Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Chapter 153 The Strange Shadow Plane

Tieyan was stunned for a moment, and when he realized what Cohen meant, he couldn't help but look up at him. There was a hint of trepidation in his voice, but also a hint of excitement:
"Your Excellency means..."

Cohen smiled and responded:

“Yes, I mean I’m going to help you get the position of chief!
You just need to promise that after becoming the chief, you will continue to promote the previous plan, reach cooperation with the "Pale Wings", and participate in the establishment of the "inter-racial trade route".

You will get my unconditional support!"

Tieyan Orn stood there for a long time, suppressing his excitement and saying in a trembling voice:
"You...are you telling the truth?"

Cohen has already begun arrangements:

“Tomorrow I will go with you to your tribe, and you will help me arrange a meeting with Tolkien Quench, the president of your Union of Craftsmen.

I'll help you gain the support of the 'artisan class' first!"

Seeing Cohen's confidence, Tieyan felt a surge of pride in his heart.

Even a figure like the Golden Winged Girl obeys his orders, so why should he hesitate?

Groin Firehammer looked at Tieyan, whose fighting spirit was ignited by Cohen's few words, and stood there in a daze, not knowing what to say.

After a long pause, he finally spoke:
"Sir Yan, the relationship between the dwarves and humans is not very harmonious right now. I'm afraid it's not appropriate for you to enter the dwarf tribe so brazenly..."

Cohen nodded quickly and said:
"I know. Don't worry, I have a way to sneak in without alerting anyone."

Seeing Cohen so confident, Groin didn't want to persuade him any further.

After agreeing on a time with Tieyan Ornn, he left the mine excitedly.

Cohen looked at Groin Firehammer, who had a complicated expression on his face, and asked:
"I need to purchase a large amount of space stones. Does your tribe have any?"

Groin came back to his senses, lowered his eyes and thought for a while, then said:
"About twenty pounds, all left over from building space storage equipment over the years. Is that enough?"

Cohen showed regret and shook his head.

"I need at least 100 kilograms."

Hearing this unimaginable number, Groin could not hide his shock. He asked with his mouth slightly open:
"What are you going to build, sir?
Why are so many space stones needed?

Even a legendary space storage device wouldn't require more than a pound of space stone!"

Cohen did not answer Groin's question and asked:
"Do you know which tribe has so much space stone stored?"

Groin pondered for a moment and said:
"Things like space stones are only useful when crafting high-level magical equipment with space attributes.

Among the entire dwarven tribe, apart from the 'Forge Tribe' that specializes in high-end weaponry, I can't think of any other tribe that has such a large storage of space stones."

Cohen was slightly stunned. It seemed that the matter still fell on the shoulders of this "Melting Tribe". No matter what, he was determined to win this time!
After finishing his business, Cohen suddenly thought of a small matter and asked Groin:
"Chief Firehammer, besides your tribe cooperating with the Human Empire, are there also people from other tribes in the Grand Alliance secretly cooperating with humans from other empires?"

The reason why Cohen asked this was not only because of Balin Hammer's previous complaint, but also because of an incident that happened in the game in his previous life.

The Eastern Region Empire, which has a bad relationship with the Western Region Empire, has a force that has been secretly supporting the dwarf tribe and making things difficult for the Western Region Empire.

Even when the subsequent [Conquest of Nations] expansion was loaded, several tribes that controlled the dwarves stabbed the Western Region Empire in the back.

Directly annexed several vassal states of the Western Regions Empire.

Hearing what Cohen said, Groin's expression suddenly became very nervous. After thinking for a long time, he slowly said:
“Yes, there is.

They are the previously mentioned "Wildhammer Tribe", the supporters behind the eldest son of the old chieftain of the "Forge Tribe", Rockcore Ornn.

However, I’m not sure which country they are collaborating with.”

Cohen nodded slightly and didn't ask any other questions.

After finishing the discussion, Groin left on his own accord, leaving the space to Cohen and Isabella.

