I Don't Need To Log Out

Arlon left the area where the Keldars were staying, assuming that lingering any longer would only put him at greater risk.

The notification about the Named Monster's defeat should have been sent to both the players and the Keldars. That meant Keldars with Zeno and others of higher levels could potentially come here.

Given the situation, Arlon had no immediate way to reach level 100. As this thought crossed his mind, a sudden sharp ache struck his head.

"What the hell is happening?" he muttered, clutching his temple.

A voice followed, soft but firm, resonating in his mind. "Sir Arlon, I am known as Lady Rael. I apologize for this intrusion..."

Arlon listened carefully to Lady Rael's explanation. After a moment of silence, during which he contemplated her words, he finally responded, his voice steady and decisive. "I will see you at the tournament."

As soon as those words left his lips, a sudden wave of relief washed over him. The ache in his head vanished instantly, and he understood that the communication had ended.

Still, Arlon was left a little puzzled. Even though he had slain a Named Monster and reached level 99, he couldn't be certain this alone warranted direct contact from Trion's higher-ups.

But he wasn't particularly worried about the attention. Unlike many worlds he had experienced, Trion's government was remarkably efficient and incorruptible. Their involvement posed no apparent threat to him.

Deciding it was best to bide his time for now, Arlon turned his steps back toward Istarra—a place he hadn't expected to see again for at least six months.

---

On a Saturday morning...

"June, wake up! Breakfast is ready!"

"I'm coming, Mom."

June was at home. She couldn't log into the game on weekends, and while that felt like a shame, part of her was grateful. If she could play every day, she doubted she'd ever step away from it.

June had been lucky since birth. Her father was a game developer, and her mother was a physician, so wealth and opportunity had always been within her reach. But that didn't mean she coasted through life without effort. She poured her heart into everything she pursued.

In the end, she followed in her father's footsteps, aspiring to become a developer herself.

Being rich gave her a unique freedom—she didn't need to start at a random company or work her way up the corporate ladder. Instead, she could bide her time, waiting for inspiration to strike so she could create her own game. Her parents supported her fully, confident she would accomplish great things.

This freedom allowed her to explore different experiences, always on the hunt for that creative spark. EVR was part of that exploration. Whenever the servers were open, she dove into the game. But she knew if she had constant access, she'd likely forget about everything else in her life.

She was fortunate to have good friends she could rely on. One of them messaged their group chat just then.

- Have you checked the news? (Lei)

- No. What's on? (Pierre)

- Arlon... (Lei)

June, curious, headed to the dining table for breakfast and turned on the TV while eating.

***

The same reporter from the EVR launch day appeared on the screen, now seated in a studio.

"Mr. Jihan, you've always been one of the most respected gamers of our era. Can I assume you're not playing EVR?" the reporter asked.

"No, I am playing. But this game is... different. I'm skilled with a keyboard and mouse, but this game? It's my weakness, haha. I'm not great at moving my body, so I don't expect to be in the top ten here."

"I see. But you're still playing, which says a lot. Well, according to our sources, more people are playing than not."

"Of course," Another guest chimed in, his tone conspiratorial. "I've never seen anything like this. How is it even possible? The technology behind this game is far beyond anything we currently have. I think there are hidden forces at work."

"Ah, my apologies," the reporter interjected. "Let me introduce our other guest, Mr. Kane, a prominent (conspiracy) theorist on Wetube. Mr. Kane, do you think a government is behind this game?" (Reporter)

"Mrs. Reporter, I can't say for sure who's responsible. It could be a shadow government, aliens, or even God. What matters is that this game did not come from humanity's current level of technology. And someone has already been chosen as its representative." (Kane)

"I assume you're referring to the recent major development in the game. Let me explain the details for our viewers who don't play the game: a player triggered a global notification by killing what's called a 'Named Monster.' Mr. Jihan, do you have any thoughts on this?" (Reporter)

"Yes, I was in the game when it happened. I immediately started asking the NPCs for information. Most random NPCs didn't know about Named Monsters, but the stronger ones did. Do you remember the game's intro that was shown when you tried to create your character? It mentioned the Keldars, who were the ones attacking Trion."

