Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Not long after the half-dragon guard disappeared into the shadows deep within the mine, several powerful auras surged forth from the depths of the mine like a tidal wave.

The terrifying pressure caused the low-level Shadow Stalkers and weaker Shadow Creatures around them to instantly collapse to the ground as if crushed by an invisible mountain.

Soon, several figures flew over at a speed beyond visual perception and silently stopped in front of Cohen and his two companions.

The newcomers were three middle-aged men dressed in simple black robes, with stiff and cold expressions.

They look no different from humans, but upon closer inspection, one can discover that they lack any of the life force or emotional fluctuations that humans should possess.

Rather, it is a cold, ancient, abyssal silence.

Without a doubt, these are three pure-blooded shadow dragons who have reached the legendary rank and can freely transform into human form.

They are the true leaders and pillars of the Shadow Dragonborn.

The moment the three dragons appeared, they focused their attention on Belmody, who was standing next to Cohen.

As fellow legendary figures, they could clearly sense the danger emanating from this woman.

It was an extremely restrained yet boundless power that made them feel immense pressure.

An instinctive intuition warned them: even if the three of them joined forces, they would probably find it difficult to contend with this unfathomable woman.

But soon, the three of them were drawn to Cohen.

Because Cohen began to exude an indescribable, extremely pure, shadowy aura.

As beings born from the power of shadow and using it as their source of strength, the Shadow Dragonborn possess an extremely keen perception of shadow energy.

The shadowy aura emanating from Cohen was ancient and noble.

As if originating from the source of all shadows, it gave them an irresistible tremor and resonance from the depths of their blood.

This is a shadow power that no ordinary person could possess; it is even closer to the origin than the power that these Shadow Dragonborn, who are naturally compatible with it, possess.

Combined with the incoherent and terrified report from the half-dragon guards, and witnessing firsthand the extremely illogical and pure shadow aura emanating from Cohen that made their blood tremble, they were truly impressed.

An unprecedented solemnity instantly settled on the faces of the three Shadow Dragonborn elders.

His expression was a mixture of deep confusion and a hint of barely perceptible unease.

After a brief silence, the leading Shadow Dragonborn elder voiced his undisguised doubt:
"Who are you people? Where does this power in your body come from?"

Furthermore, how dare you address the progenitor by his name!

Since our Shadow Dragonborn were banished here and reborn in darkness, we have never had any so-called 'agreement' with any outsiders.

Don't talk nonsense here!

Cohen's lips curled slightly, and with a thought, the ancient and mysterious dragon-shaped contract mark deep within his soul was suddenly activated.

A noble and dazzling golden light burst forth from the source of his soul. Although invisible, it instantly pierced through reality, causing the souls of the three legendary dragons to tremble violently.

At the same time, the space behind Cohen seemed to be distorted by an invisible force, and a huge, deep phantom, seemingly containing endless shadow power, appeared out of thin air.

It exudes a majesty that originates from the same source as Cohen, but is even more vast and ancient.

Cohen's voice became much lower:

"It seems that Zharhei has not kept our promise from back then."

Did he not even pass on the glory and responsibility of this covenant to his descendants?

As the shadow behind Cohen emerged, the three legendary dragons before him trembled violently.

A terrifying thought, originating from the deepest part of their bloodline and utterly irresistible, instantly swept over their entire consciousness.

Soul contract!

It is the power of the highest-level, most inviolable soul contract!

They were acutely aware that deep within the soul of this young human lay a terrifying contract that could exert absolute pressure on their entire race and the very source of their bloodline.

This prevented them from even having the slightest thought of resistance, leaving them only with instinctive awe and obedience.

This cruel reality, amidst their boundless shock, also instilled in them an overwhelming fear and an unbearable sense of humiliation.
How could a great and proud dragon, standing at the pinnacle of all living beings, have a soul contract planted by a mere human?

This was simply unbelievable, overturning all their understanding and pride.

Cohen sneered, and the enormous, suffocating shadowy phantom behind him receded like a tide.

The pure, ancient dragon language echoed clearly at the entrance to this desolate mine:
"It seems my old friend really doesn't want to admit it. If that's the case, then I'll just have to take the 'Heart of Time and Space'!"

As soon as the words were spoken, a voice filled with the vicissitudes of life rang in everyone's ears:

"The three little ones are still inexperienced and know very little about the ancient secrets of the clan."

