Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

A strong sense of weightlessness suddenly gripped Cohen's entire body, as if he were plummeting from a great height.

All around him was a distorted, bizarre, and chaotic spatial force, like countless invisible threads tearing at his body, trying to break him down into the most primordial particles.

I don't know how much time has passed; it may have been a moment, or it may have been eternity.

Finally, a soft, elastic sensation came from underfoot, like stepping on the rotting entrails of some enormous creature.

Cohen suddenly opened his eyes, scanned his surroundings warily, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that Grace was safe and sound beside him.

Before me lay a completely unfamiliar and extremely unsettling scene.

There are no sun, moon, or stars, and no clear boundary between the sky and the earth.

Only a thick, indigo fog, eternally shrouding everything within sight, thick and cold, seemed to penetrate the very depths of the soul.

Beneath their feet lay an endless swamp, black mud bubbling and emitting a nauseating stench.

The air was thick with an intense, chilling, demonic aura, along with a strange, indescribable, sweet-smelling odor that constantly assaulted their sense of smell.

The two of them felt a surge of magical energy that isolated their aura, which made them feel a little better.

Without a doubt, he and Grace had successfully arrived at the legendary Nine Hells plane, which was Mammon's lair, the third level of the Nine Hells—Minalos.

The entire layer is composed of this boundless, foul-smelling swamp.

But the most terrifying thing is not the swamp itself, but the legendary endless void beneath the muddy surface.

Any object, whether flesh and blood or as hard as refined gold, will be swallowed by absolute nothingness and disappear forever once it is trapped in it.

Therefore, this land of death has a more fitting name among those in the know: the Endless Swamp.

A low, ominous wail constantly echoed in the suffocating, putrid air of the endless swamp.

The source of the sound was a wide river that tore through the swamp like a giant sore.

The river water had a sickly dark red color and was murky, as viscous as a mixture of blood and crude oil.

No living creatures could be seen in the river, only countless twisted, indistinct souls struggling and sinking within it, their painful cries converging into the sound of the river's waves.

The only "vivid" sight in this desolate land is the famous Styx River.

The soul trade, which Mammon oversees and spans multiple dimensions, operates precisely by relying on the power of this River Styx.

Countless souls are traded, transformed, or tortured here into some kind of "resource".

Minaulos's ruling structure resembled an incredibly rigid pyramid.

At the very top of the inner circle, naturally, is Grand Duke Mammon himself, who sits high in a palace built of contracts, soul prisms, and filthy wealth.

His steward, Falk, a cunning and absolutely loyal high-ranking devil who was Mammon's right-hand man, assisted him and actually handled most of the day-to-day affairs. He was the deputy in the inner circle.

Below the inner circle are the dukes who hold real power.

Mammon had three powerful dukes under his command: Duke Bayeri, Duke Caarrenolas, and Duke Melkorn.

The three dukes each had their own duties, each controlling a different aspect of the Endless Swamp.

Duke Bayeri was a fierce military commander and, besides Mammon, another legendary-level transcendent being in the entire third tier.

In addition to his extraordinary cultivation at the low level of the legendary rank, he also directly commands 66 elite teams of the Hook Demon Legion.

These legions are the iron fist that maintains Mammon's rule, suppresses rebellions within his territory, and deters other forces. They are also responsible for "reclaiming" the souls of those who break the rules.

Duke Caarrenolas is a devil with both eloquence and cunning, in charge of all external communication and trade.

He engages in unseen negotiations and dirty deals with other forces in the Hellish, outer planes, and even the Prime Material Plane, acting as a key valve for the inflow and outflow of Mammon's wealth.

The Duke of Melkorn is a ruthless "engineer" who is in charge of processing and manipulating souls.

His workshops are scattered along the banks of the River Styx, where he refines, divides, or brands the souls he acquires or punishes, transforming them into hellish energy, contractual costs, or specific soul crystals.

Besides the inner circle and the Dukes' level, the last group consists of the vast magical servants who form the cornerstone of Minaros society.

These demon servants are mainly native demons, including those of Mammon's race. They are skilled at tracking fugitives and are the main force of the Bayeri Legion, also serving as patrols and debt collectors.

Chain Demons, known for their ability to sever souls, are often "craftsmen" or henchmen in the Melkorn Workshop.

There are also the most numerous inferior demons and lowly demons, the lowest beings in hell, who perform the most arduous and filthy labor, serving as silent consumables to keep the entire hierarchy running.

