Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

After Mephisto verified the information about the Dragon Plane through his own channels,

He rushed to the luxurious Villa No. 1 again to request an audience.

This time, Grace's attitude softened considerably.

She "naturally" acknowledged that Mephisto had passed the test and revealed her true intentions to him, thus officially entering the stage of cooperation negotiations.

At this moment, in the spacious and elegant living room of the villa, the atmosphere seemed relaxed, but undercurrents were surging.

Grace leaned languidly against a velvet-covered sofa, her slender fingers elegantly holding a delicate bone china teacup, from which a faint aroma of black tea wafted.

Across from her sat a woman with a gentle and intellectual demeanor.

He was dressed in a well-fitting gray business suit, his hair was neatly pulled back, and he had a professional and calm expression on his face.

This is Mephisto's carefully chosen female assistant.

Upon learning of Grace's particular "taboo" of being "allergic to men," the shrewd Mephisto specially brought along this outstanding female assistant.

Let her represent him in this crucial negotiation.

It's located a little further away from the main living area, near the huge floor-to-ceiling window.

Mephisto himself was speaking in hushed tones with a berserker bodyguard disguised as Cohen.

His gaze would occasionally drift to the two women arguing in the center of the living room, closely watching every subtle development in the negotiations.

Mephisto maintained a calm expression, but a hint of tension occasionally flashed in his eyes.

He knew that the outcome of this negotiation would directly determine whether he could truly seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

In the living room, Mephisto's gentle female assistant leaned forward slightly and gently placed a black folder made of demon leather from hell.

Several image crystals, shimmering with magical light, were carefully placed on the coffee table in front of Grace.

He spoke softly in a tone that was both respectful and professional:

"Your Highness, the channels represented by Mr. Mephisto can connect you with the most top-tier high-end arms manufacturers in the entire Dis Layer Domain."

The most crucial partner was Baron Mars, the chief war blacksmith directly under Grand Duke Dispart.

The Baron runs several of the largest and most technically sophisticated top-tier enchanted weapon workshops in Forge City.

He has the authority to directly mobilize all resources in the Dis layer, and is fully capable of supporting the supply of a full range of equipment for an elite legion of tens of thousands.

This is Baron Mars's main area of ​​expertise.

She then began to introduce the specific products in detail.

A finger gently swipes across the text and images on the document, simultaneously activating an image crystal.

Immediately, three-dimensional images of weapons radiating a chilling light were projected onto the crystal, slowly rotating and displaying every detail.

"For conventional individual soldier equipment, we have standard equipment specifically designed for large-scale corps operations."

For example, this 'Hell Scimitar' has a blade imbued with concentrated hellish energy, making it extremely effective against ordinary extraordinary professionals.

It could easily tear through their protective magic.

The female assistant gently flicked the image crystal, and the projection switched to a long weapon that was entirely black, but whose spearhead was wreathed in blue soul fire:

"This is the 'Soul Steel Spear,' forged from hell iron mixed with Soul-Eating Steel. It can not only cause physical damage but also directly impact the enemy's soul."

The scene then shows a murder weapon made of countless spiked iron balls and chains:

"And this 'chain of pain' inflicts a continuous 'torture' effect on the target in addition to the regular damage."

This can greatly weaken the enemy's fighting spirit.

After introducing the standard equipment, the female assistant's tone rose slightly, moving on to a more advanced topic:

"In terms of enchanted weapons, these two are currently the best-selling and most highly regarded."

As the female assistant's voice rang out, a short, jet-black blade covered in eerie runes and a finely crafted crossbow with blood-red runes appeared in the video:
"This is the 'Soul Devouring Dagger,' which is imbued with a powerful 'Soul Tear' enchantment. It has a significant suppressive and damaging effect on high-level transcendents and even the dragon souls of dragons."

This one is called 'Blood Curse Crossbow'.

Its bolts not only have physical penetrating power, but also inflict a vicious 'Bloodborne curse'.

It can ignore a significant portion of magical defenses and directly erode the target's life essence.

These five weapons and equipment are the standard weapons and equipment that we have carefully selected for Your Highness, and are most suitable for conquering dimensional wars.

While it may not compare to divine or demonic equipment, it is definitely among the top-tier items in the entire multiverse!

The female assistant's introduction was clear, organized, and highlighted the key points.

It not only showcased the product's powerful performance but also subtly hinted at its targeted effectiveness against Grace's potential adversaries, including the dragon, making it appear highly professional and persuasive.

