Chapter 482
Ouroboros. It wasn’t an unfamiliar name. It was a name deeply etched into his mind, impossible to forget.
The magician smiled faintly.
“Well, you know it too, don’t you?”
“How could I not?”
Taesan opened his inventory.
In his hand rested a dark, blackish stone.
[Stomach Stone Spat Out by Ouroboros]
[A divine stone of the god who governs all cycles of existence.]
[Can turn back the time of one person, once.]
[Used.]
It was the item that could be called the beginning of everything. Thanks to this stone, he had been able to turn back time and make the right choice.
The magician tilted his head curiously as he looked at the stone.
“Lee Taeyeon… Honestly, I have no idea. How did she even get that?”
The gods remembered the time that had been reversed.
Lee Taeyeon was the adventurer who had cleared the labyrinth. There was no way the magician didn’t know about her. That was why he couldn’t hide his amazement toward her.
“No adventurer or god before her ever achieved anything meaningful in Ouroboros’s realm.”
“You mean, you don’t even know what she did?”
“I can’t see what happened inside that place. It’s a distorted and twisted space, one swallowed by the serpent. She never said anything about it either—perhaps because she couldn’t.”
There was admiration in the magician’s eyes.
“She was truly remarkable. Not the kind of person suited for the labyrinth’s purpose, but that, too, is a form of talent. Maria must have had her reasons for choosing her.”
Taesan didn’t disagree. She deserved praise.
“So what exactly is that place?”
What was Ouroboros?
What did it mean for a world to be devoured?
The magician began to explain.
“Ouroboros. The serpent that governs all cycles. A being that influences the entire universe.”
“Is it a god?”
“You could call it that… but it’s a little ambiguous.”
The magician trailed off.
“It’s not like the other transcendents—those who began as mortals and climbed to godhood. Ouroboros was born as it is, a being that embodies the concept of cycles itself.”
“Then it’s similar to Dersha.”
The God of Death—Dersha. She, too, had existed since the dawn of creation, overseeing the concept of death itself. The description matched.
But the magician shook his head.
“It’s a bit different. Dersha is a transcendent… but Ouroboros cannot really be called one. If anything, it’s more like a mechanism.”
“A mechanism?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. After an eternity passes, when existence reaches its end—Ouroboros awakens from its slumber.”
Even for the transcendent magician, it was a span of time beyond imagination. His tone became almost mythic as he continued.
“And it devours all that has stopped, beginning a new cycle. That is the role given to Ouroboros since the creation of the universe.”
“From that explanation, it sounds like it shouldn’t be doing anything right now.”
“Normally, yes. It should stay dormant, unconcerned with whatever happens in the universe. But…”
The magician’s expression grew uncertain.
“Something went wrong. The end of everything is still far away, yet it suddenly woke up.”
It had begun moving far earlier than it should have. That meant the mechanism was broken.
“When it woke, Ouroboros devoured parts of the world. Not only mortals, but even immortals—and some transcendents—were swallowed whole. None of them ever returned.”
“Even transcendents can’t escape it?”
“Ouroboros is a primordial mechanism. Even transcendents find it difficult to interfere.”
Transcendents governed laws and concepts—the very principles of existence.
But Ouroboros was those very laws and concepts.
It was close to the origin of their power itself. Even transcendents could not easily touch it.
“We don’t know what’s happening inside. That’s why we’re giving you this quest.”
The magician’s tone grew solemn.
“Go to the world swallowed by Ouroboros. Find out why it awakened—and what happened to those within.”
That was the quest of the 91st floor.
After a moment of thought, Taesan asked the question that came to mind.
“You gave Lee Taeyeon a similar quest, didn’t you?”
“That’s right. Her quest was a simple reconnaissance. I don’t know how she managed to acquire that stomach stone, though.”
“You sent her into a place even you can’t reach?”
Even transcendents couldn’t interfere. It was clearly an extremely dangerous place. Sending Lee Taeyeon there alone was hard to understand.
“It’s complicated to explain, but it’s probably not what you’re thinking. Simply put, we’re too vast. And she was… very small. Precisely because of that, she could enter Ouroboros.”
“…I see.”
He could understand the concept. Transcendents possessed enormous rank and power, and if they entered Ouroboros, they would be bound tightly by its mechanism-like nature.
But Lee Taeyeon was a mortal. From the perspective of transcendent beings, she was fragile and small. Because of that, she was less affected by Ouroboros’s influence—it made sense.
“I was directly connected to her in case something went wrong, so there was no real danger. You, however, won’t even need that connection.”
Taesan possessed the [Boundary Line]—the power that distorted, denied, and twisted the world’s laws. That power would let him completely resist Ouroboros’s influence.
“Still, Ouroboros has been nearly dormant for ages. I won’t deny the risk—it’s impossible to know what’s happening inside.”
Lee Taeyeon had never been able to describe what she saw there.
It wasn’t because she was hiding something, but because it was literally indescribable. The magician had respected that and refrained from pushing further.
“If you want, you can refuse. It’ll take some time, but we can prepare another path.”
“No.”
Taesan shook his head.
“I won’t refuse.”
