Chapter 215: The Dragon Dynasty Command Flag

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Dragon Dynasty Command Flag: Red Artifact. A special award from the Dragon Dynasty, granted only to warriors who have made monumental contributions. This item cannot be lost, traded, or dropped. Ownership remains with the Dragon Dynasty, which reserves the right to issue or revoke it. All effects remain active as long as the item is in the player’s inventory.

Passive Effects: Luck +5. If the player possesses Infamy points, the flag automatically removes 1 point every two hours. Holders of this flag receive special recognition and treatment from Dragon Dynasty NPCs, unlocking numerous hidden benefits.

Active Skill: Dragon’s Secret Decree: A unique skill granted by the Dynasty. Allows the user to summon Royal Warriors or Royal Sorcerers to assist in battle. Royal Warriors possess half of the summoner’s attack, equal defense, and triple health. Royal Sorcerers possess equal attack, half defense, and double health. The number of summons equals the summoner’s Level divided by 10. If any summon dies, the skill enters a two-hour cooldown. This skill can only be used after reaching Level 50.

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’What a ridiculous skill,’ Marcus thought as he read through the description carefully.

The summoned units scaled directly with his own stats, and that was what made it terrifying. With how high his attributes already were, this ability would become absurdly powerful the moment it unlocked. It was the kind of skill that could decide the outcome of an entire battlefield.

The only problem was the Level 50 restriction.

’Why do they always do this,’ he complained silently. Dangling something this good and then locking it behind twenty levels.

He stared at the flag in his inventory, feeling both excited and irritated at the same time. It was the perfect example of a reward that made him eager to grind and miserable while waiting.

What Marcus did not know was just how rare this item truly was.

Since the founding of the Dragon Dynasty a thousand years ago, only eight Dragon Dynasty Command Flags had ever been issued. Every previous recipient had been a legendary hero, all of them well past Level 50, and most of them figures written into the Dynasty’s official history.

At Level 31, Marcus had just become the youngest recipient ever.

The Dynasty had not awarded the flag simply because he completed an ancient quest or returned the Dragon-Horse Lyre. More than anything, they had recognized his potential as a Temple Guardian, a class with an open-ended future, and made the decision to bend their own rules to secure his loyalty early.

’Level 50,’ Marcus thought firmly. ’That’s the next milestone.’

He could already imagine it clearly. Royal Sorcerers advancing under his command, legendary pets tearing through enemy lines, and himself standing at the center of it all. At that point, he would not just be another strong player. He would be a force that shaped battles by his presence alone.

Ding!

“Congratulations, Stonehaven, for completing the Dragon’s Crest quest. You have been awarded 1,000 Reputation and 30,000 Gold Coins.”

That final notification marked the official end of the Dragon’s Crest questline.

Marcus took a moment to absorb it. One thousand reputation points was an absurd reward, even by high-level standards. He seriously doubted he would see another quest this generous anytime soon.

“Stonehaven,” Commander Mare said, giving him one last look. “Completing a quest that has remained unfinished for a thousand years is an achievement beyond expectation. The Dynasty originally considered promoting you directly to Purple Eagle Guardian, but given your age and limited service record, we decided it would be better for you to start as a Golden Wolf.”

He nodded approvingly. “Continue serving the Dynasty well, and advancement will come naturally. Who knows, you may one day stand as a General, commanding tens of thousands.”

With that, Mare turned and left to attend to his duties.

Marcus remained where he was, still processing the sheer scale of what he had gained.

’Working for the government really does pay,’ he thought. ’The benefits alone make it worth it.’

He made a mental note to prioritize Dynasty missions whenever possible. With rewards like these, ignoring them would be a mistake.

His sights were already set on the White Tiger rank. The ability to form and command his own elite unit was exactly what he wanted. That was where things would truly start to get interesting.

As for becoming a General, the responsibility sounded exhausting, but the thought of leading a massive army against the Demon Clan had its appeal. He just hoped that if it ever came to that, his leadership would not get everyone killed.

By the time he looked up, Anya and Chloe had finished reviewing the rewards.

Anya was practically glowing. She stood close to him, pride clear in her expression, her arm brushing against his. She did not say much, but she did not need to. Her quiet support spoke louder than words.

Chloe, meanwhile, still wore a stubborn expression. She seemed torn between disbelief and excitement, struggling to reconcile the Marcus she knew with the achievements in front of her. Still, even she could not hide her satisfaction entirely.

“Marcus,” Anya asked gently, “what do we do next?”

If he had been alone, he would have gone straight to the Old Man to identify the rest of his items. But the weather was good, the mood was light, and he was standing between two women who clearly wanted to spend time with him. It felt like the right moment to slow down.

“I’ve got something in mind,” Marcus said.

He opened his mount storage and summoned the Cloud-Mist Gale Steed. His intention was simple. He planned to give it to Chloe. A Pegasus Knight without a Pegasus made no sense.

As the mount materialized, a system prompt appeared.

Ding!

“Stonehaven, your Cloud-Mist Gale Steed has not been named. Please assign a name.”

“Snowy,” Marcus said immediately.

There was no hesitation. The mount’s pure white body and flowing mane made the name an obvious choice. More importantly, he had no intention of letting Anya and Chloe debate names for the rest of the afternoon.

He checked its details one last time.

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Cloud-Mist Gale Steed: Grade 8 Mount. A Pegasus that evolved through prolonged exposure to high-altitude wind currents and cloud energy. Excels in aerial combat. Possesses strong wind and light attributes.

Stats: Level 0. HP: 400. MP: 400. Attack: 100. Defense: 300. Ground Speed: 8. Flight Speed: 13.

Innate Skills:

Wind-Rise: Active. Generates a controlled whirlwind that increases movement speed by 30 percent for 30 minutes. Cooldown: 1 hour.

Cloud-Surge: Active. Creates a dense cloud layer, granting aerial stealth for 1 minute. Cooldown: 30 minutes.

Skill:

Small Storm: Active. A linear area-of-effect attack.

Note: Dual riding becomes available after reaching Level 10.

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Marcus nodded in satisfaction. Snowy was more than worthy of its new rider.

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