Chapter 5: A Step Forward

Chapter 5: A Step Forward

[9:33 AM; Saturday, 29th of April, 2023]

"You really should take it easy with the workouts, Mikey," she said, her voice tinged with concern.

I stood in the drugstore, finally completing the purchase of my painkillers from the ever-cheerful pharmacist who always attended to me.

"Haha, thanks..." I chuckled softly, masking the growing strength of the pain pulsating in my head.

It had been around two hours since I had awoken from my nightmare, yet the throbbing sensation felt even worse now, than it had during that terrifying dream.

Exiting the pharmacy, I directed my steps toward my residence. And no, I don't mean my apartment complex. Just a stone's throw away from the drugstore stood my new home – a four-star hotel, a place I had only dreamed of residing in before.

Earlier this morning, I had spent nearly all my savings to move in.

'The world is screwed anyway.' I sighed internally, my fingers gently massaging my forehead as I stepped into the grand lobby of the hotel.

The sound of the grand piano playing in the background caught my attention. I stopped for a moment to admire the massive chandelier hanging from the ceiling, sparkling in the beautiful light of the late afternoon sun that filtered in through the tall windows.

The atmosphere buzzed with life – guests checked in with anticipation, others lounged on plush sofas, and the diligent hotel staff performed their bustling tasks.

'In just a matter of hours, everyone will...' I let that thought out of my mind, deciding to savor this present moment despite the persistent aches throbbing within my skull.

Making my way to the reception desk, I spotted the friendly secretary who had attended to me two hours earlier. I thought she was pretty cute.

"Oh, Mr. Mikey. Anything I can help you with?" She asked me the moment I approached her.

I was surprised she remembered my name. But, on a second thought, she was just doing her job, wasn't she? There was nothing special about it.

"Just wanted to check if my deliveries have arrived," I responded with a sweet smile.

Before heading to the pharmacy, I had made an array of purchases with my remaining funds, ensuring I spent every last cent.

"Ah, not yet. I'll be sure to inform you when they do. Your room number is in our system, so I'll give you a call," she assured me.

"Oh... okay," I replied, wincing as my head pounded with greater intensity. "I'll be waiting, then."

I could only hope that my goods arrived before 11:00 AM. That seemed to be the usual time when the bizarre 'End of the World' phenomenon occurred – the one that weird System called "Paradise."

It sounded like a bad joke.

Taking the elevator, I went up to my room on the first floor, my appreciation for the luxury furnishings and refined decor of the hotel growing with each step.

The walls were decorated with tasteful art pieces, and the carpet underfoot pampered my feet with its plush softness. The atmosphere exuded an air of sophistication and elegance.

Once I arrived on the first floor, I hurriedly walked to my room and inserted my key card into the slot, and the door clicked open. The moment I got in, I shut the door behind me, ensuring it was properly locked.

Perhaps I was being too paranoid, but if anyone had seen the horrors I had experienced, they would definitely understand.

As I stepped inside, I was once again struck by the spaciousness of the room. The king-size bed dominated the space and there was a comfortable armchair in the corner, perfect for relaxing after a long day.

The room had all the cool stuff you'd expect nowadays – a flat-screen TV, a mini-fridge, even a coffee machine.

The bathroom was all clean and shiny, stocked up with fluffy towels and free toiletries. The window had a killer view of the city skyline, but right now, the curtains were drawn, so you couldn't see any of that.

"First things first..." I mumbled to myself, grabbing my painkillers and washing them down with a bottle of water I had lying around.

"Ah..." The pain wasn't exactly gone, but at least it eased up a bit.

'Maybe a couple more pills will do it.' Technically, it'd be too much, but desperate times, right? So, I swallowed two more.

'Much better!'

Once that wave of relief settled in, I collapsed onto the bed, shutting my eyes and piecing together how I ended up in this crazy reality.

*****

After dying in my nightmare and then waking up, I nearly got trapped in the same loop again before finally snapping out of it.

As always, the agonizing pain accompanied the memories of those nightmares, hitting me like a tidal wave. n-/0VElb1n

This time, it was even more intense than before, and my headache seemed to be cranked up to an unbearable level.

Yet, no matter the cost, I knew I couldn't allow myself to die all over again. The trauma of it all, and the pain, would be beyond anything I could ever imagine.

How could I subject myself to such torture?

'Am I trapped in a dream? Am I just a dream?' I asked myself, but no answer presented itself. So, I made a decision – I needed to take charge.

The first order of business was to recall the key details of my nightmares, especially that damn System Notice that always popped up before my demise.

From what I could recall, I needed to roughly set the event's time around 11 AM, and then I needed to remember the contents of the System Window.

Yeah, there was a lot of gibberish about a 'Realm of Gods,' 'Floors,' and other nonesense I didn't get at all. But one detail stuck out as both familiar and important – the mention of a 'Tutorial.'

"I have to survive the Tutorial. Every time I died... it was during the Tutorial." If I wanted to break free from the endless loop of my nightmares, I had to survive past that Tutorial stage.

The System Window also said the Tutorial lasted for 168 hours – a week. I just had to hang on for a week.

With that goal in mind, I had to weigh my options carefully, calculate every chance of survival, and raise those odds as high as they could go.

"I can't stick around here for a week!" I muttered to myself.

Staying put had its problems, especially with the looming power outage, not to mention the lack of security. If I was going to make it through this, I needed a spot that was both safe and familiar.

And so, I settled on the four-star hotel.

It was pricey, and I only booked it for a day. But honestly, that's all I should need. Opting for the first floor, I figured it'd be easier to escape if things went south.

After checking in, I rushed to the drugstore to grab my meds, but not before making one last crucial decision.

I had to stock up on supplies – for myself.

My travel bags, brought into the hotel, were loaded mostly with food. There was a bit of clothing and some devices too, just in case. But my main focus, my top priority for surviving through the week, was food.

So, I used up the last of my savings to buy as much food as I could.

Fast food, junk food, canned goods, soda, and energy bars – you name it.

Oh, and water.

I needed to have water covered too. But since a fancy hotel like this would likely have a reliable water supply, I figured I didn't need to stress too much about it.

I would make this place my base, preparing for any and all issues that could arise during and even after the Tutorial.

I mean, if this so-called 'Tutorial' part was already this intense, what kind of nightmare was waiting for me next?

*

*

*

[A/N]

I'm trying to be faster with the story now.

Please support this novel if you enjoy it. Cheers.