Chapter 489
A new power filled Taesan’s body.
He quietly gathered that strength. It resisted fiercely, as though it refused to become his, but the [Soul Rank Ascension] remained steady, seizing and assimilating the Worthless One’s authority without faltering.
“Whew.”
Taesan exhaled slowly.
At the same time, the rank he had attained in that elevated realm began to fall. The effect of [Absolute Resistance] ended, and the backlash crashed down upon him.
“—!”
His entire body creaked. His mind reached its limit in an instant, and his body collapsed.
Taesan swiftly spread his [Divinity].
The golden light quickly restored his shattered mind and broken body.
“That was close.”
Had he reacted a moment later, it would’ve been dangerous.
Even with his strengthened essence, the backlash was tremendous. He’d need several days of rest to recover fully.
‘This isn’t a power I can use lightly.’
But he had won.
Essential landed beside him with a broad grin.
“You really erased it from existence.”
The Worthless One, which had endlessly tormented Ouroboros, was gone.
Not even a speck of dust remained in this universe.
The death of a god.
Even if it was only a fragment, the fact didn’t change.
Even Essential, who had lived for countless eons, had never witnessed such a thing.
He muttered in satisfaction,
“I knew you might be able to win, but I didn’t expect it to be this easy.”
“Neither did I.”
It was, after all, only a small fragment of the Worthless One—just a portion of the god’s essence.
Essential’s heavy suppression had also prevented the fragment from focusing its full power on Taesan.
That alone had made victory possible.
Still, a god was a god.
He had expected the battle to be much harder, but he had won more easily than imagined.
And he knew the reason.
‘[Absolute Resistance].’
It elevated his rank to match the opponent’s.
For a brief time, Taesan had stood on equal footing with the Worthless One.
Its effect was extraordinary—but fleeting.
Originally, it would have been a trump card to use only once.
Yet its duration had greatly extended, and the backlash had lessened.
Part of that was thanks to Essential’s authority, [One’s Essence]—but that wasn’t all.
‘That thing inside me…’
The unidentified being that Amelia and Haphran had seen—
Taesan had finally seen it himself.
“You seem deep in thought.”
Essential chuckled.
“Well, for now, you can afford to celebrate. You’re the victor. The loser was a god.”
“…Understood.”
Essential was right. For now, it was fine to enjoy the victory.
Taesan lifted his gaze.
Kugugugugung—!
The world, the very space, was twisting.
With the foreign element removed, Ouroboros creaked as it began to move again.
“Now then… this is where it really begins.”
Essential’s expression turned unreadable as he unleashed his power.
His essence spread outward, stabilizing time and space.
Before Taesan’s eyes, the true form of Ouroboros appeared.
‘…It’s small.’
It was much smaller than Taesan had imagined.
Roughly the size of an ordinary snake from Earth, with dull, lightless scales.
Ouroboros stirred.
As if regaining consciousness, it turned its head toward its surroundings—then fixed its gaze on Taesan and Essential.
“—”
For the first time, tension flickered across Essential’s face, which had remained calm even against the Worthless One.
Ouroboros—the Serpent of Eternity.
It was one of the greatest concepts that governed existence.
If it deemed them impurities and turned hostile, even Essential would have to wager his life.
But Ouroboros slowly approached without malice.
Essential, who had been wary, blinked in surprise.
“Hmm?”
Ouroboros stopped before Taesan.
Its small, unblinking eyes stared up at him.
It seemed to be waiting for something.
Taesan extended his hand.
The serpent brushed against his hand, its smooth scales gliding softly across his palm.
A strange sensation lingered—something remained in his grasp.
Then Ouroboros floated upward, coiling itself in silence.
The overwhelming influence that had engulfed the universe began to recede.
Kugugugugung—!
Time across the broken world began to rewind, returning to its original state.
Taesan saw it clearly—
The shattered planets and ruined cosmos, all the beings within them—
Everything was being restored, turning back countless ages to before Ouroboros had consumed them.
The universe was returning to the moment before its collapse.
Essential let out a low breath.
“A magnificent sight.”
At last, the reversal ended.
The power of Ouroboros that had swallowed the universe vanished completely.
The small serpent before them shimmered—then disappeared.
“It returned everything before departing. Seems it can’t speak, but it does have some degree of intellect.”
“Looks that way.”
Taesan looked down at his hand.
There, a single dull scale rested in his palm.
[You have obtained [Scale of Ouroboros].]
“A token of gratitude for removing the impurity, perhaps. You did all the work, yet it gave you something and not me.”
Essential muttered, though amusement rather than irritation crossed his face.
“We’re out.”