However, Grace's reaction was lukewarm.

The eldest princess leaned lazily against the back of the sofa, her slender fingertips lightly tapping the exquisitely crafted document.

His gaze swept casually over the images of weapons that would drive ordinary warlords mad, but his face showed no surprise or satisfaction.

After looking for a while, she parted her red lips slightly and spoke in a cool voice:

"It looks good, but unfortunately it's nothing new."

She raised her eyelids, her captivating eyes meeting the gaze of her female assistant across from her, her eyes filled with a condescending scrutiny.

"These things can be bought elsewhere, as long as you're willing to pay the price."

"I've come all this way to the Eternal Night City, not just for these commonplace 'mass-produced goods'."

Grace's words seemed to lower the temperature in the living room.

Both sides were fully aware of the situation.

In the endless abyss of hell and its twisted ecosystem, in an extreme environment that cannot be replicated by conventional technology and magic, some terrifying biological weapons are born solely for large-scale warfare.

Their manufacturing process is inherently fraught with extreme danger and uncertainty, and they are firmly confined to the harsh environment unique to hell.

It simply cannot be replicated elsewhere.

This is why they have become the most advanced and scarce strategic resources in the Nine Hells Plane.

Bookings often need to be made well in advance, and the cost is shockingly high.

Cohen and Grace's real target this time was precisely these forbidden weapons that were impossible to obtain or even see in the main plane.

Despite Grace's pointed response, the female assistant maintained a professional composure.

But her gaze had already involuntarily drifted toward Mephisto, who was not far behind her.

Mephisto, who had been closely monitoring the negotiations, immediately noticed the look his assistant was giving him.

A flash of understanding and decisiveness crossed his eyes, and he gave a clear response with a slight nod—it was time to reveal his true cards.

He knew that the vision and appetite of this "special envoy" were far beyond those of ordinary clients.

Conventional weaponry simply could not meet her needs.

Now it's time to show the true depth and power that Mephisto can reach!
After receiving Mephisto's suggestive glance, the female assistant nodded slightly, and her expression became even more serious.

He took out another heavy file with a cover printed with dark red forbidden runes from the encrypted file box he carried with him and gently placed it in front of Grace.

The voice remained gentle, but a distinctly solemn tone had emerged in it:

"Your Highness, the next person I would like to introduce to you is Mr. Victor Reynolds."

He is the true tycoon of the underground arms industry in Forge City, managing a vast trading network spanning multiple layers and planes.

They are particularly adept at handling heavy strategic weapons and forbidden military-grade equipment, and directly or indirectly control multiple 'war incubation pits' located in the abyssal rifts.

She paused briefly, letting the weighty name and title settle in the air, before continuing:

"Mr. Reynolds has a stable supply of goods and a far-reaching influence in many regions of ongoing conflict, and the scope and depth of his reach are far beyond the imagination of ordinary arms dealers."

Your Highness, in fact, Mr. Reynolds rarely conducts direct transactions with unfamiliar clients.

This is especially true when it comes to the large-scale strategic equipment he manages.

As is customary, customers must first complete a certain number of basic transactions in the Disi region to accumulate sufficient credit and transaction volume before they are qualified to access or even purchase such top-tier equipment.

For example, the equipment I'm about to introduce is an extremely scarce resource even in this hellish plane itself.

Their production capacity is extremely limited, and the manufacturing process is fraught with uncontrollable risks and a very high failure rate.

Therefore, it has always been offered only to top-tier clients with strong backgrounds and undeniable strength.

However, she immediately changed the subject, her face showing a resolute expression:
"However, given Your Highness's astonishing wealth and incomparably noble background, our Mephisto boss, after careful consideration, is willing to make an exception for you!"

He has decided to personally act as a go-between for you and facilitate your deal with Mr. Reynolds.

This gives you direct access to top-tier strategic resources that are simply inaccessible through ordinary channels.

The female assistant's words not only highlighted the scarcity and difficulty of obtaining these items, but also cleverly elevated Grace's status to the point where she was "worthy of an exception."

This not only expressed sincerity but also implied a further test of its strength.

It must be said that Mephisto's female assistant is truly top-notch in her professional skills; even Grace was convinced by her.

After a brief pause, the female assistant placed several Soul Steel models on the table, her tone becoming much more serious:
"Your Highness, please take a look. These are the native forbidden weapons that can only be conceived and manufactured in our Nine Hells Plane, or more precisely, in our Dis Layer Domain, a land permeated by the Abyss Furnace and the Laws of War."

