Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Faced with the Elf Queen's pointed question, Cohen paused for a moment, then smiled and said:

“Your Majesty, my identity is not important. What is important is that I can help Your Majesty purify the divine will of the dark divine core within you.”

This will completely rid you of the pursuit of the God of Darkness and grant you the right to ascend to godhood once more!

Ascend to the gods!

What beautiful and attractive words.

It represents the highest realm of transcending the mundane, eternal immortality, and mastery of the laws; it is the other shore that countless demigods standing at the pinnacle of the human continent dream of but can never reach in their lifetime.

The exceptionally talented Virekis was already a powerful demigod ten thousand years ago.

It seems that the final throne of God is only one step away.

However, it was this fragment of the Dark Godhead that she obtained after killing the incarnation of the God of Darkness that contained powerful energy, but was also filled with a strong divine will.

It tightly entangled her soul, constantly interfering with and disrupting her process of condensing the divine kingdom and igniting the divine fire.

This attracted the endless pursuit of the God of Darkness across planes, causing her to waste tens of thousands of years on this "final step," which almost became her deepest obsession.

A hint of seriousness appeared on Virekis's exquisite face. She looked deeply at Cohen, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly chuckled softly:

"I heard that not long ago at the Noble Martial Arts Festival in the Imperial Capital, you took the initiative to request a private meeting with the Goddess of Light during the highly anticipated 'Blessing of the Gods' segment."

I'll remember this favor.

Cohen smiled noncommittally and did not dwell on the topic. With a flick of his wrist, an item appeared in his palm—the semi-divine artifact that the Goddess of Light had given him.

Cohen said slowly:

"Heart of Dawn, a semi-divine artifact containing the primordial divine power and will of the Goddess of Light, Aetheril."

The most crucial and difficult-to-obtain 'core medium' required for the purification ritual is now available. If Your Majesty wishes, I can begin making arrangements now to invite an absolutely reliable expert with legendary-level strength to preside over this purification ritual for you..."

Before Cohen could finish speaking, Vireikis, who was reclining on the soft couch, shook her head decisively:

"No need. We've already waited so long, what's another three or five years?"

At your current cultivation speed, you should be able to break through to the legendary rank in less than three years.

As I said before, I don't trust anyone but you.

Virekis deliberately emphasized the word "outsider," even though she could guess that Cohen was most likely recommending his queen, Adele.

However, in her eyes, the other party still falls into the category of "outsider" who cannot be fully trusted.

that's the truth.

In addition to possessing a semi-divine artifact containing the will of the Goddess of Light, the ritual to purify the will of the gods also requires the person performing the ritual to be a legendary-level transcendent being.

Cohen wanted Ardel to act on his behalf, but Her Majesty the Queen was too wary and didn't trust anyone except Cohen.

So Cohen didn't press the matter further. He nodded slightly, indicating his understanding and respect for the other party's decision, and at the same time made a promise:

“I understand. In that case, I will personally hold the ceremony for His Majesty after I advance to the Legendary level.”

However, Cohen's special invitation to the Elf Queen Virekis from the distant Forest of Life to Effiin was not merely to discuss the purification ritual.

Cohen organized his thoughts for a moment, then smiled and said:

"Your Majesty, you see, in order to resolve the issue of your divine fragments as soon as possible, I even gave up such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as 'Blessing of the Gods' without hesitation to exchange for this thing that is of little use to me personally."

Are you...?

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning couldn't be clearer.

Virekis waved her hand, her voice languid and magnetic, directly interrupting Cohen's potentially longer build-up:
"Alright, stop beating around the bush and just tell me what you need me to do for you?"

Cohen smiled slightly and said:

"Your Highness should know that we, the Efein, are currently doing our utmost to assist our ally, Princess Freya, the rightful heir to the royal family of the Kingdom of Ceylon, in suppressing the usurpers within the country."

Virekis frowned slightly, her voice rising a little:
"Wait, do you mean you want me to get involved in the war in Ceylon?"

As an ancient being who has lived for tens of thousands of years, she is all too familiar with the unwritten rules and taboos of the continent.

Especially for a peak powerhouse like her who has already stepped into the realm of demigods, or even touched the threshold of godhood,

Directly intervening in wars between mortal realms in the prime material plane carries enormous risks, including the causal relationships involved, the potential chain reactions, and even the intervention of other beings of the same or higher levels of will.

Not to mention that she still carries the hidden danger of fragments of the Dark Godhead, so she can't be so high-profile.

Cohen shook his head and said:
"No, although the fighting in the Kingdom of Ceylon is intense, it is still under control and Your Majesty does not need to intervene."

That's right, the Kingdom of Ceylon has another sworn enemy, the Kingdom of Windbreak.

The Windrise Kingdom has some connection with the Winged Elf race.

