clearly harboring great skepticism about the veracity of Heisenberg's words.

Prince Heinz remained with his eyes closed, resting on his knees, his fingers tapping lightly.

Empress Xenia listened quietly, her beautiful face showing no sign of emotion.

She smiled gently only after Heisenberg had finished speaking:

"Sir, you are probably overthinking things. Cohen and I are very grateful for your concern."

However, you may already know something about Cohen's personality.

He's always been daring and enjoys challenges. The more dangerous and mysterious a place is, the more curious he becomes and the more he wants to try it out.

Sanes sighed softly, looking every bit like a wife helpless against her capricious husband:

"I tried to persuade him, saying that with the dimensional changes, safety should be the top priority. But he... sigh, I really couldn't persuade him."

A barely perceptible glint flashed in Chief Heisenberg's eyes, and he immediately followed suit, his face displaying an expression of utmost admiration and respect, as if deeply impressed by Cohen's courage:

"His Highness the Emperor is indeed no ordinary person."

This courageous and enterprising spirit, fearless attitude towards challenges, and heroic spirit that regards dangers as nothing are truly admirable.

"Truly a peerless figure worthy of winning His Majesty's favor and claiming the laurel wreath of the Martial Arts Festival!"

With impeccable solemnity, Chief Heisenberg picked up a thick file from the table beside him, sealed in some kind of dark dragon scale material.

She handed it to Beren behind Shanes and said:

"This is the most detailed first-hand intelligence data about the Demon Dragon Plane that our Noble Academy's Dimensional Exploration Department has compiled over thousands of years, with countless efforts and sacrifices."

This includes detailed dimensional maps, records of the distribution and habits of known dragon races, resource point markings, and detailed warnings for the most dangerous areas.

Hopefully, this information will offer some small assistance to His Highness's exploration journey, helping him avoid risks and achieve some success.

Cohen's father-in-law, Beren, took the documents, his expression quite intriguing.

Shanis, on the other hand, seemed completely absorbed in her concern for Cohen's safety:
"Okay, I'll thank you on behalf of Cohen, sir."

A harmonious and friendly atmosphere prevailed between the ruler and his subjects.

Not long after, the door slid open silently to both sides, breaking the atmosphere inside.

Led by several tall and elegant Rose Guards, three figures entered the room that symbolized the Empire's top secrets.

The leader was naturally Cohen, who instantly became the undisputed focus of the entire secret room the moment he entered.

The two people following closely behind, like two stunning beauties flanking him, also attracted everyone's attention.

On the left is Belmod Vineyard, the Emerald Duke of Effie, who has ascended to the top as the new "Strongest Legend" with an absolute crushing victory.

The expressionless face, which could outshine everything else, annoyed Xenia.

Why are there always so many beautiful women around Cohen?
On the right is Freya, the princess who restored Ceylon, and the winner of the "Strongest Bronze" title in this year's Martial Arts Festival.

She was wearing a simple yet elegant white dress.

Her beauty is completely different from Belmod's – warm, bright, like the early spring sunshine, yet with a touch of the resilience and nobility unique to a princess who has restored her kingdom.

Heisenberg's gaze immediately locked onto Belmody.

The fact that a "legendary figure of the highest order" has joined his opposing camp is definitely not good news for Heisenberg.

Prince Heinz paid particular attention to the princess who was restoring the kingdom and was standing next to Cohen.

He saw not only Freya's stunning beauty, but also the political value and strategic potential she represented.

Recently, Freya's reputation as the "strongest bronze" has spread throughout the continent, and with the deliberate hype and promotion by certain forces with ulterior motives (the Central Seven Cities Alliance within the Kingdom of Ceylon and the true legitimate royal resistance force, the Crown Thorn Society).

A brand new and even more dazzling title, "The Most Beautiful Woman in Mainland China," is rapidly becoming associated with her.

The title of "Strongest Bronze" means that she possesses potential and strength far exceeding those of her peers.

The title of "China's No. 1 Beauty" is attracting immeasurable attention and potential support for her and the Ceylon restoration cause she represents.

Prince Heinz could almost foresee that once Cohen fully supported Freya's successful restoration of her kingdom, then with Effie at the core, united with the newly formed Kingdom of Ceylon, and with Cohen's own unfathomable strength and influence, they would be able to achieve great things.

The landscape of the Northwest continent will be completely rewritten.

The Efein-Ceylon Alliance will be able to form a three-way balance of power with the Western and Northern Empires.

This will have a profound impact on the strategic balance across the continent, and Cohen's bargaining chips are increasing at an alarming rate.

The other bigwigs in the secret room, the Prime Minister Duke Glenn, still wore an unfathomable smile, while the Foreign Minister Marquis Beren looked at his "son-in-law" and the two stunning beauties beside him with complicated eyes—especially the rising princess who had restored her kingdom.

Although everyone had many complex thoughts, they all flashed through their minds like lightning.

Because Cohen had already walked to the center of the room.

