Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Chapter 155 The Dark Hand from the Eastern Territory Empire

Against the white backdrop, the pile of snow on Isabella's chest, which was so large that it could not be covered with one hand, rose and fell slightly with her steady breathing.

The collar of his shirt was slightly turned inside out due to his unsightly sleeping posture, revealing skin that was even whiter than his shirt.

Cohen took a deep breath and forced himself to look away. He felt that Isabella was deliberately seducing him.

How could a gold-level transcendent need to sleep all day?

As if sensing Cohen's movements, Isabella slowly woke up and stretched out from his embrace. Her jade-carved collarbone was delicate and exquisite, faintly outlined with the color of snow and sand.

This movement caused the shaking in my chest to become even more violent.

Her eyes were charming, her messy long hair was draped behind her, her fair body was gently twisting, and a faint and seductive moan came from her throat.

Cohen took a breath, patted Isabella's beautiful buttocks lightly, and said unhappily:
"Stop playing around, you really want me to break your virginity here!

If you continue to seduce me like this, I can’t guarantee how long my willpower will last.”

Having her thoughts seen through, Isabella stuck out her tongue, got up from Cohen's embrace, smoothed her messy hair, and said:
"I wanted to ask you before, are those... um, omniscient abilities of yours a kind of prophetic ability?
I heard that every time you use the divination technique, you have to pay a certain price.

Won't it cause you any harm if you use it without restriction like this?"

Cohen considered his words and explained:
"It's not a prophetic ability, you can think of it as the ability to find the future development trend from history."

Isabella was confused, but after hearing that this ability would not cause any harm to Cohen himself, she did not delve into it any further.

she asked:
"Tomorrow is the election meeting for the 'Forge Tribe'. I see you haven't been out making any contacts these days.

Is the second vote so sure?"

Cohen bit Isabella's ear and whispered something.

Isabella's expression changed, and she could hardly hide her astonishment in her eyes. She said:

"Are you so sure?"

Cohen said:
"It's probably close to ten."

The two of them stayed together for a while until they heard a noise outside the door and stopped.

Cohen straightened his clothes and opened the door. Tolkien Quench came to meet Cohen as agreed.

Cohen asked:

"Master must be very busy these past two days."

Tolkien couldn't hide the fatigue on his face and said:

“The eldest young master and Elder Steel Axe will soon be living in my house.

I stayed there for almost half an hour this morning, and as soon as one left, another one came and I had to stay for the whole afternoon.

It's so miserable that I don't even have time to study the art of forging spirit wood fusion!"

Cohen asked:

"What was the Master's reply to them?"

Tolkien said quickly:

"As instructed by the gentleman, no specific answer was given, only that a choice would be made based on the old chief's wishes at the time."

Cohen nodded slightly and whispered something to Tolkien in his ear.

Tolkien's mouth was slightly open, with a look of deep astonishment on his face.

After finishing speaking, Cohen instructed:
"Tonight, please meet secretly with Elder Brooke Steelaxe and tell him the news I just told you.

If he asks about the source of the information, just say that the Third Young Master saved a Lord Yaen from the Eastern Territory Empire while traveling in the human continent.

Lord Yaen is an executive of the 'Flaming Lips' Chamber of Commerce in the Eastern Territory Empire and has extensive connections within the empire's upper echelons.

In order to repay the third young master's kindness, Lord Yan told him the news concerning the safety of the dwarves, hoping that he could make preparations early.

The Third Young Master told you this news in order to gain your support, do you understand?"

Tolkien nodded thoughtfully, and after a moment's silence, he couldn't help but ask:
"So is this news true or false?"

Cohen chuckled and said:
"Of course it's true. To be honest, the Lord Yan in this story is me."

Tolkien's expression immediately became tense, and he asked in a serious tone:
"Then there is no way to stop it?"

Cohen said in a deep voice:

"stop?
What to stop?
Do dwarves have contact with humans?
To tell you the truth, it is only a matter of time before the dwarves integrate into the human continent.

