Ash

"Goddess Damn it, Goddess Damn it, GODDESS MOTHERFUCKING DAMN IT!!!" I screamed as the fire engulfed me yet again and well turned me to ash. That wasn't a pun either! I keep finding random "Ash" piles every time I come back.

I reappeared back outside the three doors like I have hundreds of times before and groan.

"For fucks sake that bitch is way too sensitive! I can't kill it, I can't escape it, and I sure as fuck can't bribe it! What kinda bullshit floor is that!?" I yell aloud before flopping back. The cool misty ground as comforting as the first time I failed in any of the rooms.

"I have told you many times Mistress you must sneak past the dragon." Miyagi appeared and said with that annoying ass smile that I have grown to despise on his face.

"I have tried! But it's kinda hard to sneak when I have to pick lock several doors and chests, avoid and disarm multiple traps, constantly use reverse and regular steal, all while making sure a 20 story fucking lizard doesn't notice me trying to take one of her eggs! Oh and the best part! Once I do all that I have to get back out!"

"In all honesty, I am surprised you have made it this far Mistress. I mean there were a few areas where I was sure it would take you years. To think it hasn't even been two days in the real world and you have finished the angel door, the kitsune door, and made it to the 100th floor of the Thief door. Then again the Angel door had 20 floors and the Kitsune door only had 10 floors and you still died quite a few times. I'll give you one more hint. Simple ." The annoying, little, green, bastard started laughing for what seemed the thousandth time now.

I sighed and thought back to all my "training" to this point.

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It started off not too bad actually after the riveting conversation with Miyagi I started my way through the first ten floors of the thief area. I blew through them pretty easily. It was just a mix of obstacle courses, sneaking past guards, various different spots where I had to switch between my visions, and an actual test about picking locks and various alarm types. It took me about half a day if anything to get through all of that.

"Hah! That was all I had to go through for the first ten levels? There wasn't even difficulty curve on the tenth floor getting through all one hundred will be a cake walk." I was feeling quite proud of myself at that point. I really shouldn't have, when are things ever that simple?

*Clap*Clap*Clap* Miyagi appeared and did a slow clap for me at that moment. "That was great Mistress only the 14,873rd slowest time. The standard placement area must have been quite easy." His smile and sarcasm at that time still pisses me off to this very moment.

The arrogant smile on my face froze. "Standard placement area?"

His smile just grew larger at that point. Then he turned and looked at the chalkboard.

The place I landed in after the first ten floors was a simple schoolroom with a few rows of desks and a chalkboard at the front of the room. It had the looks of a simple country schoolroom. There was even an enjoyable breeze that made one relax as it came through the windows. I will come to fucking hate this wretched and evil room.

I followed Miyagi's gaze to the chalkboard and noticed something that wasn't there before. On the board were words.

"Trainee has completed first Ten Floors. Time 13hrs 42mins Rank 14,873 Skill D, Talent F, Knowledge B, Time F--, Final score F! Trainee has failed Reset initiated."

The next thing I knew I was standing on the same rooftop as when I started. I looked around in confusion until I saw the sign that said 1/100.

"What in the what!?"

"Well you see Mistress getting past all ten floors is not entirely all you have to do. At the end of each set of ten you will be graded. Get too low a score and you will be sent back. You need a minimum of a D in all categories to pass. Of course, scoring higher will net you some benifits as well." Miyagi told me with an amused grin on his ugly green face.

"That's bullshit!"

"I assure you Mistress-

"I have never gotten a B on a written test in my fucking life! What kind of retarded shit is that!? I am a fucking genius and I know for a fact that all my answers were correct!"

"While that may be true the time you took to answer each question and the detail are all important as well."

"But my answers were right!"

"Doesn't matter."

"Alright you know what fuck this I am getting back to that fucking test and destroying it! When does my time restart?"

I am a lot of things but a B student is not one of them. I take great pride in my knowledge so that I can lord it over people. I have been doing it to my teachers for years and I'll be damned if some magical other dimension is going to take that away from me.

"Oh it restarted the second you arrived."

"Daughter of a Bastard!" I swore at Ice internally.

Thankfully my drive to get back to the written test allowed me a much faster completion rate the next time I appeared in the schoolroom my eyes glared at the chalkboard.

"Trainee has completed first Ten Floors. Time 10hrs 12mins Rank 10,113, Skill D, Talent D, Knowledge A-, Time D-, Final score D+! Trainee has met minimum requirement to proceed."

"A-? A-!? A motherfucking minus!? Oh no fuck you! Redo REDO!" My rage went unanswered as I appeared in a new area.