"My lord, we, the Shadow Dragonborn, have always upheld the agreement made long ago."

The moment the voice rang out, an immense and boundless pressure, far exceeding the legendary level, swept across the entire area, instantly calming all the restless energy and uneasy emotions.

Yet it makes everyone who senses its existence feel their own insignificance from the depths of their soul.

A being of saintly caliber!

Immediately afterward, to the utter astonishment of the three Shadow Dragonborn elders, an old man dressed in a simple gray robe silently emerged from the shadows at the deepest part of the mine.

Upon seeing the old man appear, the three originally arrogant legendary dragons instantly displayed disbelief, shock, and utmost respect in their eyes.

Almost instinctively, they stepped forward, their massive bodies involuntarily bending slightly before the seemingly ordinary old man, their voices filled with awe:
"Elder, why did you come out in person?"

They never expected that this pillar of their race, who had long since withdrawn from worldly affairs and spent years in the deepest part of the holy land comprehending the true meaning of shadow, would be alarmed!

The Shadow Dragonborn Elder waved his hand, his voice calm:

"Everyone, go down. I'll handle things here."

Tell the children to do their jobs, not to panic, and that everything will continue as usual.

Don't tell anyone else about what happened here.

The three legendary dragons were filled with turbulent waves of doubt, their hearts brimming with unanswerable questions.

But under the unquestionable authority of the clan's elder, they dared not disobey in the slightest.

Forcibly suppressing all confusion and shock, he quietly retreated as quickly as possible, leaving this space entirely to the Grand Elder and the three mysterious guests.

The surroundings fell silent once more, with only the faint light emanating from the dark moss flickering slightly.

The elder then turned his gaze entirely to Cohen, the legendary figure beside him radiating a chilling aura, and Freya, who was curiously observing their surroundings.

His deep eyes gleamed with a complex light, reflecting a scrutiny of the unknown, a longing for the distant past, and an indelible reverence buried deep in his blood and soul.

Ultimately, all these emotions culminated in a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of millennia:
"My lord, after ten thousand years, you... have finally returned."

A hint of confusion flashed in Cohen's eyes, as if he was momentarily bewildered by the title.

But soon, some deeper fragment of memory filled the void, his eyes quickly cleared, and he said in a calm tone:
“Ferguson, I’ve met you before. You are Zarhei’s youngest disciple.”

The 'Heart of Time and Space' that sustained this place back then, Zhalhei sealed it within the very essence of your soul.

This is how you perfectly evaded the repeated and meticulous searches by the gods and demons, preserving the last flame of hope for your race.

Elder Ferguson shuddered. The last trace of doubt and hope in his heart vanished completely at that moment.

Aside from the progenitor Zharhei himself and himself, who personally experienced the event back then, only one other person knows this secret!

He gazed at the human before him, who, from the perspective of the extraordinary level, seemed as insignificant as an ant to him, and bowed slightly with utmost respect:

"Please come with me, gentlemen. This is not the place to talk."

Cohen gave Belmody and Freya a reassuring look, indicating that they didn't need to worry.

The three then followed Elder Ferguson into the core territory of the Shadow Dragonborn.

Led by the Grand Elder, the group ventured deep into the heart of the "Shadow Rift," encountering numerous dragons along the way.

Some retained their majestic dragon forms, coiled up in the enormous caverns, breathing in and out shadow energy.

Some of them take human form and move among the magnificent halls or corridors carved into the rock walls.

However, with the Grand Elder covering their tracks, none of the dragons discovered the three's whereabouts.

The deeper you go into the crevice, the stranger the environment becomes.

The space is no longer stable, and subtle distortions and folds often appear.

Belmody was particularly acutely aware that a violent and ancient spatial fluctuation, mixed with the energy rhythm emanating from an unimaginably vast energy core, was constantly emanating from the deepest depths. Cohen narrowed his eyes, and combining the fragments of awakened memories with his current perception, he already knew in his heart where this holy dragon was taking them.

It is the ultimate core that sustains the existence of this land.

After traveling for an unknown amount of time in the winding downward passage, and passing through countless seemingly naturally formed barriers that were actually powerful protective formations, the view before me suddenly opened up.

The extreme darkness, enough to devour all light, was suddenly replaced by a soft yet vast azure light.

Everyone instinctively looked toward the source of the blue light.

