Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Amidst the light, an elegant and noble, hazy female figure slowly emerged.

The visitor was none other than Aetheril Dawn, the goddess of light!

Daphne sensed the other party's undisguised intention to intercept her, her delicate brows furrowing slightly, a hint of impatience flashing in her icy blue eyes:
"Aetheril, haven't you already answered the question you want to know? Why are you still bothering me?"

Ever since Aetherias, the Goddess of Light, was subtly "threatened" by Adele with a powerful projection, she had been harboring resentment and feeling very aggrieved.

As a deity of the highest order, in charge of light and order, she had never suffered such "injustice," especially from a warning from a "mortal" queen who was suspected to be a "concubine of the main wife."

She knew that Adel and Daphne, the goddess of winter, had a close and unusual relationship.

So she secretly sent out a wisp of her divine sense to monitor Daphne's divine kingdom, wanting to gain a deeper understanding of her "number one enemy's" trump card.

Just now, she clearly sensed the abnormal fluctuations in Daphne's divine power and perceived that she had made a brief connection with a being in the prime plane.

Etherel almost immediately concluded that the one who could have such direct contact with Daphne was either Adele or Cohen.

Aetherel cut to the chase and asked:
"Who contacted you just now? What are you going to do?"

Daphne's expression turned completely cold, and the chill emanating from her body intensified suddenly. She responded indifferently:

"Aetheril, you're meddling a bit too much!"

Aetherel's expression remained calm, but the holy light flowing around him grew even more intense and oppressive:
"If you don't tell me, Daphne, you're definitely not leaving today!"

The confrontation between the two powerful goddesses seemed to freeze the edge of this Ice God Kingdom.

The power of light and ice clashed fiercely on an invisible level. Although they did not actually fight, the terrifying pressure and the clash of wills had already caused the laws of the divine kingdom to tremble slightly.

Daphne narrowed her eyes, a cold glint in them, and said in a deep voice:

“Okay, Aetherel.”

Since you insist on stopping me, you're wasting my time.

"If that happens and it delays the important matters of that little man in the mortal realm who is 'suspected' to be the reincarnation of your deceased husband, don't blame me for not warning you in advance!"

Upon hearing this, Aetherel's heart was thrown into turmoil, and a violent emotional fluctuation appeared on her perfect and holy face.

He instinctively took a step forward, closing the distance with Daphne, his voice tinged with barely concealed urgency, and asked:

"Explain what happened to him!"

The "he" that Aetherel refers to is naturally Cohen.

Daphne's words struck a chord deep within her, striking the most sensitive, uncertain, and important point of her heart.

Seeing Aetherel's instant loss of composure, Daphne sneered, a flicker of pleasure crossing her heart, but her face remained icy, deliberately maintaining her composure:
"Go ask him yourself! Aren't you the Goddess of Light? How could a mere human interfere with your will?"

Etherel was both anxious and annoyed. Her concern clouded her judgment; she desperately wanted to know what danger Cohen had encountered, yet she was also furious at Daphne's attitude.

In her rage and anxiety, she resorted to her most effective threat, her voice growing even colder:

"If you continue like this, I will personally go down to the mortal realm to find that Yadel and find out exactly what your relationship with her is!"
Stop trying to fool me with that simple 'master-disciple' thing.

Do you think I can't tell?
With your divine status and the path you've chosen, you're simply not capable of teaching a student like her!

Aetherel's threat was extremely effective. The secrets surrounding Adele and the true relationship between the two were deeply connected to Daphne's future path, and even her life and death.

The cause and effect involved here are extremely complex, and we must not allow Aetheril to interfere and investigate so recklessly, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable.

Daphne was genuinely afraid that this goddess of light, who had become somewhat emotional due to her "deceased husband," might do something reckless and crazy in a fit of anger.

Daphne fell into a brief silence, her mind racing as she weighed the pros and cons.

Ultimately, they chose to compromise, but their tone still carried a strong sense of resentment:
"Hmph! They're all insane."

I really don't know what's so great about that human named Cohen that he could make you all lose your composure like this!
Your 'suspected' deceased husband is currently in the Dragon Realm.

I don't know what trouble they've gotten themselves into, but they need my help.

She paused deliberately at this point, then glanced sideways at Aetherel and asked in a provocative tone:

"What? Are you still going to insist on stopping me, or coming with me?"

When Aetherel heard that Cohen was in the Dragon Plane, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

She also had some understanding of that land of exile, and was especially aware of the deep connection between the Shadow Dragonborn and Cohen.