At this moment, in this place, his identity has changed; he is no longer merely the king of the small northwestern kingdom of Efein.

He was the consort of the most powerful empire in human history—the Central Empire.

He is the fiancé chosen by Empress Shanes Klein and, in law, a co-ruler who holds half of the empire's sovereignty.

This identity, like an invisible halo and scepter, granted him a transcendent status that placed him above the vast majority of people present.

Even Heisenberg, the powerful chief of the House of Nobles, and Prince Heinz, the Minister of War who commanded a million soldiers, had to show due respect before imperial law and imperial power.

The group bowed to Cohen in turn.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries and greetings, everyone got down to business.

Heisenberg first took out three fist-sized dragon-shaped crystals. These crystals were not transparent crystals, but rather seemed to contain flowing liquid energy inside.

The dragon scale patterns carved on the surface were exquisitely detailed, containing powerful spatial positioning and protective capabilities. Heisenberg solemnly handed the three dragon-shaped crystals to Cohen, Belmody, and Freya respectively.

Then he said:

"Your Highness, ladies, this is a Dragon Soul Beacon specially made by the Noble Council. Please infuse a wisp of your soul power into it one by one."

His gaze was mainly fixed on Cohen as he explained:

"The beacon can only be most effective when it is bound to the souls of the three beings."

Cohen took the crystal, not worried that Heisenberg might have tampered with it.

He now has two goddesses at the level of elemental gods protecting him, so even if Heisenberg wanted to do something, he wouldn't have the ability.

Moreover, Cohen's own perception of energy and rules was already beyond that of ordinary people.

He gently stroked the crystal with his fingertips, his divine sense sweeping over its internal structure—the structure was stable, the energy was pure, and the core was a complex spatial teleportation array, indeed related to the soul binding. He did not find any obvious malicious traps or hidden runes.

After the soul power was infused, the dragon scale patterns on the surface of the crystal lit up instantly, the liquid golden light inside flowed faster, and the crystal became more warm and smooth, as if it had established an invisible connection with Cohen.

Belmody and Freya followed suit, equally confident in their abilities and Cohen's judgment.

The three Dragon Soul Beacons were quickly bound to each other.

Heisenberg secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said gently:

"If anything unexpected happens in the dimension, you can be teleported out by crushing the crystal at any time."

Even if no danger is encountered and the beacon is not actively crushed, the pre-set magic circle inside the beacon will reach its time limit and automatically break after thirty days.

At that time, all three will be teleported back together.

The Dragon Plane has a unique environment, filled with dense and violent ancient dragon energy.

Thirty days is a relatively safe critical period.

If one remains within this time limit, even a legendary figure may have their soul and body gradually eroded and assimilated by the dragon energy.

Ultimately, an irreversible and terrifying mutation occurred, and they even degenerated into dragon-born monsters who only knew how to kill.

Of course, as a master of Dragon Seal weapons, Cohen had no such concerns.

Heisenberg gave him this crystal, infusing it with his soul power, precisely to prevent this kid from lingering inside and refusing to leave.

He coughed lightly, his voice becoming much more serious:
"Your Highness, ladies, before the three of you step into the Dragon Plane, there are some things I must emphasize again."

The Dragon Plane is no ordinary secret realm or treasure trove. It is a dragon's purgatory, a chaotic abyss.

It is a gathering place for a group of black dragons who have been exiled for tens of thousands of years and harbor resentment.

The term "dragon race" is just a general term.

Although they all originate from the black dragon clan of the abyss of hell and share a violent and powerful bloodline, there are many factions and groups within them.

Different species possess their own unique dragon language magic systems, drastically different lifestyles, and even vastly different survival philosophies and beliefs.

Some species dwell in the lava sea, feeding on the essence of the earth's fire; others soar above the storm peaks, wielding lightning; still others lurk in the dark abyssal fissures, keeping company with the shadows...

The struggles between species are also exceptionally fierce. Their fights, feuds, and territorial disputes are intense, brutal, and utterly irrational.

The scale of these conflicts far surpasses that of wars waged by mortal empires. Once one is inadvertently drawn into the vortex of conflict between these races, even a Saint-level expert would find it extremely difficult to escape unscathed.

Remember, in any plane, stay away from any large-scale dragon swarms or conflict zones.

Furthermore, the Dragon Plane is not only inhabited by dragons.

It was a shattered plane that had been eroded by chaotic energy for countless epochs, and its spatial structure was extremely unstable.

Occasionally, bizarre and incomprehensible creatures are thrown into the plane from the turbulent currents of the endless void and tenaciously survive in the harsh environment.

Some of these creatures are powerful ancient magical beasts, while others are even more bizarre, indescribable, and inexplicable by common sense.

They may not possess the immense power of dragons, but they often have extremely strange and unpredictable abilities.

When encountering them, one must also be extremely vigilant.

Besides these living creatures, the most terrifying thing about the Dragon Plane is the chaotic storms that are capable of tearing apart legendary realms.

