Chapter 349: Eighty-Second Floor, A Dream Within a Dream (2)

「Invisible message: Escape the dream constructed by the first-class god, ‘The Primordial Dream,’ Iris. Time remaining: 4 hours 24 minutes.」

“Three hundred years ago?”

“Yes.” Iris placed her hand gently atop mine, her gaze filled with quiet concern.

There was a peculiar, magnetic pull in her clear, radiant red eyes. It was as if they were drawing me in.

With her free hand, she softly caressed my cheek.

The blanket draped across her collarbone had slipped down, but I didn’t have the peace of mind to notice. The throbbing in my skull intensified.

“You once told me you lost someone dear to you. Some nights, you intentionally drink too much; that’s when you tend to dream about it.” Her voice faded as her eyes dropped.

Just like that, memories began to surface.

Yes, that is right.

It had been ages since I conquered the hundredth floor of the tower. Even now, three hundred years later, those memories still tormented me from deep within.

It had been an incredibly painful time.

No, painful isn’t a strong enough word.

Back then, I had been half out of my mind, and I took that rage out on the damned gods. I had even nearly died at some points. Iris was one of the few connections I made during that period.

Upon seeing the look on my face, she offered a quiet, bittersweet smile. “So... you remember.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” Her smile lingered, warm and reassuring.

This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened, which only deepened my guilt. She always said she was fine no matter what.

The headache persisted.

I circulated my mana to flush out the remnants of the hangover. I had only suppressed my detoxification abilities, so once I let them work again, the pain vanished almost instantly.

“

Phew

.” I let out a breath and reclined once more onto the bed.

Perhaps it was because I had dreamed of the past, but I felt utterly unmotivated. I draped the back of my hand over my forehead and closed my eyes.

Iris gently brushed her fingers against my cheek. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah. It’s just the memories.”

A short silence passed before Iris suddenly rose from her seat. “I’ll go prepare something to eat.”

“Okay.”

“In the afternoon, you’re scheduled to meet Omniscient Thunder Axe. Don’t forget.”

“Right.”

“Then...”

Even after she left, I remained in place, lying still with my eyes shut, thinking about Ha Hee-Jeong.

A dull, oppressive ache pressed against my chest. It was a suffocating sensation, as if something inside me were about to explode.

I had been doing better lately, but apparently, it was starting up again. My thoughts sank deep, spiraling inward.

Wait.

Suddenly, I noticed something off.

The back of my hand, which had been resting against my forehead, wasn’t registering any sensation. I didn’t feel any warmth—or any kind of response—at all.

That was when it hit me.

You have got to be kidding me.

I realized I was still inside a dream.

This was the third one. It seemed to have blocked my sense of touch, since I had sensed heat in the first and second dreams.

Still, there was one upside: I was recognizing the illusion faster each time.

The first dream had taken a while, but the second and third? Not even ten minutes had passed before I figured it out. That, too, was likely thanks to the growing power of the Celestial Mountain Blossom within my divinity.

When is this going to end?

Back when I broke free from the first dream, I thought that the trial was over. Unfortunately, the second had come not long after.

Now, the third.

I was getting irritated and, honestly, sick of it.

Still, maybe this is the last. Third time is the charm, after all.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t be sure.

Well, no point overthinking it now. Realization only brought me to the second and third dreams.

Understanding I was in a dream didn’t change anything by itself. If there was a fourth, all I could do was hope I would snap out of it even quicker.

Come to think of it, this time was different. Even though I knew I was dreaming, I hadn’t woken up or moved on to the next dream.

Does someone else have to realize I have caught on?

No, that wasn’t it.

In the first and second dreams, Ha Hee-Jeong and Alexei had been there. However, I hadn’t told either of them I was dreaming.

Only one possibility came to mind. This dream wasn’t meant to end the moment I realized it was a dream. There was something I had to do, like potentially finding a way out from within, or uncovering the object anchoring the illusion.

Just then, I sensed someone approaching beyond the door.

When I turned my head, Iris was already standing at the entrance, now dressed. “You snapped out of it faster than I expected. That’s impressive.”

Her red eyes gleamed bright and all-consuming. Unlike before, her presence now radiated overwhelming power.

I sat up in bed, drawing mana and divinity into my core.

“To be growing stronger in real time, you really are a Challenger, aren’t you? Just like the old Kalain.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Iris offered a sly smile. “I thought the first would be enough, but just in case, I linked it to the second and third. I didn’t think you’d break free this quickly.”

I had meant to ask about Kalain and what a Challenger was, but Iris’s words took an unexpected turn. It wasn’t that she had misunderstood me, but it felt more like she didn’t want to talk about it.

“Who are you, really?”

“‘The Primordial Dream,’ Iris.”

There was no need to press further. I already knew she was a god. The presence she emitted far exceeded what a mere succubus or dream demon could manage. It was unlike anything I had ever encountered.

Even without sensing it directly, I knew that she had to be a first-class god.

I had simply asked her name just to confirm my suspicions.

The Primordial Dream.

The title matched her strength. Countless people believed in dreams, good or bad.

Those who feel uneasy after nightmares, those who buy lottery tickets because of a pleasant dream, and those who tremble in fear at omens.

Every single person who attributed meaning to a dream could become her follower. All of that divine power flowed into her.

That is undoubtedly the attributes of a first-class god.

“Why haven’t I woken up even though I have realized this is a dream? Do I need to do something else? Fight you, maybe?”

She chuckled. “Fight me?”

“I mean... earn your acknowledgement.”