Cohen looked back at Isabella and said softly:

"I'm going to the 'Melting Tribe' deep inside. Do you want to come with me?"

Isabella nodded without hesitation and said:
"I am at least a Gold Rank, so I can help you a little."

This made Cohen feel very ashamed. It seemed that he was still a white-collar worker.

Cohen reached out to Isabella and said:

"We can't make a big fuss once we enter the dwarf tribe. Come, I'll take you to a place."

Isabella stretched out her porcelain-white hand and handed it to Cohen, and the two held hands tightly.

A golden light flashed in Cohen's eyes, and magic power surged throughout his body. He activated the rule skill - Control Shadow, and the two of them disappeared from the spot in an instant.

"Control of Shadow": Rule skill, Level 1, free entry into the secondary plane - "Shadow Plane", and gain control of the "Shadow Plane", with authority equivalent to that of "Shadow Guardian". ("Shadow Guardian" authority: can bring one person into the "Shadow Plane")
Isabella only felt a flash before her eyes, and then her whole body felt a faint tearing force. When her vision returned, she found that she had arrived in a completely unfamiliar world.

All I could see was endless darkness and silence. The sky was covered with thick dark clouds. There was no sun and no stars.

The earth also lost its color, everything was gray, and clusters of dark green energy balls popped out from the cracks in the earth, emitting terrifying fluctuations.

Logically speaking, Isabella, who has reached the gold level, should be able to endure most of the cold, but after entering the shadow plane, she still felt the chill deep in her bones.

Soon, a gray light flickered on her body. Bathed in the gray light, Isabella suddenly felt much warmer.

Cohen's voice sounded beside him:

"Welcome to the secondary plane - the 'Shadow Plane'!"

Isabella's beautiful eyes trembled slightly, and she whispered:

"You... the sub-plane you escaped into turned out to be the Shadow Plane?"

Ever since the Six Saints War in Florence ended, almost everyone has seen that the "Lord of Shadows" has mastered a technique that allows him to escape into the secondary dimension.

This allows him to appear in front of the strong without restraint.

Isabella naturally knew this, but she never expected that the sub-plane that Cohen controlled was actually the "Shadow Plane"!
The Shadow Plane is one of the most dangerous sub-planes, and even legendary warriors dare not set foot in it easily.

The spatial structure here is extremely unstable, and twisted passages may appear at any time. If you are not careful, you will be sucked into the endless void and lose your way forever.

The most terrifying thing is the rolling green light that can be seen everywhere. Once you set foot in it, even a legendary strongman will be assimilated into a shadow creature in an instant and will never be able to return to the main plane to survive.

Isabella said in an inexplicable tone:
"No wonder you gave yourself such a silly nickname. It turns out the sub-plane you can enter is the 'Shadow Plane'.

Aren't you in danger here?

I heard that the 'Shadow Plane' is extremely dangerous, and even Legendary warriors don't dare to enter it easily."

Cohen took Isabella's hand and said:
"It's okay, my current authority is equivalent to the 'Shadow Guard' level among shadow creatures.

You can easily live in it, and even bring one person with you.”

As he spoke, Cohen waved his hand gently, and a mysterious and strange silver crack suddenly appeared in the inky darkness of the void.

The gap gradually expanded to about half a meter, and then a dazzling light shot through the gap into the shadow plane.

Isabella narrowed her eyes slightly and soon discovered from the gap that the scene in the light was exactly the mine in the main plane.

It was as if this gap was a portal connecting two planes, one side was the endless deep darkness of the Shadow Plane, and the other side was the colorful scenery of the Main Plane.

Isabella stood at the edge of the gap, her beautiful eyes shining with light, as if she was at the intersection of two dimensions, and an indescribable wonderful feeling surged in her heart.

Cohen explained:
"This is the junction of the two planes. I call it the Shadow Passage. Walking along this passage, you can move silently on the main plane.

After arriving at the location, you can pass through the gap and re-enter the main plane.