He looked around with satisfaction.
After an eternity trapped within Ouroboros, the transcendent had finally returned to the universe.
“Once again, I owe you my thanks, Taesan. Because of you, I’ve been freed.”
“No need. I gained plenty as well.”
Even the struggle to reach his own essence had been worth it.
On top of that, he had acquired a god’s authority and Ouroboros’s scale.
That alone was enough as a quest reward.
Essential laughed heartily.
“Then I’m glad. But I still owe you one more thing, don’t I?”
The contemplation of one’s own essence.
He had promised it.
But his face turned uncertain.
“For that, I’d need my altar and sanctuary… I honestly don’t know if they still exist—or if any mortals still worship me. My apostles seem to be long gone too.”
He had been trapped within Ouroboros for too long.
Even an immortal would eventually be forgotten, and so Essential likely had been erased from memory outside.
“There’s a lot I’ll need to handle first. It’ll take some time.”
“Understood.”
Taesan nodded without complaint.
He hadn’t expected it to happen right away.
A delay was within reason.
“As an apology for that, take this.”
Essential tapped Taesan’s forehead.
A faint fragment of light nestled within him.
[You have obtained [Self].]
“What is this?”
It didn’t feel like authority.
Taesan sensed nothing from what now resided within him.
“That’s something you’ll build upon yourself—a vessel to contain who you are. It means nothing now… but someday, it’ll become quite valuable.”
Essential gave him a knowing smile.
Taesan frowned slightly.
“What did you see in me?”
He had noticed.
He hadn’t realized it himself, but Essential had seen something within him.
Essential merely smiled quietly.
“That’s something to look forward to later. It’s not something you should know yet.”
“Don’t take it badly. It’s for your sake, too.”
He chuckled and stomped his foot.
Space distorted, revealing the world beyond.
“You called it the Labyrinth, right? I’ll have to investigate that next. Farewell for now, Twisted One! I’ll find you again!”
With that, Essential leapt into the void.
Taesan was alone in the vast universe.
After watching the spot where Essential had vanished, he, too, opened a rift in space and stepped through.
“You did well.”
The Magician’s calm voice echoed.
—
[Quest Cleared.]
[Your Level has increased.]
[Your Level has increased.]
[Your Level has increased.]
[Your Level has increased.]
[Your Level has increased.]
[You have obtained [Flute of Return].]
[You have obtained [???].]
System notifications filled his vision.
Through them, he saw the Magician’s impressed expression.
“I didn’t think you’d handle it this perfectly.”
Taesan had exceeded the Magician’s expectations.
The Ouroboros that once consumed the cosmos no longer existed.
It had returned to fulfilling its original purpose.
“Now tell me—what exactly happened in there?”
Curiosity gleamed in the Magician’s eyes.
Taesan slowly explained.
What had occurred inside Ouroboros, why it had broken, and who had been trapped within.
“A god, huh.”
The Magician murmured as though unsurprised.
“I figured as much. Only those beings could damage Ouroboros.
The Worthless One infiltrating it—no wonder it was dangerous. And Essential… it’s been a long time since I’ve heard that name.”
“You know him?”
“He was a fellow transcendent I once fought beside, of course I do.”
The Magician spoke casually.
“Since his concept still exists, he clearly wasn’t killed by a god, but I hadn’t seen him in ages. Turns out he was trapped inside Ouroboros all this time. I’ll have to visit him eventually.”
“He didn’t seem to recognize you.”
“Well, I’ve changed a lot since then. I’m the Master of the Labyrinth now.”
The Magician hummed lightly.
“So the conclusion is—you destroyed the Worthless One’s fragment and restored Ouroboros to its original state. Excellent. Truly magnificent.”
He was thoroughly pleased, his gaze toward Taesan filled with genuine approval.
“Well done. To think you handled it alone… I’ll have to give you an even greater reward.”
The Labyrinth’s system dictated that adventurers receive rewards equal to their deeds.
And Taesan had accomplished something even transcendents could not.
The compensation had to be immense.
Taesan spoke calmly,
“Can I choose it myself?”
“Tell me what you want. I can grant almost anything within reason.”
“In that case…”
Taesan opened his palm.
The Magician’s smile froze.
In his hand rested a dull, shimmering scale.
The Magician’s expression hardened.
“…Wait.”
[Scale of Ouroboros]
[The scale of the god who governs all cycles. It contains divine power.]
Taesan had obtained it directly from Ouroboros.
Unlike a Divine Stone, it held no specific ability in its current form—
meaning it was a raw material waiting to be shaped.
“If it’s you, can you forge what I desire from this?”