Ascension Through Skills-Chapter 490: 92nd Floor. Faith (1)

“...What is that?”

“The Scale of Ouroboros,” Taesan replied calmly.

The Wizard shook his head.

“No, I get that. The system already told me.”

The Wizard stared at the scale with a mixture of astonishment and confusion.

“...May I examine it?”

Taesan handed over the scale without hesitation. Holding the dull scale in his palm, the Wizard let out a low groan.

“How did you even get this?”

“Ouroboros gave it to me.”

“Ouroboros? That... doesn’t make sense.”

The Wizard laughed dryly, shaking his head in disbelief. He fiddled with the scale, his expression both intrigued and uneasy.

“...The Scale of Cycles. I didn’t think such a concept could even exist in this universe.”

“Is it different from the Chronostone?”

“Very different. The Chronostone only rewinds an individual’s timeline. That’s all it could do. It wasn’t something we could modify or use in other ways. But this... this contains the essence of cycles itself.”

The Wizard stared at the scale as though entranced.

“If Ouroboros really did intervene, then we might be able to work with it. Though even so, only a handful of Transcendents, myself included, could manage it. You want me to use this to create something you desire?”

“Yes. Can you do it?”

“That depends on what you want. Tell me.”

Taesan explained his request in detail. The Wizard’s expression twisted in a peculiar way as he listened.

“I can see what you’re aiming for... but I’m not sure if it’s possible.”

The Wizard hesitated for a moment, then gripped the scale firmly, as though reaching a decision.

“I’ll give it a try. It might end up deviating a lot from what you’re hoping for.”

“That’s fine.”

Taesan hadn’t expected perfection. The material was beyond his understanding and ability to handle—likely the same for Haphran or Kosrun.

Only the most powerful beings in the universe could work with it. Entrusting it to the Wizard was the best option.

“I’ll need help from other Transcendents,” the Wizard admitted, his face lighting up with the enthusiasm of a scholar about to undertake an extraordinary experiment.

“This will be fascinating. I never imagined I’d get to handle Ouroboros’s power directly. But Taesan, could you lend me your used Chronostone?”

“It’s depleted. It has no power left, doesn’t it?”

“At the very least, I can analyze its flow. Oh, and one more thing.”

The Wizard extended his hand toward Taesan.

“The Flute of Return. I know it’s part of your reward, and I hate to ask, but I think it’ll be necessary.”

“Fine,” Taesan agreed without hesitation.

Losing a reward was unfortunate, but if it meant gaining something even greater in return, it was well worth the trade. He handed over both the Chronostone and the flute.

The Wizard raised an eyebrow, smiling strangely.

“You’re giving these up so willingly? These materials are incredibly valuable, even to us.”

The Wizard’s group could potentially keep the scale for their own purposes.

But Taesan’s response was calm.

“I don’t think you’d be foolish enough to do that.”

The scale’s value was undeniable. It was a rarity in the universe.

But Taesan’s value was even greater.

It was an arrogant statement, but the Wizard didn’t refute it. Instead, he laughed heartily.

“You’re absolutely right. The scale is remarkable, but it’s not on your level.”

The Wizard clenched the scale tightly.

“There’ll be plenty of interested parties, so I’ll need to track them down. See you later.”

With those words, the Wizard departed the labyrinth, moving at an almost impatient speed.

Left alone, Taesan leaned against a wall.

He knew it wouldn’t be completed overnight. There was even a chance of failure. Transcendents were powerful, but not omnipotent.

But if it succeeded...

He might regain something he had once lost.

“For now, I’ll wait patiently,” he thought.

All he could do was continue to grow stronger until the Wizard returned with results.

Taesan began to carefully assess his physical condition, preparing for the challenges ahead.

***

Taesan's condition could hardly be described as good.

Even though leveling up fully restored his body and mana, the backlash from Absolute Resistance remained unresolved.

[It’s the first time I’ve seen something that even leveling up can’t fix.]

The labyrinth's system couldn’t heal it. Recovery would have to come naturally, over time.

He estimated it would take about a week of rest to return to his peak condition.

In the meantime, there was plenty to do—starting with understanding the new powers he had gained.

[You have activated ???.]

[You have obtained the Wizard’s Ring.]

[Wizard’s Ring]

[Magic +100]

[Health +2000]

[Mana +1000]

[Attack +1500]

[Defense +300]

[The ring once wielded by the Wizard before he became a wizard. It holds a fragment of its original essence, which is now irretrievable.]

“Well, this is something,” Taesan muttered with a wry laugh.

An attack stat of +1500. The magic boost was also considerable.

For a single ring, the attributes were absurdly high.

This was the 91st floor—the depths of the labyrinth. The rewards clearly reflected the level of difficulty, surpassing anything that had come before.

“Not bad.”

While raw stats and attack boosts weren’t particularly significant for Taesan at this point, the sheer magnitude of these bonuses made the ring valuable.

Still, it wasn’t the stats he was most interested in.

It was time to address what could potentially determine the path ahead.