The Kingdom of Wind's Breath is currently considered an important ally of our Effie in this war.

According to the secret agreement we reached with the Windrise Kingdom before the All Nations Nobles Martial Arts Festival.

They will soon dispatch an elite expeditionary force to cut into the heart of the Kingdom of Ceylon from the south, forming a pincer movement against our main force from the north and south, aiming to annihilate the Kingdom of Ceylon's fighting strength in one fell swoop.

But now a special situation has arisen.

One of my princesses has a hidden identity in the 'Black Tomb', and she recently received information from the three tomb owners of the Black Tomb.

The Kingdom of Serene is preparing to join forces with the Kingdom of Ceylon to ambush the Kingdom of Windbreak from behind while it is sending troops.

The Kingdom of Windbreak is, after all, an important ally of our military operation.

We cannot stand by and watch them be stabbed in the back and destroyed by the combined forces of Serene and Ceylon.

Moreover, there is an irreconcilable hatred between Black Tomb and me, so I want to take this opportunity to ambush them instead.

Everything else is negotiable, but what I'm worried about is that if our counter-ambush plan succeeds, it will cause heavy losses to the Serene-Ceylon coalition forces.

"The 'Black Tomb' will resort to desperate measures, disregarding the rules and directly sending high-level combatants to forcibly intervene in the battlefield, attempting to reverse the tide of battle or carry out a frenzied retaliation."

Virekis understood more or less. At the Northwest Region Exchange Conference, Cohen revealed the true identity of Prince Seran, who represented the Kingdom of Seren, as the third tomb master of the "Black Tomb" and also the founder of the Kingdom of Seren.

After the exchange meeting, the Third Tomb Master, whose identity had been exposed, did not hide himself. Instead, he used his powerful strength and ruthless methods to operate more actively in the power center of the Kingdom of Seren, under the identity of Prince Seren.

Taking this opportunity, they used coercion and enticement to gradually erode and seize control of the actual power in the Kingdom of Serene.

Therefore, in the eyes of the top leaders of various forces on the continent and those who know the inside story, the Kingdom of Serene has long since become a puppet kingdom controlled behind the scenes by the continent's number one assassin organization, "Black Tomb".

The Kingdom of Serene's national policies and military operations largely reflect the will and interests of the "Black Tomb" organization. This time, the Kingdom of Serene is so actively allying with the Kingdom of Ceylon, attempting to launch a surprise attack on the Kingdom of Windbreak from behind.

Its deeper objective is undoubtedly aimed at Efein, an ally of the Windbringer Kingdom, who is currently at war with Ceylon and has a mortal feud with the "Black Tomb," and Cohen behind him.

Vilekis did not refuse, but instead asked:

"Ordinary saints are fine, but if a hundred-star saint or even a demigod appears, I have to go all out. The resulting energy fluctuations and collisions at the level of laws might alert the God of Darkness. Are you sure?"

Cohen handed over the "Heart of Dawn" and said with a smile:

"Your Majesty wears the Heart of Dawn on your body, which is concealed by the divine power of the Goddess of Light. As long as the Dark Godhead within you is not used, the God of Darkness will not detect any movement."

Virekis nodded slowly and gracefully took the heavy semi-divine artifact necklace from Cohen's palm.

The warm, divine power of light seemed to seep through her skin, slowly penetrating her blood and soul, bringing a strange feeling, as if forming an invisible, sacred barrier around her.

The voice returned to its usual calm and languid state.
When do you plan to start the plan?

"Ten days later, the elite expeditionary force of the Windrise Kingdom will officially set off from their border, cross the border along the predetermined route, and enter the southeastern region of the Kingdom of Ceylon."

Their first target was the core area of ​​southeastern Ceylon, the Ash Plains.

The Ash Plains are relatively open, making them suitable for large cavalry legions to launch surprise attacks and charges, but they are also surrounded by hills and abandoned mines that are easy to hide troops in.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the allied forces of the Kingdom of Serene and the Kingdom of Ceylon will also choose that location to ambush the Kingdom of Windbreak.

"Okay, I'll be there on time!"

……

After finalizing the specific time and place with the Elf Queen Virekis at the state guesthouse, Cohen finally returned to his palace.

As dusk approached, Adeline, who had been busy all day, had just finished dealing with the heavy political affairs of the previous dynasty and returned to her palace.

The couple enjoyed a brief moment of tenderness, savoring this rare moment of peace and togetherness.

After a brief moment of intimacy, Cohen gathered his thoughts and began to recount his experiences over the past few days and his plans for the future.

When Adele heard that Cohen planned to personally go to the front lines of "Ash Plains," where a fierce battle was about to break out, to command and participate in this dangerous counter-ambush operation, a clear look of worry appeared on her face:
“The Black Tomb hates you to the core. If you show yourself, there’s no guarantee they won’t break the rules.”

