I Don't Need To Log Out

The Keldars sent their unintelligent kin first, emerging through portals that could only be opened by someone who knew the precise coordinates of the target space. This initially shocked the Trionians, but they acted swiftly, defeating the first wave of monsters without suffering any casualties.

However, the attacks didn't stop. The portals continued to spew Keldars into Trion, their numbers growing with each wave. Though these monsters were weak and lacked intelligence, their overwhelming quantity began to strain the elite teams dispatched to fight them. The intelligence of the Keldars also increased with each wave. To counter this, Trion established fortified frontlines—areas that would later be known to players as the starting towns.

---

"That was too close," Arlon thought, taking a moment to catch his breath. His mana reserves were nearly depleted, but the victory had been worth it.

His current mana pool allowed him to activate Eyes of ***** for a total of ten seconds and the Teleport could only be used up to 5 meters. However, using Teleport even for a short distance and activating Eyes of ***** twice—each for just a moment—had drained almost all his mana. The fight had demanded rapid calculations, leaving little room for error, a luxury he wouldn't always have in future battles.

In EVR, mana didn't refill upon leveling up. However, this wasn't a significant problem since players could only level up after a fight was completed—and after a fight, recovering mana was usually straightforward.

Determined to increase his total mana pool as soon as possible, Arlon opened his notifications.

"You have leveled up x17. You have earned 51 CP."

Arlon had climbed 17 levels, reaching Level 54. This wasn't surprising, given that the monster he defeated had been Level 138.

He wasted no time opening his status window to distribute his CP.

***

Status Window

Name: Arlon

Race: Human

Class: Magic Swordsman

Level: 54

HP: 6450

MP: 4775

VIT: 58

STR: 78

INT: 78

AGI: 51

Skills: [Dash], [Eyes of ***** (Weakened)], [Teleport], [Strengthen], [Stone Heart], [Lightining Feet]

Title: Unfair Regressor, The First One To Level Up

***

Arlon felt the strength coursing through his body. He had reached the foundation he'd been striving for.

In this reality, it was theoretically possible for a level 1 to defeat a level 100. However, theory rarely matched practice. To challenge a higher-level existence, one needed a baseline of power. For instance, no matter how fast Arlon was, without the strength to pierce the skin of the stone guardian, Tailon, victory would have been impossible.

Now, at his current level, Arlon was confident. With his stats, skills, and equipment, he could face and potentially defeat existences far above his level. He had built the base strength necessary.

That didn't mean he would stop striving to grow stronger, but he could afford to be more relaxed. In his past timeline, reaching this point had taken five grueling months. This time, he had achieved it in just one week—and not just in terms of levels. Titles, skills, his class, equipment, and extra CP had all elevated him to a strength far beyond his level.

With the extra CP he'd gained, Arlon's effective power was comparable to a level 81, despite being only level 54.

He reviewed the new skills he had earned over the past week:

Strengthen: Increases strength by 1.5x for 3 minutes.

Stone Heart: Turns the user's body to stone for 2 seconds.

Light Feet: Increases agility by 1.2x for 1 minute.

In EVR, it wasn't possible to learn skills from other classes. These abilities were all from the Warrior class. However, class-specific skills didn't restrict sub-classes. For example, a tank and a sword wielder were both Warrior sub-classes, so Arlon could learn skills like Stone Heart (typically a tank skill) and Light Feet (a sword wielder skill).

As a Magic Swordsman, Arlon could also learn Mage skills. He had one Mage skill book in his inventory but had refrained from using it. He decided to save skill books for high-level abilities or critical moments when he truly needed them.

After reviewing his stats and skills, Arlon turned his attention to the Sentinel's Legacy Set—the last thing he hadn't examined.

The set consisted of five pieces: a helmet, chest plate, pads, boots, and gauntlets.

Sentinel's Legacy Helmet: Increases vitality by 3.

Sentinel's Legacy Chest Plate: Increases vitality by 5.

Sentinel's Legacy Pads: Increases vitality by 3

Sentinel's Legacy Boots: Increases agility by 3.

Sentinel's Legacy Gauntlets: Increases vitality by 2.

Set Bonus: When all five pieces are equipped together, the wearer gains immunity to attacks from beings below C-grade.

Grades had once been the standard of measurement for strength among Trion's heroes, but levels had since replaced them due to their precision. For example, the strength difference between the weakest and strongest D-grade beings could span up to 50 levels, making the grading system too vague.

C-grade began at level 100, which explained why the set was most effective for wearers below that level. While the vitality bonuses could still be useful afterward, there were plenty of other equipment options with superior stats for higher-level players.

Arlon immediately donned the Sentinel's Legacy Set and left the cave. There was nothing left for him there. The stone guardian, Tailon, hadn't dropped anything, making him question whether Trion's monsters even had loot.

As he made his way to the nearest town, he pondered this peculiarity.

***

Arlon arrived at Oceina, a quaint and picturesque starting town perched atop a cliff by the sea. The town's beauty struck him, especially during this peaceful hour after most players had logged out.

He had never visited Oceina in his past timeline—not before it was too late. Now, standing there, he envied the players who had started their journey in this serene haven.

The setting sun painted the ocean in warm hues, casting golden reflections on the waves below. The view was breathtaking, and Arlon stood in quiet awe, letting the moment wash over him.