Why would he? It was an incredible opportunity. He rolled the stone in his hand.
“I accept.”
[Quest Accepted.]
The magician smiled.
“When you’re ready, tell me. I’ll send you close to it.”
Taesan nodded and opened the community tab.
It was lively.
People across the world were chatting, sharing information, and exchanging stories. Some were even whispering words of love.
The atmosphere was bright—unlike anything he’d seen in his previous life. Each line of text carried hope.
And that hope existed because of him—Kang Taesan.
After scrolling through some messages, Taesan opened the chat window.
[Kang Taesan [Solo]]: How’s everything going?
[Lee Taeyeon [Solo]]: Oh. What’s this?
[Amelia Aerin [Solo]]: You actually started the conversation first. What’s up?
[Kang Junhyuk [Solo]]: Huh, hyung? Long time no see.
Messages flooded in immediately, so fast that Taesan chuckled. They must have been watching the chat constantly.
[Kang Taesan [Solo]]: Been hanging out in the community?
[Lee Taeyeon [Solo]]: Something like that.
[Kang Junhyuk [Solo]]: You know how it is, hyung. It gets lonely here. Gotta blow off steam somehow.
He wasn’t wrong.
Solo Mode meant being truly alone. Finding reliable allies was nearly impossible, so the community became their only solace.
Knowing that, Taesan didn’t press further and got straight to the point.
[Kang Taesan [Solo]]: How far down is everyone now?
Each of them replied with their current progress.
Kang Junhyuk was in the mid-60s. Amelia had cleared the 72nd floor.
[Amelia Aerin [Solo]]: The deeper layers are definitely harder, but maybe because of our contract, it’s not as bad as I expected.
Amelia had formed an Apostle’s Contract with Taesan, granting her access to Apostolic power. More importantly, she had discovered her own strengths.
Now, she had the potential to rival Lee Taeyeon. It wasn’t surprising that she was progressing smoothly through the deeper layers.
[Kang Junhyuk [Solo]]: That’s amazing… I’m dying here.
[Kang Taesan [Solo]]: Mid-60s, huh? That’s good progress. Take it slow and don’t make mistakes. I’ll have something for you when we meet again.
With his current power, Taesan could bestow Apostle contracts on others too. Kang Junhyuk would be next.
[Kang Junhyuk [Solo]]: Ugh, I’ll do my best. Thanks, hyung.
[Kang Taesan [Solo]]: What about you, Lee Taeyeon?
[Lee Taeyeon [Solo]]: Me? I’m on the 78th floor.
[Amelia Aerin [Solo]]: That’s insane speed.
Amelia grumbled. She was giving her all, yet Lee Taeyeon was far ahead.
‘The 78th floor… the Library of All Things, huh.’
That floor wouldn’t pose a problem for Lee Taeyeon. She would already know the locations of the books even the librarian Jorge couldn’t read.
Even if their talents were similar, experience gave her an undeniable advantage. Having cleared it once before, she would naturally be faster.
After checking their progress, Taesan discussed what lay ahead—what they were encountering, what might appear in upcoming floors, and the conditions for acquiring new skills. They listened earnestly.
The conversation went on for hours. By the time they wrapped up, two hours had passed.
[Kang Taesan [Solo]]: That should be enough for now.
[Amelia Aerin [Solo]]: Got it. Thanks.
[Kang Junhyuk [Solo]]: Always grateful, hyung.
The two of them logged out to continue descending the labyrinth.
Taesan stopped Lee Taeyeon before she could leave.
[Kang Taesan [Solo]]: Stay a moment. There’s something I need to talk to you about.
[Lee Taeyeon [Solo]]: Ah, okay. What is it?
[Kang Taesan [Solo]]: I’ve reached the 91st floor.
[Lee Taeyeon [Solo]]: …Ah.]
Her next message came as if she’d realized something.
[Lee Taeyeon [Solo]]: Ouroboros?
[Kang Taesan [Solo]]: Yeah.
[Lee Taeyeon [Solo]]: The quest didn’t change? No, I guess that one wouldn’t.
[Kang Taesan [Solo]]: What’s in there?
[Lee Taeyeon [Solo]]: I can’t say.]
Her reply was firm and unshakable.
[Lee Taeyeon [Solo]]: It’s just… that kind of concept. You might be different, though. You handle an independent power. I don’t.]
She meant she literally couldn’t describe what had happened there.
Taesan thought for a moment, then nodded.
[Kang Taesan [Solo]]: That’s enough. I understand.
[Lee Taeyeon [Solo]]: Sorry I can’t help. But does this mean I’ll get the Ouroboros quest again? Ugh, I really don’t want that…
[Kang Taesan [Solo]]: The magician will handle it.]
After chatting a little longer, Taesan closed the window.
The magician had been watching him with a gentle smile.
“They seem well.”
“You were watching everything?”
“No, I’m not that rude. But I can guess what you were talking about.”
“Fine.”
Taesan closed his eyes and focused, restoring his consumed energy.
A day passed.
When both his divinity and Magi had fully recovered, Taesan opened his eyes.
The magician’s clone stood silently, waiting.
“I’m ready,” Taesan said. “Send me to where Ouroboros is.”