Ascension Through Skills

Chapter 485: 91st Floor: Ouroboros (6)

The only path was forward—deeper into Ouroboros, into its very abyss.

While teleportation normally had a range limited to atmospheric boundaries, the fusion with Boundary Line allowed Taesan to travel far beyond. He left the planet far behind, moving toward the depths.

But Ouroboros had consumed the entire cosmos.

No matter how many times Taesan teleported, the destination always felt impossibly far.

[You have activated Teleport [Chaos].]

He continued leaping through space, traveling deeper and deeper.

As he progressed, countless planets came into view.

On each of these planets, he sensed the presence of millions of lives.

Ouroboros had not consumed a single world; dozens of planets, teeming with life, had been swallowed and fused into its essence.

Taesan passed these planets without stopping. While he could theoretically free them with Boundary Line, the cost of doing so for so many would be astronomical.

He focused on the root of the problem. Once Ouroboros’s corruption was removed, these worlds would naturally be liberated.

[You have activated Spell Stacking.]

[You have activated Teleport [Chaos].]

He layered the chaotic teleportations, amplifying their effect, and surged forward.

His body leapt through space, diving ever deeper.

After countless leaps, Taesan realized something had changed.

Up until now, the influence of Ouroboros had been faint, limited to the forced rewinding of time.

But here, just existing in this space caused the time within his body to distort chaotically.

Taesan cloaked himself in the Corruption Aura. The creeping influence of Ouroboros was blocked by the swirling gray energy.

“We’re getting close,” he murmured.

As he moved toward the core, the serpent’s power intensified. He was certain he was heading in the right direction.

Taesan activated teleportation once more, pushing further into the depths.

The deeper he went, the stronger the presence of Ouroboros became. Even with the protection of the Corruption Aura, he could feel the immense weight of its power pressing down on him.

‘There’s no trace of life left.’

Occasionally, he saw forms that appeared to have once been alive—some resembling immortals.

These were likely the beings the first immortal had spoken of, those who had ventured deeper in search of Ouroboros.

But all of them had long since been consumed, their essence transformed into something no longer recognizable as life.

Taesan pressed onward, teleporting through the twisted space for days without rest.

Finally, he reached the deepest point.

“Hmm.”

A low hum escaped his lips as the Corruption Aura around him writhed and strained, screaming under the pressure.

Here, even the Corruption Aura was insufficient to shield him.

He switched to Boundary Line, cloaking his entire being in its power, and surveyed his surroundings.

[What the hell is this place?]

Bardray’s voice echoed, incredulous.

Space and time were chaotically distorted, creating a scene that resembled a vivid hallucination.

[This doesn’t seem like a place to linger.]

“I’ll leave once I’ve achieved my objective.”

To do that, he needed to locate Ouroboros.

Taesan began moving cautiously, shielded by his power.

But the serpent didn’t reveal itself. The chaotic space and time interfered with his senses, obscuring his perception.

He realized he needed to clear the interference first.

[You have activated Great Collapse [Chaos].]

An eruption of chaotic energy surged outward, forcefully dispersing the distortions in space and time like mist blown away by a gale.

His vision cleared.

But there was no sign of Ouroboros.

Instead, he saw something else.

“What is that?”

It was a mass of intangible energy.

It clung to the distorted space and time like barnacles, twisting them further and nullifying the meaning and value within.

Taesan recognized the energy immediately—it carried the unmistakable aura of the Old Gods.

‘So the reason Ouroboros is broken is because of the Old Gods.’

It was unsurprising. Even the Wizard had speculated as much. If something had interfered with Ouroboros, it could only be an Old God.

“May I ask your name, O Great One?”

Taesan asked quietly.

The old man’s presence was overwhelming, far beyond anything Taesan had encountered. He belonged to the highest echelon of Transcendents—comparable to the likes of Rakhiratas, Maria, and the Wizard.

The man answered.

“I am the God of Essence. Essentia.”

***

The concept of essence governed by the transcendent before him made it clear to Taesan—this old man was the "Great One" the immortal had spoken of.

Essentia’s sharp, discerning gaze lingered on Taesan for a moment.

“...You’ve reached the realm of transcendence, yet you’re twisted. I can’t read you properly.”

He studied Taesan curiously before speaking again.

“You came here to resolve Ouroboros, didn’t you?”

Taesan nodded silently, and Essentia stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“I don’t know the details, but those things wouldn’t bestow their blessings on someone they couldn’t trust. I suppose that’s enough for me.”

Essentia let out a hearty laugh, clapping Taesan on the back with surprising force.

“Apologies for attacking you earlier! Thought you were one of their lackeys. I’d offer you a reward for the trouble, but in this cursed place, I don’t have much to give.”

“I’m fine, but... by lackeys, do you mean the Old Gods’ minions?”

“They show up here occasionally, causing trouble. I’ve crushed every last one of them, but they never seem to learn.”

Essentia’s tone was dismissive, as though the minions were no more than flies. For someone to infiltrate this deep into Ouroboros, they would have to be at least immortal or stronger. Yet to Essentia, they were barely worth noticing—a testament to his overwhelming power.

“Well, if you’re here to fix things, I suppose that makes us allies. Two heads are better than one, eh?”

Essentia grinned widely, his demeanor light despite the situation.

“Any change in this wretched cycle is a welcome one.”

“May I ask a few questions?” Taesan inquired.

“Go ahead. I’ll answer whatever I can.”

“How long have you been here?”

“Hm.”

Essentia stroked his chin again, his gaze distant as he contemplated.

“I couldn’t tell you exactly. I came here shortly after the Old Gods were driven out of the world. That was an eternity ago, so let’s just say it’s been a very, very long time.”

It matched what Taesan had heard from the Wizard. Essentia’s expression darkened as he continued.

“We defeated them, that’s certain. But those bastards had already scattered their remnants across the world before their downfall. Ouroboros twisting like this? That’s one of their legacies.”

“So, it was the Old Gods after all.”

“Ouroboros wasn’t supposed to move for a long time yet. But the Old Gods intervened directly, breaking it. That’s why I got caught up in this mess and ended up trapped here. Damned nuisances, they are.”

“Do you know which Old God was responsible?”

“Oh, I know.”

Essentia’s expression hardened.

“It was the Worthless One. That bastard.”

The Worthless One. Taesan recognized the name from the Old Gods’ outpost. He muttered under his breath.

“It wasn’t the Usurper, then.”

“The Usurper? You know about him? You must be favored by the gods to know such things.”

Essentia’s tone shifted, tinged with surprise, and Taesan couldn’t hide his own shock at the response.

“You’re familiar with the Usurper?”

“Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Essentia glanced at the ring on Taesan’s hand.

“Now that I look closer, that ring of yours has ties to him. What a rotten bastard.”

[What?]

Akasha’s voice rang out, filled with confusion.

Essentia turned and began walking away.

“Come along. Let’s take our time and talk this through.”

“That seems wise.”

Taesan’s eyes gleamed with focus.

Neither the Wizard nor the Demon Lords had any knowledge of the Usurper. It wasn’t that they had forgotten; the Usurper’s power had erased any trace of him from their memories. Taesan had assumed he would never uncover information about the Usurper.

Yet, this transcendent before him remembered.

‘Is it because he’s inside Ouroboros?’

Taesan couldn’t determine the exact reason, but this was a rare opportunity. Unexpectedly, he had found a source of critical information.