I Don't Need To Log Out

In his past life, Arlon was famous.

With nearly everyone on Earth playing EVR, his name had been at the very top of the Leaderboard, known as the strongest player in the so-called "game."

His dominance was undisputed, and even after the truth about EVR was revealed—that it wasn't a game at all—people still admired him from afar.

Of course, admiration didn't mean connection.

Arlon had always been alone. He fought by himself, never relying on anyone. It wasn't because he had trust issues—no one had ever betrayed him.

He simply lived by one philosophy: If you want something done right, do it yourself.@@novelbin@@

So, he did everything by himself.

And ironically, this only made him even more famous.

The mere sighting of him was enough to spark excitement. His image was shared instantly whenever someone spotted him.

Since most of Trion was already in ruins by then, it was rare to encounter anyone by chance.

But those who hunted in the same regions as Arlon sometimes caught glimpses of him, snapping photos before he disappeared and posting them on the forums.

Before long, he wasn't just a legend in EVR. He had become famous on Earth as well.

Despite all this, he had never cared for fame. He had no sponsors, no public appearances, and no interest in recognition.

He simply played because there was nothing else in life for him and he was the best in the "game".

Fortunately, thanks to a few lucky bets, he had been doing well financially in his past life.

While he wasn't as wealthy as he was now, he had still been able to afford a spacious apartment with top-tier security—one that kept him out of sight.

He rarely left his home unless absolutely necessary. He had everything he needed, even the food was left at his door and he didn't need to see the delivery person.

Still, it was a hassle to waste time on hiding. His whereabouts were mostly unknown, but being recognized even once could cause problems.

That was why, by sheer coincidence, he had started using the mask Charon had given him. It was never his plan, just something convenient until he could change his appearance.

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And now, he could.

He no longer needed the mask.

The only problem was… he didn't realize it was already too late.

Someone had seen his face.

---

"Can we talk for a bit?" June asked Arlon.

Arlon glanced at her, then nodded. "Sure. What is it?"

June gestured for them to move somewhere quieter, so they headed to the café they frequented.

It was late, and most of the tables were empty, making it the perfect place for a private conversation.

After ordering, June leaned forward slightly, her fingers tracing the rim of her cup. "Can you tell me what you talked about with Mei on the third day?"

Arlon raised an eyebrow. "Hmm… Why do you want to know?" He took a sip of his drink before adding, "It was personal, so I'd rather not say unless it's something important."

June had expected that answer. She knew Arlon wasn't the type to casually share details about himself, let alone something as significant as his real face.

He hadn't even told the other players about it. But still, she couldn't shake this feeling of unease.

Maybe it was because they were players that he didn't feel comfortable telling them.

Or maybe she just wanted to know for herself.

"It's not actually that important," she admitted. "There's just something I wanted to talk to you about."

She hesitated, gripping her cup a little tighter. This was it—the moment she would confess that she had peeked at his real face before the banquet.

She had no idea how much Arlon wanted to keep it a secret. Even though he wasn't wearing his mask now, she could tell the face she saw before wasn't the one he usually showed.

But before she could say another word, her breath caught in her throat.

Arlon's face... It was the same one she had seen back then.

"You peeked at my face before the banquet, didn't you?" Arlon said with a smirk, his tone light but unmistakably knowing.

June froze. How did he know?

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm guessing that's what you wanted to talk about," he continued.

"Y-yeah, you're correct. But… how—"

"How did I know?" Arlon's smirk deepened. "Do you really think I wouldn't notice magic being used right in front of me?"

June's eyes widened. That was something she hadn't considered. Since she didn't know how long Arlon had been studying magic, she thought she could get away with it. Clearly, she had underestimated him.

"I'm surprised, though," Arlon added casually. "I didn't think you'd be the type to peek. If I hadn't noticed, you could've ended up seeing something… very different."

June's cheeks burned red. "I wouldn't look if that were the case!" she blurted out.

Arlon chuckled. "Haha! But you would see."

June stared at him, caught off guard.

This was the first time she had ever seen Arlon genuinely laugh. And this time, it was with his real face.

For a moment, she forgot what she was even supposed to say.

"So," Arlon continued, breaking the silence, "are you wondering if I told Mei about this? Of course, I didn't. I don't know her that well."

For some reason, June felt relieved. It wasn't about Mei knowing or not—she had only cared about satisfying her own curiosity.

So then... why did she feel relieved?

Shaking the thought away, she crossed her arms. "Do you have any other questions?" Arlon asked.

"Of course, I do!" June huffed. "Hundreds of them."

"I don't think we have that much time, but go ahead."

"First of all, are you okay with me knowing this? I mean, you went out of your way to hide your face, so I assume it's important to you."

"To be honest, it's not that important. I'm just hiding it for the sake of it. I don't want to be a famous player. And besides, I know you won't tell anyone."

This wasn't just blind trust. Arlon had been analyzing the players since the first day he met them.

He wanted to befriend them, but in his mind, understanding people required careful observation. He needed to know who to trust and how much.

If he had spent that time simply talking to them instead, he might have already become friends with them. But at this point, Arlon had become too antisocial for that.

After Pierre, June was the one he trusted the most. For some reason, he felt like he could be good friends with Pierre.

The one he trusted the least was, unsurprisingly, Zack. Not because Zack would intentionally reveal one of Arlon's secrets, but because he was too unpredictable. Arlon simply didn't want to take that risk.

June, of course, had no way of knowing this.

"You have a good judgment of character!" she said proudly. "But I didn't think you'd trust someone you don't even consider a friend."

"It's not that I don't see you as a friend. But let's talk about that another time—we don't have much time."

"You're right. My next question—were we working for you in Oceina?"