Novel Full Chapter 138: Level 3 Stronghold, Breaking the Protection
Chapter 138: Chapter 138: Level 3 Stronghold, Breaking the Protection
Ding!
[Domain Travel’s cooldown has ended. You may use it again.]
Leon stared at the panel for a brief second before a slow grin spread across his face.
The full twenty-four hours had finally passed.
To him, the cooldown still felt long. Waiting an entire day to switch domains was not exactly convenient.
But when he thought about it from a broader perspective, he could not help but admit that almost any player in [Eternal Ascension] would sacrifice nearly anything to obtain such an ability.
The power to freely move between domains was not something that existed for normal players.
Leon, on the other hand, could simply choose a domain and appear there within minutes.
And when he eventually spent more time in the [Higher Domain], this ability would become even more valuable.
The scale there was much larger, the distances greater, and the stakes far higher.
“Still,” Leon muttered to himself, “twenty-four hours is twenty-four hours.”
With a thought, he opened his [World Map].
A large transparent interface unfolded before his eyes, displaying everything he had explored in [Lower Domain #78].
Leon suddenly paused.
“Wait a minute…” he said, blinking once. “Why did I run all the way back to [Myriad Race City]? I could have just teleported.”
He stood there in silence for a second before shaking his head.
He simply was not used to having such a convenient ability yet.
For years, he had relied on mounts and long hours of travel.
Teleporting across entire domains with a single command still did not feel natural to him. It was not yet a reflex.
“Guess I’ll adapt eventually,” he murmured.
There was no point dwelling on it.
“Domain Travel.”
The moment he called the skill, the [World Map] expanded before him.
Hundreds upon hundreds of circular markers appeared in the space-like void, each one representing a different lower domain.
Leon scrolled calmly through the list until he found the one he wanted, and he selected it.
Ding!
[Do you wish to teleport to “Lower Domain #267”?]
“Yes.”
He confirmed immediately, and the grin on his face widened. The air around him distorted.
Just like the first time, the world twisted violently as his body and soul were torn apart and pulled through space.
Fwoosh!
The sensation was still painful. It felt as though every fiber of his being was stretched thin, broken down into fragments, and reassembled somewhere else.
However, compared to the first time, the pain was slightly more manageable.
Perhaps he was already getting used to it. Or perhaps his body was simply adapting.
A full minute passed before the distortion finally ceased.
Ding!
[You have appeared in “Lower Domain #267.”]
[Domain Travel Cooldown: 23 Hours 59 Minutes 56 Seconds.]
Leon opened his eyes slowly.
This time, instead of a desert, he found himself standing in a wide green plain.
The wind moved gently through tall grass, and in the distance he could see players fighting low-level monsters or appearing after completing their initial assessments.
Leon did not pay much attention.
’I don’t need to worry about anything here,’ he thought calmly.
Unlike his arrival in [Lower Domain #78], he did not waste time observing the surroundings.
He already knew how lower domains functioned now. The structure was nearly identical across all of them.
Fwoosh!
In a single burst of speed, he dashed forward.
He passed [Hub City] without slowing down. Then [Sun City]. He crossed through the [Land of Mist], continued past [Myriad Race City], and kept moving deeper into the domain.
The further he traveled, the fewer players he saw.
Leon gradually became more cautious as he approached higher-level areas.
He did not slow down much, but he remained alert. Lower domains might not threaten him anymore, yet carelessness was never a good habit.
Eventually, he reached the [Level 50 Zone]. This was where things changed.
Normally, no sane person would build a stronghold here.
The monster density was far too high, and the strength of the creatures roaming this zone made defending against [Monster Tides] extremely difficult.
The further away a stronghold was from safe regions, the harder it became to maintain control.
Monster Tides would be stronger, bosses more frequent, and resources harder to secure.
And yet—
As Leon moved forward, he saw it. In the distance stood a massive structure.
At first glance, it looked like a small fortified city rather than a simple stronghold.
High walls surrounded it, reinforced with glowing runes. Towers stood at each corner.
But what caught Leon’s attention most was the central building.
A grand church rose above all other structures. At its peak was a massive glowing orb symbol radiating golden light.
The [Church of Light]. This was the reason such a stronghold existed in a place like this.
All members of the [Church of Light] were cult followers of the [God of Light].
Their faith was not symbolic or casual; it was absolute devotion.