Once she calmed down a bit, she asked:

"With the Shadow Dragonborn around, is there anything he needs your help with?"

In her view, Cohen, who had the loyalty of the Shadow Dragonborn, should be safe and sound in the Dragon Plane.

When Daphne heard Aetherel mention "Shadow Dragonborn" so casually, and seemed to know something about his relationship with Cohen, she couldn't help but narrow her eyes slightly.
"What happened to the Shadow Dragonborn?"
It sounds like you know far more inside information than I thought.

Could this kid really be the reincarnation of the God of Shadows?

Aetherel did not answer Daphne's question. She naturally knew that the reason why the Black Dragon Clan was able to gain a foothold and evolve into the Shadow Dragonborn after being exiled ten thousand years ago in that nearly broken subplane (now the Dragon Plane) was because of this.

Her deceased lover played a significant role in this, and may even have paid a price.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Shadow Dragonborn are a descendant race left behind by the original race.

With such a powerful local force protecting him, Cohen should theoretically not encounter any crises in the Dragon Plane that would require alerting the deity himself.

Aetherel suppressed the turmoil in her heart and steered the conversation back to the core issue, continuing to press for answers:
"What exactly happened?"

Seeing that Aetherel was avoiding the question, Daphne snorted and didn't bother to delve any further into those old stories.

"I don't know the specifics either. I only heard from Adel that it seems we need to seal something."

That thing possesses an extremely strange and powerful energy, which is constantly leaking away and causing chaos. It is said to be something left behind there by the lich god Veshalon in his early years.

Perfect timing! They're the mortal enemies of your Light faction. Why don't you go run errands for me?

Wouldn't it be a more effective remedy to purify it with your holy flames of light?

Etherel was naturally eager to go, but unfortunately Cohen had asked Daphne for the visit.

If an "outsider" like myself were to suddenly arrive uninvited, it could easily arouse Cohen's vigilance, suspicion, or even resentment, which would backfire.

Moreover, he couldn't explain why he knew so many secrets. What if Adel used this to sow discord...? Given that woman's unpredictable nature and influence over Cohen, the consequences would be unimaginable.

With all these concerns in mind, Aetherel quickly suppressed all her outward emotions, gave Daphne a deep look, and stepped aside slightly to make way for her.

Her voice regained the indifference and calmness befitting a goddess:
"Go quickly, don't delay important matters!"

Daphne was speechless. She looked at the goddess of light, known for her order and steadfastness, who was now so anxious and fickle because of a mortal who was "suspected to be her deceased husband".

She couldn't help but think to herself: Aetheril's love-struck mind is exactly the same as Adel's, both are so unreasonable!

She had completely lost patience with Aetheril. Seeing that he finally gave way, Daphne no longer hesitated.

Her divine power suddenly flashed, and an icy blue divine light soared into the sky. An avatar containing the powerful primal power of winter separated from her divine body.

Carrying a chilling aura that could freeze everything, it instantly tore through the void and descended towards the direction of the Bone Wasteland of the Demon Dragon Plane.

……

Deep within the core territory of the Dragonborn, atop an ancient altar constructed from countless pale giant bones and dark crystals.

The eternal tombstone stands majestically, radiating a chilling aura of death and divine power.

The surrounding area was filled with a dense aura of the undead and the divine power of the lich god Vesharon.

The dark gold divine power patterns on the tombstone highlight its profound connection with a mid-level deity.

However, at this moment, this scene, which should have been majestic and stable, clearly exudes an unsettling sense of decay.

Even Freya, who had the lowest level of transcendence, could clearly sense that the core of the tombstone was constantly emitting pure energy, like a leaky container.

Even the ancient runes at the top of the tombstone, which should have shone brightly and flowed endlessly, had dimmed considerably, as if covered by a layer of gray.

Dickinson, the deceased, stared nervously at Cohen, who stood before the eternal tombstone, despite having full confidence in the man's identity and background.

However, when it came to the most fundamental artifact of the clan, this saint-level dragon couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

Time passed in silence, with only the faint hissing sound of escaping energy.

Finally, under Dickinson's expectant yet worried gaze, Cohen, who had been concentrating on repairing the tombstone (actually waiting for Daphne's response), slowly opened his eyes.

His face showed little emotion; he simply walked calmly down from the core area of ​​the altar.

Dickinson immediately stepped forward, her voice hoarse with nervousness, and asked urgently:
"Your Highness, how is the situation? Can it be repaired?"

