Ascension Through Skills

Chapter 484: 91st Floor: Ouroboros (5)

‘This is fascinating.’

Time itself within the world was reversing.

It wasn’t simply a phenomenon—it was a massive law at work. Even Taesan, without the power of Boundary Line, would have been swept along with it, unable to resist.

He turned to the immortal.

The man’s body was being pulled backward through time.

His face twisted in agony as if attempting to resist the process, but that was the extent of his struggle. Unable to stop the reversal, he could only suffer through it.

Finally, the process came to an end.

“Gah...”

The immortal let out a strained breath as he exhaled deeply.

Taesan shifted his gaze back to the square outside.

It was spotless, as if freshly cleaned, devoid of any sign of chaos.

But the people were not the same. The moment time resumed its normal flow, their faces distorted once more. Laughter filled with madness erupted, and their deranged behavior resumed.

‘Endlessly reversing time.’

“We are trapped here.”

The immortal spoke, his face now wearier than before.

“You have only just arrived and remain unbound by this place. But the longer you stay, the more this twisted world will ensnare you. I implore you to escape while you still can.”

Taesan had no intention of leaving.

He asked the immortal, “How long has this world been like this?”

The immortal remained silent.

Closing his eyes, he exhaled softly. His expression reflected a void of emptiness, as though everything had been stripped away.

Taesan observed him for a moment before stepping closer.

Though the immortal’s spirit was completely broken, his body was in perfect condition—untainted by any physical decay. Standing before the man, Taesan spoke again.

“I can grant your wish.”

The immortal’s eyes opened slightly, his gaze trembling.

“I can kill you.”

Taesan raised his sword.

Fwoosh.

A gray energy manifested in the air, shimmering faintly as it spread outward. The immortal’s pupils widened in astonishment.

“...What?”

“I’ve used this before. Were you too far gone to notice it earlier?”

The immortal stared at the manifestation of Boundary Line as if entranced.

“Is that... the power of an Old God? No... it’s not from this world either. Then what is it...?”

“It’s hard to explain in detail, but you already sense it, don’t you? You know what this can do.”

The power of Boundary Line enabled the alteration and interference of laws.

With it, Taesan could sever the immortal from Ouroboros’s fusion and bring an end to his existence.

Desperation suddenly overtook the immortal’s face. He staggered to his feet from the throne, then collapsed before Taesan, grabbing at his pants.

“P-please, I beg you. O great being, I implore you. Please, end my suffering... Show mercy...”

He pressed his forehead to the ground, groveling.

This was no ordinary man. He was the great immortal who once ruled over this world. Surely, he had been revered by countless people, overcoming immeasurable trials to attain his place of power.

And yet, here he was, reduced to a desperate child, pleading for Taesan’s mercy.

“If this is what you truly wish for, I’ll grant it. But there’s a condition.”

“What... what is it...?”

“Information about this world.”

Taesan’s voice was calm yet firm.

“Everything you know about this place.”

“If that’s all... You will truly end my life?”

“Yes.”

"I don’t remember his name... but he was a figure of great power. It wouldn’t be strange for him to know such things. We followed his guidance and began moving deeper."

The outcome didn’t need to be asked. The immortal spoke, his expression hardened.

"As we went deeper, everything became more distorted. The place we reached was... an abyss. I gave up and turned back, but those who continued never returned."

"Got it."

"That’s everything I know."

The immortal looked up at Taesan, his gaze filled with desperation.

"Now... will you end my life?"

"One more thing. You mentioned seeing a woman. What did you mean by that?"

"Ah..."

The immortal hesitated, struggling to dredge up the memory.

"I don’t remember clearly, but... a woman visited this place once. She seemed very frightened and restless, but... I can’t recall much else."

"Was she slender, with black hair and black eyes?"

"Perhaps... I think so."

Lee Taeyeon. Taesan’s eyes narrowed.

This had occurred before the current cycle. Yet, the immortal remembered her.

It confirmed that time within this place operated differently from the outside world.

"Alright."

Taesan nodded. For the first time, the immortal’s face brightened with relief.

"I’ll grant your wish now."

"Ah... thank you..."

Taesan raised Bardray. Gray energy surged, covering the blade.

"Any last words?"

"I... am their king."

The immortal gazed out the window at the countless mortals driven mad by the endless cycle.

"I am the ruler of this world. I should lead them. But I am so tired. I want to rest."

"I see."

Pierce.

The blade pierced the immortal’s chest.

His face reflected pure relief, as if he could finally rest.

The Boundary Line eradicated Ouroboros’s corruption from his being, leading him to true death.

The power contained within the immortal dispersed, splitting between Akasha and Bardray.

[This... feels strange.]

Bardray murmured, his tone uncertain.

In life, Bardray had never reached the level of immortality. To him, immortality had been a lofty, unreachable state.

Now, he had witnessed someone of that level beg for death.

Taesan sheathed his sword, processing the information he had gathered.

‘Ouroboros’s true body.’

The Ouroboros that devoured the universe was merely its power. Its true form resided deep within.

‘The deeper I go, the more twisted it becomes.’

Unlike the outer areas, where only time rewound, the deeper layers would host far more alien phenomena. Even immortals couldn’t endure it.

‘And the Transcendent.’

A being of extraordinary caliber, possibly governing concepts themselves, was here.

Given the immense time that had passed, it was possible they had perished. But such an entity might have survived.

Taesan solidified his objectives: to locate Ouroboros’s true body and uncover the fate of the Transcendent.

He gathered his mana, a mix of divine and corrupted energy swirling together.

[You have activated Teleport [Chaos].]

Taesan’s body shifted, moving deeper into the heart of Ouroboros.