He imagined what it might be like to live in a place like this, free from battles, responsibility, and the looming threat of Trion's destruction. A brief thought crossed his mind: 'What will happen after I defeat the last boss?'

There was a myth that completing EVR's ultimate challenge would grant the victor a wish. Arlon wasn't one to put much stock in myths, but he couldn't deny the thought intrigued him.

Would the game allow him to stay in Trion, or would EVR retrieve the Zeno and force him back to reality?

For a fleeting moment, the idea of returning to his former life felt like a punishment worse than any monster he had faced. Yet, as much as he wanted to remain in Trion forever, he couldn't justify delaying his mission just to extend his stay.

Shaking off the troubling thoughts, Arlon refocused. Letting his mind wander too far down that path would only weaken his resolve. He turned away from the cliffside view and headed into Oceina, looking for an inn where he could rest and prepare for the days ahead.

---

A few hours before the log-out time, near Istarra.

Five friends found themselves locked in battle against a group of monstrous, sentient trees.

"Hold them for 30 more seconds!" shouted June, her hands glowing as she prepared a powerful spell.

"I'm already holding them!" Pierre shot back, bracing himself behind a shield almost as large as he was. His HP bar dipped alarmingly, only to recover slightly each time Carole's healing spells enveloped him in a warm glow.

Zack and Lei moved like shadows, darting in and out of the fray. Using guerrilla tactics, they focused on one tree at a time, chipping away at its health to draw its attention away from Pierre. But the clearing speed was painfully slow, and Pierre was nearing his limit. If this pace kept up, another wipe was inevitable.

Still, they held on.

As the countdown reached zero, Zack and Lei retreated behind Pierre, and Carole cast a radiant Holy Shield over him, momentarily bolstering his defense.

"Get ready!" June called out. The spell she had been charging for the last half minute was finally complete. She unleashed it with a flourish.

Rain of Fire.

Flaming droplets poured from the sky, igniting the monstrous trees. The battlefield lit up as the inferno spread across their leafy bodies. Fire was particularly effective against plants, and the result was instant chaos.

The trees stumbled and twisted in a desperate attempt to escape the fiery deluge. But the spell covered a far wider area than they anticipated. Even those that managed to move out of the rain's reach found no salvation. The flames had already taken hold, and with no water source nearby, their doom was sealed.

"That was dangerous," Lei said, her voice tinged with concern. "We need to be more careful about how many monsters we pull. Even though June has that strong skill now, it's impossible for Pierre to keep holding out this long every time."

Her gaze lingered on Pierre's slumped back, his exhaustion evident.

"I agree," Zack said, nodding. "We should prioritize finding new gear for Pierre first. If the tank goes down, it's game over for all of us." Unlike Pierre and Carole, Zack wasn't as worn out—his role in the battle was less taxing. He glanced reflexively at June, looking for her approval, but noticed she seemed distracted.

"June, did you level up?" he asked, assuming she was checking her system window.

"Huh? Oh, yes, I leveled up. But that's not what's important. Check the leaderboard," June said, her voice low and urgent.

"The leaderboard?" Carole echoed. "Didn't we already check that earlier? We know that Arlon guy is somehow level 37."

Pierre grumbled, "How can he even be level 37 already? Do you think the Legendary Guide gave him some kind of extra advantage because they share the same name?" It was a theory they'd debated before. Despite some setbacks, their group had received clear, preferential advice from the Legendary Guide compared to others.

They had already made sure of it in the last week. No one received as much as they received from the Legendary Guide, let alone an item like the Crystal Ball. So, how could someone be at a higher level than they are?

June shook her head impatiently. "I'm not talking about that. Just check the leaderboard again."

Her tone made everyone pause. They opened the leaderboard window.

***

Leaderboard (Level)

1- Arlon (54)

2-June (20)

3- Evan (19)

4- Pierre (18)

5- Zack (18)

6- Carmen (18)

7- Lei (18)

8- Carole (18)

9- Arun (17)

10- Jack (16)

***

"What the—" Zack exclaimed, his words echoed by the others as they processed what they saw.

"Level 54?!" Carole gasped. "That's… that's absurd!"

"Is this guy cheating?" Zack muttered, his confusion mounting. He glanced at June, the best player he knew, expecting her to catch up to the top spot soon. But instead of closing the gap, the difference had grown into an unbridgeable chasm.

Pierre frowned. "This will blow up today. It's bound to hit the news. People are going to lose their minds over this."

Carole added nervously, "I bet some players will try to track him down. I wouldn't want to be in his shoes."

"Should we contact the Legendary Guide and ask if there was another guide-like secret NPC that helped more than the Legendary Guide?" contemplated Zack.

"Are you dumb? What do you think, are we going to ask him if anyone was better than him at his job? I prefer insulting him to his face and getting killed instantly like that first guy. At least he wouldn't hold a secret anger against me."

"But, what will we do about that Arlon guy, then?" asked Zack.

June closed her system window with a decisive motion. "Forget him for now. We need to focus on leveling up. The Legendary Guide told us to stay focused on our own progress, so let's not get distracted."

Her calm resolve seemed to infect the others. They exchanged determined looks before setting off toward the next area, their pace quickened by the need to close the gap.