Cohen nodded slowly and said in a steady tone:

"The situation is similar to what I expected. Since you are currently unable to contact the Dragon God Valerius and are unwilling to sever your divine connection with the Lich God Vesalon, the safest approach at this stage is to temporarily and forcibly seal the 'Eternal Tombstone' with the help of a powerful external force."

The main purpose of this seal is to form a powerful isolation barrier, temporarily blocking the channel through which Vesalon continues to draw power from the tombstone, buying time for the tombstone itself to recover and stabilize, and preventing its condition from deteriorating further.

This is a temporary emergency measure. Once you are able to contact the progenitor, His Majesty Valerius the Deceased, and receive a clear divine oracle, you can then completely resolve the problem.”

When Dickinson's proposed solution was to "temporarily seal the 'Eternal Tombstone' with external force," her expression didn't improve much; instead, it became even more grave.

"Use external force to temporarily seal the 'Eternal Tombstone'."

As a saint, he was all too aware of the terrifying difficulty behind those words.

Just thinking about it makes you realize how terrifying this external force is. This is a mid-level deity. With the ancestor gone, who has this ability?

However, Cohen's next words surprised and delighted Dickinson, and even a sense of fear rose in her heart.

Cohen looked at him, his tone indifferent:

"Don't worry, I've already found some help. Judging by the time, they should be here soon."

helper!

What level of "helper" could accomplish such a heaven-defying feat as "forcibly sealing the Eternal Tombstone and severing the connection with a mid-level divine being"?

The answer is almost always the same—the gods!
Only if a genuine deity, whose rank is no less than that of Vesalon, or even higher, personally intervenes, could this be achieved!

Although Dickinson had already developed extremely high expectations regarding Cohen's mysterious background and power, hearing a young human who appeared to be only at the Gold rank casually say, "I've already summoned a deity to help," was still quite a shock...

This extremely incongruous and mind-bending scene still left the holy dragon, who had lived for countless millennia, feeling dazed and unable to accept it.

This is completely beyond his understanding of "power," "status," and "rules."

As Dickinson was reeling and trying to process this astonishing information—

A sudden change occurred!

The ambient temperature in the core area of ​​the entire Bone Wasteland dropped by several levels.

This was not a change in weather in the ordinary sense. Logically speaking, Dickinson, being a spirit of the dead and possessing extraordinary cultivation at the saint level, should have long been completely immune to cold and heat in the conventional sense.

The changes in the external environment could not possibly affect him in any way.

But at this moment, he clearly and for the first time in a long time, felt the "coldness".

This is an extreme chill that penetrates directly into the soul and freezes the will.

It is a coldness that does not act on the body, but rather is imposed upon the rules.

A vast, ancient, supreme divine power, which governs harsh winter and annihilation, silently enveloped the entire region like an invisible tide.

Cohen felt that familiar yet powerful chill, but a faint smile curved his lips as he softly said:

"Look, she's here."

Before the words were finished, the space above the altar suddenly changed.

Countless crystal-clear, hexagonal snowflakes appeared out of thin air, instantly coalescing into a stunningly beautiful and majestic goddess figure.

Upon seeing the true form of this descendant, Dickinson the Undead felt as if her undead body was about to be completely stiffened by the absolute difference in their levels of life and divinity.

The god-level [Goddess of Ice and Snow] Daphne Frost!

This powerful deity, who wields the power of harsh winter, snow, annihilation, and the very essence of ice, is renowned throughout many planes.

Her level of power far surpasses that of ordinary deities.

Dickinson had no doubt that even if their progenitor of the mourning dragons—the dragon god Valerius the Demise—were to appear, he would have to humbly lower his proud head before such an ancient and powerful chief god.

After only a second's hesitation, Dickinson, regaining her composure, quickly bowed and replied respectfully and humbly:

"Great Lady of the Ice, the most sublime and most sincere respect is offered to you by Dickinson the Deceased, High Chieftain of the Dragonborn!"

He adopted an extremely humble posture, fearing that the slightest disrespect might offend this supreme being who could decide the fate of their race with a mere gesture.

Compared to Dickinson's cautiousness and obsequiousness, Cohen's attitude was much more casual:
"Thank you for making another trip, Goddess. We don't have much time, let's get right to work!"

The stunningly beautiful yet expressionless face of the Ice Goddess Daphne twitched almost imperceptibly, and her emotionless voice echoed in Cohen's mind:

"Boy, I am the supreme god who governs winter and annihilation, not one of your subordinates and servants whom you can order around at will!"
I'm helping you this time because of Adel, but next time, it won't be so easy!

