I Don't Need To Log Out

Zack and Carole set off when they heard Pierre and Lei had discovered a secret tunnel.

Meanwhile, Arlon and June teleported as soon as they learned the others had found the monster.

But they encountered Zack and Carole outside the passage.

"Damn it!" Arlon muttered, already anticipating the chaos that misunderstanding would bring.

And he wasn't wrong.

Without hesitation, Zack drew his swords and lunged at Arlon.

Arlon easily caught the blades, holding them firmly. While Zack posed no threat, Arlon didn't want to escalate the situation unnecessarily.

"Zack, stop! What do you think you're doing?" June stepped in, her voice sharp.

Zack struggled to retrieve his swords, but Arlon held them effortlessly, his expression neutral.

"We have a monster to deal with," Arlon said, letting go of the swords. "Let's handle that first, and you can try this nonsense again later."

Zack, frustrated and humiliated, grunted in reluctant agreement. He couldn't win against Arlon, so he had to accept this proposal.

Turning to June, Arlon added, "You should talk to him. This situation is only going to get worse if it's not addressed."

June nodded, though unease crept into her expression.

She knew Arlon was right, but confronting Zack about his behavior was a daunting task, especially given the strain it might place on their group.

---

"Aren't they here yet?" Lei asked, her tone impatient.

"Zack and Carole should arrive soon, but Arlon and June just left," Pierre replied. "It might take them a little longer."

Lei sighed. "I thought things would go smoother with Arlon around."

Pierre crossed his arms. "We can't rely on him for everything. The Gamers Guild needs to establish its own reputation."

Before they could continue, the sound of approaching footsteps interrupted them. The rest of their group appeared, with Arlon and June trailing slightly behind.

"Is that the monster?" June asked, her gaze fixed on the massive, slumbering creature ahead.

"Yes," Pierre confirmed. "It looks strong. We should deal with it quickly before someone else shows up."

The group immediately noticed something unusual—Zack wasn't his usual boastful self.

"How did you all arrive at the same time?" Lei asked, curious.

"Teleportation," Arlon replied curtly, clearly uninterested in small talk. He activated his skill, Eyes of ***** to examine the creature:

***

Nydra (Level 142)

HP: 27,000

Skill: [Poison Breath], [Smash]

Weak Point: Heads, Electric

***

Weak point? Did the weakened state on the Eyes of ***** release a bit more? Arlon thought after seeing the new addition to his skill.

Even though "heads" wasn't a good tip and, in this case, obvious, this would help a lot in his future battles.

The Nydra was fortunately still in its pre-evolved state. Had it reached level 150, the fight would have been far more dangerous.

In the past timeline, the monsters that attacked the cities were at least 200 level, but even at 150, they would surely be gruesome.

Arlon understood from experience that monsters evolved and gained significant power boosts every 50 levels, akin to a universal rule of existence.

This is probably something universal. I wonder what the average existence level on Earth is if there is one.

Weak point? Arlon thought, surprised. His skill hadn't provided such detailed insights in the past. While the information about the heads was obvious, this new functionality could be invaluable in future battles.

The Nydra was fortunately still in its pre-evolved state. Had it reached level 150, the fight would have been far more dangerous. Arlon knew from experience that monsters gained significant power boosts every 50 levels, akin to a universal rule of existence.

"What's the plan?" Carole asked, breaking his thoughts.

"I can kill it myself," Arlon replied. After defeating Tailon and Zerax, this would be a trivial battle.

But Zack immediately objected. "No way! We found this monster—it's ours to defeat!"

"Fine. Go ahead," Arlon said with a shrug. He was growing tired of Zack's behavior but refrained from escalating the tension.

To Arlon's surprise, Zack declared, "Actually, I'll kill it alone!" and charged toward the sleeping monster.

"Zack, stop!" Pierre yelled, but Zack ignored him.

The Nydra awoke with a growl, its three heads snapping to attention. Zack swung his sword, but it barely scratched the creature's thick hide.

Enraged, the Nydra rose to its full height, towering over Zack like a small cottage. Carole hastily cast Holy Shield on him, but Zack sneered, "Stop it, Carole! I don't need your help!"

This was actually too much and Arlon knew that he caused it. In the past timeline, Carole and Zack had married, meaning they solved the Zack and June problem at some point.

So, Arlon, by being among them, caused the issue to get bigger. That was one of the reasons he wasn't harsh on anyone.

Carole's face fell, her voice trembling as she canceled the shield. Tears welled in her eyes, and she stepped back.

Zack wasn't strong enough to pierce Nydra's skin, let alone kill it by himself. But the worst thing was he was also endangering the others.

When he dodged a few of the monster's attacks, the Nydra's fury reached its peak. It unleashed its Poison Breath skill, a thick, purple mist encompassing Zack and continuing toward the others.

Arlon reacted instantly, casting a wind spell to push the poison away, but it was too late for Zack.

Poison mist didn't hurt directly, but poisoned the user and none of the players here were at a high enough level to defend or endure against the poison.

Zack was the biggest example of it. After taking in the Poison Breath, his body turned purple, and he died in three seconds while screaming.

No one knew if he was screaming because of the pain or because of getting defeated by a monster Arlon could kill but he couldn't.

But, since the game provided 90% damage reduction to dull the pain, the latter was the more possible explanation.

Arlon sighed, "Do you want to continue? I can still stay while the four of you try it once."

The rest of the group stood frozen. Pierre broke the silence. "We can't handle this. Even with Zack alive, we wouldn't stand a chance."

Arlon nodded. "I'll take care of it, then."

He didn't need to do his best, this would be an easy fight. Since Nydra was a water monster, electric attacks had more effect on it.

Arlon used Dash to go near the monster and swung his sword, cutting one of the three heads.

Of course, the Gamers except Zack who was dead, were shocked.

Arlon was a mage, but he had used a warrior skill, Dash. It wasn't a rare skill, so some of the warriors, including Lei, already had it and that is why they knew this was a warrior skill.

But Arlon didn't care about it. He wasn't hiding he was a magic swordsman since eventually, everyone would learn.

He used Lightning Feet, Blink, and Dash with Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning while also swinging his sword.

This was overkill for a monster of this degree, but Arlon didn't want the other party members to die, so he used the monster's weakness to lightning and swung his blade to hit the heads.

When the third head fell, a notification chimed in Arlon's mind:

"You have leveled up 1x. You gained 3 CP."

After level 100, it was hard to level up, so 1 level was more than he thought he would get.

More importantly, everyone could see June also leveling up, more than once, thanks to the light surrounding her.

Realizing his mistake, Arlon muttered, "I should have added everyone to the party instead of just June."