The Dwarven tribe's attitude towards us humans is still mostly hostile. To avoid trouble, once Tieyan has made arrangements, we will follow him through the Shadow Passage and infiltrate the Dwarven tribe."

Isabella asked:

"I heard from my aunt last time that the rules of the secondary plane have a strong inhibitory effect on the creatures of the main plane.

Especially in a plane like the 'Shadow Plane', which has a single and extremely pure rule, if you stay there for a long time you will be assimilated into a 'Shadow Creature'.

Isn't there any risk if you keep going in like this?"

It took Cohen a few seconds to realize who Isabella was referring to as "auntie."

It was the only female saint who appeared in the Six Saints War of Florence - Caroline Saint Mela.

This woman often calls herself a righteous partner, and her stubbornness is a bit silly.

An old maid who has lived for hundreds of years, with a simple and pure sense of justice, firmly believes that the world is either black or white, and takes this as the criterion for her actions and the cornerstone of her faith.

Cohen thought maliciously that perhaps she needed a man to teach her a lesson in order to change her inappropriate personality.

Out of respect for Isabella's elders, Cohen did not deny Jialin's words. Instead, he pointed at the gray light on the two people and said:
"This light can ensure that we can travel safely through the 'Shadow Plane'.

As long as we don't encounter higher-level shadow creatures, safety won't be a concern."

Isabella nodded, not quite understanding.

Cohen took the opportunity to teach Isabella some knowledge about the "Shadow Plane" and casually asked:
"Is that Saint Jialin your aunt?"

Isabella shook her head and said:

"I'll tell you a secret. Don't tell anyone about it, or your aunt will get angry if she finds out."

Cohen immediately patted his chest and made a promise. When it came to the secret of this naive girl in his previous life, Cohen felt the gossip spirit in his body burning.

Isabella whispered:
“My aunt is not a pure human, she is an exiled half-elf, and was raised by my grandmother.

I have lived with my mother since I was a child, so I have always called her aunt.

So even though she lived for hundreds of years, she was still very young and relatively simple mentally.”

At this point, Isabella stuck out her tongue cutely, as if she felt a little embarrassed to complain about her elders to a man behind their backs.

Cohen looked as if he had suddenly realized something, and thought to himself, he was a half-elf, a hybrid of human and elf, no wonder he was expelled.

Could the formation of her personality be related to her life experience?
……

Deep within the "Melting Tribe", there is a building that is taller and stronger than ordinary dwarf houses. It is made entirely of a huge stone and is carefully piled up.

The fillings between the cracks in the stones have become one with the stones after years of sedimentation.

The steeply sloping roof was covered in a layer of special metal tiles, which shimmered mysteriously in the firelight. The main door of the residence was made of heavy oak, carved with the history and glory of the "Melting Tribe". Two huge torches flanked the door, and the blazing flames illuminated the road in front of the door, adding a solemn atmosphere to the entire residence.

Iron Rock Ornn, the third son of the old chief of the "Forge Tribe", followed two dwarf craftsmen into the gate and saw a spacious hall.

The floor was covered with thick animal skin carpets, and in the middle of the hall stood a stone table, on which lay scattered various drawings, many of which were heavily marked with pens.

The dwarf craftsman who led the way said respectfully:
"Please wait a moment, Third Young Master. The Guild Master is crafting equipment in the workshop. He has received the message and will be here soon."

Tieyan nodded slightly, sat down on the stone chair, closed his eyes and thought.

This is the residence of Tolkien Quench, the president of the Union of Craftsmen. Following Cohen's instructions, Tieyan went to see Tolkien as soon as he returned to the "Forge Tribe".

He knew that Tolkien was very popular recently, and was afraid that the other party would not see him, so he went directly to his house to wait for him.

Just when Tieyan was about to fall asleep, a series of powerful footsteps sounded from far away.

Soon, an elderly dwarf walked into the hall.

Tolkien Quench's body seemed to be carved from a rough, black rock, and the expression on his face was always stiff and awkward.

His hair and beard had turned snow-white and were tangled and matted.

