Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

The five great empires reacted most fiercely.

The Middle Empire, Constantine.

Empress Sanes Klein sat on her throne, listening to the intelligence officer's almost incoherent report. Chief Heisenberg, Prince Heinz, Prime Minister Hayes, and other high-ranking officials all looked shocked.

They racked their brains but could never have imagined that Cohen could find a descendant of the Arcane Empire's royal bloodline; it was simply too incredible.

Dragon City, Eastern Empire.

Emperor Eberron Tang abruptly looked up from the mountain of memorials. He paused for a few seconds, then stood up abruptly and paced rapidly around his study.

"The Arcane Empire... actually still has direct descendants alive?"
And that brat Cohen found them, and even put them on the throne?

Other major powers on the continent, including temples, magical organizations, business alliances, and reclusive families, were all stunned by the series of explosive news.

"Arcane Empire?"
That legendary pinnacle of magical civilization actually still has direct descendants living in the world!
She even became the queen of the Lost Lands?

"Cohen Corleone... how exactly did he find her? Or was it all part of his plan all along?"

"Opening the 'Crown of Stars'... My God, that's a forbidden area that even legendary experts are helpless against."

The royal bloodline... truly exists!

"It's chaos, complete chaos!"
The covenant of the gods remains unresolved, the Demon Lord Thrall has just been defeated, and now a descendant of the Arcane Empire has reappeared and declared himself emperor. This continent is likely about to face a cataclysmic upheaval unseen in millennia!

"We must reassess our relationship with the Lost Lands... no, with the new Arcane Empire! Immediately! Right now!"

Shock, emotion, vigilance, calculation, fear, anticipation... a variety of emotions spread across the mainland.

Mavis's identity, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, created ripples far more profound than her ascension to the throne as empress.

It not only made the legal system of the newly formed Arcane Empire unbreakable, but also brought the name "Arcane Empire," which had long been lost to history, back to the center of the continent's power struggle.

This endowed the new regime with a mysterious and powerful historical aura, as well as a potential threat.

The rumors that Cohen abused his position for personal gain have been disproven.

Never before has the gaze of the continent been so focused on this land that has just ended the chaos and established a new regime, and on the empress Mavis I, who has a mysterious background, noble blood, and ascended the throne with the support of Cohen Corleone.

Everyone realized that a powerful force that could not be ignored had risen on the human continent.

Just as the various forces on the Demon Tide Continent were shaken by the restoration of the Arcane Empire and the true identity of Empress Mavis, the Divine Realm, which stood high above the mortal world, was also stirred by this sudden news, with ripples that were difficult to quell.

In the Divine Realm, a secluded region, several figures radiating immense divine power descended upon it simultaneously.

Their intertwined divine thoughts turned this area, which should have been absolutely silent, into a turbulent place.

"The news...has it been confirmed?"

The first sound to ring out was a deep, hoarse voice.

The owner of the voice was like a deep, ever-wriggling shadow, with only two scarlet points of light floating within it.

The will of Erebus, the God of Darkness, manifests.

[God of Truth and Memory] Lothien took over, his voice filled with confusion and gravity:

"It's confirmed, but it's still too unbelievable."

Lothien Yin's figure rippled slightly, as if he were rapidly flipping through an invisible scroll of memories, and details of that earth-shattering upheaval ten thousand years ago resurfaced.

"The core foundation of the Arcane Empire lies in its deep connection with and control over the source of 'arcane'—the 'Well of All Laws'."

The imperial family, as the core ruling and spellcasting class, has had its bloodline deeply bound to the 'Well of Myriad Laws' since birth, and has received the purest 'mystery' source baptism.

Their power, life, and even the very essence of their existence are inextricably linked to it.

When the Well of Ten Thousand Laws was polluted, our orders were to thoroughly purify the source of the pollution.

The Well of All Laws gradually collapsed as a result.

Without the support of the 'O' source, the royal family members suffered a backlash, and their life imprints collapsed and vanished amidst the 'O's' wailing.

This was an erasure at the rule level. I personally witnessed the last few core members of the royal family turn into the most basic energy dust in front of the Starry Throne in the deepest part of the royal palace, without even leaving a trace of their souls.

Theoretically, it was impossible for any direct descendant to escape that primordial extinction.

Lothien Hidden's tone was resolute, carrying the absolute confidence of a god of memory and truth.

He was a participant in what happened back then, and also, to some extent, one of the recorders and executors.

A voice, full of iron will and a resounding clang, broke through, its owner surrounded by illusory sounds of clashing weapons and scenes of war.

It is none other than Ares Beacon, the God of Battle and War:

"However, Loshien, according to information from the mortal realm, the woman named Mephis Tinuville activated the 'Crown of Stars' in full view of everyone."