Although at the Northwest Region Exchange Conference, the ruler of the Black Tomb, "The Tomb," promised Dean Dumbledore of the Cobalt Soul Academy that he would not send high-level superhumans.

However, the 'Black Tomb' organization has always been utterly untrustworthy; they act insidiously and ruthlessly, resorting to any means to achieve their goals.

This is a fact known throughout the continent. If Black Tomb gets desperate and acts rashly, it could easily lead to some bad consequences.

Adele's concerns are valid.

With Virekis, the top expert on the continent, protecting him, Cohen naturally had no such worries.

However, because of his agreement with Villegis, he couldn't say it outright. He simply offered a few words of comfort to Adele, indicating that he was confident.

After calming the worried Adele and making a series of necessary arrangements and instructions, Cohen did not stay for more than a few days. The situation on the front line was changing rapidly, and he had to seize the time.

After spending only one night in Effie, he took Melantha, who was able to keep track of the Black Tomb's movements, and headed to the Kingdom of Ceylon.

Their destination was not the war-torn front lines, but the City of the Crown, which was currently firmly under the control of the Ceylon Orthodox forces and serving as a temporary political and military command center.

When Cohen arrived at Guimian City, Freya was already waiting at the city gate with a group of military and political officials.

Accompanying him was Duke Antoine Gavin, who had been appointed Prime Minister by Freya.

A large group of people dressed in various aristocratic formal wear or official robes followed beside and behind Prime Minister Gavin.

The Duke of Eisenheiser, who was in charge of diplomatic negotiations, was appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Viscount Lorthermar, the finance minister in charge of finances, and many nobles and powerful officials from various parts of the former Kingdom of Ceylon who had initially been hesitant but turned to join the "Crowning Army" after witnessing its repeated victories and growing momentum.

After a period of fighting and consolidation, Freya not only achieved successive military victories.

On the political level, it also successfully absorbed many previously wavering aristocratic forces.

The territory, population, and resources they controlled, as well as their appeal among the nobility, were enough to rival the Quissaon faction.

A grand and solemn welcoming ceremony was then held outside Guimian City.

Freya personally stepped forward to greet Cohen with the highest level of courtesy.

Under the watchful eyes of countless nobles and soldiers, the two sides engaged in a warm and friendly public exchange of greetings.

Cohen's arrival greatly boosted the morale of the "Reigning Army".

Cohen is now not only King Effie, but also the consort of the strongest empire on the human continent. His support and endorsement have reassured many lower and middle-class nobles.

After the ceremony, Cohen declined the subsequent banquet arrangements, exchanged a knowing glance with Freya, and then, accompanied by Prime Minister Gavin and others, the group went straight to the council chamber of the palace.

The two sides began to discuss serious matters.

Specifically, it involved secretly sending troops to the Ash Plains to ambush the combined forces of the Kingdom of Ceylon and the Kingdom of Serene.

According to Melantha's intelligence, Gaius has staked almost everything in this battle in order to completely eliminate any threats from the Windrise Kingdom.

The regular army, which serves as the main force for the attack, numbers 300,000, which is almost the maximum number of troops he can draw from the front lines confronting Guimian City and from major domestic fortresses.

In addition, there are 3,000 elite troops, 500 special forces, and 100 king-level troops composed entirely of ninth-tier transcendents.

It can be said that Gaius has gone almost mad and spared no expense in order to ensure a decisive victory in this ambush against the Windrise Kingdom's expeditionary force.

Although the forces dispatched by the Kingdom of Serene are not as formidable as those of the Kingdom of Ceylon, they should not be underestimated.

Although his opponent was the most powerful, Cohen was equally confident.

Although the newly acquired Shadow Annihilation Crossbow is not yet in service, the Phantom Dragon Wing Cloak has been completed.

Basically, all of them are equipped with the troops, and together with the previous Star Guardian Armor, Cohen's special forces have trained a thousand people.

In addition, the total number of regular and elite troops also exceeds 100,000. When combined with the armies of the Windrise Kingdom and Freya, the total number is comparable to that of the Ceylon Kingdom.

In addition, there are cultural heritages related to the Arcane Empire and the Ancient Elves deciphered from the Sleeping Cave, especially the ancient elven war songs and melodies that can enhance the morale and willpower attributes of the army.

This set of ancient elven music has demonstrated a remarkably significant effect on enhancing the overall fighting spirit and resilience of the troops in recent live-fire exercises and confrontations.

If the combined forces of Ceylon and Serren can be completely defeated this time, Gaius and his followers will surely exhaust their last remaining military strength in this battle.

This also signifies that the Kingdom of Ceylon, the most powerful kingdom on the continent, will officially change hands! (End of Chapter)