Without exception, they all originated from the infamous 'war incubation pits,' making them true living biological munitions!

She first pointed to one of the most grotesque-looking models.

It was a canine creature with three ferocious heads and its body covered in thick bone armor.

"This creature is called the 'War Beast,' and some in the military also call it the 'Heavy Armored Cerberus.'"

Its prototype is none other than Cerberus, the three-headed hound of hell in legend, who guards the entrance to the River Styx!

The name "Cerberus" flashed through the living room like a bolt of lightning.

Almost simultaneously upon hearing the name, Grace, who had maintained a languid posture, and Cohen, disguised as a berserker and standing not far away seemingly whispering with Mephisto, both subtly shifted their gazes.

Both of them knew all too well the deep connection between Cerberus, the three-headed hellhound, and Grace.

That was Grace's "pet," whom she raised herself, and now it sits quietly in Florence as a hidden trump card.

Silently protecting Effie's safety.

At this moment, upon suddenly hearing about a biological weapon modeled after them deep in hell, the two inevitably felt a surge of indescribable emotion.

Grace's beautiful eyes lingered on the model of the "War Beast" for a moment, a complex and unfathomable light flashing deep within them, but she quickly regained her previous calm.

Cohen quickly regained his composure and continued to play his role as a silent and loyal protector.

The female assistant had no idea that the noble succubus lady in front of her had such a deep connection with the legendary Cerberus.

She began, in a professional and composed tone, to detail the various parameters and tactical value of this terrifying biological weapon:
"In actual combat, War Beasts are usually deployed as vanguard assault units or heavy breakthrough forces of the Hell Legion."

Its body is covered with thick biological bone armor, which is formed by repeated tempering of hell lava and minerals. Combined with its innate high-speed regeneration ability, it is enough to withstand the continuous attacks of a gold-level superhuman.

Its three heads possess independent nerve centers and attack consciousness, allowing it to simultaneously lock onto and attack three different targets.

The left head excels at tearing physical bites, the middle head can continuously spew extremely hot hellfire, while the right head specializes in unleashing wide-area 'fear roars'.

This sonic attack can directly impact the enemy's mind.

In summary, the War Beasts can inflict devastating damage on infantry phalanxes, light magical vehicles, and most conventional fortifications.

More importantly, its very existence, combined with the Roar of Fear, can greatly suppress the enemy's morale and undermine their will to fight.

In both direct assaults and positional warfare, it is undoubtedly a trump card capable of turning the tide of battle.

Then, her tone revealed the severe limitations behind this powerful force:

"However, the conditions for cultivating a qualified War Beast are extremely demanding, and the process is fraught with risks."

Its prized bone armor needs to continuously absorb high-energy minerals and active lava unique to the depths of hell in order to grow and strengthen.

Furthermore, the coordination of its three heads and its controllable, berserk fighting spirit require a continuous infusion and harmonization of the chaotic energy unique to the hellish environment.

Most importantly, it is powered by its core energy source – the 'Heart of Calamity'.

This special bioenergy organ can currently only be successfully cultivated under specific environmental conditions in a few 'war incubation pits' in the core area of ​​Hell.

Raising a qualified Warbeast requires not only a huge amount of rare hellish metals and high-purity fel crystals, but the survival rate of its offspring is also heartbreakingly low.

Many young beasts will completely collapse due to energy imbalance during the critical period of bone and armor growth, or lose control of their consciousness and become mad beasts that only know how to destroy.

Therefore, every war beast that successfully grows up requires the powerful will of a high-ranking demon overseer or even a demon lord to personally imprint its spirit, in order to ensure its controllability.

Its complete growth cycle often lasts for decades, even centuries, which determines its extremely limited production and its immense value.

The female assistant's detailed introduction laid bare the War Beast's formidable combat power and demanding breeding conditions before Grace.

The underlying message is quite clear: this incredibly powerful biological weapon is a unique product of the Nine Hells plane, and it cannot be replicated outside of its specific environment and technology.

Moreover, due to the extremely difficult breeding process, long cycle, and low survival rate, its output is extremely scarce, and each one can be regarded as a strategic resource with a price but no market.

Given this, the intermediaries who are able to obtain such scarce resources will naturally charge an exorbitant fee that would deter ordinary forces from even attempting to obtain them!

This serves as a preventative measure for the subsequent substantive negotiations.

As she spoke, the female assistant cautiously observed Grace's expression out of the corner of her eye.

Trying to catch a trace of emotion on that exquisitely beautiful yet indifferent face, even a hint of surprise or hesitation.