It is impossible for the human empire to give up such a large piece of precious land. It is only a matter of time.

Whether it is the Eastern Empire, the Western Empire, or any other human organization or force.

It's just a matter of seeing who has more sophisticated means and can take control of the dwarf tribe more quickly.

Compared to the Eastern Territory Empire's aggressive and aggressive tactics, which are not afraid to start a war, you might as well choose to cooperate with us."

Cohen's words made Tolkien stand there in a daze for a long time. Having spent his entire life studying forging technology, he was not very familiar with the continental situation and political struggles.

Seeing that he seemed to understand but not quite, Cohen didn't expect that a few conversations would change his old-fashioned thinking, so he said calmly:

"Let's focus on the present. We must at least push Tieyan to the position of chieftain first to prevent your 'Forge Tribe' from becoming a tool for others to achieve their ambitions. Am I right?"

Tolkien's eyes dimmed as he nodded silently.

……

Late in the night on the eve of the Chieftain Election Meeting, Tolkien Quench, the president of the Union of Craftsmen, dressed in a low-key manner, secretly knocked on the door of Brooke Steelaxe, the chief of the Council of Elders and one of the most popular successors.

When Brook Steel Axe opened the door with a cautious look, he found that the visitor was the President of the Quenching Guild, who was crucial to the final selection of the Chief.

The expression on his face suddenly became one of uncontrollable joy.

The reason why President Quench came here so late at night was obvious.

Elder Steel Axe quickly adjusted his mood and respectfully let Tolkien Quench into the inner room.

The two sat down and exchanged some routine pleasantries.

It was not until Elder Steel Axe became restless that Tolkien spoke softly:
"Brooke, we have known each other for more than 30 years."

Playing the emotional card?

Elder Steel Axe was delighted. Among the three level representatives - the general, the high priest, and the president of the craftsmen's union, if we really talk about personal feelings, he is the closest to the president of the Quenching Guild.

Since the other party is willing to talk about feelings at this time, then tomorrow's matter will most likely be settled!

Elder Steel Axe continued:

"Yes, at that time I was just an ordinary clerk beside the old chief, and Brother Quench was already a well-known blacksmith in the tribe."

Tolkien said with emotion:

"Why should you be so humble?

At that time, I heard many people say that there was a hardworking young man beside the chief who didn't talk much but got things done very efficiently.

You never took advantage of your position as the chief's confidant to bully others. Your fellow tribesmen all praised you. I knew then that you would become a leader sooner or later."

Tolkien's words were sincere. Brook Steelaxe was able to obtain the inheritance rights as a person of an outsider because of his good reputation for fairness and hard work in the tribe.

Elder Steel Axe laughed and said:
"Brother Quehuo, you came so late tonight, could it be that you came just to reminisce about our glorious history for me?"

Tolkien also said with a cheerful smile:
“Where’s the high priest?
I haven’t seen this old guy for a long time.”

Elder Steel Axe looked slightly startled, not understanding why Tolkien suddenly mentioned the High Priest, but he continued:

"Tomorrow is the Chief Election Conference. Many brother tribes have sent representatives. I guess they are busy entertaining them."

Tolkien said slowly:
"Call him over here too. I have a secret to tell you."

Elder Steel Axe's expression became much more serious.

Tolkien had a secret to tell him and the High Priest?

What secret could make him rush here at night?
Could there be some new changes in tomorrow's chief election meeting?
Elder Steel Axe did not dare to delay and quickly contacted the high priest using secret means.

The two continued chatting, and before long, the high priest, reeking of alcohol, hurried over.

When he saw that the president of the Union of Craftsmen, Tolkien Quench, was also in Elder Steel Axe's house, he felt the same excitement as Elder Steel Axe felt when he first met Tolkien.

But before long, this excitement was greatly reduced by Tolkien's secret.

Tolkien spoke slowly:
"During the day, the Third Young Master Tieyan Aoun came to see me."