Beyond the rigid system of rule, there exists a terrifying force directly under Mammon's control.

His personal bodyguard—Nazugon Demon.

These terrifying beings rode skeletal warhorses with eerie green flames burning in their eyes, moving like ghosts along the swamps and the banks of the River Styx.

They possess an innate and terrifying ability to keenly detect any lies and pretense, serving as the eyes that allow Mammon to maintain his absolute rule.

Mammon was well-versed in the essence of controlling demons. He established an extremely cruel yet efficient "promotion/demotion" mechanism in the Endless Swamp to firmly control a vast number of low-level demon servants.

He would often demote a high-ranking demon to the lowest of the low due to some trivial mistake or simply because of a bad mood.

Conversely, they might suddenly and unexpectedly promote a low-ranking demon to fill a vacant important position.

This unpredictable system of rewards and punishments kept all subordinates living in a constant state of fear and greed, neither daring to slack off in the slightest, nor harboring the delusion of instant advancement.

This endless swamp operates ceaselessly under Mammon's cruel system of clear hierarchy and clear roles.

It relentlessly devours souls from all dimensions, transforming them into a continuous source of wealth and power.

It can be said that every inch of mud and every wisp of mist in the entire Endless Swamp was deeply shrouded in Mammon's suffocating majesty and absolute rule.

All activities here revolve around the core trade of souls.

In those eerie taverns built atop massive, bloated corpses or piles of bones, cunning barbarian demons spit out dangerous contracts called "soul futures" to customers from different dimensions.

Along the River Styx, in rows of honeycomb-like workshops, chain demons wield barbed chains to "refine" tormented souls.

They cooled and solidified into crystals of souls containing pain and energy, waiting to be transported to various planes for trade.

……

The Endless Swamp has three most prominent gathering places, like three dark hearts, each corresponding to one of Mammon's three powerful dukes and their core functions.

One of them is the location of the throne of the greedy Grand Duke Mammon—the Nameless Master's Castle.

This towering and eerie fortress was not built with ordinary materials, but with a mysterious black stone from another dimension, giving the entire structure a dark and gloomy appearance that seemed to devour light.

Hundreds of massive stone pillars, each requiring several people to encircle, are deeply embedded in the swamp, yet even so, the entire fortress continues to sink at a slow but steady pace.

It seems that one day it will be completely swallowed up by this endless swamp.

Prince Violet of the Northern Empire originally intended to use that dragon egg to accelerate the decline of the Nameless Master's Fortress.

The fortress's treasury is filled with mountains of soul gems and countless riches formed from pain and desire.

In the most prominent position in the central hall stands a sacred artifact called the "Scales of Greed".

The desires of any visitor who steps into this place will be precisely measured by this sacred artifact.

Those with stronger desires are more likely to gain the "qualification" to make deals with Mammon, and are also more likely to fall into an abyss of no return.

Duke Bayeri, who commands 66 units of the Hooked Demon Legion, and his main force are stationed in this fortress year-round, serving both as a protector and a monitor.

The second is the sunken city, known as the core city of Minaulos.

This place is the hub for the soul trade of the entire hierarchy and even the Nine Hells, whether it is outsiders from other planes or demons native to Hell.

All contracts concerning the sale of souls must ultimately be completed in this city.

The entire city, just like its name suggests, is slowly sinking at a rate visible to the naked eye.

The buildings are crooked, the streets are twisted, and there is an apocalyptic sense of decay and madness.

Duke Caarrenolas, who is in charge of foreign exchanges and trade, also serves as the city's lord. He has established a vast and efficient trade network here, handling an immeasurable number of soul and contract transactions every day.

Finally, there is the city of Crack-Hit, also known as the City of Chokeholds.

This is the headquarters of the Chain Demons, where countless Chain Demon craftsmen and thugs gather.

They built giant torture devices here, like factories, which operated day and night.

Souls retrieved from the River Styx or acquired through trade are sent to these "factories" for standardized torture, cutting, and refining.

Ultimately, they are made into standardized soul crystals or other "products" required by hell.

It is a veritable soul processing factory, providing the most basic and indispensable "raw materials" for the entire Nine Hells plane. Duke Melkern, in charge of soul processing and manufacturing, is stationed here, personally overseeing every step of this vast and ruthless processing empire.

These three cities, each with a distinct style yet equally dark, acted as three pillars supporting Mammon's rule in Minauros, and also formed the core link in the bloody industrial chain of the Nine Hells Soul Trade.

