Ashley

Once the Tower Master brings me to the Gate, I find myself identifying it. Only for a small grin to stretch across my face at what I see.

♢ Class C Gate: Sea of Ash – Recommended level: 400 – Users Inside: 0 ♢

I give a satisfied nod of my head before walking into the Gate. Following which I find myself appearing in what is literally a sea of ash and lava.

Then the usual mission for the Gate appears in front of me.

Conquer the Sea

You have entered a Domain. The following objectives have been unlocked.

Complete objective 1 or all of the objectives to conquer the Domain.

Complete 1 or more objective to leave the Domain.

Objective 1: Kill the Ashen Dragon

Objective 2: Slay over 10,000 Ashen Sea Beasts

Objective 3: Survive for three hours

Not bad. I just need to survive for three hours to leave the place.

And I should get a reward for doing it.

With that thought in mind, I quickly begin my hunt. First flying off the large island of ash I'm on amidst the ash and lava-filled sea before looking around at the lava below.

Honestly, even if I fell in, it wouldn't actually hurt me that much. Considering destruction resistance, heat resistance, and magma resistance.

All three of those pretty much make lava rather useless against me. Especially natural lava.

At least lava made through monsters or other players would probably hurt if I'm hit directly. But just natural lava is fine.

I could probably swim through it all day without a problem.

Even my armor has some destruction resistance and should be fine.

So after searching the sea of ash and lava from above for a bit, I decide to jump down into the ash and lava itself. At which point I begin searching under its surface. Only to immediately begin finding monsters one after another.

There we go.

My ash skills won't really work here, nor will my magma related skills.

I can't see water doing much here either.

The type of attack that would work the best here for me would probably either physical attacks or lightning. Since I'm pretty sure lava conducts lightning at least a little bit.

Nowhere near as much as water does, but still a good chunk.

So with that in mind, I begin using several lightning skills. Calling lightning down from above to strike me while also generating a large amount of charge through regular mana manipulation.

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And since it doesn't conduct it as well as water does, I proceed to move straight towards the monsters near me in the lava. Slamming my fists into them while coated in lightning.

The lightning proceeds to ravage through their bodies as the physical damage from my attack does its own work. Quickly slaughtering the Class C monster despite it being a Class above me.

Although to be fair it's a lower level than me despite its Class being higher.

While killing the monsters, I briefly glance at the livestream numbers to find quite the number of people watching me. Billions in fact at this point.

Huh. And it's not even an Official System Event.

It's just a random Domain dive.

Hmm.

Well, whatever. I proceed to move through the lava while killing one monster after another.

Until the monsters start to grow in level, that is.

This is a higher Class Gate after all. So the monsters are just gonna continue climbing higher and higher in level.

Until they're far higher level than I am.

I frown when I eventually find monsters starting to catch up to me in level at around the hour mark of my time in here. But even these monsters still aren't a match for me.

Honestly, for something to be a problem for me they'd likely have to be at least a hundred and fifty levels above me and a Class above me.

So, for example, the boss of this Domain.

That thing would be a problem.

Actually, even the monsters directly beneath it in level here would be a problem. Considering that I'm only in the lower level 300s here, even after all these monster kills.

But that's what makes this place interesting.

Especially since it's a challenging Domain that I can actually leave without clearing. Unlike that stupid Unique Domain.

I continue slaughtering the monsters for another hour before some problems begin to arise.

The first being my mana supply, which isn't endless, is beginning to run low. Making me stop using mana to attack.

Fortunately for me, my Unique Skill Tree's physical skills still put me above these monsters in physical strength. Despite their Class difference.

So I continue tearing through monsters, albeit at a slower pace now than before.

Gradually raising my level towards the max level of Class D in the process.

And right as time is reaching about two hours and fifty minutes on the countdown timer in the corner of my vision, a massive tsunami of lava suddenly splashes out from thousands of meters away. Following which I see a massive draconic fish jumping out of the water. One at level 500.

As for its identify result?

♢ Level 500 Ashen Dragon – 1317 Potential Skills – X ♢

It's the boss of the dungeon. And it also has quite a few potential skills.

Oh, and it looks about a few hundred meters long. And is very obviously a fish. Not a dragon.

So why is it called an ashen dragon? Because it looks like a draconic fish?

The thing has the scales of a dragon and a sort of draconic mouth, but it's still very clearly a fish.

One who lives in lava at that.

This thing is pretty misleading.

It's also looking at me.

Without any hesitation, I fly up into the air before heading off in the opposite direction of the large ashen dragon. Making a hasty retreat.

Yeah, I don't think I can handle something that much higher level than me that's also a Class higher than me. So I'll just leave the Domain after the three hour mark finishes.

Then I can come back in to continue leveling.

After recovering my mana, that is.

All the way until I get to the maximum level of Class D.

Of course, this is all after getting away from this dragon fish that's not a dragon who is chasing after me.

I glance backwards as I fly to find said dragon fish just sending lava splashing behind it as it swims after me with half of its face above the surface of the lava. Just keeping its eyes locked onto me.

Someone's determined.

I face forwards again while flying through the air. Just keeping an eye on the countdown that's gradually getting closer and closer to zero for that mission.

Five minutes left.

Four minutes.

Three minutes.

Two minutes.

One minute.

At this point the dragon fish is almost right beneath me. And when I glance backwards again, the thing is charging up what looks like a powerful breath attack.

So I use up the last of my mana to activate several defensive skills. Making dozens of barriers between us and concealing myself in a cocoon of destruction while blocking forwards with my wings. Following which the dragon fish's attack slams into all of my defenses, shattering one after another yet slowing down at the same time.

All the way until it hits the cocoon.

But as the cocoon is starting to crack, the countdown finally hits zero, letting me opt to leave the Domain.

And just like that, I find myself appearing outside of the Domain, right next to the Gate while panting in exhaustion.

That was close.

I glance at my level, which is now about 348.

But worth it.

With that thought in mind, I glance back at the Gate once more before turning around and heading towards the Towers of Chaos again to relax for the rest of the day.

Then I can go back into that Gate again tomorrow fully recharged.

I yawn while flying.

Maybe I should take a nice cool bath to cool off as well. Considering how long I just spent in a sea of lava and ash.

That would be nice.