[Special Activation Skill: Essence of Self]

[Observe yourself. Reflecting on your essence stabilizes your body and rank for 10 minutes. This skill has a 24-hour cooldown.]

The power bestowed by Essentia—the Essence of Self.

Its effect was clear: stabilization through self-reflection.

It could mitigate the strain caused by Absolute Resistance.

‘But that’s not all.’

Taesan had stabilized a rank equivalent to an Old God’s level for an extended period, thanks to a combination of Absolute Resistance and the Essence of Self.

That level of control went beyond what could be achieved by a mere skill.

Reaching such a lofty rank and maintaining stability was impossible even with the Essence of Self.

What made it possible was something he had glimpsed during his self-reflection—something within him.

It had looked at Taesan, then stepped aside, as if granting him passage.

For a brief time, Taesan had stably wielded power on par with an Old God.

But what was that presence within him?

After waiting a day for the cooldown, Taesan activated the Essence of Self again.

[You have activated the Essence of Self.]

He delved into his mental landscape, reflecting deeply on his own being.

Once more, he found himself in the familiar twisted and blackened inner world.

But the presence he sought was absent.

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What he had seen before was gone, as if it had hidden itself.

“Hmm.”

As the skill ended, Taesan returned to reality, frowning.

‘What is it?’

The only thing he knew was that something existed within him, and its rank was extraordinarily high.

Taesan relayed the details to Akasha and Bardray.

Bardray offered his perspective.

[Whatever it is, it seems to be on your side. It helped you, after all.]

[I’m not so sure, Akasha countered. If it were truly benevolent, it wouldn’t have hidden itself. It was watching you in secret, after all.]

Taesan agreed with Akasha. So far, the presence had helped him—stepping aside had made defeating the Worthless One far easier.

But was it truly friendly?

If it genuinely meant well, it would have revealed itself, like Akasha or Bardray.

Instead, it had hidden when he tried to find it.

‘I can’t trust it.’

At the very least, it wasn’t purely benevolent.

[There’s one thing I’m curious about,] Akasha asked quietly.

[When do you think it appeared within you?]

“I have no idea. I only noticed it recently.”

[Then it might have been there even before time turned back. Perhaps it’s been observing you silently all this time.]

“...Maybe.”

The possibility sent a chill down his spine.

If it had always been there, hiding and watching, it could have been manipulating events without his knowledge.

‘Creepy.’

For now, he decided not to dwell on it. When Essentia returned, they could investigate further.

Meanwhile, many of his skills had increased in proficiency after the battle with the Worthless One. Notably, Partial World Alteration had reached 99% proficiency.

It was just 1% away from maxing out.

Taesan didn’t know what changes would occur once the skill hit 100%, but it was bound to be significant.

Then there was his new Transcendence skill: Worthlessness.

[Transcendence: Worthlessness]

[Proficiency: %^&]

[$#%^^%]

Like other Old God powers, its description was incomprehensible. Yet he instinctively knew how to wield it.

Worthlessness was a power rooted in the concept of the color black.

He summoned the power, and black energy flickered over his palm.

Taesan focused on it. The deep black hue gradually faded, becoming a translucent, colorless force.

This was Worthlessness.

Taesan snapped his fingers, sending the formless energy toward the labyrinth’s wall.

The wall distorted instantly.

Bricks lost their shape, collapsing. The labyrinth’s system itself began to unravel.

[Stop!]

A panicked voice rang out as the ground trembled.

[Balbabamba activates #004501.]

The labyrinth administrator materialized, slamming into the affected wall. The labyrinth’s system fought back, ejecting the invasive energy.

RUMBLE!

Even so, Worthlessness refused to dissipate. Instead, it clung to Balbabamba’s authority, feeding on it and spreading further.

[This is ridiculous!] Balbabamba exclaimed.

Taesan waved his hand, recalling the encroaching energy.

[You... you...]

“Guess it’s stronger than I thought.”

Taesan hadn’t fully realized the sheer power of the Worthless One’s authority. While it couldn’t interfere with the Boundary Line, its ability to erode and destroy was overwhelming.

[Don’t use that power here again,] Balbabamba scolded.

“Fine. By the way, where’s the Wizard?”

[He left abruptly, saying something came up. Now I’m stuck managing everything.]

Taesan chuckled silently. The Wizard had likely gone to work on the Ouroboros Scale.

“Can I proceed to the next floor without him?”

[It’s fine. Everything’s already been arranged.]

Balbabamba’s tone calmed.

[Someone you know will be waiting for you.]

Balbabamba vanished.

Taesan quietly contemplated his growing powers. With the addition of Worthlessness, he now wielded four different Transcendence skills.

He wondered if they could be combined.

For now, he let the thought rest. It was a long-term challenge.

Taesan spent the next week recovering, interacting with the labyrinth community, and reflecting on his newly acquired powers.

Finally, fully healed, he descended the stairs to the 92nd floor.

[92nd Floor Quest Initiated.]

[Fulfill the shopkeeper’s wish.]

[Reward: The shopkeeper’s equipment.]

[Secret Reward: ???]