Chapter 348: Eighty-Second Floor, A Dream Within a Dream (1)
「Invisible message: Welcome to the eighty-second floor of the Tower of Ordeal: A Dream Within a Dream.」
「Invisible message: Escape the dream constructed by the first-class god, ‘The Primordial Dream,’ Iris. Time remaining: 4 hours 59 minutes.」
「Invisible message: Failure to escape will result in eternal slumber.」
Looking in the foggy mirror of a run-down bar near campus, I inspected my reflection. My cheeks were flushed, and my face was faintly glowing. There was a subtle trace of alcohol on my breath.
It was strange. I hadn’t had that much to drink, and typically, it was hard to notice the scent of alcohol on oneself.
Why did I even come here?
As soon as the thought surfaced, I realized I couldn’t think of the reason.
How did I forget that?
My mind felt hazy, almost detached, and a subtle sense of dissonance lingered. It seemed like I was tipsier than I had assumed. A slow burn spread through my chest.
I had only drunk about half of what would normally get me tipsy, but it just wasn’t sitting right tonight.
Well, it isn’t like things have been easy lately.
I had a hunch about why I came here. My mental fatigue had piled up, and the stress had been getting to me.