……

Cohen's gaze swept quickly across the surrounding scenery. Twisted metal supports, like giant spider webs, were coiled above the swamp. In the distance came the sounds of dragging chains, a tooth-grinding grinding sound, and faint, mournful howls.

Based on these characteristics, he quickly determined that they were currently located in the most unsettling chokehold city among the three main settlements.

Cohen was highly suspicious that this so-called hidden spatial passage in the Northwest Continent was probably a trap deliberately set by the Chain Demons of the Throat-Locking City.

They use the intense hellish energy at the exit of the passage to sift through their "prey".

Any human or humanoid being below the Gold rank will have their physical body instantly collapse the moment they pass through the passage due to the immense burden of the plane transition, leaving only their pure soul.

This is exactly the "raw material" that ChainMagic Factory craves most.

As for those extraordinary individuals whose strength reaches the Gold rank or above, although they can barely preserve their physical bodies, the City of Locked Throat must have already prepared a corresponding "welcome ceremony" to deal with these more "valuable" uninvited guests.

Sure enough, before Cohen and Grace could find a place to stay in the City of Chokeholds, a series of dense and orderly metallic clanging sounds came rapidly from afar.

Not long after, a guard of more than ten tall chain demons, their bodies wrapped in black chains, emerged menacingly from behind a bubbling swamp.

The guards quickly identified Cohen and Grace as the two conspicuous outsiders.

The leader was an exceptionally burly chain demon. When he saw Cohen and the other man, and especially when he sensed their vibrant life force and impressive energy fluctuations, an undisguised greed flashed in his eyes.

It's as if I've seen two precious "goods" delivered right to my door!
The energy fluctuations emanating from Cohen and Grace clearly demonstrated their extraordinary cultivation at the Gold Rank.

What delighted him even more was that, judging from their extraordinary appearances and the noble air emanating from their very being, he immediately concluded that they were no ordinary humans, but rather nobles of illustrious status.

Such "prey" is priceless in the Nine Hells Plane.

Whether they are sold directly as rare "commodities" to collectors in other dimensions, or they are negotiated for redemption with the family forces behind them, it is destined to be a huge and profitable business with no risk of loss.

The City of Chokes is divided into thirteen blocks, and Cohen and Grace arrived at the edge of the third block through the spatial passage.

The imposing Gold-Rank Chain Demon before them was the highest-ranking administrator of the Third District, named Kasogor.

Besides being the administrator of the Third District, Kasogor was also a renowned master craftsman of souls throughout the capital.

The chains binding his body are magical artifacts forged using unique secret techniques. They can extract and condense the essence and pain of the soul into a high-value commodity called "Pain Crystal" during the process of torturing and tearing the soul.

This crystal is a hot commodity on the black market in multiple dimensions.

Early this morning, Kasogor received some good news that cheered him up.

The spatial passage he had secretly set up in the main plane to lure humans into a trap finally began to emit energy fluctuations again.

This means that new "goods" have been delivered to our door.

Based on his past experience dealing with such "unexpected visitors," Cassel quickly dispatched his men to conduct a thorough search of the passageway exits in the third block.

Sure enough, it didn't take long for his men to find two human faces that were completely out of place in the hellish atmosphere beside a swampy depression emitting poisonous gas.

Having witnessed the quality of the "goods" firsthand, Kasogor's joy and greed reached their peak; he could almost see a fortune beckoning to him.

Since the supreme ruler, Grand Duke Mammon, has not made a public appearance in the Endless Swamp for a long time, the middle and lower-level administrators of Minauros have long been eager to find various opportunities to enrich themselves.

For Cassogor, this was the perfect opportunity to accumulate some personal savings while his boss was away.

Therefore, when he learned that a Gold-rank human had teleported directly to his territory through a secret passage.

Instead of reporting to his direct superior, Duke Melkern, as per protocol, he chose to suppress the news and personally led his confidants over, intending to keep this "generous gift" for himself.

However, what gradually puzzled and even made Cassogor somewhat uneasy was that the two humans in front of him did not show the slightest fear or panic that he had expected.

The male human, in particular, showed no fear; instead, he looked at him with great interest.

He would even point with his finger from time to time, while turning his head to whisper something to the woman next to him.

His expression was as if he were appreciating an interesting exhibit, rather than facing a group of ferocious demons from hell.

