Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

The three tomb masters, their faces grim, turned to look at the main battlefield in the distance.

As far as the eye could see, the allied forces of Serene and Ceylon were being pushed back by Effie's overwhelming offensive, and their lines were on the verge of collapse.

The routed soldiers fled like a tidal wave, leaving behind banners and weapons scattered across the land.

An undeniable crushing defeat!
This sight made him feel extremely bad.

This meticulously planned ambush was supposed to be the key battle in which he solidified his supreme authority in the Kingdom of Serene.

If he can annihilate the 200,000-strong expeditionary force of the Windrise Kingdom here, he can use this great victory to further consolidate his domestic power.

Taking advantage of the situation, they marched eastward and invaded the weak Windrise Kingdom, expanding Serene's territory.

All of this will greatly benefit Black Tomb's future strategic positioning on the continent, laying a solid foundation for that grand plan.

However, all these grand plans and ambitions have now been completely shattered by the army under Cohen's command, which seems to have descended from the heavens like divine soldiers.

The appearance of that mysterious demigod-level expert, in particular, extinguished any thought he might have had of forcibly turning the tide of the battle.

Faced with an absolute disparity in strength, any scheme appears pale and powerless.

What made the third tomb owner even more uneasy was that, even now, he still couldn't figure out what method Cohen had used.

How could they have silently transported an army of 100,000 across most of the Kingdom of Ceylon to the heart of this Ash Plain?

This strategic projection capability completely exceeded his understanding of the continent's existing military technology and magical capabilities.

What was hidden behind this was what made him feel deeply uneasy.

The defeat is inevitable!

The Black Tomb's many carefully laid plans in the Northwest Continent over the past three years have all been rendered meaningless by the defeat in this crucial battle.

The third tomb owner took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging anger and resentment in his heart.

He knew that staying here any longer was pointless.

With a sudden wave of his hand, a dark vortex appeared out of thin air, engulfing the legendary figures from the Black Tomb beside him.

After taking one last look at the still composed young king in the distance, his figure vanished completely into the void.

After the figures of the three tomb masters completely disappeared, the area that had been distorted by multiple forces finally slowly returned to calm.

Although Virekis was able to capture a Hundred-Star Saint at the core of the Black Tomb with all her might, the opponent still had the veteran demigod "Tomb" standing behind him.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, Cohen simply let the other party leave.

Virekis withdrew her imposing aura, revealing her stunning beauty once more, and looked at Cohen beside her, her voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible solemnity:

"Since Belial is not dead, King Solomon, his contractor, is probably still alive in the world."

If this news were to spread, even the gods high above their divine realms would likely be shaken.

A complex and unreadable expression appeared on Cohen's face. He shook his head and spoke calmly:

"These secrets involving ancient gods and demons are naturally a concern for those gods who govern the laws."

We are ultimately just rulers in the mortal world, and we still have too many real wars and national affairs to deal with.

"Many thanks to His Majesty for personally intervening this time."

Virekis waved her hand, her figure gradually becoming transparent, and said:
"If you die, I won't fare much better. It's a win-win situation. I'm leaving."

"Still watching? Everyone's gone."

"Is this the Elf Queen? I thought she was just a pretty face, I didn't expect her to be so powerful."

Melantha patted Cohen on the shoulder, and he snapped out of his daze and said:
"Hey, don't tell Windsor about this yet. My relationship with Her Majesty the Queen is rather complicated."

Melantha said indifferently:

"Just make sure you don't mess it up."

……

With the departure of the three tomb masters and Virekis, two peak transcendent beings, the great war on the Ash Plains that would determine the fate of the four kingdoms was finally drawing to a close.

With the combined forces of Effie and the Windrise Kingdom attacking from both sides, the battle has become one-sided.

The first to completely collapse was the Serene Legion, led by Cyril Lincoln and stationed in Eagle's Beak Canyon.

