I Don't Need To Log Out

The in-game system worked like an AI, assisting players with anything they might need rather than just providing a fixed set of features. For instance, there wasn't a map available when a player first entered 'EVR', but once they obtained one, the UI would integrate it as a game map so that players wouldn't need to carry a map in their hand or try to decipher where they are on the map. When players wanted to sort their inventory by name, strength, or nearly any other criterion, the UI would respond like a living system, adjusting as requested.

People on Earth believed this was an advanced AI—and they weren't far from the truth. Since this UI was created by EVR, it was a divine assistance, so it could indeed be considered a really advanced AI.

---

Everyone around was shocked by the scene. Most people here had never seen anyone die before, so even though Jack hadn't actually died and would respawn, the sight scared them. Since 'EVR' wasn't technically just a game, there wasn't an age restriction; as long as parents bought a Zeno capsule, anyone could play, including children. And this scene wasn't suited for kids—or even many of the adults.

Some players would likely quit today, but even more would replace them. In the previous timeline, 7 billion of Earth's 8 billion people played 'EVR'. It gave people a second life: someone with no legs could run freely while someone without arms could swing a sword or shoot a bow in Trion.

Once the initial shock died down, the crowd began murmuring among themselves.

"What was that? Was that a skill?"

"He just swung his sword. How could that be a skill?"

Seeing they understood the gravity of the consequences, Arlon walked away. 'They won't act up against the NPCs again.'

The servers were about to shut down, and people felt a mix of excitement at this "second life" experience and sadness that they had to log out soon. Of course, that didn't apply to Arlon. He watched as the players who didn't want to spend their first day leveling up tried different things at the festival. Some families with kids, friends, or lovers were at the festival, having fun together.

He also checked what classes players chose.

Arlon also had a few tasks for today, but it wasn't about enjoying the festival. He would soon depart even though he couldn't find the people he wanted to befriend, today. He had already added all of his remaining 12 CP to Strength, which he'd need later on. Although he was still only level 10, the extra CP gave him the strength of a level 14—enough to kill Jack easily.

---

In the meantime, at the graveyard:

"Jack, are you okay?" asked one of Jack's friends.

"That son of a… I'll definitely kill him one day. Who does he think he is?" Jack was furious about being one-shot. As the strongest player, he'd planned to gain even more power by deceiving other players, offering to help them level up, then wiping out the group and taking all the XP for himself. "Let's go back to town before the servers shut down. I'll come up with something tomorrow."

Jack and his friends headed back to Istarra, only to be stopped at the entrance by two guards.

"You have to pay 50 gold to enter the town," said one of the guards, pointing his spear at Jack.

Jack was taken aback. "Why should we pay to enter? It was free earlier."

"Not all of you—just you. It's the fine for inconveniencing the locals," explained the other guard.

Jack's friends tried to hold back their laughter, but one finally burst out, causing the others to follow. Jack grew even angrier, starting to swear at them.

"Hahaha! We told you not to—pfft—to do that. Better pay up, Jack."

Jack didn't actually have any money left; he'd spent it all on health potions for his planned party wipes. Not wanting his friends to know, he decided to lie. "I'm not paying a single coin to you thieves! I'm sure this is some scam—one of your friends probably provoked us to get us angry and attack, just so you could charge me at the entrance! I'm not coming back to this town. There are definitely better starting towns out there, so I'm leaving!"

He glanced at his friends to see if anyone would back him up, but they were still laughing too hard.

No one else was interested in leaving Istarra since no one knew how far the other towns were or if dangerous monsters lay between them. Even though they were friends with Jack, they knew he wouldn't support them in his position. So, Jack left alone, vowing never to speak to them again.

---

Not long after Jack left, a notification rang in every player's head:

"The server is about to be shut down. Please head to a town or safe place for tomorrow!"

Arlon knew this meant only 15 minutes remained until everyone logged out. Though his title likely meant he wouldn't need to log out, he couldn't help feeling a little anxious. This would be the first actual server shutdown; the previous one had only been during character selection.

Still, he needed to prepare for his next adventure. He headed back to Charon's Moonlight Potion Store.

"Are you the one who came up with this festival idea?" asked Charon, though he already knew the answer.