After Daphne finished speaking, she didn't give Cohen a chance to reply. With a slight movement, she appeared in front of the towering, eternal tombstone that was constantly radiating energy.

Extending her fair hand, she lightly tapped her fingertips, and with that movement, several snowflake-shaped runes appeared out of thin air, firmly attaching themselves to the core of the Eternal Tombstone's energy and the key nodes most closely connected to Vesalon.

Centered on these snowflake runes, a layer of crystal-clear ice spread rapidly as if it had a life of its own, completely covering the entire massive eternal tombstone in the blink of an eye.

The ancient artifact, which was groaning and radiating power just a moment ago, has now been completely transformed into a flawless ice sculpture.

The entire sealing process, from Daphne's intervention to its complete completion, took less than a minute.

A powerful artifact, bestowed by the mid-level deity Vesharun, containing a portion of his primordial divine power and inextricably linked to the fate of the mourning dragon race, was completely sealed away with a seemingly casual flick of the finger of this supreme god who wields the power of winter and annihilation.

After resolving the matter, Daphne didn't linger.

The condensed form of ice and snow blurred instantly, then vanished silently into the air like melting ice crystals.

Around the altar, only the frozen, eternal tombstone remained, and Dickinson stared in disbelief, as if she had just woken from an unbelievable dream.

And then there's Cohen, with a calm expression, as if everything is under control.

……

In the depths of the endless void, in a storm zone filled with raging chaotic energy and blasphemous evil, a life-or-death battle between gods is unfolding.

The Lich God Vesharun Undead, whose divine body was formed from countless wailing souls and shadowy remains, was bound by countless invisible chains.

These chains dug deep into his divine body, constantly extinguishing his divine power, attempting to drag him into eternal silence.

Behind him lay the vast and boundless realm of the dead, composed of countless temples of the dead, mountains of withered bones, and tributaries of the River Styx.

However, at this moment, this powerful divine kingdom is undergoing a cataclysmic upheaval.

The earth cracked, the sky shattered, and countless magnificent buildings turned to dust. A mournful wail echoed throughout every corner of the divine kingdom—the final lamentations of his supplicants as the kingdom crumbled.

At the moment the divine kingdom collapsed, the supplicants were transformed into streaks of dark light and poured into Vesalon's divine body, burning themselves in an attempt to shield him from the erosion of the relentlessly tightening invisible chains of law.

Not far from him, in the void storm, a deity emanating an indescribable terrifying pressure, its face and figure shrouded in distorted light and chaos, floated silently.

He seemed to be the embodiment of all chaos and end, coldly watching Vesalon's dying struggle.

Suddenly, Vesalon opened his eyes wide, his gaze filled with disbelief, astonishment, and raging fury.

His intense emotional fluctuations caused the already crumbling and collapsing divine kingdom to shake even more violently, as if it were about to completely disintegrate at any moment.

At the same time, the unknown deity opposite, which had remained silent all along, seemed to sense something. Its face, shrouded in chaos, turned slightly, as if it had opened its eyes, a hint of surprise flashing within them.

Visharen's expression turned to one of extreme shock and rage:
"Daphne, the Ice Goddess!"

You even contacted the gods!

Just a moment ago, Vesalon clearly felt that his natal artifact, the Eternal Tombstone, which he had pre-arranged in the Dragon Plane as an important backup plan and power reserve, was sealed by an extremely powerful and cold divine force.

He would never mistake that divine power; it belonged to Daphne, the ice elementalist and goddess of ice and snow, who was at the level of a chief god.

This is adding insult to injury, a fatal blow!
The Eternal Tombstone was not only an artifact he bestowed upon the deceased dragonborn, but also a repository of his own divine power.

It can provide him with additional support in critical moments.

Being completely sealed at this moment is tantamount to cutting off one of his most important sources of divine power and escape routes, making his already precarious situation even more desperate.

The unknown deity opposite quickly concealed the surprise in its eyes, and a chaotic aura surged around it:

"It seems you have quite a few enemies and adversaries. Don't struggle anymore."

The eerie blue flames in Visharun's eyes flickered wildly, revealing his extreme resentment and panic:
No! Wait!
I swear to you, by my divinity and my true name.

I will absolutely, absolutely not reveal a single word of your secrets to anyone!

"Spare me, and I'll sign the most stringent Styx Pact!"

In order to survive, Vesalon was even willing to abandon the dignity of a god and make the most humble begs.

However, faced with his vows and pleas, the unknown deity simply shook its head slowly:

"Unfortunately, only the dead can truly keep secrets..." (End of Chapter)