Chapter 211: A Conflicting Reward

Under the persistent urging of the two women and their undivided attention, Marcus began recounting everything he had experienced in Dominion. He went through the journey step by step, from the dangers of the Mist Veil Palace to the battles that nearly cost him his life.

Their reactions were exactly what he hoped for, full of awe and disbelief, but what surprised him most was Chloe’s behavior. She did not interrupt once, did not mock him, and did not throw a single sarcastic comment his way. For once, she listened quietly, which made the whole experience far more pleasant than he expected.

By the time he finished, both Anya and Chloe looked dazed, as if they had just woken from a long dream. Lyanna, his Wyvern Saint Knight companion, left the deepest impression on them. The scale of what Marcus had gone through was hard to process, and it was difficult to believe that one person had experienced so much in such a short time.

“Anya, I’m going to turn in the Dragon’s Crest quest,” Marcus said as he dismissed his mount and pet. “Do you and Chloe want to come?”

“Of course we do,” Anya replied immediately, her enthusiasm was quite obvious.

After putting his mask back on, Marcus led them to a teleportation point and headed for the City of Knights, Pegasus Citadel. Their destination was Pegasus Knight Mare, where Marcus would finally receive the rewards he had earned.

“Stonehaven, you’re back at last,” Commander Mare called out the moment he spotted Marcus. “Was it you who broke the seal on the Mist Veil Palace? Did you retrieve the Dragon-Horse Lyre?”

Ever since the system announcement, Mare had been restless, clearly waiting for Marcus to return.

“You know me, Commander,” Marcus said with a confident smile. “If you give me a task, I see it through.”

As he spoke, he handed over the Dragon-Horse Lyre.

“The Lyre… it really is the Dragon-Horse Lyre,” Mare said, grabbing it with shaking hands. His composure cracked as he examined the artifact, emotion plain on his face.

It took him a moment to calm down. When he finally looked back at Marcus, his expression was filled with disbelief. This quest had existed for over a thousand years, and countless elites had died attempting it. Mare had never truly expected success, yet Marcus had returned alive and victorious.

“We did not misjudge you,” Mare said slowly. “Top-ranked across all four leaderboards, and now the one who retrieved the Dragon-Horse Lyre. The younger generation truly surpasses the old. The future belongs to you.”

Marcus winced internally. That was a bit much. Even knowing Mare was an NPC, the praise felt excessive.

Still, flattery was not why he was here. He wanted rewards, and he intended to take everything he had earned.

Mare did not linger on the praise. He straightened and addressed Marcus with a formal tone.

“Stonehaven, for completing the Dragon’s Crest quest and returning the Dragon-Horse Lyre, you shall now receive your rewards.”

’Finally’, Marcus thought, his lips curling into a grin.

A system notification rang out.

Ding!

“Congratulations, player Stonehaven, for completing the Unique Hidden Quest: Dragon’s Crest. Commander Mare, representing the Dragon Dynasty, will grant you three rewards.”

The words Dragon Dynasty caught Marcus’s attention. Rewards issued at that level were never small.

“Reward One,” the system announced. “The Divine Artifact Dragon’s Crest has been fully identified and bound to you. It cannot be traded, dropped, or lost upon death.”

’Perfect.’

He would examine its stats later, but starting with a Divine Artifact was already more than satisfying. His focus shifted immediately to the next reward.

“Reward Two. Commander Mare offers to promote you to the Hidden Class: Pegasus Knight. Upon acceptance, your current class will be replaced. Do you wish to proceed?”

Marcus froze.

Replace his class?

He was currently a Royal Knight, a Unique Hidden Class tied to the Temple Guardians of the Goddess of Dreams. Mare himself had once described it as equal in status to Dragon Knights. Giving that up for Pegasus Knight felt absurd.

He had no intention of accepting. Pegasus Knight was strong, but it was not what he wanted. After witnessing the presence and power of the Three-Headed Black Dragon Knight, his goal had become clear. If he ever changed classes, it would be to something tied to dragons, preferably with dark or shadow attributes.

Still, he was not about to let a hard-earned reward vanish.

“Commander,” Marcus said, his tone firm, “I’m already a Royal Knight. You’re asking me to abandon it for Pegasus Knight. Does that really make sense as a reward?”

Mare hesitated, clearly unprepared for this reaction.

“I… I understand your concern,” Mare said after a pause. “But I am a Pegasus Knight myself. I only have the authority to grant my own class. The rewards are issued by the Dragon Dynasty, and I cannot alter them.”

He shook his head, looking genuinely frustrated.

Below Level 50, Pegasus Knight was considered top-tier. But Marcus was a special case, and the system had not accounted for that.

“So what happens now?” Marcus pressed. “I just lose the reward? After everything I went through?”

Mare frowned. Without the second reward being resolved, the third could not be issued. That was the real issue.

After a long pause, he finally spoke. “Very well. I will allow you to nominate another individual to receive this promotion. The chosen candidate will become a Pegasus Knight in your place.”

He sighed. “You have one month. If no one is nominated, the reward will be lost.”

Marcus almost laughed. That was even better than he expected.

His gaze shifted to Chloe.

She stood with her arms crossed, her posture remained strong and upright, the image of a natural knight. Pegasus Knight suited her far better than it ever would him. The class emphasized speed, agility, and aerial combat, and its armor was designed to be light and refined rather than heavy and restrictive.

He pictured her wearing it and immediately had to stop himself.

’Focus.’

Standard knight armor would have dulled her presence. Pegasus Knight gear, on the other hand, would enhance it. The idea of her riding through the skies felt right.

But then he remembered her attitude toward him. She might refuse just to spite him.

Still, there was no harm in asking.

“Chloe,” Marcus said, “how would you like to become a Pegasus Knight?”

She hesitated.

“I…” she started, then stopped, her face coloring as she looked away.

“Marcus, she says yes,” Anya said cheerfully, giving him a knowing look.

Before Chloe could protest, Marcus spoke up. “Commander, I nominate my friend, Wind Witch, for the promotion.”

Wind Witch was Chloe’s in-game name. The irony of it was not lost on him.

Mare turned to Chloe. “Wind Witch, once promoted, your current class will be permanently lost. Do you accept?”

“Yes,” Chloe said quietly, with her eyes lowered.

For the first time, she did not argue. For the first time, she trusted his decision.

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