The sudden upheaval on the Wealth Leaderboard, with the top position breaking through the staggering threshold of one hundred million gold coins, instantly ignited wild speculation across the server. Players argued endlessly about the identity of this mysterious player, soone absurdly lucky or frighteningly prepared, especially since that sa person had also managed to obtain the extrely rare Guild Creation Token.
Blaze Phoenix, quite sharp-eyed and observant, quietly opened the Wealth Leaderboard and ran the numbers in his head. The total felt uncomfortably familiar. It was almost identical to the combined value of everything sold during the auction.
’Could it be,’ he wondered, his gaze narrowing slightly, ’that the Guild Creation Token and those four pieces of high-level Golden equipnt all ca from the sa player?’
Curious, he pulled up the other leaderboards and began examining them one by one. The Level Leaderboard, the Reputation Leaderboard, the Pet Leaderboard, and now the Wealth Leaderboard, all shared the sa strange detail, the number one position was hidden every single ti. Even more suspicious, only the top rank was concealed, as if soone had gone out of their way to erase their presence while still dominating every field.
There was clearly a connection here.
’It doesn’t matter,’ Blaze Phoenix decided after a mont. His imdiate goal was far simpler. He wanted to uncover the identity of the number one player on the Wealth Leaderboard. After all, the auction’s explosive success and those ridiculous final prices were largely the result of his own deliberate provocation. If that mystery player possessed even a shred of decency, they ought to be thanking him for stirring the pot.
With that thought, he relaxed completely. He reached for a glass of strawberry juice, lifting it with leisurely elegance and taking a slow sip, savoring the mont. The outco of the auction had exceeded his expectations, and that alone put him in an excellent mood.
While the rest of the server was still caught up in heated debate over the identity of the new wealth leader, the system itself suddenly erupted with a thunderous announcent.
"Attention all players! Player Demonic Dragon has established the first guild in Dominion, the Black Dragon Guild, and has claid the number one spot on the Guild Leaderboard!"
"Attention all players! Player Demonic Dragon has established the first guild in Dominion, the Black Dragon Guild, and has claid the number one spot on the Guild Leaderboard!"
"Attention all players! Player Demonic Dragon has established the first guild in Dominion, the Black Dragon Guild, and has claid the number one spot on the Guild Leaderboard!"
The announcent rang out three consecutive tis, its volu and repetition leaving no room for doubt or ignorance. From that mont forward, the na Black Dragon Guild was burned into the collective mory of Dominion’s players, forever tied to the shock of the insane auction that had made it possible.
Demonic Dragon, along with his newly founded Black Dragon Guild, had taken the lead.
Across the server, the leaders of countless major guilds stared at the announcent in silence, their emotions a volatile mix of envy, frustration, and burning resolve. They all knew the rules. For the first ten guilds established in Dominion, the system would broadcast a triple announcent and permanently record their nas on the Guild Leaderboard.
’We can’t afford to be slow anymore,’ they thought almost in unison. ’We have to find a Guild Creation Token, no matter the cost. Missing this chance again is unacceptable.’
That shared determination pushed them into imdiate action. Guild after guild mobilized their elites and charged toward the Level 30 Golden monster zones, weapons ready and formations tight. The monsters were powerful, the competition ruthless, and the drop rate for the remaining Guild Creation Tokens painfully low, but none of that mattered anymore. Every guild leader was prepared to gamble everything for a place among the first ten.
As for Demonic Dragon, their thoughts were far less generous.
’Your Black Dragon Guild may have claid the first spot,’ they mused coldly, ’but the tallest tree always draws the strongest winds. From this mont on, you are everyone’s target.’
Too many rising guilds and ambitious players were eager to trample the Black Dragon Guild underfoot and use it as a stepping stone to instant fa.
And so, the first large-scale auction in Dominion, the Old Vine Auction House event, officially ca to an end. Yet its influence only continued to spread, igniting several major topics that dominated every discussion channel:
First, who exactly was the player who had auctioned off the Guild Creation Token and now sat alone at the top of the Wealth Leaderboard?
Second, who was this blatantly arrogant figure known as Blaze Phoenix, and what kind of background allowed him to behave so outrageously inside the Old Vine Auction House without fear?
Third, Demonic Dragon had crushed his rivals at the auction, secured the Guild Creation Token, and established the first guild, the Black Dragon Guild. Would the powerful rcenary groups and guilds that lost out simply accept this result, or would they unite to prevent the Black Dragon Guild from dominating the United States server?
Just as these questions spread like wildfire, a crisp, unmistakable system notification chid in a quieter but far more personal tone.