Players watched this intro when they entered the game for the first time. Of course, it was possible to watch it again later.

Arlon had skipped it since he knew the intro by heart already.

"From what I've gathered, Named Monsters are key figures among the Keldars. It seems defeating them is essential to progressing the story—or even completing the game." (Jihan)

Kane interrupted, shaking his head. "That's not the important part. One player is already level 99. According to my research, it's impossible to be above level 30 right now. This player must be the Chosen One—the prophet. We should..."

***

"Isn't that the game you're playing?" June's mother asked.

"It's not just a game; it's a revolution," her father interjected. "Once I reverse-engineer it and crack the code, it'll change the world."

"Dad, you can't even connect to Zeno's system yet. I think it's a bit too advanced for you."

"Hey, watch it, you!" he said, feigning offense. "Anyway, do you know that Arlon guy?"

"No one does. And get this—the NPCs are asking players for information about him."

"What kind of storytelling is that? If I were on the development team, I'd have done a much better—"

"Yeah, yeah, Dad. You're the best," June interrupted, rolling her eyes with a grin.

They continued joking and chatting until breakfast was over.

---

"Achoo! Who's talking behind my back? It's hard being at the top of the leaderboard," Arlon muttered with a smirk.

He was on his way back to Istarra but wasn't in a rush. He had done his part in informing the relevant people, and now it was time to focus on preparing for what lay ahead.

In his pursuit of mastering designated spells, Arlon had been neglecting Agema's Book. He still needed one more spell for future plans, but he decided to learn it during his journey to Istarra.

Afterward, he promised himself he wouldn't just skim the book for one spell again; next time, he'd read it cover to cover.

The spell he aimed to learn now was… Doppelganger.

---

On Earth, in a meeting room.

"No response from the developer team, again," said Employee A.

"What is their problem?" the manager snapped. "We are NinKel! How dare they disrespect our offer?"

NinKel was one of the top conglomerates on Earth. Officially, they sold electronic gadgets, but behind the scenes, their reach extended everywhere.

This was why they had decided that the sole rightful shareholder of EVR should be none other than themselves.

"Sir," Kevin interjected, "it's impossible to reach the developers or their team. But there's another way."

"What is it?"

"We create our own presence in the game," Kevin explained. "Our research department is confident that this game won't be replicable for at least 200 years—unless the developers willingly share their code. In the meantime, the player base will only grow."

"And what does that have to do with us?" the manager asked, raising an eyebrow.

"If we become the strongest in the game, we'll control everything. The NPCs are powered by advanced AI, so if we dominate the game world, even they could fall under our influence. Eventually, we could use this power to control real-world dynamics. It's a long-term plan, but we need to act fast before other companies catch on. I propose we form a guild in EVR."

The manager leaned back in thought, then nodded. "Hmm… not a bad idea. Start the procedures. Purchase enough Zeno for the necessary personnel and prioritize hiring the top ten players on the Leaderboard. Also, form specialized teams to lock down critical leveling areas. We can't let just anyone gain power unchecked."

"Understood!" Kevin replied, already taking notes.

---

"Aaaah! Why do I have to be level 99? Why not 100?"

Arlon was close to Istarra, complaining about his level to himself. He had already learned the spell to a great degree.

He was getting used to the magic vessels, making it easier for him to learn new spells.

He had only spent two days learning the weakened Doppelganger spell.

Doppelganger (Weakened): Creates a copy of the user that can obey basic commands. The mana use increases with every change made on the copy.

**The copy will vanish if hurt due to the weakened state of the spell.

Arlon couldn't change the appearance of the copy he created, but he could modify some things.

He changed the copy's level and gave it the Sentinel's Legacy Set. Of course, it wasn't the real set—the copy only imitated its appearance.

Arlon wore some random, normal light armor instead and headed toward the doors of Istarra.

"Ah, I already missed this so much. I think I'm getting old," he muttered.