We all know the restrictions on the 'Crown of Stars'. It is one of the most core secrets created by the Arcane Empire's royal family with painstaking efforts, and its bloodline verification mechanism points directly to the life source imprint of the royal family.

"It's absolutely impossible to unlock this without the purest royal blood!"

Loshien Hind's answer was also very firm:
"My memory... of every detail of that extinction is crystal clear."

The bloodline imprint of the royal family was indeed extinguished completely with the collapse of the 'Well of All Laws'.

Unless... someone tampered with it!

Upon hearing this, the fluctuations of divine thought within the hidden divine realm abruptly ceased.

After a brief silence, the voice of Sirova, the God of the Sky and Storms, rang out:
"If we're talking about tampering with things, only professionals would have that opportunity..."

The two crimson dots of light on Erebus, the god of darkness, flickered slightly, lengthening his already deep and hoarse voice:

"A professional? Ha... Sirova, are you referring to the one responsible for ensuring the complete purification of the Arcane Empire's royal bloodline and dealing with all related residues and contamination?"

His "gaze" slowly turned in a certain direction, as if piercing through the boundaries of the divine realm, looking at a divine kingdom filled with soft holy light.

Ares, the God of War, slowly said:
"I remember very clearly that the person in charge of the final disposal of the Arcane Empire's royal bloodline was the [Holy God of Healing] Charles Wilson, right?"

That one who claims to heal and purify, yet is more adept than any of us at how to completely extinguish life, how to reduce bloodlines to nothingness…

A merciful executioner!

As Erebus, the god of darkness, finished speaking, the atmosphere in the realm of the gods became even more tense.

The gods who participated in the Arcane Empire's operation back then all felt a subtle ripple in their divine thoughts.

During that operation, the gods were not fully aware of all the details, but the fact that Charles Wilson, the God of Healing, was in charge of the technical aspects was something that several key executors were well aware of.

After a moment of silence, as if responding to the implications of Erebus's words, or as if receiving some kind of invisible summons, the space of this hidden divine realm rippled slightly, and a gentle holy light descended.

The light dimmed, revealing a middle-aged man dressed in a simple linen robe, with an ordinary face and a gentle demeanor tinged with a sense of vicissitude and heaviness.

He looked more like a weathered, hardworking village doctor than a deity wielding divine authority.

Charles Wilson, the God of Healing, is in charge of healing, purification, and the preservation of life.

They are deities who possess a profound understanding and power over life.

Charles's gaze calmly swept over the figures present, each radiating an immense, god-like aura—Erebus, the god of darkness; Ares Beacon, the god of battle and war; and Silova Howling, the god of the sky and storms…

Charles remained composed and spoke slowly, his voice as calm and even somewhat deep as his personality:
"Your Excellencies, you summoned me here to confirm the news about the descendants of the Arcane Empire's royal family in the lower realm, didn't you?"

Erebus cut to the chase: "Silova suspects you tampered with things back then!"

Charles's gaze lingered briefly on Erebus and Silova before he lowered his eyes slightly, his voice devoid of any discernible emotion:
"I am merely a god of moderate power, wielding authority to heal and purify the suffering of all living beings."

When I was ordered to participate in dealing with the Arcane Empire, I was simply following orders and taking responsibility for what I could within my duties.

I believe that Your Majesties do not think that I, a mere middling deity, could possibly do anything improper in an operation involving supreme authority, under the watchful eyes of several of you chief gods.

The god of the sky and storms, Sirova Roar, let out a cryptic hum, a sound like the howling of a storm, tinged with a forced, insincere laugh:
"Charles, don't be nervous."

We have no doubt about your loyalty or ability.

However, this matter is too strange. There is no doubt that a royal bloodline that should have been extinct has appeared in the lower realm, and the 'Crown of Stars' has been activated.

This is seriously inconsistent with the results we confirmed back then, and we need to investigate it thoroughly.

You were in charge of the final processing back then, so you know the details best. That's why we invited you here, hoping to gain some deeper insights from your expertise, or... to recall any possible oversights?

Charles Wilson remained silent for a moment.

He stood there, his figure appearing somewhat frail against the backdrop of the overwhelming divine power of the main gods.

But his back was ramrod straight, and his brows were slightly furrowed, as if he were seriously recalling that memory from ten thousand years ago.

The surrounding divine energy fluctuations seemed to slow down as he pondered.

After a long silence, he spoke slowly, his voice deeper than before, carrying an undeniable certainty:

“I can swear on my divine office and divinity and accept His Holiness Lohien’s ‘Question of Truth’.”

He glanced at the God of Truth and Memory, "Back then, the bloodline purification targeting the core members of the Arcane Empire's royal family was thorough and successful."

Back then, the 'Well of All Laws,' which the Arcane Empire regarded as the source of all power, was corrupted at its source by an unknown filth, and we were ordered to cleanse it.

As a result, after the cleansing, the entire Well of All Laws collapsed as well.