This one started out in an enclosed brick room with a sign in the middle that just said 11/100. The room had nothing else in it beside two torches that lit it. Other than that it was just four brick walls, a dirt floor, and one brick roof.

"Ok what the fuck am I supposed to do here?"

"I suggest punching through the walls." Miyagi appeared behind me on a couch drinking a beer.

"Really? That easy? huh well shit." I walked forward and punched as hard as I could on the brick wall. A loud crunch resonated throughtout the room as my hand was crushed.

"SON OF A BITCH!" I immediately use body control to get rid of the pain. Gratefully that one fell into the Thief side of my powers. Then again thinking back on this I really wish I had it for the kitsune door.

I turned and glared hatefully at the short green bastard laughing his ass off while spilling beer.

"I can't believe you actually did it! I do it to every person who comes here but to this day only 2 have really taken the bait! I suspect that first girl warned the others and they too warned the rest. But still that was amazing!" He continued to laugh as I stared at him hatefully.

After about 5 minutes of continuous laughter he finally stopped but his grin never left his face. Eventually he told me that after the first ten and my first grade the Thief Training area specializes it self to the individual. It's always random. But one common room in all the trainings is this one. This part could have been my 50"s training or any other getting it first was just a matter of luck.

He then went on to explain that at the beginning of each floor from now on I have to touch the sign and I will know what to do. Doing so I learned that for the next 10 floors I will be tested on my sight and their various uses.

For the first one none of my sights proved useful, It was by dumb luck that I managed to pull on a torch and the next room showed itself. From that I figured that this floor tested my powers of observation. Gratefully my eyes are literally my one overpowered body part besides ma dick.

After that floor the next one had to be done entirely in soul sight. If I turned it off I wouldn't be able to advance. Like the rooms on the first one I had to observe the room, find a switch or button, and move on. Unlike the first room however if I turned my sight off I was standing in the depths of space looking out at countless stars with no wall or anything in sight. Each of my specific sights had floors like this. When I got farther in the floors they would randomly activate two of my sights and I'd have to see the slight differences between the two to move on. Like finding slight traces of aura coming out of a button while my thermal was lit up like a goddess damn flashbang explosion the whole time. Finally like the first ten I took a written test on all I learned and the uses of my sights. It took me a while to finish because me writing hand was still crushed! Because of this I knew my test score was going to be lower than it should be and my hatred of Miyagi grew. Suffice to say I barely passed these floors with a D- with a C+ in knowledge. That one there had my crying tears of blood.

Fun fact about this place self-healing is not allowed even in the angel one. Any injuries suffered last until you die on a floor. Also another fun fact when you die in this place you start over and I mean completely over! Until you make it to the 91st floor that is.

Case and point when I got to the 21st floor I found out that I had to disable traps or dodge them. The floor gave me tools and even a small beginners book to traps and sent me on my way. The very first trap I came to was the simple hallway of arrows. According to the book it's all a matter of looking and finding the right place to step.

Seeing that my training from the last floor would prove useful here I looked with my x-ray and saw a bunch of pressure plates and simply walked around them that is until I got to the middle and was shot in the shoulder by a poisoned arrow.

Unfortunately I didn't die there. No I fell forward and landed on a pressure plate that for some reason had a fuckin mine under it. Grabbing my tools I tried to reach under the plate and disarm it but with one hand crushed and one arm slowly going numb from poison I ended up activating the mine blowing myself to hell.

Upon waking I sat up and stared in wonder around me. In front of me was the same three doors that appeared the first time. Only the one angel was unlocked. The wonder came from the fact that the doors were the only same thing.

Gone was the endless white of the angel prison instead it filled with an endless black dotted with white lights. I was sitting on a giant, circular, crystal-like floor that had a gentle and calming mist floating off the edges like a mist waterfall. Up in the air slowly circling the platform were dozens of locked doors. Each one with a different name.

The only word to describe the place was beautiful.

"Like it? Mistress should you designed it after all." My good mood instantly soured upon hearing that voice.

I turned and frowned at Miyagi. "Where am I?"

"You are still in the training dimension from now on when you go to the angel prison you can chose to come here or there. This place is the true training area that Mistress created."

"I see it's amazing."

"Giving yourself compliments is a little narcissistic don't you think?"

I sighed and decided to ignore him. While the place may look cold it was actually quite comfortable and just laying back had me instantly relaxed. Just as I was about to pass out however the green bastard spoke up again.

"You might want to get moving Mistress. Afterall everytime you die is a complete restart."

My face blanked upon hearing that and I slowly turned my head towards him.