After hearing this opening remark, the high priest and Elder Steel Axe looked at each other at the same time.

They are also paying attention to the third heir who is also very popular.

However, no one paid too much attention to it, because the third young master Tieyan Orn mainly lived in the human continent, rarely got involved in the political life of the tribe, and had relatively few contacts with the third class.

Therefore, the two did not take him too seriously. Their main opponent was still their eldest son, Ornn, who was supported by the general and the Wildhammer tribe.

At this moment, when I heard Tolkien suddenly mention the third young master Tieyan, my heart couldn't help but tighten. Did Tolkien choose to support the third young master?
They awaited Tolkien's sequel.

Tolkien continues:
"I'm sure you two know why Master Tieyan came to see me even without me telling you."

Elder Steel Axe opened his mouth and asked:

"That's how the president responded to him."

Before I knew it, the way Tolkien was addressed had changed.

Tolkien smiled faintly and said:

"Of course I refused. Whether in terms of seniority or the power behind him, Tieyan cannot compare to his elder brother Yanxin or you, my brother."

After hearing this, Elder Steel Axe and the high priest breathed a sigh of relief.

But what Tolkien said next made the two of them nervous again.

Tolkien said in a deep voice:
"During our conversation, he told me a huge secret concerning the survival of our tribe in order to gain my support! After much consideration, I decided to tell you this secret."

Hearing Tolkien's harsh words, Elder Steel Axe and the high priest couldn't help but look solemn.

Although they are keen on pursuing higher power and status, they will even confront each other for the position of chief.

But once the safety of the tribe is threatened and challenged, they will unite without hesitation to face it together.

Tolkien said slowly:

“The Third Young Master told me that when he was traveling in the human continent, he saved a great figure of the human race.

His name seems to be Lord Yan, and he is an executive of a chamber of commerce called "Flaming Red Lips" in the Eastern Territory Empire.

In order to repay the Third Young Master's kindness, the executive told him a secret of the Eastern Territory Empire's top brass! "

Eastern Territory Empire!

Upon hearing this name, both Elder Steel Axe and the High Priest showed unnatural expressions on their faces.

The most powerful country in the world, one of the five great empires!

With vast territory, prosperous trade, brilliant culture and powerful military force, it is located in the east of the Demonic Continent and adjacent to the Dragon Valley!

The Third Young Master actually had such deep connections with the upper class of this powerful human empire.

For a moment, both of them couldn't help but look at the third young master Tieyan Owen with admiration, as he was taciturn and rarely showed off.

The high priest narrowed his eyes and said:

"The Flaming Lips Chamber of Commerce, I know this chamber of commerce.

It mainly sells high-end luxury goods and is only open to the upper class of the human race.

I heard that the royal family of the Eastern Territory Empire is supporting it.

If the person the Third Young Master saved is indeed a senior executive of the Flaming Lips Chamber of Commerce, then it wouldn't be surprising if he could obtain some secrets from the upper echelons of the empire."

Tolkien raised his brows slightly. He didn't expect that the high priest would be so knowledgeable about the human continent.

Noticing Tolkien's gaze, the high priest smiled wryly and said:

"This was what the High Priest of the Wildhammer Tribe told me when I was chatting with him at a meeting at the Grand Alliance some time ago.

Their daughter particularly likes a perfume called Saint-Something-Lan sold by the 'Flaming Red Lips' Chamber of Commerce and has always wanted it, but unfortunately she is not eligible to buy it.

When Tolkien heard the high priest mention that the high priest of the "Wildhammer Tribe" had a family member interested in the things of the "Flaming Lips" Chamber of Commerce of the Eastern Empire, he couldn't help but believe Cohen's words even more.

He calmed down and continued:
"Lord Yann has learned that a powerful force in the Eastern Territory Empire is preparing to cooperate with our Northwest Continent Dwarf Alliance.