Consequently, the life imprints, soul imprints, and bloodline origins of the royal family members who were deeply bound to the Well of All Laws all collapsed simultaneously with the destruction of the Well, without exception.

This is a collapse originating from the very source of power, an erasure at the level of rules. Theoretically, it is impossible for any direct bloodline to survive without the support of the 'Well,' let alone continue its lineage to this day.

unless……"

This "unless" caused all the gods present to tense up.

Charles's gaze drifted into the void, as if piercing through time and space, returning to that moment of destruction and lamentation:

"Unless, during that extremely brief window of time when the 'Well of All Laws' completely collapsed and the royal bloodline imprint began to be annihilated on a large scale... there is an exception."

He paused, as if organizing the most precise words to describe that absurd conjecture:
"A newborn, which has just been born and has not yet had the chance to receive the formal baptism of the 'Well of All Laws' and establish a deep connection with its origins...

Only such individuals, though of royal lineage, have a weak connection to the 'Well of All Laws'.

When the 'well' collapses, and the waves of bloodline backlash and mark annihilation sweep across the land, those who have not yet completed their connection may escape the devastating impact because their connection is not deep enough.

However, this is only a theoretical possibility.

Not to mention that the core area of ​​the empire was completely sealed off at the time, how could a newborn survive in that environment?
Even if there were such an infant who was lucky enough not to perish with the 'well' immediately, it would lose the nourishment of the 'well'.

The Arcane Empire's royal bloodline, so powerful that it requires special energy to maintain, could very well be a fatal burden for a fragile infant.

She will most likely die young as her bloodline slowly depletes.

Finally, Charles posed the most absurd question to the gods, his voice carrying an almost mocking tone, yet his eyes were utterly serious:
"Moreover... even if we take a step back and assume there really is such an infant, with a mortal body, who luckily escaped the initial purification, survived the depletion of bloodline, and was even secretly protected and raised by someone..."

His gaze slowly swept over each of the main gods present, and he asked, word by word:

"How could she have survived tens of thousands of years, only to suddenly appear today?"

The silence was broken by Erebus, the god of darkness, who spoke first in a low, hoarse voice of protest:
An unbaptized baby? Surviving for ten thousand years?
Charles, your theory is even more unbelievable than the direct resurrection of royal blood!

An individual who could survive the destruction of the Arcane Empire's core and be secretly protected to this day, even if he was just an infant at the beginning, must have undergone an unimaginable transformation in his life form if he could live for tens of thousands of years.

Such an existence, with its fluctuations in life force and traces of interaction with the world, can never be completely concealed.

At the very least, they should be demigods who have touched the threshold of divinity, or even higher.

According to the intelligence transmitted back from the main plane, the woman who ascended the throne in the Lost Land, Mavis Tinuvel, only demonstrated strength that was barely at what mortals would call the 'half-step legend' level.

They are far beyond the reach of even saints!

How can a half-legendary figure live for ten thousand years?
How can we completely avoid our perception of divinity and abnormal life fluctuations?
Charles, your theory is full of flaws and cannot explain the current situation at all!

Charles Wilson remained calm in the face of the God's questioning.

"Then I really don't know what other possibilities there are, please forgive me for being unable to answer."

My clergy and understanding are limited to this.

Seemingly impatient with the endless speculation, Sirova suggested:
"There's no point in speculating here. Since such significant changes and paradoxes have arisen in the lower realm, why don't we... go to the prime plane ourselves and see for ourselves?"
Let's see for ourselves how this so-called empress actually came to be!

The suggestion caused a slight tension in the air.

Personally interfering in the Prime Material Plane, especially now that the "Covenant of the Gods" is becoming increasingly apparent and the situation in the Prime Material Plane is sensitive and complex, is no small matter.

Ares, the god of war, immediately scoffed, interrupting Sirova's suggestion:
"Shall we go down and take a look?"
"Silova, have you forgotten that Madora is personally overseeing the main, stable passage between the Prime Material Plane and the Divine Realm?"

For a moment, the hidden divine realm fell silent once again, with only the silent collision and weighing of the gods' thoughts remaining.

At this moment of stalemate and pervasive suspicion—

Without warning, an incomparably dazzling and blazing light suddenly tore apart this divine realm that had been shrouded by the combined efforts of the gods.

The light was so dazzling and domineering that it even momentarily dimmed the divine light surrounding the main gods, which symbolized their authority.

Light, flawless light, filled the entire field of vision.

Immediately afterwards, a tall, perfect female figure, shrouded in endless holy light, appeared from nothingness, stepping onto the staircase of light.

An unparalleled divine power spread out, carrying the dual qualities of illuminating and warming all living beings while also judging sins.

[Goddess of Light], Aetheril Dawn!

Her sudden arrival caught the gods off guard.

