Chapter 7: Cohen’s Recruitment Order

A young man boldly declared his intention to outwit the continent’s strongest underground organization.

If this statement were made aloud, many would likely burst into laughter.

Yet, Isabella and Mordo, present at the scene, were clearly not among the skeptics.

Clearing his throat lightly, Cohen continued, “Of course, this requires Miss Wenze to make a small sacrifice, perhaps serving as bait.”

“Absolutely not!” Mordo immediately objected. Even to save his nephew, he could not risk the lady’s safety.

Isabella arched her delicate brows and said with interest, “Explain in detail.”

“The deal with Duke Roland remains unchanged,” Cohen explained. “Following the usual procedure, we inform Visser, then gather our forces to launch a counter-ambush against Black Tomb.”

Mordo shook his head. “That’s too risky. We have no idea how many Black Tomb operatives are nearby. I didn’t bring many men with us this time. If things go awry, the cost would be too great.”

Ignoring Mordo, Cohen turned his gaze to Isabella.

Her eyes sparkled with captivating light as she studied Cohen intently and asked, “Do you know the exact number of Black Tomb’s ambushers?”

Cohen replied calmly, “Two Saint-rank warriors, three Legendary, plus five squads of Tomb Guards led by Golden-rank commanders.”

Such power could easily sweep through a medium-strength principality, yet now it was being used merely to surround a young woman.

Isabella showed no surprise; in fact, these numbers were slightly below her expectations—time constraints likely limited their deployment, or else far more would have been sent.

Suddenly, Isabella rose and stepped close to Cohen, her starry eyes locking onto his.

Softly, she asked, “Child of prophecy? Are you the deity’s chosen? Using prophecy without any cost—how is that possible?”

Cohen inhaled the faint, elegant scent of the “Golden-winged Maiden,” gazing at the exquisite face so near.

“Quite a pleasant aroma,” he said. “What brand of perfume is this? Could it be your natural scent? Feel free to come closer; perhaps then I’ll answer.”

Flushing slightly, Isabella stepped back a few paces, her tone tinged with mock anger.

“Sir, aren’t you afraid of those princes and heirs at this moment?”

Steeling herself, Isabella returned to the matter at hand.

“I’m urgently reallocating my forces. Everything else is manageable, but I can only summon two Saint-rank warriors. When the top-tier forces are evenly matched, the best outcome is killing a thousand enemies at a cost of eight hundred losses—this exchange isn’t worthwhile.”

Two Saint-rank warriors.

Cohen’s face remained expressionless, but inside he was shaken. No wonder she was a direct heir of one of the Pale Wing’s five great families—she could summon two Saints on a whim.

In this age when gods lay hidden and demigods concealed themselves, Saint-rank was undisputedly the pinnacle on the continent. To call upon two at once casually was no small feat.

Cohen briefly considered switching allegiances, as his own queen sister seemed poised to betray him at any moment—hardly reliable.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Cohen replied, “I can bring you two Saints. Four against two should give us the advantage.”

Isabella blinked in surprise.

“I retract my earlier guess. Could you be a prince of some empire? Strange—I’ve met most heirs of the five great empires, and you don’t seem like one of them…”

To casually mention summoning two Saints—only direct heirs of the great empires could wield such power.

Cohen remained silent and asked, “Shall we cooperate?”

Isabella nodded. “Agreed, but I must first confirm the identities of these two Saints.”

Cohen consented and inquired, “When is your meeting with Duke Roland of the Western Territories?”

“In seven days,” Isabella responded.

Cohen pondered briefly, then looked at Mordo. “Five days from now, arrange a meeting with the bishop of the Light Church in the city.”

Mordo glanced at Isabella before replying, “Understood. But the Light Church is notoriously arrogant—you’d better prepare yourself.”

Though Cohen didn’t elaborate on the two Saints, mentioning the Light Church immediately sparked speculation in both Isabella and Mordo.