At my current level, there was no way I could defeat a first-class god like Iris—I had to be realistic.

She shook her head. “No, there’s nothing more you need to do. I just wanted to talk, even for a little while. You’ve been making quite the name for yourself lately.”

𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

“Me?”

“Well, considering what you’ve accomplished, it’s no surprise. And I’m curious to see where your path leads. There’s been a lot of talk about how the tower is protecting you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

I had vaguely suspected that, but hearing it from a first-class god gave it a very different weight.

Even more curious, I repeated my question, but she didn’t seem particularly concerned by my question.

“So I thought I would meet you in person, see if anything comes up. But it’s like a curtain obstructing it. And now that you’re here in front of me, I’m even more curious. Who exactly are you?”

She was likely referring to something about Ha Hee‑Jeong’s regression. Even my subconscious appeared to be protected by the tower.

Of course, I couldn’t just confess that. Instead of answering, I stayed silent.

“I didn’t expect you to tell me everything. Just carry on as you are. You’ve been entertaining me, after all.”

“Entertaining you?”

“Well, in different ways. Recently, I benefited when that Endless Furnace disappeared.”

“If that’s the case, I’m glad,” I answered cautiously while gauging her reaction.

Although she had subjected me to a trial, she didn’t seem malicious. I assumed it had happened due to some contract with the Tower.

She came across as mischievous, though, but I didn’t see that as a reason to be hostile.

Still, I couldn’t deny that I was irritated that she had shown me Ha Hee‑Jeong dying, and how this wretched dream had tempted me. Perhaps breaking free from that temptation was part of the trial.

Either way, I couldn’t afford to express my unpleasant mood openly; I didn’t have the strength to test a first-class god. Instead, I told myself to simply remember it had happened.

Considering what I knew, the tower could be intentionally preparing me for the future.

Mental strength has really been a theme since the start of the eighty-first floor.

I had indeed felt like it was one of my weak points, and thankfully, I had consumed the Celestial Mountain Blossom not long after.

It was especially fortunate, too, since this floor had also centered around mental attacks, although this time in the form of a dream. Although I had felt dissociated and sensed something strange, I had been able to escape more quickly thanks to the blossom’s growing power.

It has been unsettling, but I do think the tower is doing this deliberately. Perhaps something that lies ahead will be similar.

If I had to face a hostile illusionist or psychic, I would have to endure far more horrific and wretched illusions. For now, I considered this a preventive measure.

I returned my gaze to her. “So, what about earlier? Now that we’ve talked, does that mean the trial’s concluded?”

“Yeah, I just wanted to speak with you, meet you face to face.” She stepped closer, smiled softly, and placed her hand gently against my cheek, caressing it like before.

A shiver ran down my spine.

“I’ll be looking forward to meeting you again. I think it’ll be interesting, and I hope your dream will be enjoyable, too.”

My vision inverted, and everything grew dark, except for the tower’s messages glowing bright and clear in a void.

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has escaped the dream created by the first-class god ‘The Primordial Dream.’]

[Congratulations. Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has conquered the eighty-second floor of the Tower of Ordeal: A Dream Within a Dream. Achievement points will be calculated.]

***

「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has escaped the third dream. Proceeding to the fourth.」

「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has resisted the dream crafted by the first-class god, ‘The Primordial Dream,’ despite meeting her in person.」

「Invisible message: The power of the Celestial Mountain Blossom infused in his divinity has increased significantly.」

***

[3 hours 48 minutes until the rest period ends. Please take a rest.]

“

Ugh,

damn.”

I pushed myself up from the bed.

After only an hour of sleep after training, a wretched dream had woken me up. It obviously left me feeling far from refreshed.

The fact that something from just hours ago had manifested in my subconscious meant it had burrowed deep.

The eighty-second floor had been a struggle for me because I couldn’t rely on my martial skills and was forced to withstand those mental attacks.

I shook the sleeping Doppy awake. “Doppy, wake up. Let’s train.”

“Okay...” Rubbing his eyes, Doppy rose from the bed.

Since he had eaten before sleeping, he didn’t seem hungry. I planned to drink some water and do some light training, just enough to prepare myself without overdoing it.

Drinking the cup of water from my desk, I then stretched my neck from side to side.

Maybe the lousy dream was affecting me. Usually, I felt fine even if I woke abruptly, but now my muscles felt stiff.

No, don’t let this get to you.

Realizing it was a dream only empowered The Primordial Dream. I shook my head and headed toward the training room, thinking a bit of movement would revive me.

I will just do some light training

.

However, worrying signs continued to appear, as my chest had grown heavy and tight.

Is it that crazy Iris again?

I forcibly summoned my divinity, and the Celestial Mountain Blossom burst in response—this was a fourth dream.

Is she actually insane? She even added the notification and the tower’s voice?

Come to think of it, if I had truly conquered the eighty-second floor, I would have been on guard. It genuinely slipped by me.

This is getting serious.

Thankfully, this dream felt weaker than the third. I would have recognized it right away, even during training.

I recalled her final words.

“I hope your dream will be enjoyable.”

It hadn’t been fun at all.

I sighed, and the notification appeared.

[Congratulations. Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has conquered the eighty-second floor of the Tower of Ordeal: A Dream Within a Dream. Achievement points will be calculated.]

***

「Invisible message: Congratulations. Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has escaped the last dream of the trial.」

「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has completed the hidden mission, ‘The Final Dream.’ Mana increased by 8.」

「Invisible message: The power of the Celestial Mountain Blossom infused in his divinity has increased significantly.」