Erebus subconsciously contracted its projection, as if it had encountered its natural enemy.

Lothien Hidden's movements almost stopped.

Ares Beacon's fighting spirit faltered slightly.

The wind and thunder surrounding Sirova Roar subsided quietly.

Even Charles Wilson, the God of Healing who had always maintained a calm demeanor, bowed slightly to show his respect for this powerful deity.

Aetherel's cold gaze swept over every deity present, and he said in a deep voice:

"Regardless of what that so-called big shot told you back then, and regardless of what you doubt or speculate about."

The Arcane Empire has been gone for tens of thousands of years.

The ruins have long since turned to dust. Even if there were one or two descendants of the former royal family, so what?
Even if she rebuilds a so-called 'Arcane Empire' and gives it the name of the past, can she really restore the glory of ten thousand years ago?

To restore to the pinnacle of magical civilization, a civilization powerful enough to challenge taboos and bring about purification?

That's wishful thinking!

Having lost the 'Well of All Laws' and its core heritage and accumulation, the so-called restoration is nothing more than a group of old-fashioned people supporting a mortal with a slightly special bloodline, playing a game of make-believe!
Is it really worth it for you, the main gods, to discuss this so seriously, and even consider descending to the prime plane to take a look?

Erebus, the god of darkness, was the first to lose his temper, his hoarse voice filled with suppressed rage:

"Aetheril, what exactly do you mean?"
You've been acting strangely these past few days, meddling in everything!
The reappearance of the Arcane Empire's royal bloodline—this is no small matter!

When confronted by Erebus, Aetherel's beautiful face became even more frosty.

Her mind was in turmoil, and she didn't want to get involved in the matter.

But Daphne told her that the newly enthroned Arcane Empress Mavis also had a close relationship with Cohen.

This made her feel like a stone was stuck in her heart.

She didn't want Cohen to get involved in deeper troubles involving the ancient secrets of the gods.

The only option is to use the toughest and most unreasonable approach to muddy the waters and suppress the matter.

So, when faced with Erebus's questioning, Aetheril not only did not explain, but instead transformed his irritation and inexplicable emotions into an even more domineering divine power. The blazing light spread outwards like a tangible flame, forcing several chief gods to slightly concentrate and resist.

"Why should I explain my actions to you?"
I'm too lazy to bring up those old stories again.

I can't be bothered with this newly emerged arcane empire. But I'll say this here.

This matter ends here!

Anyone who dares to use this as an excuse to meddle in the affairs of the main plane, disrupt the existing order of the continent, especially targeting that new empire or those associated with it, and stirring up unnecessary conflict…

The light surrounding Aetherel suddenly coalesced, transforming into countless phantom spears of judgment, each imbued with destructive power, hovering behind her. She spoke each word with unwavering resolve:

"That means you must become my enemy and prepare for a divine war!"

The words "God War" resounded like thunder in the hidden divine realm!
Even the supreme god would not dare to take the threat of a supreme god who wields such a powerful and fundamental authority as "light" and whose attitude is so resolute as to start a divine war!

Having said that, without giving Erebus and the others a chance to refute or question her, Aetherel flashed with light, just as abruptly as she had appeared, and instantly disappeared into endless light.

Within the hidden divine realm, an eerie silence descended.

After a long while, the sky and storm god, Sirova Roar, finally dispelled the storm barrier that had automatically activated around him to resist the pressure of light, and let out a cold snort of ambiguity:

"Hmph! Aetherel... What's wrong with her? Her behavior has become increasingly strange and unpredictable these past few days."

First, they subtly protected that mortal named Cohen, and now they're forcefully suppressing the Arcane Empire's affairs..."

Ares, the God of War, possessed a chilling divine sense:

"Regardless of her reasons, her attitude has been made clear."

It would be unwise to start a divine war with her over old grievances.

Moreover, what she said wasn't entirely unreasonable. How much of a stir could an imperial orphan who had lost his core legacy cause in a short time?

Loshien Yin also spoke up:
"His Majesty the Dawn insisted on obstructing us, and Madora was monitoring the passageway... Further investigation was no longer an option."

Alright, let's put this matter aside for now.

After all, ten thousand years have passed, and many details are difficult to trace.

The most urgent task is still to deal with the 'Covenant of the Gods'!

The eyes of Erebus, the god of darkness, flickered with uncertainty, clearly showing his extreme resentment.

However, given Aetheril's threat of divine war and the clear unwillingness of the other two chief gods to get involved, he could only suppress his surging suspicions and finally let out a cold snort, which could be considered an admission of guilt.

Silova's voice regained its usual deep and resonant tone:

"Well, although the Goddess of Light acts strangely, what she says is not without reason."

An orphaned girl who survived by sheer luck, and an empire in name only—they are not worth worrying about.

For now, let's prioritize the 'Covenant of the Gods' and disperse." (End of Chapter)