Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

The battle ultimately ended without any suspense.

Faced with the combined attack of three legendary-rank extraordinary beings, led by a high-ranking legendary-rank expert, Simmons had no chance of survival.

"Boom——!!!"

Simmons' self-destruction seemed to shake the entire Lost Lands.

It was not a violent explosion on the material level, but a collapse and lamentation originating from the level of the soul and rules!
Centered on the spot where Simmons fell, a wave of sorrow, a mixture of vampire resentment, the grief of a legendary fall, and the final struggle against the abyss's corruption, spread wildly throughout the Lost Land!
A legend has fallen; heaven and earth grieve!
Almost simultaneously, throughout the Lost Lands, whether on the front lines of battle, in remote oases, or in ancient forbidden areas, all extraordinary individuals who had reached a certain level of strength felt a sudden, unexpected jolt in their hearts.

Immediately afterwards, the sky seemed to be covered with a light haze, and the light of the sun, moon and stars seemed to dim a little.

A faint murmur and mournful cry echoed in my ears. The sound did not come from the outside world, but resonated directly in the depths of my soul, making the listener feel a pang of sorrow and chill for no reason.

It was as if an ancient legend had been forcibly "cut off" by an invisible force, leaving it incomplete.

A sense of sorrow and emptiness, of "the fall of an unparalleled powerhouse and the collapse of a corner of an era," permeates the rules of heaven and earth.

This is the dimensional resonance and lamentation of the rules triggered when a legendary-level powerhouse completely perishes, as their powerful soul, boundless vitality, and a portion of the power of the rules they wielded dissipate.

On the human continent, saints still exist, and while legends are precious, they are not irreplaceable.

But in the Lost Lands, a land shrouded in special rules, where saints cannot descend and higher powers are greatly restricted, legends are living myths, moving natural disasters, and the cornerstones of a nation.

The birth or fall of every legend has a profound impact on the power structure of a region.

Now, a legend has fallen without warning!
The shock of Simmons's fall was a hundred times greater than the fall of a legend on the human continent!
Countless gazes, some filled with shock, some with solemnity, some with ecstasy, and some with fear, were cast toward the general direction from which the strange phenomenon originated—the eastern region where the Demon Gold Empire and the Twilight Continent were at war.

The intelligence networks of all major powers began operating at unprecedented speed, frantically trying to confirm who the fallen legend was, and... what earth-shattering changes were behind the fall of this legend.

At the source of the strange phenomenon, Sal sensed the mournful fluctuations of the rules permeating the world. Far from being displeased, he revealed an even more satisfied smile:
"A legend has fallen, and the world mourns... What a beautiful sound."

Do you see that, Mayne? That's power, that's conquest!
The death of a legend is the best sacrifice and declaration for the rise of the Demon Gold Empire!

Cohen remained calmly in a safe, slightly distant position throughout, witnessing the bloody massacre.

He watched the strange phenomena that occurred when Simmons fell and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

With Simmons gone, Blood Lord Lucius will undoubtedly spare no effort to use the vampire's inherited artifact.

At that time, the truth about Thrall's collusion with demons will no longer be able to be concealed!

My plan to kill two birds with one stone has succeeded!
He suppressed his emotions and said loudly:

"Your Majesty's divine might has brought about the fall of Simmons. The backbone of the Eternal Night City-State and even the entire eastern Twilight Continent has been broken."

Next, the army will advance eastward, and its advance will be unstoppable!

"Then it's up to you. Five days from now, I will hold a grand ceremony for your investiture as Grand Duke in the Eternal Night City-State!"

……

The strange phenomena triggered by the fall of Lord Simmons stirred up a monstrous wave throughout the Lost Lands.

The situation was shaken on all sides, and undercurrents were surging.

Almost at the same time the strange phenomenon appeared, countless secret and public intelligence stations throughout the Lost Lands instantly went into overload operation.

