I Don't Need To Log Out

Arlon continued moving across Trion, fighting at the front lines and clearing them one by one.

Without pause, without hesitation.

Now that night had fallen, and all the players were forcibly logged out, the battlefield had changed. And so did his priorities.

At Zephyrion's request, Arlon shifted his destination.

Thankfully, the Gamers Guild had done their part. They'd managed to push back most of the Named Monsters in Vraka—no small feat, considering what they were up against.

But a few of them still lingered.

And even one Named Monster was a threat that couldn't be ignored.

So, Arlon headed straight for Vraka.

The battle didn't last long.

With his current power, clearing the remaining Named Monsters was less a fight and more a cleanup.

One swing, one burst of magic—he erased the enemies that would've taken dozens of players to defeat.

He was too strong now.

If it came down to it, Zephyrion could have ordered the villages evacuated and let Arlon unleash his full strength.

If needed, he could end battles in seconds. Entire fronts would fall silent before the first scream echoed.

He was that strong.

But they didn't choose that route.

Because the cost of that kind of destruction would be too high—too many homes ruined, too much ground lost that would take years to rebuild.

They couldn't afford that kind of victory.

Still, even with those limits in place, Arlon aimed to push as far as possible.

To clear as many towns, cities, and strongholds from Keldar hands before the players logged back in.

He would fight through the night if needed.

Because once this war ended, once the cities were safe—

It would finally be time.

Time to move toward where Asef was.

---

When the players logged in, they were stunned by what they saw.

No matter which starting town they appeared in, the scene was the same.

The battle was over.

The siege was gone.

Every town that had been under Keldar assault had been liberated—freed from the monsters that had overwhelmed them just a day before.

There were no bodies left in the streets. No smoke. No signs of chaos.

Only silence, calm, and the stunned expressions of the Trionians who had survived.

All but three towns had been saved.

Naturally, the players began checking the forums, searching for answers. And they found them.

Some players had already written about what had happened during the night as they heard from the Trionians in their towns.

Arlon had come.

While the rest of the world was offline, he had gone from one front to another, eliminating the Keldars, pushing them back, ending the assaults as if they were nothing.

It wasn't just defense.

It was a full-scale purge.

And with every account, with every retelling, the meaning became clearer.

He didn't log out.

He had moved through the night while everyone else "woke up"—doing the one thing no one else could.

And the players understood what that meant.

But Arlon didn't care.

He never had.

Earth had only ever brought him pain.

He didn't crave recognition or praise.

Because there was something more important now.

Something bigger than all of this.

Today was a turning point.

But even going after Asef—the Keldar none of them dared face—wasn't the biggest part of it.

What Arlon was truly waiting for was something else entirely.

And just as that thought passed, a system chime echoed in the minds of every player.

A notification.

The final piece Arlon needed...

---

Inside one of Vraka's fortified courtyards—now cleared of monsters but still marked with the scars of battle—the members of the Gamers Guild gathered, resting in a loose circle atop stone benches and crates.

Their armor and robes were scratched, but they still seemed new because of the Zeno's effect of making it seem like a game.

They took damage but didn't get dirty or old.

"How is that even possible?" Zack asked, still half leaning on his blades. "We all got logged out. I saw the system kick me."

He looked at the others, waiting for someone to offer a better explanation than the one running in circles in his mind.

Pierre crossed his arms over his massive shield. "And yet Arlon was still out there, clearing entire cities like it was nothing.

The reports weren't just exaggerated. We saw what Vraka looked like before he arrived. Then boom—nothing left but quiet."

"It doesn't make sense," Carmen said softly, arms folded, her summons drifting lazily in the air behind her like half-forgotten thoughts. "The system has never allowed players to bypass logout time. Not once."

"Unless he's not playing by the same rules anymore," Evan muttered, flipping a dagger between his fingers. His voice was cool, but his eyes were sharp. "Maybe he's not even a player anymore."

"Don't be ridiculous," Maria said with a snort. "If that were the case, he wouldn't still be showing up on the leaderboard. We checked."

"But even if he's still listed, that doesn't explain it," Zack shot back. "What kind of perk could possibly override a system lockout?"

Carole said nothing at first, eyes cast toward the cracked stone floor. She was quiet enough that the others almost forgot she was there—until she finally spoke.

"Maybe… it's not a perk."

That made everyone pause.

She didn't elaborate. And Lei didn't push her.

Because both of them were thinking the same thing.

June had called them two days ago—not to explain everything, but to ask for help.

The way she talked, the way her voice trembled just slightly when she mentioned Arlon… it hadn't been hard to read between the lines.

She knew.

Or at least, she had known that something about Arlon was different.

But neither Lei nor Carole said anything out loud. If June hadn't told the others herself, it wasn't their place.

Instead, Lei leaned back and stretched, playing it off with casual ease. "Well, maybe he hacked the system," she joked. "Wouldn't put it past him. Classic Arlon move—disappear for months, come back stronger than a god, act like it's no big deal. He is already 300 level."

"Seriously," Maria added, shaking her head. "At least June popped up once or twice on Earth. Arlon? Nothing. Not even a reply to our messages.

Though June told us it wasn't possible for him to see in-game messages where he was, he could have replied when he got out."

They had fought with Arlon, laughed with him, and trusted him. Then he was gone.

Pierre broke the silence. "Whatever happened, he's back now. And stronger than ever. That's what matters."

And then—

A ripple passed through the courtyard.

Like the air had shifted around them.

The soft crunch of boots on gravel. A familiar weight behind the steps. Everyone turned, instinctively rising to their feet.

Arlon was there.

Walking toward them, calm as ever, dressed in muted armor that shimmered faintly under the morning light. And beside him—June.

The group froze for a beat.

Then chaos.

"You bastard!" Zack was the first to move, charging forward not with blades drawn, but arms wide. "Where the hell have you been?!"

"Hey, careful," Arlon said, just before the tackle-hug collided with him.

Everyone was shocked to see that Zack was the one saying this.

Since when was he that close with Arlon? Or that worried about him...

Zack held on for two seconds too long before stepping back and smacking Arlon on the shoulder. "You could've said something!"

"I'm saying something now," Arlon replied.

"You've got some nerve," Maria chimed in, walking up with a grin and crossing her arms. "Clearing the map like it's a dungeon speedrun and acting like you didn't just vanish for three months."

"I missed you too," Arlon said dryly. But he still meant it. He missed hanging out with other people, especially these people here.