Faced with the wild charge of Efein's "Special" and "Elite" orc legions, coupled with the deadly attack launched by the Windbringers from the flank.

Selal's troops were unable to put up any decent resistance before collapsing into a complete rout.

Soldiers fell in droves, banners scattered on the ground, like a one-sided massacre.

As for the supreme commander, Cyril, a noble general from the Lincoln family, after learning that the battle situation was irreversible...

They decisively chose to run away.

He directly used a legendary-grade magic teleportation scroll, taking only a few trusted confidants from his command post, abandoning tens of thousands of soldiers who were still fighting bloody battles, and shamefully fled the battlefield.

The commander's desertion completely destroyed the army's last vestiges of morale.

The surviving soldiers were either annihilated in despair or chose to surrender.

Thus, the battle of Eagle Beak Canyon came to an end with the complete annihilation of the Cyrell Legion.

On the other side of Eagle's Beak Canyon, the main force of the Serene Legion, led by Marshal Griffiths, appeared much more tragic.

The remaining tens of thousands of soldiers relied on the last few strategic high grounds to form a line of flesh and blood defense.

Despite heavy casualties and the inability of all allied forces to come to their aid, they continued their fierce resistance, refusing Cohen's offer of assistance.

A blood-soaked vanguard general, Effie, strode into Cohen's command tent and reported in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, Marshal Griffiths still refuses to surrender."

He sent word that Serren had only marshals who died in battle, not cowards who surrendered.

You see…

Cohen silently walked outside the tent and looked at the commander's flag that was still stubbornly fluttering in the smoke of battle in the distance. He could see the burly old marshal standing personally at the forefront of the position, holding a command sword that had already chipped.

After a long silence, Cohen sighed softly, his voice carrying a complex mix of respect and helplessness, and said slowly:

"Then let his loyalty be rewarded. Remember, do not damage the body; send it back to Toringard." "Yes, Your Majesty!"

After the order was given, tens of thousands of orcs surged toward the last high ground like a tidal wave.

The battle lasted for an entire afternoon.

As the sun was about to sink below the horizon, the blood-red banner of the commander finally fell slowly amidst a deafening roar of battle cries.

Zane Griffiths, the old marshal who fought for the Kingdom of Serene for more than fifty years, also met his twilight years on a foreign battlefield.

Griffith and his last three thousand guards all died in battle; not one of them surrendered.

With the complete annihilation of Serene's two main legions, the focus of the entire battlefield shifted entirely to the besieged army of the Kingdom of Ceylon.

They were compressed into a small basin, as if trapped in an iron barrel.

Cohen then successfully reunited with General Farrell Langdon, who had just annihilated the remnants of Salier's forces.

The two victorious armies joined forces and then steadily advanced towards the direction of Sylvia Ain's troops.

There, the army of the Kingdom of Ceylon, with its elite royal guards and relatively intact organization, continued to put up a stubborn resistance.

They built makeshift defensive fortifications, attempting a last-ditch effort.

However, as the main force led by Cohen and Farrell completed the encirclement from the flanks and rear, the entire encirclement began to tighten relentlessly, like a noose.

When Cohen Corleone appeared at the front-line command post, the entire battlefield command structure was naturally handed over to this King of Effie.

All the allied generals, whether from the Kingdom of Windbreak or the City of Crowned Crown, bowed respectfully, awaiting the final order to attack.

At this moment, the outer defensive line of the Ceylon Legion has been completely destroyed.

Looking around, only a few lonely highlands remain on the vast scorched earth, where the flag of the Kingdom of Ceylon still flies.

That was the location of Marshal Ofion Barrett's final command post.

All that's needed is Cohen's order to launch the final assault and completely raze this last place of resistance to the ground.

After understanding the situation, Cohen's gaze swept over the high ground on the sand table heavily marked with red markers. After a moment of silence, he turned to the group of senior generals in the tent and said in a deep voice:

"Marshal Orphene Barrett is no ordinary general. He is the Chief of the General Staff of the Army of the Kingdom of Ceylon, with deep roots and far-reaching influence in the Ceylon army."