The leaders of the major powers sternly urged their subordinates to spare no effort in finding out the exact source of the anomaly, the identity of the fallen legend, and the reasons behind it.

The intelligence brokers who operated in the shadows, especially Owen Hunter who had just made a fortune, suddenly felt uneasy.

His intuition told him that this legendary figure's downfall seemed to be related to the intelligence he had presented to the vampires.

However, he soon realized that an even bigger deal than the "Devil's Armory" might be coming his way.

They immediately mobilized all their hidden agents and launched a massive infiltration into the Eastern Theater Command.

The rulers of the various oases, independent city-states, and powerful tribes looked grave and immediately summoned their core advisors to discuss the matter.

The fall of a legend, especially in frontline areas, could very well trigger a chain reaction.

Thorwald, the wolf lord of Nightmoon Continent, stood atop Wolf Howl Castle, his amber vertical pupils gazing southeastward, his face grim.

In the Endless City, even the core members of the Supreme Council were alarmed.

However, the information Cohen sent back allowed them to know what had happened earlier and more clearly than the outside world.

However, before these peripheral intelligence networks could fully sort things out, the situation on the front lines had already undergone a dramatic change due to the success of this decapitation operation.

Just before the news of Simmons's fall and the near annihilation of his last elite troops had fully spread.

The main force of the Demon Gold Empire's eastern expeditionary army, which had been poised for action for some time, launched a massive all-out offensive against the Eternal Night City-State, which had lost its supreme commander and most of its core leadership, from multiple directions under the remote command of Emperor Sal.

With the loss of the legendary city lord Simmons, nearly half of the half-step legendary and gold-ranked command personnel were lost, and even many mid-level officers were trapped along with the army.

The defense system of the Eternal Night City-State has suffered a huge power vacuum and command gap.

Despite the valiant efforts of the remaining vampire warriors and the continued operation of the city's defensive array.

However, the lack of unified high-level command and poor coordination between departments made them appear overwhelmed and full of weaknesses when facing the overwhelming offensive of the imperial army.

The army of the Demon Gold Empire was in high spirits.

His Majesty the Emperor personally planned and successfully executed the enemy's legendary figure, annihilating their most elite forces in a glorious victory that greatly inspired the entire army.

The demon soldier legions, alchemical war machines, and warriors from various tribes in the Chaotic Demon Continent launched wave after wave of attacks, as if they had been injected with adrenaline.

Without the domain suppression of the legendary powerhouse and his crucial ability to turn the tide at critical moments, the defenses of the Eternal Night City-State began to collapse at an alarming rate in the face of the imperial army's overwhelming numerical and firepower superiority.

The situation in the Eternal Night City-State has taken a sharp turn for the worse and is now on the verge of collapse.

Just as the Eternal Night City-State was embroiled in a fierce battle, more detailed information about the raid and the fall finally spread wildly through various channels, sweeping across the entire Lost Land.

"Simons, the city lord of the Eternal Night City, a vampire elder, and a legendary transcendent, was ambushed and attacked by the Demon Lord Sal and two of his legendary subordinates (Keles and Anderson) near a secret facility on the eastern border of the Demon Gold Empire. Despite his valiant efforts, he was no match for them and ultimately... perished!"

"His five half-step legendary elders, more than ten gold-rank officers, and five hundred of the most elite vampire guards were almost completely wiped out!"

"The Demon Gold Empire's army is launching a fierce attack on the Eternal Night City-State, and the city's defenses are already in grave danger!"

These shocking pieces of news struck the hearts of all who heard them!

The entire vampire clan was plunged into immense shock and grief!
Simmons is no ordinary legend. He is a veteran who has guarded the eastern gateway for hundreds of years, the anchor of the vampires in the southeast, and one of the spiritual pillars of countless vampire warriors!

His fall not only meant the loss of a top-tier fighter, but also revealed an irreparable and massive vulnerability in the eastern defense system that the vampires had cultivated for countless years, and the blow to morale was devastating.

