I Don't Need To Log Out

A man was making his way to the southwest of the Great Forest near Istarra.

It had been over two months since the game's launch, and only now was this man about to hand in his first quest.

This was Gellard, a magic swordsman in the past timeline. After mocking Arlon's dialogue as an NPC, Arlon had sent him on a wild goose chase—a grueling quest deep within the Great Forest.

"At last, I'm going to finish it. None of the other NPCs would give me any quests because of this one."

Gellard sighed, frustration etched across his face. "I'm so behind... But this is the end! I've completed 13 quests along the way without any rewards. He has to give me something incredible now. Maybe he'll even let me choose a second class!"

Fueled by these dreams, Gellard arrived at the old man's cabin nestled among the towering trees. His final task? Delivering three Mar Turtle shells.

Mar Turtles were unintelligent Keldar monsters that inhabited riverbanks. Killing them without damaging their tough shells was an infuriatingly delicate task.

But Gellard had managed it. He'd even ignored the buzz of the tournament, focusing solely on completing this quest.

"Old man, here are the turtle shells. You told me this was the last thing you needed!" Gellard exclaimed, triumphantly placing the pristine shells on the table.

The old man's eyes widened in delight. "Ah, young man! You've done it! You've brought me everything I needed. I don't know how to thank you enough. Truly, you've been so selfless in helping an old hermit like me. I don't think I have anything enough to compensate you."

"It's no problem at all!" Gellard replied, his voice dripping with anticipation. "Anything will do. I don't need something expensive!"

Here it comes, Gellard thought, his heart racing. It has to be something valuable he doesn't understand the value of— like a skill book or an old-looking legendary weapon!

The old man chuckled sheepishly, scratching his head. "Ah, I think you've misunderstood."

Gellard froze. "Misunderstood?"

"I don't have anything to give you," the old man admitted with a shrug. "I'm just a poor hermit in the forest, forbidden from leaving this place. What could someone like me possibly have to offer?"

Silence enveloped the cabin as Gellard processed the words. His face turned red, then white, then back to red.

"You mean to tell me... you have nothing?" His voice wavered with disbelief.

The old man offered a gentle, apologetic smile. "Nothing at all. But I'm deeply grateful for all you've done—"

Shing!

The sound of a blade unsheathing cut through the air. Gellard stood motionless for five solid minutes before gripping the hilt of his sword.

---

"We will continue with the semi-finals now! The first match is June vs. Evan!"

The matches didn't stop between the quarter-finals and semi-finals but since Arlon was the last one that fought, it didn't matter much.

June and Evan entered the arena while the spectators screamed their names to support them.

This was actually more like a final match than a semi-final. The winner of this match would fight against Arlon and lose, so this match's winner was the best among the normal players.

The arena erupted in cheers as June and Evan took their positions.

The mage and the assassin stood opposite each other, their contrasting fighting styles promising an exhilarating match.

Evan crouched slightly. His dual daggers were glinting in the sunlight. His slim, agile frame radiated confidence, and his piercing gaze locked onto June, searching for an early opening.

In contrast, June stood tall, her staff in hand and a calm determination etched on her face.

Her robes shimmered faintly with protective enchantments, hinting at the layers of strategy she carried into battle.

The referee raised his hand. "Begin!"

Evan wasted no time. With a quick flick of his wrist, he activated Basic Stealth, his form vanishing into thin air.

The crowd gasped in unison, their eyes darting across the arena in an attempt to spot him. He went into stealth faster than Alain.

June, however, remained unfazed. She held her ground, closed her eyes momentarily, and began a soft chant.

Her staff glowed and sent ripples through the arena as she activated Arcane Perception.

This was the skill that allowed her to sense the faint magical residue left by stealth-based abilities.

Since Evan was using basic stealth, she could see through it.

The faint outline of Evan's form flickered in her vision. He was darting rapidly toward her left side.

Without hesitation, June pivoted and raised her staff and conjured the translucent barrier just as Evan reappeared mid-swing.

