Marine Fortress hides one of the easier Island Secrets added to the First Sea in Update 30, and it does not involve a boss or a puzzle. You talk to an NPC in a tower, find a coil of rope lying on the ground, and stand still on the flagpole platform while the fortress cannons try to knock you off it.
Quick answer: Speak to Parlus in a Marine Fortress tower and pick “What’s with the empty flagpole?” then “I’ll raise your flag”, collect the rope from under the small wooden shelter near the water, then stand inside the glowing ring at the base of the central flagpole until the flag reaches the top and return to Parlus for your reward.
Marine Fortress flagpole secret: key details
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Marine Fortress, First Sea |
| Quest giver | Parlus, inside one of the four corner guard towers |
| Required item | Rope, found on the ground under a wooden shelter near the water |
| Objective | Stand on the central flagpole platform until the flag is fully raised |
| Main hazard | Cannon fire aimed at the flagpole platform |
| Reward | EXP and Secret Levels, claimed by talking to Parlus again |
Note: the tower NPC’s in-game label is easy to misread, so you may see the name written as Parius. It is the same character who sells the Black Cape for $50,000 from a Marine Fortress tower, which makes him simple to identify if you have shopped there before.
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How to confirm the secret is complete
Two things tell you it worked. First, the flag sits at the top of the pole and an on-screen message points you back toward Parlus instead of leaving the objective text on the flagpole. Second, the reward only lands after that final conversation, so you should see EXP awarded and Secret Levels credited when the dialogue ends.
If you walk away right after the flag goes up, the secret sits unfinished. Nothing is lost, but it will not count until you return to the tower.
Why the flag stops rising
- You stepped off the circular platform. The flag only climbs while you are holding the ring, so chasing enemies or repositioning too far pauses it.
- You died to cannon fire. Marine Fortress quests are tuned for levels 120 to 150, and the cannons hit hard enough to end a run if you stand still and tank every shot.
- You interacted with the flagpole without the rope. The pole does nothing until the rope is in your inventory.
What the Secret Levels count toward
Island Secrets are the Update 30 progression layer for the reworked First Sea, with 40 of them spread across the sea’s 16 islands. Each one you finish awards a star alongside its rewards, and collecting all 40 stars unlocks the Teleporter in Middle Town.
The Secret Levels handed out at the end feed the new level system, which is what lets you push past the old cap. The flagpole task is one of the cheapest entries on that list, so it is worth clearing early while you are already grinding Marine Fortress for EXP.