In an instant, Twilight Continent was filled with lamentations, vampire nobles everywhere were in a state of panic, and many vassal races and cities began to secretly seek their own way out.

The entire Lost Land was also plunged into deep shock and fear.

A legendary veteran, relying on the city-state's magic array and his vampire talent, was surrounded and killed in a short period of time!

The ruthlessness, decisiveness, and terrifying ability to utilize high-end combat power displayed by the Demon Gold Empire sent chills down the spines of all factions.

This means that in future conflicts, even legendary powerhouses will no longer be an absolute guarantee of safety.

Thrall's empire truly has the capability and the determination to behead its supreme leader.

Many small and medium-sized forces that had previously looked down on the Demon Gold Empire or intended to play both sides now completely abandoned their petty thoughts and began to seriously consider their own way of survival.

Should they submit to the Supreme Council? Or try to pledge allegiance to the Demon Gold Empire? Or perhaps find a more secluded corner to hide in?
Many rulers were filled with unspeakable anxiety and difficult choices.

However, this glorious victory did not come without a price for the Demon Gold Empire.

In the final battle to kill Simmons, the vampire elder's last stand before his death was extremely fierce.

He sacrificed his soul and legendary essence to unleash a forbidden secret technique that resulted in mutual destruction, with astonishing power.

Anderson was at the forefront of the attack and had a long-standing feud with Simmons, so he was the first to be hit and suffered heavy damage.

Although Thrall intervened in time with his formidable legendary strength, saving Anderson's life and legendary status, the physical form suffered severe damage.

Anderson's strength will be greatly reduced for a long time to come, and it will take a lot of resources and a long period of time to slowly recover.

This means that while the Demon Gold Empire achieved a brilliant tactical victory, it also temporarily "lost" a legendary-level combatant.

However, in the eyes of the Demon Lord Thrall and the imperial high command, all of this was completely worthwhile, even a "huge profit".

Anderson's severe injury was exchanged for the complete demise of a veteran legend of the vampire clan guarding a vital strategic location, as well as the destruction of his most elite core forces, and also opened the door to conquering the eastern part of Twilight Continent.

Such an exchange would be an absolutely worthwhile investment in the eyes of any strategist.

It greatly accelerated the conquest of Twilight Continent, dealt a heavy blow to the vampires' will to resist, and demonstrated the empire's unstoppable military might and iron fist to the entire Lost Lands.

Fueled by bloodshed and victory, the empire's war machine rolled forward toward its predetermined goal with unprecedented speed and efficiency. In less than three days, the Demon Gold Empire had completely conquered this strategically vital location of paramount importance to the Twilight Continent.

The aftershocks of the fallen legend and the fall of the Eternal Night City-State are giving rise to new fears, new alliances, and new storms in every corner of the Lost Lands.

……

With the perfect conclusion of the "Demon Armory" trap, the fall of Simmons and the collapse of the Eternal Night City-State, Cohen's status in the Demon Gold Empire, especially in the eyes of the Demon Lord Sal, reached an unprecedented height.

In Sal's view, "Maine" was not only a capable minister, but also a "divine helper" who could help him establish an unparalleled empire.

In contrast, even Baphomet, who was personally sent by the abyss demon god Valak to assist him for many years, had never received such kindness and trust.

Baffromancer is more like a powerful but cautious double-edged sword; his loyalty is first directed towards the abyss, and only secondly towards Thrall.

What "Mayne" demonstrated was an unreserved dedication to the interests of the Empire and astonishing results.

Sal has even privately lamented more than once that if it weren't for the fact that Cohen and Mavis were already deeply in love, he would have liked to immediately choose the best among his direct descendants or close nephews and nieces to marry Cohen.

This will firmly bind the bloodline of this unparalleled genius to Thrall's family chariot.

Such a talented person was someone he truly cherished.