The Barrett family is a well-known and prominent family in Quesaon.

Whether considering the immediate interests of Guimian City or the potential power shifts within the Kingdom of Ceylon in the future, this is a matter of course.

We should not allow him to die at the hands of the Allied forces.

The general commanding the army on Guimiancheng's side this time is a key figure in the Gavin family, the younger brother of Duke Gavin, Perico Gavin.

He nodded in agreement, stepped forward, and said in a loud voice:
“Your Majesty is absolutely right.

Before setting out on the expedition, Her Highness the Princess and I were formulating the strategy for this counter-ambush operation.

He had specifically emphasized that this was for Field Marshal Barrett, a veteran who enjoyed extremely high prestige in the Ceylon army.

It is indeed not advisable for him to perish at our hands at this stage.

To put it bluntly, Ceylon will eventually be unified. These noble families and powerful clans will eventually become Freya's subordinates and resources. If they are killed now, the resistance they will encounter when unifying the country will increase.

A subtle calm settled over the tent.

Only the faint sounds of battle in the distance served as a reminder that the final showdown was imminent.

All the generals understood that this was no longer just a military decision, but a profound consideration concerning the post-war political balance on the mainland.

Inside the command tent, the hushed discussions gradually subsided.

All the generals' eyes were focused on Cohen:

"Let's launch a general offensive! Leave an escape route for their command post at the pass in the southeast corner, so that Marshal Barrett can return safely to Quesaon and personally report this 'good news' to King Gaius!"

A low chuckle escaped from the crowd.

A marshal who suffers a crushing defeat will become the perfect trigger for mutual accusations between the royal family and the military.

Cohen's orders were quickly relayed.

Moments later, a deafening bugle call for the final assault resounded throughout the Ash Plains.

Like a flood bursting its banks, the combined forces of Efein and Windbreak surged from all directions toward the last remaining high ground of the Kingdom of Ceylon.

The death net woven from magic and arrows clashed with the sounds of steel colliding, and the shouts of warriors blended together.

The Ceylonians' resistance did not last long. As the last roar of the magic cannon gradually subsided, the entire battlefield suddenly fell into an eerie silence.

As the smoke slowly dissipated, the devastated land was revealed, marking the official end of the Ash Plains Battle, which had affected four countries.

And with this glorious victory, Cohen Corleone's name once again spread throughout the entire continent.

After a string of dazzling titles such as "Lord of Shadows," "King of Efein," "Son of Prophecy," and "Consort of the Central Empire," he has now added an even more awe-inspiring title—"Lord of War"!
……

Deep within the Queen's Palace, the heart of the Kingdom of Ceylon, lies the King's office.

King Gaius Cromwell sat alone on the throne that symbolized supreme power.

He was clutching a battle report that had been crumpled and wrinkled tightly in his hand.

Beneath the magnificent golden dome, only his heavy, suppressed breathing echoed.

He remained motionless against the throne in silence for a long, long time…

Although the palace doors were tightly shut, Gaius's keen ears could still pick up the suppressed whispers in the corridor outside.

The voices were no longer the composed and witty conversations of the nobles of the past, but were filled with a fear and unease that was barely concealed despite their efforts to restrain themselves.

The nobles of Quesaon began to panic!
This battle report from the Ash Plains shattered the last vestiges of hope among all the nobles of Quessarion.

Efein descended upon the Ash Plains with divine might, defeating the combined forces of Serene and Ceylon and wiping out most of Ceylon's elite forces.

Effie's army appeared on the battlefield thousands of miles away as if by divine intervention.

Not only did they completely crush the allied forces of Serene and Ceylon, but they also buried most of Ceylon's elite forces, accumulated over decades, in that land of ashes! (End of Chapter)