I Don't Need To Log Out

The towns and villages of Trion always had someone influential, a figure respected by the community even if they didn't officially hold power. In Istarra, it was Charon; in Oceina, Edrich. These individuals weren't rulers, but their words carried weight, and their guidance helped keep the towns stable.

In times of peace, towns sometimes formed councils or elected individuals to act as leaders, addressing issues as they arose. This structure ensured that while the towns weren't directly governed, chaos didn't take root.

However, this was during the peacetime. They weren't left out at the frontline during wars, especially since they were the closest to the warzone. There were administrators responsible for these frontline towns and villages. If manpower was needed, they prepared soldiers and sent them. If money was needed, it was also sent.

---

Arlon hadn't worn the Sentinel's Legacy Set yet. First of all, he didn't want to attract the attention of the other NPCs. Even though it was a low-level set, its origins were tied to the heroes of the past, and the NPCs could realize that.

This was also why Edrich thought Arlon's attire wasn't for the rich. 

But now, alone and preparing to face the unknown, Arlon pulled out the set and equipped it. He couldn't afford to take chances in the cave.

He had expected nothing more than a hollow in the cliffside, but the structure stretched deeper as if carved deliberately.

The darkness inside didn't faze him; with a flick of his wrist, he cast Light Orb, illuminating his path. The tunnel opened into a naturally formed chamber slightly larger than a typical garage.

In the middle of the room, though, a tiger cub lay curled, asleep.

Arlon froze and instinctively hid. The cub's breathing was steady, but even the faintest disturbance might wake it. A normal tiger posed no threat to someone of his level, but this was obviously no ordinary beast.

Activating the Eyes of *****, Arlon checked the tiger cub.

***

Durant (Level 99)

HP: 10,000

Skills: [Claw Attack], [Roar]

"An unintelligent Keldar on the verge of evolving. Its strengths lie in its speed and powerful claws."

 ***

'More information than usual,' Arlon realized, his brow furrowing. 'Is it because I leveled up and the seal is loosening?'

Typically, Eyes of ***** revealed only a monster's name, level, and basic details. Now, it displayed HP, skills, and even its condition. But one word stood out: evolving.

Then he remembered;

In the past timeline, the starting towns were destructed all at once. It wasn't possible to save them all so Trionians tried to save only the most important towns.

But how had Keldars done it? He didn't know the details since he also thought this was a scripted game mechanic back then, but he remembered the general pattern. Also, he was close to one of the starting towns and he went there to see that "global event".

First, there was a server-wide notification announcing an event. Players flocked to the nearest starting towns, eager to take part.

There was one boss monster and a lot of smaller monsters under the boss' influence in the towns.

The monsters, too powerful for the players, slaughtered them repeatedly. But the players returned again and again, exploiting death's low consequences to chip away at the monsters and steal the kill from the stronger NPCs who were the actual ones killing the boss.

Of course, monsters were only the beginning of this siege, but he didn't think about now.

Arlon didn't know what kind of boss monster had attacked Oceina back then, but here and now, he suspected the cub before him was part of that same disaster.

Since these monsters could evolve, he thought that this monster would be bigger at level 100 and would evolve again at some higher level, turning into the boss monster—and there were likely more like it elsewhere.

'I have to kill it now,' Arlon thought.

Since returning to this timeline, Arlon had wrestled with his role. Should he save the Trionians? Could he? He wasn't a hero, nor did he aspire to be one. But neither was he a monster who would abandon those he could save.

Why did EVA send him back in time? To save the Trionians or to let him have a balance for the miserable things he underwent in his past life?

He didn't have friends even among the Trionians. But he thought that there were people who helped him both in his past timeline and in this one.

So, he made his decision. Arlon would help those he could reach, but he wouldn't try to be a hero, saving every single Trionian.

The Trionians had lived in peace for a long time, and their population had swelled to 13 billion. Saving every one of them was impossible, but saving those he encountered? That was a goal he could strive for.

Before dealing with the monster, Arlon pulled out the medallion he had found near the entrance. He needed to understand its purpose first.

He studied it with the Eyes of *****. A single line of information appeared:

"A common medallion storing energy. It is possible to absorb the energy to level up."

The system's voice followed. "You have discovered a source of experience. Do you want to absorb it?"