In the center of this enormous underground cavity, a massive altar made of colossal stones inlaid with countless silver, star-like runes stood majestically.

Above the altar, a blue diamond floated, slowly rotating.

With each slow rotation, it creates visible ripples of azure space.

These ripples, imbued with the power of order, spread out and permeated the surrounding void, even the very foundation of the entire plane.

It is this force that is constantly smoothing out, repairing, and even reshaping this sub-plane that should have been on the verge of collapse, giving it new life and maintaining a strange stability and vitality.

The ultimate crystallization of the Arcane Empire's civilization, a supreme miracle artifact possessing the power to steal spacetime and reshape the order of planes—the "Heart of Spacetime"!
Cohen's gaze did not linger long on the dazzling "Heart of Time and Space," but instead focused more on the base that supported and secured this supreme creation—six dragon-shaped chains of different shapes, yet all exuding a majestic aura.

These six chains are not made of ordinary iron; they are formed from six strands of dragon-blooded primal power, radiating a completely different yet equally chilling pressure:

The central one is naturally composed of pure shadow energy, as black as ink, as if it can absorb all light, blending into the environment of the altar and the entire rift.

The other five chains are chains with blue-white arcs of electricity leaping across them, radiating a violent and intense aura of thunder; chains shrouded in ghostly mist, radiating a cold and deathly aura of the dead.

The dark red chains, like solidified magma, exuded a scorching, boiling aura of fire.

The eerie green chains emitted ominous, corrosive bubbles and exuded a sinister, toxic odor.

And a pure black chain that exudes an ancient and pure black dragon aura and carries the most primal dragon might.

Cohen instantly realized that these six chains corresponded to the Shadow Dragonborn, Thunder Dragonborn, Mourning Dragonborn, Molten Dragonborn, Corruption Dragonborn, and the Black Dragonborn who maintained a relatively pure bloodline—the six major dragonborn races that now dominate the Dragon Plane.

The Grand Elder noticed that Cohen's gaze was fixed on the six dragon-shaped chains and, as if to explain, said:
"According to the progenitor, after the progenitor obtained the 'Heart of Time and Space' from the adults, my Shadow Dragonborn clan alone was simply unable to find enough space stones and astral anchors to stabilize the plane and activate the Heart of Time and Space in the short time before the exile order was finally carried out."

In addition, at that time, only the progenitor had reached the level of a god within the clan. With the power of a single dragon god, he was simply unable to perfectly embed and stabilize this creation, which contained the highest wisdom of the Arcane Empire, in the most vulnerable core of the plane.

Therefore, he secretly contacted five other exiled dragons who possessed power at the level of dragon gods—the progenitors of the current Thunder Dragonborn, Mourning Dragonborn, Molten Dragonborn, Corruption Dragonborn, and Pureblood Black Dragonborn.

They were tasked with collecting sufficient space stones and astral anchors. Finally, the six dragon gods joined forces to seal the Heart of Time and Space within the Shadow Rift, where the dimensional rules were most severely disrupted and the rift was most prone to disintegration.

It forcibly reshaped and stabilized the foundation of the entire plane.

The six dragon gods made a joint vow to protect the precious 'Heart of Time and Space' that holds together the common home of all the exiles.

These six chains are both part of the seal and an eternal testament to that ancient vow.

Cohen withdrew his gaze from the Heart of Time and Space and the six dragon-shaped chains, his gaze returning to Elder Ferguson, his tone calm and indifferent:
"Zarhei shouldn't have fallen yet, right?"

Elder Ferguson looked at Cohen, remained silent for a moment, seemingly carefully choosing his words:

"Sir, you are now..."

He simply couldn't connect the mysterious and unpredictable "God of Shadow" in his memory, who could manifest the laws of shadow with a wave of his hand and speak on equal terms with the Dragon God, with the young human youth in front of him, whose life force was young and whose extraordinary level had just stepped into the Gold rank.

Cohen seemed to see through his thoughts, casually waving his hand to interrupt his probing:
"You don't need to worry about me. You should be able to sense the soul contract within me."

"Just tell me, Zharhei, and his descendants, do they still acknowledge this debt?"

Upon hearing this, Elder Ferguson immediately suppressed all his doubts and confusion.

When it came to the ancestral oath and the clan's faith, his expression instantly became extremely solemn, and he responded in a deep voice:
"Of course I'll acknowledge it."