Cohen calmly surveyed the distorted and oppressive scene around him, and patiently explained to Grace:
"The place we are in now is the City of Throat Lock, which can be called the soul processing center of the entire hell plane. Almost all the souls that flow into the Nine Hells from various channels will eventually be sent here for 'processing'."

The reason for this intermediate step is that, apart from a few high-ranking demons and devils who can directly devour or utilize the original soul, the vast majority of creatures in the Nine Hells cannot directly absorb the energy in the soul.

They must rely on the special craftsmanship of the Throat-Locking Capital to extract the essence and pain from the soul and condense it into standardized soul crystals.

For the creatures of hell, this crystal is like magic crystal in our human world—a universal energy currency and cultivation resource.

Look at this gold-tier chain demon; his attire and aura suggest that he is likely the highest-ranking administrator of this district.

I now suspect that the spatial passage we passed through was actually a trap left behind by these Chain Demons after deliberately breaking through the dimensional barrier, specifically designed to lure humans from the main plane into their trap.

According to the strict system of the Nine Hells, the appearance of human intruders of our level must be immediately reported to Duke Melkorn, who is in charge of the Throat-Locking City, and the Duke will personally come to deal with it.

But the fact that he's only brought his trusted confidants suggests he intends to suppress this matter and secretly pocket this "windfall" for himself.

Grace nodded thoughtfully.

As the neighborhood manager of the chokehold city, Kasogor is naturally fluent in human languages.

When he clearly heard Cohen's analysis, which was full of contempt and disdain, the suppressed anger in his heart was instantly ignited.

He let out a piercing, unpleasant roar, like metal scraping against metal, and swung his enormous hand violently.

The chain demon soldiers behind them, who had been eager to fight, immediately brandished their rattling chains and surrounded Cohen and Grace from all sides, trapping them in the center.

In Kasogor's eyes, one was an eighth-tier and the other a ninth-tier. Although they were powerful, in the Nine Hells Plane, with their home-field advantage, taking down these two would not be too difficult.

In Kasogor's understanding, an eighth-order and a ninth-order human, although considered strong in the main plane, are in the Nine Hells plane.

The rules of hell have a natural advantage over the natives, while they are full of oppression for outsiders.

With home advantage and his elite guard, taking down these two wouldn't be too difficult.

This guard has even successfully hunted down lone legendary-class humans.

Because of the unique rules of the Nine Hells, even the legendary domain is difficult to fully unleash, and its effect on the native creatures of hell is greatly reduced.

However, these suppressions were negligible for Cohen.

Cohen had no intention of making a move. These chain demons were, after all, Mammon's subordinates, and his purpose in coming here was to keep a low profile and not attract too much attention too early.

Just as the chain demons were about to pounce, Cohen's magic surged, and an ice cage appeared, trapping all the chain demons in place.

He then took out a token that Mammon had given him beforehand from his pocket and casually tossed it out.

The token traced a dark arc in the air and landed steadily in front of Kasogor.

The front of the token is engraved with a cluster of purple flames that seem to be burning eternally, a symbol of the greedy Grand Duke Mammon.

On the back is a number that exudes an eerie aura—"8".

The strokes were made of twisted black vines, with a faint, dark red light flowing like blood between the gaps in the vines, radiating a chilling pressure.

The No. 8 pawnshop, symbolizing Mammon.

When the ominous token landed with a "thud" on the mud in front of Kasogor, the burly body of the Gold-Rank Chain Demon trembled violently.

A tearing pain originating from the deepest part of his soul instantly swept over his entire body like a tidal wave.

That was the covenant deeply embedded in the core of the souls of all Minoan demons, the instinctive trembling and fear that arose when they sensed the symbol of supreme authority.

Grand Duke Mammon has absolute control and suppression over the souls of all demons in the third level.

Kasogor realized he had messed with the wrong person, and his massive body collapsed to his knees with a thud, as he said in fear:
"I was unaware of the arrival of the special envoy. I have offended your dignity. Please forgive me, special envoy!"

Cohen put away the token, looked down at the kneeling Cassogor, and said calmly:

"Lead the way, I need to see your Duke Melkern!"

Upon hearing this, Kasogor felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly replied:

"Yes, yes, please, Your Excellency!"

Cassel walked respectfully to the side, leading the way for Cohen and Grace.

The once menacing Chain Demon soldiers around them had already sheathed their weapons, retreated to the sides in awe, lowered their heads, and dared not utter a sound.

...(End of chapter)