In order to further win over this "confidant among confidants," and to demonstrate to the entire empire and the outside world his eagerness to seek out talent and his attitude of valuing talent and rewarding merit, Emperor Sarr made a high-profile decision.

He officially announced to the entire Lost Lands that an unprecedented grand celebration would be held in the City-State of Eternal Night.

The celebration will consist of two parts: the first is a grand wedding for Staff Officer Mayne and the renowned "Musician" lady.

Secondly, after the wedding, Cohen was formally appointed Duke of the Magic Gold Empire, and granted him a fiefdom and a series of privileges.

The news caused a national uproar, followed by a flurry of activity and excitement across all levels of society.

The emperor himself bestowed a marriage upon the couple and conferred upon them the title of duke—what an honor!
Especially during the crucial period of the newly established empire's expansion and territorial conquest, this honor felt all the more weighty.

Countless people secretly speculated about how illustrious the future power of this Duke of Maine would be.

When Cohen, who was directly involved, received the order personally announced by Sal, he could only smile bitterly.

He could already imagine the reactions of those jealous people in the Endless City when the news reached them.

However, he had no choice but to accept this generous gift with "honor".

Mavis was naturally overjoyed.

Although she didn't care about titles or status, she had no reason to refuse the opportunity to enter into the most sacred ceremony with the man she loved in front of everyone.

Far away in the Endless City, inside the secret meeting room of the Supreme Council.

The mountains of files, the shimmering magical communication crystals, and the constant comings and goings of officials at all levels all indicate that this place is operating at a high speed.

The news of the fall of a legend and the fall of the Eternal Night City-State greatly increased the pressure on the entire committee.

They need to coordinate resources from all sides, assess the situation, adjust strategies, and deal with potential refugee influxes, a reshuffling of power, and the more aggressive expansion of the Mojin Empire.

Just when things were at their most chaotic, an official announcement from the Magic Gold Empire regarding the wedding of "Maine" and Princess Mavis and the celebration of his investiture as a duke was delivered to the desk of the rotating chairman, Belmod Vynyard.

Grace, standing nearby, slammed a report about the supply needs of a certain swing tribe in the east onto the heavy conference table with a "bang," and complained:

"marry?
We're so busy here dealing with Thrall's mad demon army that we're practically running around like crazy, wishing we could split ourselves into three!

He's having a romantic affair in the enemy's lair, and now he's even planning a wedding?
How abominable!

Belmod looked up from the documents, rubbed his throbbing temples, glanced at the sulking Grace, and gave a helpless, wry smile:
"Your Highness, please don't be angry. This only shows that your man's infiltration plan has achieved unprecedented success."

Although the wedding and investiture were high-profile, from another perspective, they also marked Sal's complete integration of Cohen into the inner circle.

We should be pleased about this.

Grace rolled her eyes in annoyance:

"What do you mean 'my'? Isn't it yours?"
You're pleased, aren't you? Your own sister has a proper status now. How could you not be pleased?

She paused, seemingly realizing her complaint was somewhat childish, and then steered the conversation back on track:

"Forget it, let's not talk about this anymore. The vampires have suffered such a huge loss; Simmons has fallen, and the Eternal Night City-State has been lost as well."

Given the nature of those old bats, they would never swallow such a huge loss, but with their remaining strength, it would be a pipe dream to fight Thrall alone.

I estimate that it won't be long before envoys from the Twilight Continent, or even secret representatives at the level of the Vampire Elders, come knocking on our door.

They need cooperation and allies now more than ever!

When Vermouth heard Grace's assessment that the vampires might actively seek cooperation, a cold glint flashed in her eyes:
"Cooperation? When Cohen wrote to Blood Lord Lucius, they ignored him. Now they want to cooperate? There's no such thing as a free lunch."

They are no longer qualified to cooperate with us on an equal footing!

Although she knew perfectly well that Cohen's letter to Blood Lord Lucius was part of a larger, more complex plan.