"Really?" I said in a whiny voice.

"Really." He still had that amused smile. The bastard.

After that I kept going back in and trying again and again and again. The floors started to get harder and harder as I went combining everything I have already done while still prioritizing a specific thing. The 30's were about using stealing objects, the 40's about stealth, 50's on parkour, 60's were actually all about learning. I would have to read a literal library on the first floor and then every floor from there was a test. At first the sign said to read ten specific books but I learned later that more was better.

The 70's wasn't so bad actually it was all about knife work. Do to all the training I had done with my family and the girls I manage to skate by the first time with only a few missing limbs. Which is saying something because besides the 60's I died multiple times on each set of ten. I have literally lost count the amount of total floors I have completed. Pretty sure I broke a thousand a long time ago but I was just too worn out to bother counting.

When I finally made it to the 80's a surprise was in store or me. I learned a few new skills.

On this set I had to both learn and Master my steal completely. This was also followed by a memory of Ice explaining how my family gets so powerful. Everytime I use steal on anything my power increases. Not by any noticeable amount sure but after a while it adds up. Not only that I have a chance to steal a persons power and very strength and make it my own!

This training was nothing like the 30's instead I had to fight an opponent and before finishing him I had to steal at the right moment to gain victory. Of course just straight up killing my opponent works too but doing so made it to where I could never make it to the 90's.

Once I hit 85 I came up to the sign and was told that now I learn the Reverse Steal. The sign then showed me how to do so. I was a little pissed at how easy it was.

The ability works only if I have used steal on the item. I can them teleport that item anywhere I want except inside a living being. I tried that once and died of an aneurysm. The ability unlike regular steal takes a lot out of me as it is. Somehow teleporting objects into a living being takes so much power and energy I die upon doing so.

From then on I trained specifically in that skill for all of floor 85 and up even in the 90's I used it constantly. The burden it placed on me was huge. I would slowly start getting pale and lethargic. My strength would take a nose dive. No matter what over using that ability would get me killed.

What didn't help matters was that at one point I felt Ciar pull on my powers and she didn't stop. I have idea what she was going up against but it felt like she was draining me for hours maybe even days. At that point I wanted to leave and see who the hell was fucking with my pup, but Miyagi told flat out leaving now would mean I would be banned from the training for quite a while and all the training I had done to this point including the knowledge would be stripped from me.

I grit my teeth and prayed my pup was alright. From the bond I could feel she was alive and pissed but nothing else. I told Miyagi that if my pup is hurt I would find a way to make him pay.

Once I made it to the school room on 91 I was told that from now on I can enter any set of ten I wanted to brush up on everything. I was also told I cannot procced until I had at least an B average in every set! That took an annoying amount of time. For some reason I felt the need to keep going until I got an A+ in everything just to spite the bullshit magical system.

It may be petty but still. The rewards for getting higher grades were actually hugely beneficial. Some gave me increased strength others longer usage of r.steal etc. Hell some even told me how to perfect certain sets.

Finally I was able to tackle 91 and bow did I die alot! The floors between 91-99 were all about escaping while fighting. The enemy I was escaping from was impossible for me to kill while the obstacles were all the same strength as me. Also the enemies I was running from ranged from a giant Spider to a I shit you not Motherfucking destroyer class Air Battleship that fired lasers big enough to annihilate a city block! I remembered that stupid ship fondly too as I had to break into during a space battle and steal the ships A.I. without getting caught and escape back on floor 34. It was bullshit. However after clearing the 60's I was able to easily do that mission without breaking a sweat thanks to all the information the library on 61 holds.

I was pumped when I finally got to 100 and then 12hrs and 10 trys later I said fuck it. I immediately went inside the angel door. The setup was almost the same as the thief one first ten were to get my standard but after that the next ten were entirely different.

On the 11th floor I had to learn to heal selectively while on a war zone making sure not to overuse my power and heal only those who needed it. On the 12th I was taught how to use my energy to attack in better ways by attacking targets. Even made my (Stolen) Turtle Devastation Wave better. I am sure the hermit would be proud of my improvement.

On the 13th floor I had to hold a shield up under constant fire until I made it to the end. On 14 I was taught how to heal mine and other souls. 15 was the opposite instead it showed me how to burn my soul to make my abilities skyrocket. 16 Taught me how to fly. It did this by dropping me off the side of a cliff until I took off. The sign for the floor even mocked me.

"What kind of Angel can't fly!? To resort to using a floor for this is just sad!"

17 taught me the runes of the seraph. While 18 taught me how to use them. Gratefully I am great at languages otherwise that might've taken a while.