Waiting for an opportunity to annex several small subordinate countries of the Western Region Empire that are not on good terms with the Eastern Region Empire.

Once the two sides reach an agreement, our tribes on the border will undoubtedly become the vanguard.

In an instant, it will become a battlefield for the struggle for supremacy between the two empires!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Elder Steel Axe and the high priest were shocked at the same time, both of them showing horror on their faces.

Elder Steel Axe spoke directly:
"How can this be?

The 'Darkforge Tribe' and our 'Forge Tribe' are both among the top ten tribes in the Grand Alliance.

We haven’t received any news yet!”

Tolkien said in a low voice:

"Do you think that with the pride and dignity of the Eastern Empire, it will negotiate deals with our dwarf tribes one by one?
They are only willing to negotiate with the strongest tribe. After reaching an agreement, they will support this strongest tribe and control the entire dwarf race, and they will follow their lead!"

Upon hearing this, a flash of lightning flashed through the minds of Elder Steel Axe and the High Priest, and they said in unison:
"Wildhammer Tribe?"

Tolkien nodded silently.

The high priest's expression instantly turned gloomy, and he said coldly:
"I've heard for a long time that the Wildhammer Tribe has been flirting with the people of the Eastern Territory Empire. I originally thought they were just doing business, smuggling some scarce goods, but I didn't expect their plans to be so deep!
He wants to drag our entire dwarf race into the war between the two empires!
He is truly despicable!"

Tolkien said in a heavy voice:

“You two, the authenticity of this secret remains to be verified, but the Third Young Master’s words must be taken seriously.

No matter what, we, the 'Melted Tribe', must not become victims of the struggle between great powers! "

Elder Steel Axe and the High Priest nodded firmly at the same time.

Tolkien continues:

"Therefore, we must stop Young Master Yanxin, who has a Wildhammer Tribe background, from inheriting the position of Chief!"

"Correct!"

"That's for sure. Even if I can't become the chief, I can't let Yanxin become the chief!

Otherwise, once the war breaks out, we, the Forge Tribe, will definitely bear the brunt and be thrown out as sacrifices by the Wildhammer Tribe!"

Tolkien waved his hand vigorously:

"Don't tell anyone about this for now. I'll also tell the Third Young Master. We can discuss everything after Brother Steel Axe is successfully elected as the Chief tomorrow!"

Hearing Tolkien's clear statement, Elder Steel Axe and the High Priest were immediately delighted and shook Tolkien's hands firmly.
"Master, our 'Forge Tribe' can't do without you!"

……

In the wide central square, in front of the huge statue of Ornn, dwarves from the "Forge Tribe" poured in from all directions.

Some were wearing sturdy armor, while others were carrying huge hammers or sharp battle axes, with solemn expressions on their faces.

Standing in an orderly manner around the statue.

A huge stone platform has been built in front of the statue, on which the "Melting Hammer" exuding an ancient and mysterious atmosphere is quietly displayed.

Every dwarf who passes by must first salute the "Melting Hammer".

When the dwarf representatives of the "Forge Tribe" had almost arrived, the qualified heirs, the elders of the Council of Elders, the general and his officers, the high priest and his priests, the president of the Craftsmen's Union and his senior craftsmen arrived.

They entered the venue in an orderly manner, accompanied by a supervisory team from the Major League and representatives sent by some brother tribes.

A white-haired dwarf wise man stood silently beside the statue, gently raised his wand, and waved it slightly. A brilliant light flashed, signaling the start of the conference.

The Dwarf Sage is the oldest elder in the Ornn family and is considered the uncle of the old chief. It is most appropriate for him to preside over the meeting to elect the new chief.

After the dwarves quieted down, all eyes focused on the wise man, who said in a low voice:

"Warriors of the Forge Tribe, today we hold a chieftain election meeting to select a leader who can lead us to prosperity, a leader who can restore the glory of the 'Forge God'!
Brothers and sisters, please cherish the power in your hands and elect a qualified chief for everyone!"