The goal was not really to expect the arrogant vampires to immediately side with the Supreme Council, but rather to lay the groundwork for possible future contact.

But rationally speaking, when she thought about how her man's sincere letter had been treated so lightly and even ignored by the vampires, Belmody couldn't help but feel an indescribable resentment.

She, Belmod Vineyard, values ​​so highly; how could she allow others to treat her with such contempt?
Grey nodded without hesitation, her beautiful face also shrouded in frost.

When it comes to Cohen, her protectiveness is no less than that of Vermouth:
“I completely agree. I also read the draft of that letter. Cohen was so sincere, he analyzed so many pros and cons, trying to point them out a way out.”

And the result? They offered their warm welcome only to be met with indifference. Now that things are urgent, they're only just realizing their mistake?

It's too late! We must teach them a lesson.

Their eyes met, and they instantly reached a consensus.

Grace parted her red lips slightly:
"This matter is best handled by Windsor. She knows best how to secure the greatest benefit for us in this situation, while also making certain once arrogant races face reality."

After arriving in the Endless City, Windsor served as the head of foreign affairs on the Supreme Council.

While Grace and Belmody were at the helm, handling heavy administrative and strategic planning, Windsor's presence was felt in almost every faction in the Lost Lands that was willing or able to engage with the Supreme Council.

From persuading a wavering city-state to join the alliance, to establishing trade channels with an ancient, reclusive race, and coordinating potential frictions between the various member forces, she was constantly on the move, mediating and negotiating.

Thanks to Windsordler's efforts and the immense pressure from the Magnum Empire, more and more small and medium-sized forces, tribes, independent city-states in the Lost Lands, and even some duchies, guilds, and secret organizations on the human continent that are worried about the threat from the Magnum Empire, have begun to gravitate toward the Supreme Council, either openly or covertly.

The Supreme Council’s prestige and actual influence are steadily and rapidly expanding.

Windsordler was so busy meeting, negotiating, and signing agreements with different envoys almost every day that he was constantly on the go.

Just as Belmody and Grace were discussing things, speak of the devil, and he appears.

Windsordler pushed open the door and walked in, his gaze falling on Grace with a subtle hint of sympathy for the "newcomer," and said:
"I really didn't expect that Mavis would beat me to it."

I had originally thought that, whether by order or by the eagerness of some people, Your Highness would be the next to marry Cohen.

Currently, in Cohen's incredibly complex network of relationships, the only ones with official titles, besides Queen Adele, are Isabella and Windsordler, who have already been formally established as princesses.

Besides these, the closest are Empress Xenise of the Central Empire, who has already been identified as his fiancée, and Princess Grace of the Eastern Empire, who, although engaged, has not yet married.

As for the rest, Belmody's special status meant she couldn't openly be with Cohen.

Melanie didn't care about such things, and she had no desire to appear in public as a princess.

Nephthys and Asuna, on the other hand, were too busy with their own work to think about such things.

As for Freya, as the queen of the newly established Ceylon, although she longed for a formal title with Cohen, her status made it impossible for her to marry Effie so soon.

In the women's perception, or rather, in a tacit order of precedence, Grace seemed to be the next one to receive a formal title.

Therefore, when news came that Cohen was about to hold a grand wedding with Mavis in the Magic Empire, Windsor's first reaction was to tease Grace, his "arch-enemy".

The two had a lot of bickering back in the Lost Land.

Grace glanced at Windsor and snorted:
"What's the point of rushing or not rushing? That's not what I care about."

Even so, anyone could hear the jealousy in her voice.

Belmody then coughed lightly, steer the conversation back on track:
"Alright, Windsor, you're back just in time."

We can talk about the wedding later; we have more important things for you to handle.

It's about the vampires. We predict they'll send an envoy for help soon. They'll pay for how they disregarded Cohen's letter back then!

...(End of chapter)