19 was everything combined while flying. Those took a minute to do. Suffice to say I got damn good at flying.

20 was a pain in the ass sometimes literally. Some angel would appear his face blocked by and iron mask and start attacking. Why was this a pain? Simple he had a lance that looked scarily similar to my Longinus and I was only allowed to use holy energy to combat him. The second I tried to hit him with a punch I was sent back.

Eventually I managed to win by doing something incredibly simple I pulled out my bow with part of mine and Alita's soul! Once I managed that I was able to kick the bastards ass.

Miyagi just asked me what took me so long to figure it out. I glared at the bastard and entered the now unlocked kitsune door.

For this one the first 5 were my placement the next three my control over the elements and the 9th I had to fight.

What appeared was a shadow version of me with three tails. It goes without saying that he knew my every move and he was stronger than me. Because of that fight I may hold back on killing people with dark fire as that shit hurts like hell!

Everytime I would make to him I would trade blow after blow trying to come up with a solution on how to beat him. But no matter what I did I couldn't win. That is until I remembered I have a kitsune weapon as well. After pulling out my daggers my shadow clone tried to copy me but couldn't instead it used ice and shadow to make a set of daggers and stood opposite of me.

I had no intention of getting anywhere near the fucker. His strength speed and energy were all above mine so I wrapped one of the daggers around my arm letting it bite into my skin and started twirling the other end. Once my shadow started to move towards me I would whip the dagger out like a scorpion's tail and hit him repeatedly.

Soon my clone was filled with holes that oozed black blood and fell over.

The last floor was oddly ancient Japanese in design with the paper doors and odd tiled flooring. There was an altar set up with cups in front of it. floating above each cup was one of my elements in the middle of the Altar it said choose.

I had no idea what this meant but another clone of me appeared only this one had two tails like me. He sat crossed legged and brought up his hands. First he used lighting bringing up a large amount of energy. Then he put the energy inside him and his body started changing. He took one step forward and was in my face.

Next he did the same with darkness the room turned pitch black and a gesture from him thousands of spike closed in on me. In the next moment they were gone.

Lastly he did Ice. The room instantly froze over even I was frozen instantly. With a casual flick of his hand he was able to control the very air in front of turning it into whatever ice sculptor he wished. Then all that too vanished.

He turned to me and spoke. "You can only become one with one. Choose." Then he started to fade.

"Wait! I was told I could master all of my elements why is that I get to pick only one here!?"

"Your strength is not yet ready. You must take one path and follow it to the end. Only then can you choose another."

I sat down and debated for a long time on what to choose. All of my elements were resting at 55% no matter how many times I tried going back to their floors I couldn't increase them anymore and now I see why I have to pick the element I wish to progress from here on out.

I thought over everything. The obvious choice would be darkness. With his memories I would be able to master it much faster. However it was for that very reason that I didn't pick it. Then it hit me while I despise hard **** (the w word) It's most likely more beneficial for me to pick the one that should've been my priority the whole time.

I brought up my Ice powers to max on my hand and placed my hand on my chest. I felt the ice invade every part of me, slowly joining and fusing with everycell. By the time it finished I knew my ice powers jumped above the other two. I sent out a wave of my hand and a small blizzard froze a portion of the room.

Just a casual wave and I was able to use my ice powers to my pasts self best.

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After thinking it over and replaying the memories I still counldn't figure out how to get past the stupid dragon!

"Damn it Miyagi! Why was the answer to the other doors so simple and yet this one isn't!"

He stared me right in the eyes and his grin changed slightly as his eyes were saying "go on".

"Or is it?" His smile grew.

For a second I blanked and then it was like a bombshell went off inside my head. He told me the most important thing. Simple.

I rushed back into the thief door and into the dragons cave. The cave had one walkway the circled around until you made it to the dragon. However it was a wide open cavern with an enormous lava pit. Which is why I never though of my current plan.

This whole time I was trying to take the most obvious and difficult path when another was available to me. Scatter throughout the cavern were enormous rocks using steal and r.steal I made a bridge to the dragon being careful not to wake it. Then I silently walked up and grabbed its egg. The second the egg made it on my bridge I knew that the bitch would wake up. So this is where the rest of my plan comes into play. I charged over my bridge backward and the second the dragon open her eyes I used steal on the rocks in the lava I already past and placed them above her head to fall.

Doing this everytime she raised her head a rock would slam down. I easily made it back and finally finished The thief door.

I appeared back outside and this time all three doors were floating with the others in the space around me. Miyagi stood in the center of platform with his usual grin.

"So you ready for your reward?"