Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Zharhei was filled with shock and bewilderment. He couldn't understand how this god of shadows, who held the power of shadow, assassination, secrecy, and annihilation, could possibly understand this.

How could they have so accurately foreseen this catastrophic disaster three hundred years ago, when the great war between gods and demons was at its zenith and the Black Dragon Clan was at its zenith and had a bright future?
Even Madora, the god of prophecy, couldn't have done that!

The scene from three hundred years ago is still vivid in my mind.

The mysterious god of shadow approached him, who was obsessed with shadow research, and proposed a seemingly absurd deal.

One of the core aspects of the deal was that it clearly pointed out that three hundred years later, his clan would face the desperate situation of being jointly exiled to death by multiple parties.

At that time, Zharhei, relying on the strength of his tribe and his confidence in his own power, scoffed at this sudden prophecy and deal, believing it to be nothing more than a means by which some evil god bewitched people.

At that time, the God of Shadows did not force the issue, but left behind an extremely secret mark that allowed for one-way communication through the Shadow Plane.

He casually said, "You can contact me when you need me," and then disappeared without a trace as if he had never existed.

Now, it has been exactly three hundred years!
The seemingly absurd prophecy of the God of Shadows has now become a bloody reality, word for word.

The combined banishment from the gods, demons, and Dragon Valley is like a death knell, pushing the fate of the entire Black Dragon Clan to the brink of despair.

That "nearly broken sub-plane" sounds like a massive collective graveyard, a graveyard that would utterly annihilate all the black dragons.

This precise grasp of the future, this terrifying ability to treat the river of time as a mere plaything, sent a chill down Zhar's spine.

At this moment, for the sake of its race's survival, this once proud and ancient black dragon had no choice but to completely abandon all dignity and doubt, offering everything to this mysterious and unpredictable deity, begging for the only possible, slim chance of survival.

He waited, waiting for that hoarse voice to pronounce his fate and the future of his entire tribe.

The voice of the God of Shadows remained calm and undisturbed:
"Contact a few dragons you can trust and have them search for a large number of space stones and astral anchors at all costs before the banishment is finally carried out and the space passage is completely closed."

For dragons, who love collecting treasures, these things are no challenge for you.

Zharhei's enormous dragon eyes narrowed sharply, and he instantly understood the Shadow God's intention.

Spacestones can temporarily reinforce fragile spatial structures, while astral anchors can act like ship anchors, temporarily "fixing" a plane in the endless sea to prevent it from drifting away or collapsing completely.

These are valuable resources used to stabilize the plane and buy time in extreme environments.

but……

“Great God, I will carry out your will immediately.”

However, even if the space stone and the astral anchor could be gathered, it would only delay the disintegration process of that subplane, like using planks to barely support a palace that was about to collapse.

This cannot save it from its root cause, nor can it provide a long-term place for our people to live!

The moment he finished speaking, a circle of brilliant blue light unexpectedly rippled out from the deep shadow, the light carrying an indescribable and strange quality.

The light subsided, and a blue diamond, no bigger than a dragon's claw, yet containing immense energy that made even Zarhei's soul tremble, floated silently before him.

Immediately afterwards, the voice of the God of Shadows rang out again, plunging Zalhei into ecstasy:
"The Heart of Time and Space, the pinnacle of the Arcane Empire's civilization, can simulate and even assimilate the most fundamental energy fluctuations of a sub-plane."

They deceived the laws of the plane, making themselves believe that they were still whole and full of vitality.

It's not about repairing, but about giving the plane a complete rebirth.

This means that the dying dimension that was sentenced to "death" will have its decay reversed by the Heart of Time and Space, regain its vitality, and may even become more stable and powerful than before.

This is the true supreme blessing that will allow their people to continue and even turn misfortune into good fortune.

However, great gifts always come at a heavy price.

Almost simultaneously, a soul contract so complex it was dizzying appeared silently before Zharhei.

The words on the contract were not written down, but rather reflected directly in the depths of his soul.

The voice of the Shadow God echoed in the laboratory and was imprinted on Zarhei's soul:

"I have given your people the opportunity to survive and even prosper."

In exchange, you, Zarhei Darkborn, and all your descendants, the entire race you lead, must swear an oath of souls to me, unconditionally and eternally loyal!
Sign it, and the Heart of Time and Space will become your hope.

"If you refuse, then you shall return to nothingness along with that shattered plane!"