"Ding! Congratulations, Player Stonehaven. Your achievent of holding the number one position on all four major leaderboards demonstrates exceptional personal ability and has triggered a Unique Hidden Quest: The Dragon’s Crest. Stonehaven, you may locate Pegasus Knight Mare in the City of Knights, Pegasus Citadel, to receive this quest."
Marcus had been lost in a glorious daydream, already picturing how he would brag to his beloved Lily and his adorable little sister, Amber, about holding four separate number one rankings, when the system’s sudden notification snapped him back to reality.
"Haha!"
He burst out laughing, unable to hold it in. Another Unique Hidden Quest. At this point, his luck felt absurd, like he was surfing a perfect wave that refused to break.
’This is just how lucky I am,’ he thought, utterly satisfied. ’I’m blessed. People can envy if they want, but there’s no need to be jealous. Luck is one of my strengths, a privilege that lets enjoy things others can only dream about.’
For most players, even finding a single Hidden Quest required endless searching, blind luck, and sleepless nights. A Unique Hidden Quest was sothing many would never see in their entire ti playing Dominion. Yet for him, it arrived as casually as a routine system ssage.
’I really am that good, he mused shalessly.’
"Old Vine, sothing’s co up. I’m heading out."
Still grinning, Marcus waved a quick farewell and hurried out of the auction house. He had no patience to linger. Without hesitation, he prepared to teleport straight to the Pegasus Citadel to claim his new Unique Hidden Quest, The Dragon’s Crest.
"..."
Inside the auction house, Old Vine stood quietly, his expression calm as ever, though his thoughts were anything but idle.
’One should not be swayed by success, nor crushed by failure,’ he reflected. ’True strength cos from composure and discipline, the ability to remain steady no matter how fierce the storm.’
He let out a faint, internal sigh.
’These young people really are too impulsive. How can they hope to achieve greatness if they rush around without restraint?’
If Stonehaven had lingered even a mont longer, Old Vine might have grabbed him and delivered a proper lecture. Talent without discipline was wasted potential, and he had no intention of letting soone like Stonehaven squander what he had been given.
—
The Dreamland Continent, ruled by the mighty Dragon Dynasty, was ho to five major cities. At its heart stood the Imperial Capital, Dragon’s Peak Citadel. To the east lay the City of Knights, Pegasus Citadel. The west belonged to the Elven Kingdom, Forest City. In the frozen north rose the City of Ice, Glacial Citadel, while the south was anchored by the City of Mountains, Ironstone Citadel.
Together, these five cities ford the backbone of the prosperous Dreamland Continent, each maintaining powerful elite forces tasked with repelling demonic invasions and safeguarding the land.
The City of Knights, Pegasus Citadel, the birthplace of all Knights, was built atop the vast and open Atlan Plains.
Its fa was well earned. Endless flatlands stretched outward from towering walls, reinforced by deep moats, elite Knight legions, and the presence of a supre Artifact, the Blazing Purple Rainbow Blade. The plains themselves were ho to massive herds of high-level wild horses, a natural advantage that gave the Knight orders unmatched mobility and battlefield dominance.
Yet the city’s na ca from sothing even more extraordinary.
Across the skies of the Atlan Plains, herds of Pegasus were often seen soaring freely, their white wings cutting through the clouds. From them erged the legendary Pegasus Knights, warriors who beca both the pride and the symbol of the city itself.
Originally, Marcus had planned to push straight to Level 30 after the auction and fully equip the Cabaro’s Set. Now, however, the opportunity before him was far more tempting. Once he accepted the quest, he intended to head straight to the Atlan Plains and try his luck at capturing a mount.
At the very least, a Horse King would do.
A Pegasus would be better.
And a Pegasus King would be perfect.
’There’s no such thing as best,’ Marcus thought calmly. ’Only better.’
For a Knight, a mount was not optional. Horse and rider were inseparable, bound together in battle and life. Knights loved horses, especially exceptional ones. A warhorse was a Knight’s second life.
As the number one player in Dominion, and the top-ranked individual across all four major leaderboards, how could Marcus ride anything ordinary? His steed had to be magnificent, awe-inspiring, sothing others could only look at with envy.
Light flared around him, and in the next instant, Marcus appeared inside the City of Knights, Pegasus Citadel.
The city’s design was imdiately striking. Square structures, a precise and orderly layout, and wide, straight, perfectly flat roads stretched in every direction. Everything about the city felt deliberately built for mounted combat, for speed, for freedom of movent.
Knights were the pride of Pegasus Citadel, and the Pegasus Knights were its living emblem. Marcus asked a few passersby for directions, and without difficulty, he located the residence of Pegasus Knight Mare.
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