They worshipped the god directly and sought to expand his influence across domains.
Leon’s eyes narrowed slightly. He had not come here randomly.
Just like the [Shadow Assassin Guild], the [Church of Light] would become a major threat in the future.
Their blind faith would justify countless atrocities. Removing them now was simply efficient.
As Leon stepped closer to the stronghold—
Ding!
[This is the “Church of Light” stronghold, protected by the divinity of the “God of Light.”]
[If you wish to join us, state your intention. Otherwise, you will be annihilated.]
A heavy pressure emanated from the structure.
It was not subtle. The air itself felt denser near the walls. A faint golden shimmer covered the entire city like a dome.
Leon remained calm. There was a reason he had targeted the [Shadow Assassin Guild] first.
It was because the [Church of Light] was far stronger.
The difference was not just in individual strength. The [Archbishop of Light] was notoriously powerful, but that was not the only factor: their stronghold was Level 3.
For a stronghold to reach Level 2, it required a [Stronghold Crystal] and the successful defense against a [Monster Tide].
To reach Level 3, the requirements increased dramatically.
Three [Stronghold Crystals] were needed, along with surviving a significantly stronger [Monster Tide] filled with elite bosses.
The reward for such difficulty was immense.
Upon reaching Level 3, a stronghold unlocked its first powerful passive: [Protection].
Strongholds could gain additional passives as they leveled up further or as their population grew stronger, but [Protection] was the first true defensive milestone.
It granted an almost impenetrable barrier that shielded the entire stronghold.
Under normal circumstances, a single player would have no hope of breaking such a defense.
How could one individual overcome a barrier designed to withstand entire armies?
Leon exhaled slowly.
’Good thing I’m not normal.’ He still had his forbidden spell, ’Here goes nothing.’
Leon closed his eyes and began gathering mana.
Just like before, he focused all of his power into himself and into his staff. The air around him vibrated as energy condensed rapidly.
The ground trembled slightly.
Fwoosh!
The mana surged violently, building toward a peak. When it finally reached the limit of what he could contain, Leon lifted his staff high.
Oblivion Meteor!
The sky darkened instantly.
A swirling vortex formed overhead, twisting space itself into a massive wormhole.
From its depths, a colossal flaming meteor began its descent, radiating destructive purple energy.
Even from below, Leon could feel the overwhelming force contained within it.
’Strangely enough…’ he thought, ’I don’t feel as exhausted as the first time.’
Perhaps his body had adapted to the strain of casting a [Forbidden Spell]. Perhaps the shock of the first experience had made it seem worse.
Either way, it was beneficial.
He still knew better than to attempt casting it twice in a short period. That would likely push him beyond safe limits.
The meteor roared downward. Leon stared at the stronghold below.
’They must be panicking right about now.’
But unlike the [Shadow Assassin Guild], whose Level 2 stronghold had been erased instantly, this time something different happened.
BOOM!
The [Oblivion Meteor] collided with an invisible barrier above the city.
Golden light erupted as the impact shook the surroundings. The barrier held.
If any normal attack had struck that [Protection], it would have been deflected harmlessly. The stronghold would have remained untouched, giving its defenders time to mobilize.
However, the [Oblivion Meteor] did not vanish upon impact. It continued pressing downward.
Purple flames intensified, grinding against the golden shield. The clash of opposing energies created violent shockwaves.
Crack!
Fine fractures began spreading across the barrier.
Even at Level 3, a stronghold’s [Protection] was not meant to endure a direct hit from such a [Forbidden Spell].
The meteor gradually began to disintegrate under the holy power infused within the barrier, but it did not stop pushing forward.
Crack! Crack!
The fractures widened.
BOOM!
With a thunderous explosion, the barrier shattered completely.
Golden fragments dissolved into particles of light, and at the same moment, the remaining force of the meteor dispersed.
Leon lowered his staff slightly.
“That [Protection] was stronger than I expected,” he murmured. “It actually managed to break down the meteor.”
It was possible that the [God of Light] had intervened slightly to reinforce it.
If that was the case, then this would not be as simple as before.
The barrier was gone. The stronghold was exposed. But the city itself still stood.
Leon straightened his posture. If necessary, he would handle this personally.
Ding!
[You have broken the protection of the “Church of Light” stronghold. They have been informed of your presence.]
Leon let out a slow breath.
“Great,” he said calmly. “Alright.”