Arlon declined. He wasn't in a hurry to absorb it.

The pieces were falling into place. The medallion wasn't just a trinket; it was food for the monster. For some reason, Shirl had been feeding it, and if the creature consumed the medallion, its first evolution would be complete since it would level up.

Anger bubbled within him. He wasn't naïve—he knew that some Trionians collaborated with the Keldars. He just hadn't expected to encounter one so soon.

After using Eyes of ***** on Shirl earlier, he was confident she wasn't a Mime or some other impersonator. She was acting of her own free will.

'What could she possibly gain from this betrayal?' he wondered.

But this wasn't the time to dwell on her motives. Right now, his focus needed to be on killing the monster.

Arlon stepped out of his hiding spot and moved swiftly toward the beast.

He was fully equipped with the Sentinel's Legacy Set, an ancient armor designed to protect its wearer against enemies of lower existence. No one under level 100 could harm him.

The mechanics of the set were simple yet profound. On Trion, levels dictated existence. While a lower-leveled being could theoretically possess strength exceeding a higher-leveled one, such superiority only applied in the physical world.

The set altered the rules of reality, enforcing a hierarchy. Even if the creature he faced had a million strength points, it couldn't land a single blow on him unless it had surpassed level 100.

Of course, there were exceptions. "Environmental hazards", like a "randomly" falling rock, could still injure him. And, since items weren't bound by levels, clever enemies could use them to harm or trap him.

But against this monster, there were no such tricks, it didn't possess intelligence yet. The Sentinel's Legacy Set placed an unbreakable limit on lower-level existences.

The fight would be over before it began.

The tiger cub, Durant, stirred as Arlon approached, its ears twitching. Its glossy eyes snapped open, glowing faintly in the dim light. A low growl escaped its throat as it crouched, ready to strike.

Arlon didn't wait. He activated Lightning Feet and closed the distance, swinging his Wandsword.

But, to his surprise, Durant dodged his swing.

'Faster than I expected,' Arlon thought, pivoting to avoid the follow-up swipe. Durant's claws slammed into the wall.

Arlon had dodged instinctively, but he didn't want to change his habits. He wouldn't have the immunity for the existences higher than level 100.

He didn't go for another sword attack and instead, chanted his new spell; Lightning Bolt.

Magicians generally went for one element only to have one strong magic instead of multiple weak magics. Agema mentioned them as "idiots" in her book.

Why not be strong in all of the elements? Arlon thought she was just crazy, thinking that everyone couldn't be as strong as her. But, he still tried and managed to cast a spell from another elemental tree.

Of course, he could already use Fire and Light spells. But the Light Orb was not even a beginner spell, so everyone could cast it.

The Lightnin Bolt hit Durant, paralyzing it. He didn't wait and approached the monster and cut its throat immediately.

It was an easy fight. But Arlon didn't have time to celebrate. So he ignored the notifications, took the loot it dropped, and left the cave.

He had a clue that could save the starting towns.

---

Shirl froze as the knock on her door echoed through the room. The crystal in her hand dimmed, and she quickly tucked it away. She was hesitant to answer. The Keldar's threats were fresh in her mind, but she couldn't afford to seem suspicious.

"Who is it?" she called out.

"A messenger," came the reply. "From the Council."

Her heart sank. She opened the door cautiously, revealing a young woman clad in the official robes of the Magus Council. The messenger's expression was stern and her eyes sharp.

"Administrator Shirl Delvi?"

"Yes."

"I bring orders from the Council. You are to return to Kelta immediately for reassignment. Your current duties in Oceina are to be transferred to another administrator."

Shirl's blood ran cold. Reassignment? The Keldars would never allow her to leave Oceina without completing her task. The Council's sudden involvement complicated everything.

"I… I can't leave just yet," she said. "My work here is not complete. Also, I always take my assignments from the government and not the Council."

The messenger raised an eyebrow. "Your duties as 'Administrator of Watering' do not justify extended stays in towns like Oceina. I don't know which government assigned you here but your reassignment is effective immediately. The Council insists."

Before Shirl could respond, the messenger added in a lower tone, "And Administrator Delvi, the Council is aware of your recent… communications. Be careful where your loyalties lie."

Shirl's breath caught in her throat as the messenger turned and walked away, leaving her trembling.