"Our progenitor and my Shadow Dragonborn clan have never forgotten the promise and kindness we made back then."

Then, a hint of helplessness appeared in his tone:
"But the Ancestor left the Dragon Realm three hundred years ago..."

Cohen immediately interrupted the Grand Elder and said slowly:

"Zarhei dares to violate the ban?"

The Grand Elder shook his head and explained:
"No, sir, you've misunderstood."

It was not that the Ancestor left without permission, but rather that he received a direct order from the 'Council of Gods', requiring them to go to the Endless Void.

Besides the progenitor, there are five other dragon gods.

The ancestor never said why he summoned the six dragon gods to the endless void.

They all answered the call at the same time three hundred years ago.

This news made Cohen's eyes deepen once again.

The six dragon gods departed simultaneously upon being summoned by the Council of the Supreme Gods.
The information hidden behind this seems to be far greater than he had anticipated.

Cohen suppressed his emotions and continued:

"Since you are willing to honor the agreement from back then, I will get straight to the point."

He paused slightly, looking directly at Ferguson:
"I am prepared to liberate your people and enable you to return to the Prime Material Plane."

Upon hearing this, Elder Ferguson's dragon eyes suddenly contracted.

He had expected the other party to make outrageous demands, such as requiring massive resources, submission, or even control of the Heart of Time and Space.

But to their utter surprise, the other party's words were a promise to grant them, these sinners who had been exiled for millennia, a chance to return to the main plane!
The stark contrast left him momentarily incredulous.

However, he was, after all, a sage who had weathered many storms, and he quickly calmed down from his initial shock.

Every great gift comes with a corresponding price.

He considered a possibility, his expression turned serious again, and he asked slowly:
"Does the master mean that we should sign a master-servant agreement?"
"Trade the freedom of the entire tribe for a ticket to escape this cage?"

Cohen snapped his fingers and said:

"Besides signing a contract and becoming part of my power, can you find any other way to safely leave this Dragon Realm, which is jointly sealed off by the gods and demons?"

The Grand Elder's expression turned much more solemn. He hesitated for a moment, but finally said:
"But you have already signed the highest-level soul contract with our ancestor and even our entire clan."

In a sense, we have long been your servants, and our fate is intertwined with yours.

Are you suggesting that you transfer or gift us to someone else?

This was an unacceptable humiliation for him.

Cohen shook his head and patiently explained:
"It's not a simple transfer or gift; to be precise, it's an appropriation."

He carefully chose his words, trying to make it easier for this saint-level dragon to accept:
"One of my close companions happens to be a dragon-riding warrior with a unique talent."

I plan to build a powerful dragon legion for her, as the foundation and strength for her future.

This legion needs some gold-tier or higher dragons as its initial core.

The Grand Elder's expression shifted slightly. This request was much better than the complete enslavement or transfer he had anticipated. There were quite a few gold-tier dragons in the clan, and although they were the backbone of the force, they were not irreplaceable.

He asked cautiously:
"Only Gold Rank?"

Cohen smiled faintly and gave a reason that surprised the Grand Elder:

"For now, only Gold-tier dragons are needed. Because her current strength is only at the sixth tier, with her dragon-taming talent, she can at most perfectly contract with and ride dragons of Gold tier or lower."

At higher levels, she has no control over them and may even suffer a backlash.

The Grand Elder's expression darkened slightly:
"For now... does Your Excellency mean that we will need to continue providing legendary-tier dragons once your partner's strength has increased?"

This means that in the future they may need to sacrifice their true high-end combat power and pillars.

This is not a one-off transaction, but a long-term commitment that may continuously drain the elite of the community!

Cohen sensed the deep concern in the elder's words.

He understood this concern. For the immortal race, every high-ranking member who has reached maturity is a valuable asset accumulated by the race over a long period of time, and is the key to maintaining their status and survival.

Once too many high-level dragons are forcibly removed, especially mature individuals that are at the peak of their power.

The overall strength of the Shadow Dragonborn will suffer irreparable damage.

With their fortunes shifting, they will inevitably fall into a disadvantageous position, or even be forced into a passive and defensive situation, amidst the delicate balance and struggle among the six major races of the Dragon Plane.

By then, even this "Shadow Rift" habitat, which it has relied on for survival and cultivated for millennia, may be difficult to protect due to the lack of high-end military power. (End of Chapter)