"Yes, I thought it would make everyone happy. Though, it was thanks to everyone's help that we could do it in such a short time." Arlon wanted to be polite to Charon; he had little choice, anyway. Even without his memories from the past, Charon clearly commanded respect. Disrespecting him could cause issues with the NPCs in town.

"Hmph… You just arrived here and you're already making changes. Lucky for you, the festival was acceptable." In reality, the festival was a huge success among both locals and players.

"Thank you for your understanding, sir Charon," replied Arlon politely. "Could I get an invisibility potion?"

"What do you need an invisibility potion for? You're weak; instead of sneaking around monsters, why not confront and kill them!"

"Ah, thank you for your concern about my strength, sir Charon. Don't worry; I'll be stronger soon." Though he was respectful, Arlon knew Charon's personality well and decided to play along a bit.

"Hmph! Why would I care about your well-being? Do whatever you want. But if you use this potion for anything perverted, you'll never buy another potion from me again!"

Just then, three young kids around the age of 9 emerged from the back room, peeking out from behind a curtain. A Beastman boy and girl, and a tiny Fairy girl perched on the Beastman girl's shoulder.

"Thank you for the candies, Uncle Charon," said the Beastman girl, Lodi.

"Thank you!" echoed the other two, the Beastman boy, Sar and the Fairy girl, Vers. Vers was holding a candy as big as her head, even though one-fourth of the candy was gone. 

Charon glanced at the children, then quickly looked away, a faint blush appearing on his face. Arlon could guess why; maybe Charon didn't want Arlon to see this side of him.

The kids then approached Arlon, with Lodi taking the lead while the others followed, looking a bit shy.

"Are you the one called Arlon?" asked Lodi.

"Yes, that's me." Arlon felt strange; he'd never interacted with kids before. On Earth, he rarely spoke to anyone, and in 'EVR,' he'd only spoken to kids for quests when he didn't know this was reality. Even though he'd treated them kindly then, that was only because they were NPCs. After learning that Trion was real, he hadn't encountered children so close to the front lines.

"My mom says you helped people. Are you a good guy?"

Unsure how to respond, Arlon simply nodded.

"If you're a good guy, can you show us around the festival? We can't go too far on our own, and our families are working, so we haven't seen it yet."

Arlon hesitated. He had things to do, and with the server shutdown approaching, he worried about being forced to log out and disappointing them. Charon was watching too, and given how much he seemed to care for these children, refusing felt like it wasn't an option.

In the end, he told them to wait until he finished shopping, then he'd show them around. He bought the invisibility potion and paid 40 gold. Just as he turned to speak to the kids, another notification sounded:

"Attention to all players, the server is going to close in 10, 9, 8…"

Arlon closed his eyes, bracing himself as the countdown reached zero. But to his relief, nothing happened. With a sigh, he decided that helping these kids might be a good way to earn some positive karma since he probably spent his karma by staying logged in.

"Let's go have some fun," he said.

---

The town felt empty after the players had gone, which Arlon preferred. The festival continued, as it wasn't just for the players; it was a celebration for everyone. Arlon and the children went around town, trying out everything the festival offered, including the food.

With 62 gold left after buying the invisibility potion, Arlon decided to treat the kids to some street food. Just as he was about to pay, though, one of the kids paid instead. That's when Arlon realized these kids weren't like children on Earth. Each of them, even the shy Sar and Vers, was much stronger and wealthier than he was. They could hunt monsters outside the town and sell the loot they collected if they wanted to.

So Arlon wondered, Why would their families hold them back from going to the festival alone? It couldn't be because they were scared of the players, as none of them was stronger than these children. And though adult NPCs in Istarra were stronger than the kids, it was a small town where everyone knew each other. Unable to come up with an answer himself, he decided to ask:

"Why didn't your families let you go to the festival alone?"

Lodi looked a bit shy but answered, "They were worried we might disturb or disrespect our saviors."

That is when Arlon understood that Lodi was the leader of the group and a bit of a troublemaker. So, even though Sar and Vers were more reserved or shy, they likely ended up following her lead into mischief. 

Arlon began to wonder what it might be like to have children. Would every day be like this? He didn't feel as if he'd wasted his time with them at the festival—in fact, he enjoyed it. Still, he pushed those thoughts away; he wasn't looking to marry or have kids, and even if he were, now wasn't the time.

After walking the children close to their home, he left the town, heading toward his first hidden secret.