……

Cohen's consciousness was like struggling to surface from the deepest ocean, suddenly returning to reality.

The aftershocks of the severe headache still lingered in his head. He took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes.

What came into view were two stunningly beautiful faces bearing almost identical expressions of worry.

Bermotti was right beside him, half-squatting down, her cool, jade-like hand gently pressing against his chest, her eyes full of concern as she carefully assessed his condition.

On the other side, Freya clung tightly to him, barely daring to breathe.

Noticing that Cohen had awakened, Belmody's furrowed brows slowly relaxed. She examined him carefully for a moment and confirmed that the abnormal energy that had suddenly erupted and then subsided within him had subsided and that his soul fluctuations had returned to stability.

He breathed a sigh of relief and withdrew his hand.

Cohen shook his still somewhat dizzy head, gave her and Freya a reassuring look, and said in a slightly hoarse voice:
"What just happened?"

Belmod said in a low voice:

"Just now you suddenly fainted, and in the instant you lost consciousness, an extremely powerful ancient aura suddenly erupted from your body, which even made me feel uneasy."

It feels as if the essence of your life or the level of your soul has suddenly broken through to a height that we cannot understand.

However, it quickly fell back.

A look of deep concentration flashed across Cohen's eyes.

He remained silent for a while, not responding immediately, but instead closing his eyes again, immersing himself in the depths of his consciousness, carefully searching for the origin of his soul.

really!

Among the soul contracts that were deeply connected to him, he clearly sensed a dragon-shaped mark that he had never noticed before, exuding a vast and ancient aura!

The mark was complex and profound, carrying the coldness of shadows and the majesty of the dragon race. Like an ancient shackle, it was a promise that had transcended the long passage of time, and it was tightly intertwined with his soul.

"Isn't this a dream...?"

Cohen muttered to himself, all these fragmented memories pointing to a startling fact—he had some profound connection with this Shadow Rift, with that Shadow Dragonborn ancestor, a connection he still couldn't fully recall.

He forcibly suppressed the turbulent emotions surging within him and temporarily buried these astonishing discoveries deep within his heart.

He opened his eyes again and looked at the enormous "shadow rift" not far ahead, which seemed to have existed since time immemorial and devoured all light.

The answer to everything may lie hidden deep within that crack.

……

A reassuring, relaxed smile returned to Cohen's face. He smiled at his two stunning female companions beside him and said in a light tone:
"Let's go. I just suddenly remembered some forgotten trivia that will be helpful for our next plan."

Seeing that Cohen showed no signs of discomfort or loss of control, and his breathing was steady and normal.

Belmod and Freya exchanged a glance. Although they still had doubts, they trusted him and kept quiet about it, simply nodding silently as they followed Cohen deeper into the dark place.

However, this time, Cohen's behavior was the complete opposite of his previous cautiousness.

Instead, he took the initiative to have Belmody put away the magic he used to shield his aura.

No longer bothering to conceal their whereabouts, the three of them walked openly and boldly through this area that should have been fraught with danger, as if announcing their arrival to some being.

Belmody had almost absolute trust in Cohen, and although she was slightly puzzled by his actions, she did not ask any further questions.

The three continued on their way, and the strange landscape around them began to change significantly.

What was originally just a rugged and dark canyon has gradually been replaced by more twisted and unnaturally formed strange structures.

Huge spatial folds were visible everywhere, and dark puddles that constantly emitted light-absorbing ripples began to appear on the ground.

All of this clearly reminded them that they had officially stepped into the core area of ​​the true influence of the "Shadow Rift".

The term "Shadow Rift" refers to a rift in the vastness of the plane of existence.

Once you delve deeper, you'll discover that this "rift" is far more magnificent than you can imagine, with no end in sight. It's like a strange kingdom, separate from the main plane, composed of shattered space and chaotic shadows.

Even more bizarrely, in many parts of this region, the spatial structure becomes extremely unstable and transparent.

Through those distorted spatial membranes, the strange landscapes of other layers of the Dragon Dimension can be clearly seen—

A sea of ​​scorching, boiling lava; a corner of a cloud palace atop a stormy peak, where lightning flashes and thunder roars; tombstones scattered across a wasteland of bones; and even more distant, unknown landscapes.

