[2021] The Power Fantasy isn't being fullfilled

First some stats:

I'm currently level 38 with 8400 AP and 225% Crit damage as a Mage. I frequently craft elixirs of destruction 3 so I usually run at 250% crit damage.

My Defense is 13000+ and I'm currently at around 30% PvP defense. I run Roisas so I have some Penetration on my build.

I probably have 1000s of hours into this game already.

And I don't feel powerful. Between the open world scaling, the Abby Dungeons I have to bullet sponge through to advance any further,, and the hyper thick builds we're all mostly running in Red Basin .... I'm really starting to wonder: When does my character ever get to feel powerful?