His beard was thick and curly, reaching almost to his waist, and was streaked with metal shavings.

His face was covered with deep wrinkles, like old tree bark. The only thing that stood out was his small, bright eyes, which sparkled with wisdom.

Tieyan quickly stood up, but before he could say anything, Tolkien apologized in a passionate voice:
"I'm so sorry, Third Young Master. When I received the news, the forging process had just reached a critical moment.

Those little bastards can't even forge iron. It took me a while to finish it. Sorry to have kept you waiting."

Tieyan waved his hands repeatedly and said:

"Master Tempering's work is important. I'm just here to take a look and ask some questions about forging. Nothing else is important."

Tolkien smiled heartily, pulled out a large bottle of ale from his bosom, gulped down two gulps, and asked:
"I wonder what the Third Young Master wants to talk to this old man about?"

Tolkien actually came back early and hadn't seen Tieyan yet because he wanted to investigate his movements over the past few days.

The tribe is now at a critical juncture of power transfer, and my position is crucial.

Every day, no matter who he meets or what he says, there are countless eyes watching him, so he has to be extremely careful.

The results of the investigation were not beyond his expectations. The third young master Tieyan had recently visited the "Fire Hammer Tribe" on the border of the Grand Alliance.

Sure enough, he went to look for external help.

Tolkien naturally conducted a detailed investigation on the three most promising heirs and knew that the third young master, Iron Rock Ornn, was supported by Gloin Firehammer of the Firehammer Tribe.

After investigating this point, Tolkien already had an idea in his mind. The other party was most likely guided by the old fox Gloin to win him over.

Among the three heirs, Ornn has the support of the "warrior class" represented by the general, and Brook Steelaxe has the support of the "commoner class" represented by the high priest.

Only Tieyan has no support from any class, so it is understandable that he comes to win over himself.

Tolkien had no feelings for Tieyan from the bottom of his heart, and even felt a slight aversion to him.

This person was born to the old chief's third wife on the human continent, and there was a certain gap between him and the dwarves.

Not to mention that Tieyan has lived in the human continent since he was a child, and even ran to the human continent after he grew up. It can be seen that he yearns for the human world.

This did not sit well with Tolkien, who had lived in the "Melted Tribe" for hundreds of years.

Therefore, before entering the hall to meet the other party, he had already prepared his words in his mind.

Back to the present, Tolkien calmly sat down next to Tieyan, waiting for him to ask for his support.

However, to Tolkien's surprise, Tieyan did not mention anything about the selection of the chief from the beginning to the end of the conversation, but only kept asking about knowledge about forging.

Tolkien suppressed his surprise, and when he talked about forging, his mood became noticeably more cheerful.

What he was most proud of in his life was his forging skills, but his biggest regret was that he had not taught an apprentice that satisfied him.

His only worry was that if he died, much of the forging skills of the "Forging Tribe" would be lost.

Therefore, he was very happy to see that the old chief's son was not arrogant at all and was listening to his lectures attentively.

Finally, the discussion was almost over. Before leaving, Tieyan suddenly said:

"Master Quenching, I have a small request that I hope you can agree to."

Tolkien's eyebrows frowned. Could it be that everything before was just a pretense, and they were only now getting down to business?
He asked calmly:

"Third Young Master, please speak directly. If I can help you, please do so!"

Tieyan smiled and said:

“You can definitely help.

Well, I started forging a bronze-tier magic battle axe a while ago, but I kept failing when engraving the 'sharp' rune.

Many rune materials have been destroyed...

If you are free tomorrow, could you come and help me figure out where the problem lies?"

Tolkien breathed a sigh of relief. When it came to professional issues, he became excited again and first praised:
"The Third Young Master has already started forging weapons, some even magical weapons. He's making rapid progress."

The craftsmen within the dwarf tribe have a strict training system, which requires them to progress step by step from kitchen utensils, farm tools, decorations, ordinary weapons, to magic weapons.

Therefore, when Tolkien learned that the third young master, who had been away from the tribe for many years, had actually begun to try to forge magic weapons, his impression of Tieyan changed greatly.