His daggers struck the shield with a metallic clang, causing sparks to fly.

"You can see me too?" Evan asked, his voice tinged with disbelief. Lei had seen him thanks to the warriors' ability but June used a different kind of skill.

June didn't reply. Instead, she unleashed a quick spell, a wave of force radiating outward. The sudden burst caught Evan off guard, sending him skidding back several feet.

Evan didn't falter. Regaining his footing, he activated Double Strike. His daggers glowed faintly since the skill was activated.

He dashed forward with blinding speed while zigzagging to throw off June's aim. In an instant, he closed the gap and unleashed a rapid flurry of two strikes aimed at her torso.

June managed to block the first strike with her staff, but the second cut through, grazing her arm.

A sharp pain shot through her, but she gritted her teeth and retaliated by slamming her staff into the ground.

The impact triggered Arcane Eruption, a shockwave of magical energy that forced Evan to retreat again. Wisps of arcane energy swirled around June as she prepared her next move.

Evan, realizing that a frontal assault wasn't working, activated Basic Stealth once more. This time, he moved more cautiously and circled her while searching for a blind spot.

June narrowed her eyes, her perception skill once again tracking his movements. She raised her staff, and shards of ice began to form in the air around her.

With a sharp command, the shards shot out in all directions, forcing Evan to break his stealth to avoid the attack.

The audience roared as Evan darted between the icy projectiles, his agility on full display.

He managed to avoid most of the shards, but one clipped his shoulder, leaving a jagged wound and a patch of frost on his leather armor.

June capitalized on the moment. She raised her staff high, and a swirling vortex of fire ignited above her.

With a downward swing after 4 seconds of chanting, she launched the Flame Pillar spell, the same one Arlon used against Zack, a towering column of fire erupting directly where Evan stood.

Evan dove to the side just in time thanks to the long chanting, but the heat singed his cloak. Sweat dripped down his face as he panted, his stamina waning. He needed to end the fight quickly.

Summoning his remaining strength, Evan charged forward, activating Double Strike one last time. He didn't have many skills since PVP wasn't his concern till now.

This time, he feinted to the right, aiming to catch June off guard with a surprise strike from the left.

But June was ready. She whispered another incantation and a glowing orb shined brightly.

Evan's daggers struck empty air. He was blinded by June's light orb and in the meantime, June dodged easily.

Before Evan could get his sight back, June sent fireballs one after another since this was the only skill she could chant almost instantly.

June's expression softened into a small smile. "It's over."

With a final flourish, she cast Arcane Bolt, a concentrated projectile of pure energy.

The bolt struck Evan square in the chest, shattering his armor.

The referee stepped forward, raising his hand. "The winner is June!"

The crowd erupted into thunderous applause, their excitement echoing throughout the arena.

June lowered her staff, took a deep breath, and offered a slight bow to the audience before returning to her seat.

The Gamers were overjoyed, cheering and clapping, but the same wasn't true for Carmen. She rushed out to check on Evan.

After a short while, Carmen and Evan returned to the seating area together. Evan, despite his defeat, managed a wry grin. "Guess you've got me this time. Good fight, June."

"You fought well, Evan," June replied with a warm smile, extending her hand. "Let's both keep doing our best."

As the two shook hands, a gesture of mutual respect, the sound of clashing magic and steel caught their attention. Arlon and Maria's match was nearing its conclusion.

Arlon, like before, refrained from ending the match too quickly. However, there wasn't much he could teach Maria since she was a summoner.

Instead, he allowed her to launch her attacks while he defended, subtly demonstrating effective and ineffective strategies for her to learn from.

Despite the lesson-like nature of the match, the outcome was inevitable. After a series of controlled exchanges, Arlon secured his victory.

The announcer stepped into the arena as the cheers of the audience died down.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we will now take a one-hour break before the final match! This will give our participants time to rest and prepare themselves."

With that, the crowd began to buzz with excitement, speculating about the final showdown between June and Arlon.

After one hour, Arlon and June stood in the middle of the arena, ready to fight each other in the final match of the tournament.