The Goddess of Light, one of the most powerful elemental deities, commanded a formidable church. Summoning two Saints quickly was not impossible—but how could Cohen have such influence to persuade them to act as enforcers?

Isabella felt an urge to reach out and lift his mask.

Cohen said, “I have two more requests.”

“Please, go ahead,” Isabella said.

“First, regarding the spoils: Black Tomb possesses an item I absolutely must obtain—that’s the premise for me bringing two Saints.”

Isabella immediately replied, “We don’t care about the spoils. We only want every one of Black Tomb’s people eradicated, so none leave Florence alive.”

Mordo’s expression shifted slightly. His lips moved as if to speak but fell silent.

Cohen was momentarily taken aback by Isabella’s concession. Truly, the Pale Wing’s wealth was immense.

With a faint smile, he said, “I accept the Golden-winged Maiden’s favor. The other is that before we eliminate Black Tomb, I need to extract vital information from them.”

“What information?”

“The identity of the assassin who recently attacked the Coriano royal family.”

Isabella narrowed her eyes and nodded slowly. “Understood. Among the Saints with us this time is a Soul Singer who can assist with soul extraction.”

Cohen snapped his fingers softly. “Deal.”

Having settled the crucial matters, Cohen suddenly had a spark of inspiration.

“By the way, I want to post a recruitment notice through the Pale Wing. What procedures are needed?”

Isabella smiled lightly. “Just tell me what you want recruited. No fees this time—consider it a gift.”

After some thought, Cohen said, “I’m seeking an Adventurer, rank three or above, aged between forty-five and fifty, male, fluent in more than five racial languages. The notice should only be posted in the northwest region of the Silin Kingdom... The reward is a complete Legendary-rank Mechanist inheritance.”

Isabella looked at him with meaning in her eyes. “Very well. This recruitment can be posted tonight. But I’m curious—what’s so special about this person you’re looking for?”

The conditions were so specific, and the reward so precise—it was clear Cohen was searching for someone in the Silin Kingdom.

Cohen chuckled, evading a direct answer, prompting Isabella to roll her eyes.

Silently, Cohen thought, “Should I tell her this person is Arnold Constantine, the future military god who will sweep across the continent?”

He had intended to find Arnold himself, but recent matters kept him busy, and travel abroad was inconvenient. It was simpler to issue a commission through the Pale Wing.

He believed that a destitute Arnold would willingly respond—not just for Cohen, but for his daughter who had unexpectedly awakened Mechanist abilities!

A complete Legendary-rank Mechanist inheritance was sure to entice him.

With business concluded, Cohen felt a wave of relief. This night had accomplished much.

Gazing at Isabella’s exquisite face, Cohen marveled inwardly—here stood a once wildly popular game character from his previous life, now alive and tangible before him.

A real person, not a mere virtual CG image.

“Miss Wenze, I look forward to our next collaboration. Farewell!”

As his words fell, Cohen transformed into a shadow and vanished.

“Shadow Step,” the Ghost Crab invoked!

Isabella’s eyes flickered with surprise at Cohen’s sudden disappearance.

“Where did he go?”

Mordo’s brow furrowed deeply.

“Strange—the aura vanished completely. What kind of shadow technique is this? Even a Legendary-rank assassin can’t hide all traces of their presence! This guy has some serious tricks. No wonder he dared to come here alone.”

Isabella’s delicate features tightened, her eyes gleaming with unfathomable meaning.

“His aura can be concealed, but during physical contact, his body’s refinement can’t be hidden. When we shook hands earlier, I noticed he doesn’t even possess Bronze Body.”

Mordo’s eyes widened in horror.

“No Bronze Body? Could he still be non-Transcendent... Impossible! How could an ordinary man, not even Transcendent, vanish before me so easily?”

One sign of advancing to Transcendence on the Magic Tide Continent is passing the Bronze Body trial. The first three ranks of Transcendence are Bronze.

Isabella licked her lips seductively.

“My interest in him only grows.”