The fact that someone of Tieyan's status was willing to get involved in forging and had even made such progress made Tolkien, a master forger who was responsible for inheriting the forging skills of the "Forge Tribe", very pleased.

Tieyan scratched his head embarrassedly and said:

"I was just trying it out. This is also the first magical weapon I've ever made. I didn't expect it to always fail."

Tolkien quickly asked:
“How exactly did it fail?
Did the rune fail as soon as it was engraved, or did it fail halfway through engraving, or did it fail after the rune was completely engraved?
What about other runes? Is this the same situation?"

Tieyan quickly replied:

“It failed the moment it was engraved.

Carving other runes is completely normal, and this has never happened before."

Tolkien immediately understood the problem and asked unhappily:

How many times did you rinse the embryos?"

Tieyan had a bewildered look on his face and said uncertainly:
"three times?
Five times?

I don’t remember it clearly.”

Tolkien could not help cursing:

"I told you to read more basic theories before forging, but none of you listened. You only learned half of the basics and then wanted to start refining. How can forging be that simple?
Forget it, I'll go to your place tomorrow and show you the whole process from beginning to end."

Although he was ruthless in his words, Tolkien still agreed to Tieyan's request.

After all, it was Tieyan's first time to create a magic weapon, and Tolkien would not be at ease unless he taught him step by step.

Tieyan's face immediately showed a look of gratitude, and he thanked him several times before leaving.

……

Iron Rock Orn was traveling along an ancient mountain road.

The mountain road twists and turns, circling deep into the northern mountains of the Western Region Empire.

Although the mountain road is rugged, the foothold is still extremely solid, obviously formed by years of trampling and repair.

As he walked, Tieyan would glance back from time to time. Finally, after looking back more than ten times, he heard Cohen's calm voice in his ears:

"The area ahead should be the gathering area of your 'Forge Tribe'.

If you look back, you will attract attention. Just keep going, we are following you."

Tieyan was slightly shocked. The other party was still following him!

This scene completely overturned his worldview.

Early the next morning after the appointment with Tolkien, the president of the Craftsmen's Guild, Tieyan couldn't wait to come to the mine, waiting to lead Cohen and the others into the "Forge Tribe".

Just when he was curious about how these two people disguised their identities, they disappeared from his sight and told him to just lead the way.

This surprised him greatly. There was no movement behind him as he walked along, which made him very suspicious whether these two people were following him.

However, Cohen's voice immediately dispelled his doubts and made him more awed by the two men.

This incredible method brought him a huge shock.

After confirming that there was someone following him, Tieyan felt relieved and quickened his pace.

After walking on the mountain road for a while, a huge cave appeared in front of him. Tieyan did not hesitate at all and went straight into the cave. After walking for an unknown amount of time, a ray of light appeared in front of him.

As the distance got closer, the light became brighter and brighter. Finally, when we walked out of the cave, the view suddenly became clear and a bustling dwarf city appeared before our eyes.

Cohen and Isabella looked out through the shadowy passage.

The settlement of the dwarf tribe is like a solid fortress. The houses made of huge stones are arranged in a staggered manner. Although small, they are extremely sturdy, as if they grew out of the earth.

The streets in the tribe are narrow and winding, all paved with gravel. On both sides of the streets are placed various tools and utensils made by the dwarves, exuding a metallic luster.

From time to time, strong and powerful dwarves hurried by carrying various tools.

When he saw Tieyan, he greeted him respectfully.

Passing through the outer residential area, there is an open square in the center, on which stands a huge furnace.

Even from Cohen's perspective, the furnace was enormous.

The furnace was now burning fiercely, with huge anvils and hammers placed around it. Many dwarf craftsmen were busy forging and smelting around the furnace.

Behind the furnace stood a majestic and tall statue, which made even Cohen, who was in the shadow plane, look solemn.

The God of Forging, the Hidden Flame of the Mountains, Ornn!
(End of this chapter)