However, Grace remained aloof and indifferent, as if what she had just heard was not a terrifying weapon capable of changing the course of a battlefield, but an ordinary everyday item.

This unfathomable composure made the female assistant secretly hold her breath, daring not to be negligent in the slightest.

She didn't dare to pause for too long and quickly pointed to another Soul Steel model—a bat-like creature with outstretched wings.

The membrane of its wings was covered with eerie, corrosive patterns, and fangs that shimmered with green light could be vaguely seen in its mouth.

He introduced it softly:
"This is the Acid Batwing Demon."

It belongs to the air suppression and area purification unit.

They often appear in groups and can use their natural flight advantage to launch high-speed surprise attacks.

To launch a fatal attack from an unexpected angle.

It is an aerial combat unit comparable to the Pegasus Force and the Elf Ranger.

The highly corrosive acid they spray can instantly dissolve even the strongest alloy armor, thick concrete fortifications, and powerful biological tissues.

It's no exaggeration to say that an ordinary army, without special protection, would be utterly unable to withstand an attack from a large-scale Acid Bat-Winged Demon, even just a single air raid.

Then, she changed the subject, emphasizing again the unique and scarce nature of the Acid Batwing Demon production:
"The cultivation of Acid Batwing Demons is also inseparable from the unique environment of Hell."

Their deadly acid glands can only develop normally in the highly toxic swamps and sulfurous mists unique to hell.

Furthermore, during their larval stage, they must use a specific type of abyssal worm as their initial host for parasitism and transformation.

More importantly, in order to form a large-scale and effective combat force...

A swarm of bat-winged demons must establish a synchronized 'swarm consciousness' connection, and this crucial biological linking technology...

It is a core secret currently held by only a few ancient families of Hellish craftsmen, which greatly limits its production.

Finally, the female assistant pointed to the largest and most peculiar Soul Steel model—a creature that resembled a giant caterpillar.

Its segmented body is covered with thick, metallic-looking armor, and its head is a fearsome spiral drill structure that seems capable of easily tearing apart the hardest rock layers deep within the earth.

She carefully picked up the heavy model and patiently explained:
"This is an abyssal burrowing worm."

It was a master of tunnel warfare and an ultimate expert in sabotage behind enemy lines.

It can continuously excavate underground at an astonishing speed, almost ignoring most conventional geological structures.

Whether it's hard granite or unstable quicksand layers.

Its main tactical value lies in its ability to launch surprise attacks on enemy command centers, logistical supply points, or key energy facilities without their knowledge.

To deliver a fatal blow to the enemy.

At the same time, it can also create large-scale collapses under the enemy's strong defenses, instantly dismantling their defense system.

In addition, it has a transport chamber inside its body that can accommodate a small elite force.

It can also be used to carry and plant high-yield "hell bombs" to carry out deeper strategic sabotage missions.

After introducing these three unique biological weapons, the female assistant straightened her posture slightly.

He spoke to Grace in a summarizing tone:

"Your Highness, the War Beast, the Acid Bat-Winged Demon, and the Abyss Burrowing Worm."

These three are currently the most mature biological strategic weapons in our Disi layer, with the most complete cultivation system.

We believe that Your Highness, with your discerning eye and needs, will certainly find them interesting.

Grace did not immediately express her opinion after hearing this introduction.

Her slender, almost translucent, fair hands picked up the three Soul Steel models one by one, gently playing with them between her fingertips.

She casually flipped through a few pages of the thick enchanted parchment documents placed next to her.

But his face always maintained that inscrutable, serene expression.

After a long while, she slowly raised her head and looked calmly at the female assistant.

He asked in a flat, emotionless tone:

"How many of these three types of biological weapons can your so-called underground arms dealer provide at most?"

This seemingly casual question made the female assistant's eyebrows twitch uncontrollably.

Her professional composure was almost impossible to maintain, and she subconsciously cast an inquiring glance at Mephisto behind her.

Mephisto, who had been closely watching the negotiation process from a short distance away, was also taken aback by Grace's assertive question about "maximum supply" as soon as she opened her mouth.

But he was a seasoned veteran who had seen it all, and he immediately coughed lightly and shook his head with an extremely slight but unusually firm gesture, stopping his female assistant from uttering any specific numbers she might be about to say.

This indicated that she absolutely could not reveal her hand at this stage.

The air in the living room seemed to freeze for a moment, and an invisible pressure quietly spread. (End of Chapter)