That was a destructive energy tide that spontaneously formed after the laws of the plane itself became extremely chaotic.

I would like to offer my advice to the three of you based on the thousands of years of exploration experience of the House of Nobles.

If you see even the slightest sign of a chaotic storm on the horizon, do not hesitate or take any chances.

Immediately! Right now! Crush the spatial crystals in your hands.

Escape is the only option.

Well, that's all I wanted to say. I wish Your Highness a safe journey.

Heisenberg's seemingly earnest warning was not an exaggeration.

Of course, he wasn't that kind-hearted; exaggerating the dangers of the Dragon Plane was purely to get Cohen to return from the Dragon Plane sooner.

However, the Dragon Realm is indeed much more dangerous. That Dragon Kingdom, corrupted by chaotic energy, is a moving graveyard for most explorers.

Generally speaking, without strength at the Gold rank or above and extensive experience in surviving different planes, entering this realm is tantamount to courting death.

That's why Cohen initially disagreed with Freya going along.

In his original plan, only Belmody was supposed to accompany him. With Belmody by his side, the two of them would be able to handle most unexpected situations.

However, Freya's attitude was unusually firm.

"Whether ahead lies a throne or an abyss, I should stand by your side, not wait in the safety of the rear."

Her stubbornness and dignity as a princess who had restored her kingdom, as well as her deep-seated attachment and trust in Cohen, made it impossible for her to accept being excluded from this crucial adventure.

Cohen eventually gave in.

Fortunately, Cohen has plenty of trump cards; the Shadow Dimension is his backyard.

If he so desired, he could take Freya and Belmody and escape into that shadow dimension intertwined with reality at any time, avoiding most physical and energy-related dangers.

This is an absolutely safe zone that even the Chaos Storm cannot completely affect, not to mention the Book of Time and Space, a divine artifact capable of traversing planes.

With these two absolutely safe trump cards, the danger level of the Dragon Plane was greatly reduced in Cohen's mind.

Let's treat this exploration as a special interdimensional journey.

Ever since he dragged Freya, a girl who should have been enjoying flowers and poetry, into the cruel plan to restore the Kingdom of Ceylon.

She has endured far more pressure, danger, and choices than her age should have.

She witnessed the cruelty of war, participated in political maneuvering, and grew up rapidly amidst blood and fire. She was forced to bury her girlish tenderness deep inside and arm herself with strength and courage.

Freya did it so perfectly that Cohen sometimes forgot about it.

She is essentially still a young girl who needs to be cared for, pampered, and to experience the beauty of the world.

Although this journey to the Dragon Realm is fraught with danger, it is also an opportunity to escape the turmoil of the mortal world, temporarily forget the heavy responsibility of restoring the country, and experience the magnificence and wonder of different worlds.
With him and Belmody by his side, and with an absolutely safe escape route guaranteed, the risks of this "trip" have been minimized.

So, all that's left is companionship and compensation.

Accompany her to see the most primitive and magnificent otherworldly scenery belonging to dragons and magic, which can never be seen in the mortal world.

everything's ready.

In the center of the secret chamber, on the teleportation platform, all the complex runes were lit up, emitting a chilling spatial energy fluctuation.

Heisenberg's chief stepped forward and stood at the edge of the platform.

He formed a complex and ancient hand seal in front of his chest and began to chant a long, obscure incantation with the unique rhythm of the dragon language.

The sound was not loud, but it seemed to resonate with the spatial structure of the entire enclosed room.

As the incantation was performed, the space in the center of the platform began to distort violently.

It was as if an invisible hand was tearing apart the boundary between reality and illusion.

Soon, a spatial vortex about two meters in diameter, with extremely unstable edges, and flickering and swaying wildly like a broken mirror, slowly emerged.

Anyone could see at a glance that this was a temporary, extremely unstable space passage filled with unknown risks.

This reflects both the instability of the spatial structure of the Dragon Plane itself and subtly reveals the attitude of the Noble Council in not giving its all in terms of "technical support".

Shanis's gaze fell on Cohen, her imperial majesty fading slightly, revealing a hint of barely perceptible worry and concern.

He whispered a few words of advice, the content of which were nothing more than "be careful in everything," "prioritize your own safety," and "do not act recklessly."

Finally, her gaze shifted to the stunningly beautiful and aloof Grand Duke Vermouth Vineyard beside Cohen, who seemed like the embodiment of the abyss.

Shanis and Belmody's eyes met briefly in mid-air.

Between the two women, both stunningly beautiful and powerful, yet with vastly different auras, there seemed to be an invisible spark.

Shanis's expression was complicated. After a moment of silence, she said softly:
"Take care of him."

Belmod's eyes blinked almost imperceptibly, which was his response.

Beren gave Cohen a look, and Cohen nodded slightly, indicating that his father-in-law could rest assured.

Having done all this, Cohen no longer hesitated.

He glanced left and right at his two strikingly different yet equally stunning female companions, grasped their cool, jade-like wrists, and stepped into the spatial vortex! (End of Chapter)