Then the wise man began to read out the old chief's will and the specific procedures of the election meeting.

The first step is to introduce yourself, and after that, you will begin the recognition of the tribal heritage, the 'Melting Hammer'.

As soon as the words fell, the candidate dwarves walked up to the stone platform one by one, gave brief self-introductions and made plans for the future development of the tribe.

After the speech, you will come before the "Melting Hammer" and accept the test of the "Melting Hammer".

Time passed quickly, and soon only the three most popular heirs remained.

Some of the previous heirs did not receive the recognition of the "Melting Hammer" and left early.

It was the turn of the old chief's third son, Tieyan Orn.

Tieyan walked steadily to the front of the stage. Many dwarves in the audience were still unfamiliar with the third young master who had lived in the human continent for many years.

After Tieyan stood still, he began to explain his plans for the future of the dwarves to the tribesmen below the stage in a steady voice.

Different from the empty and pretentious words spoken by those people before, Tieyan used simple words and language, and the plans and suggestions he put forward were all feasible and practical.

The dwarves in the audience listened carefully to Tieyan's speech and nodded in agreement.

The senior members of the "Melting Tribe" not far away also looked slightly surprised, as if they had always ignored the third young master who rarely showed up in the tribe.

Tieyan's speech was naturally prepared for him in advance by Cohen. After all, he was going to be the chief soon, so he had to make his presence felt in front of his tribesmen and win their favor first.

After Tieyan delivered his powerful speech, there were several rounds of warm applause in the audience. After someone took the lead, the applause continued one after another and soon became a continuous sound.

Cohen in the "Shadow Plane" looked at the few "shills" who were the first to applaud in the crowd, and nodded with satisfaction.

After Tieyan finished his speech, he walked solemnly to the front of the "Melting Hammer".

He calmly stretched out his hands and firmly grasped the handle of the "Melting Hammer". The moment he grasped it, a strong light burst out and enveloped his whole body.

Tieyan felt that the "Melting Hammer" in his hand seemed to come alive, and was about to fly out of his hand and fly back to its original place at any time.

He knew that this was a stress response from the remaining spiritual energy of the "Melting Hammer" itself.

He exerted a little force on his hands, and an aura that was the same as the origin of the Supreme "God of Forging" emanated from his body.

After sensing this breath, the resistance of the "Melting Hammer" was obviously much smaller.

Then, the light gradually disappeared, and Tieyan steadily raised the "Melting Hammer" and showed it to everyone.

At this time, the voice of the dwarf sage boomed in the meeting hall:

"Candidate Iron Rock Ornn has been recognized by the inherited artifact, the 'Melted Hammer,' and is therefore eligible to run."

After Iron Rock, the next person is Brook Steelaxe, the chief of the Council of Elders who is deeply supported by the common people of the tribe.

Elder Steel Axe also walked steadily to the stone platform, delivered a brief speech, then strode to the "Melting Hammer" and reached out to grasp it.

Similar to what Tieyan encountered, Elder Steel Axe was also enveloped by a dazzling light when he held the "Melting Hammer".

At the same time, Cohen, who was in the "Shadow Plane", also saw this scene through the shadow channel.

His eyebrows raised slightly, a malicious smile appeared on his face, and magic power surged in his body.

Activate "Rule Skill", "King's Treasure"!
"King's Treasure": Rule skill, level one, launches a will check on 50 enemies at the same time. If successful, the opponent's weapons will be collected into the "King's Treasure". The collected weapons can be shot as arrows, exerting 30% of the power of the weapons.

Cohen's willpower has reached the "MAX" level, and he easily snatched the "Melting Hammer" from Elder Steel Axe.

On the stone platform that attracted everyone's attention, everyone saw the dazzling light that Elder Steel Axe was bathed in disappear in an instant, and along with it, the "Melting Hammer" in his hand that had been passed down in the tribe for thousands of years also disappeared!
(End of this chapter)