These scenes overlapped and intertwined like mirages, creating a strong sense of dizziness and spatial disorientation. As they ventured deeper, the concentration of shadow energy around them increased exponentially, and at the same time, they could clearly sense countless powerful consciousnesses slowly awakening.

An invisible, immense pressure began to permeate the air.

The entrance to the "Shadow Rift" is not a naturally formed, treacherous mountain pass, but a vast, long-abandoned dwarven mine.

In the ancient times before the Shadow Rift was formed, a large dwarven race once lived here, renowned for mining deep rock veins and forging exquisite armor.

They established a prosperous underground city-state here.

Later, the aftershocks of the great war between gods and demons that swept across the multiverse eventually broke through the dimensional barrier of this place, and the violent energy was released, forming this all-consuming "Shadow Rift".

The dwarves' ancestral homeland was largely destroyed in the catastrophe, and countless magnificent palaces and deep mines were completely swallowed or corrupted by the distorted space and the surging shadow energy.

The arrival of the Shadow Dragonborn then completely altered the ecology of this area.

The remaining dwarves and other native races gradually withered and migrated under the rule or expulsion of the Shadow Dragonborn, eventually disappearing completely into the long river of history.

All that remains is this vast and silent ruin, telling the story of past rise and fall.

Judging from the scale of the remaining ruins, this abandoned dwarf mine was once extremely spectacular.

The entrance resembled a hollowed-out mountain belly, incredibly vast, almost half the size of a human city-state.

The massive, rusted and broken railway tracks stretched out from the dark opening, with the wreckage of long-rotted mine carts and huge gears scattered around them.

On the cave walls, one can still vaguely see the rough stone carvings in the style of dwarves and the huge metal frames used for reinforcement.

As the three approached the abandoned mine area, which was filled with deathly silence and shadows, several eerie figures silently "flowed" out from the shadows on the ground and blocked their way.

Shadow Stalker!
A low-level elemental creature formed from a mixture of dense shadow energy and negative emotions.

Their shapes are not fixed; only the positions of their limbs and eyes that flash a faint red light can be barely discerned.

Such creatures also exist in many of the Shadow Planes controlled by Cohen. Their strength is generally only at the Bronze level, and they can hardly play any substantial defensive role. They are more like sentinels and patrol teams.

These shadow stalkers moved silently and swiftly around Cohen and his companions, like weightless ghosts.

They appear to be assessing the threat level of the intruder.

After a while, the lead stalker stopped and emitted a series of hoarse, sharp, eerie syllables, full of warning and a sense of being driven away.

They were met with a pure, vast, and terrifying aura that seemed to originate from the very source of shadow.

The aura within Cohen was like a sleeping ancient beast suddenly awakening. This aura was not a simple energy surge, but rather carried an absolute majesty that surpassed all shadow creatures, originating from the level of soul and life.

The strange noise emitted by the lead Shadow Stalker instantly turned into a agonizing wail.

His body twisted violently, as if he would be completely shattered by the pure pressure of superiority in the next second.

The stalkers behind them couldn't even utter a wail, as if they were being pressed hard to the ground by an invisible giant hand, trembling wildly.

An irresistible, instinctive fear compels them to kneel on the ground almost reflexively, signifying the most humble submission.

It didn't take long.

A muffled rumble grew louder as it approached, and three burly black figures sped out from the depths of the mine at an astonishing speed.

With a few leaps and bounds, it came to a steady stop between Cohen and his two companions and the trembling Shadow Stalkers.

The newcomers were three Shadow Dragon Guards!

Their form is somewhere between humans and dragons; they are typical half-dragons.

They are generally over five meters tall, with bulging muscles, exuding an explosive sense of power.

It retains obvious human features, but has short, sharp black horns on both sides of its forehead, and its cheeks and jaw are covered with fine black scales.

Their arms and legs were completely dragon-like, covered with thick, hard scales.

They have a pair of damaged membranous wings on their backs, which prevent them from flying, but are still strong and powerful, providing them with extra balance when they move at high speeds and helping them to make amazing jumps far beyond that of ordinary people.

This half-dragon race has been the most loyal subordinate race and servant of the dragon race since ancient times.

During the cataclysm in which the entire Black Dragonflight was banished to the Dragon Plane, these half-dragons followed their master without hesitation, arriving in this desolate land together. Through evolution, they became the most loyal protectors of the Shadow Dragonborn.

The energy fluctuations of the three Shadow Dragon Guards before us have all reached the peak of the Silver Rank.

If this level of strength were placed in the main human plane, it would be enough to serve as a high-ranking officer in an army, or to become the guardian of a small or medium-sized town.

However, Cohen's gaze swept over the standard armor they wore, clearly the standard equipment for junior guards.

He immediately deduced that these three formidable half-dragons were probably only equivalent to "elite security guards" guarding important gates in terms of their race.

This discovery sent a slight chill down Cohen's spine.

This undoubtedly indicates that the average level of extraordinary abilities across the entire Dragon Plane, especially the core strength below the top-level military power, is likely higher than that of the human main plane.

The rules of survival here are clearly harsher, and the power hierarchy is much stricter.

Cohen and the other two did not deliberately conceal their auras, especially Belmody. Even though she had reduced most of her pressure, the invisible pressure unique to legendary powerhouses, at the level of life itself, still permeated the air as if it were a tangible thing.

The three Shadow Dragon Guards immediately felt the chilling pressure.

Their faces, which had been contorted with wariness and hostility at being alerted by the intruders, instantly became incredibly solemn and tense.

Even in the Dragon Plane, a place where extraordinary creatures gather and energy concentration is extremely high, legendary-level beings are still extremely rare strategic forces standing at the top of the pyramid.

Even the most gifted and long-lived pure-blooded dragons need to safely navigate a long growth period before they can naturally raise their strength to the legendary rank after reaching maturity.

The sudden appearance of a legendary, unfamiliar powerhouse at the entrance to one's own core territory is enough to make any guard feel on high alert.

The three Shadow Dragon Guards fixed their gazes on Belmody, whose oppressive aura was in no way inferior to that of the mature pure-blooded dragons in their prime.

They were well aware that humans from the Prime Material Plane were coveting the resources and mysteries of the Dragon Plane.

But in the past, which human didn't sneak around, trying their best to hide their tracks, fearing being discovered and surrounded?

It was utterly unbelievable that these three people would appear so openly and blatantly in front of their door.

What puzzled them even more was the golden-level human next to them; they felt an even deeper pressure emanating from this man.

It wasn't an overwhelming force on an energy level, but rather the pressure of an absolute superior at the level of the origin of life, as if they had encountered a natural enemy or the source of their bloodline, making them instinctively want to kneel.

The leading Shadow Dragon Guard suppressed the turmoil and discomfort in his heart and once again uttered those hoarse and eerie syllables, a mixture of dragon language and native speech:

"Who are you people, and what are you doing here!"

Cohen paused, then emitted a peculiar syllable from his throat—an extremely ancient, elegant sound, filled with a mysterious rhythm and shadowy fluctuations:

"Is your progenitor, Zarhei the Darkborn, still alive?"

Zarhei the Darkborn!
The name struck like a silent thunderbolt, resounding deep within the souls of the three Shadow Dragon Guards.

This is the acknowledged progenitor of their Shadow Dragonborn race, the source of their bloodline, and the founder of all their glory and power!
According to ancient memory fragments and secret records passed down through generations within the clan, this ancestor had already reached the pinnacle of power ten thousand years ago, reaching a terrifying level equivalent to a mid-level deity.

Now, although the progenitor has not directly displayed miracles before his people for a long time, almost all the people understand that the progenitor's strength has long since reached a level no less than that of powerful gods.

The three half-dragons, who were at the very bottom of their race, were shocked and terrified to see that this young human of the Gold rank had so brazenly mentioned the name of their progenitor.

The three-headed half-dragon was trembling all over, not knowing how to respond.

Seeing their terrified expressions, Cohen simply smiled and continued:

"If Zhalhei is not here, his descendants will do. Tell the person in charge now that I am here to fulfill the promise I made to their ancestor!"

The agreement, the agreement of the progenitor!

This news is even more shocking than directly calling out the ancestor's name.

A promise that may have spanned ten thousand years, a promise made by the progenitor and to be fulfilled by a human being?

The information contained behind this was completely beyond the comprehension of the three low-level dragon guards, leaving their minds almost completely blank.

The immense shock even temporarily overwhelmed the fear.

The leading dragon guard jolted awake, finally recovering from his petrified state.

He gave Cohen a deep look, his eyes filled with unspeakable awe and confusion, then abruptly turned and roared at his two companions:
"Quickly! Go and report to the elder!"
State of emergency! (End of Chapter)