I Don't Need To Log Out

"Is it possible for me to read the books here when I have time in the future?" Arlon asked.

Zephyrion shook his head. "They belong to the government, not to me, so I can't allow it."

Arlon wasn't ready to give up. He wanted to uncover more about the past and EVR. No matter what, he was part of both this world and the "game."

"Hmm... What about a trade, then?" Arlon proposed, his tone calm but determined.

Zephyrion's lips curled into a faint smirk. "What do you have to offer?"

Arlon opened his inventory and began pulling out books, one after another. Soon, ten volumes were stacked neatly in his hands.

"I have history books written by Agema," he replied smugly, clearly pleased with his leverage.

He had more than ten books in his possession, but he decided ten would suffice for now. Borrowing the library's resources was his goal, and he could always use the rest of his collection as leverage in the future.

Zephyrion raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"I'll donate these books to the government," Arlon offered, "in exchange for unrestricted access to this library whenever I need it."

Zephyrion's eyes narrowed slightly. "You're aware that withholding discoveries like these from the government is a crime in Trion, aren't you?"

Arlon grinned. "Worst-case scenario, you'll kill me, and I'll revive."

"Haha! Good thinking," Zephyrion chuckled, clearly amused. "Don't worry. I wouldn't resort to something so crude."

Even though the comment seemed like a joke, Arlon felt a chill. If Zephyrion truly wanted to punish him, death would be the least of his concerns.

"Fine," Zephyrion finally agreed. "Hand over the books, and I'll grant you access to the library whenever you wish. Now, tell me—what was it you wanted to report?"

Arlon nodded, relieved. "Ah, about that. Let's sit first. I have quite a bit to share, and I think you'll find it helpful."

---

On Earth, the minds of eight players were in chaos.

Five of them—the Gamers—had gathered in a private room at a café to discuss their revelations.

"Could it still be a joke by a game developer? It's possible, you know," Lei said, her tone uncertain.

"I don't think so," Pierre replied. "It seemed like Arlon knew about this long before today."

"This changes everything," Zack muttered, his voice laced with fear. "S-shouldn't we tell everyone? If this is real, they deserve to know."

"No," June interjected firmly. "Let's be realistic. They didn't tell everyone for a reason. It's not our place to spread this information."

"Why do you think they're keeping it secret?" Lei asked, still skeptical.

"I have a theory," June said thoughtfully.

"Really? I thought it was because we were chosen or something. If things like magic are real, destiny could also be real." Carole said, surprisingly talking her mind more than before.

Pierre shook his head. "That's not it. We were picked based on our tournament performance. If anyone chose us, it wasn't some higher power—it was Arlon."

"I think it's because they need people to keep playing," June explained.

"What do you mean?" Zack asked, his unease growing.

"Haven't you seen Carmen? We've killed things because we thought it was just a game. Do you think you will be able to continue killing like before if we continue playing? How many people do you think will stop playing if they learn?"

"But... aren't they just monsters?" Zack countered hesitantly.

"Did you even watch the intro?" June shot back. "They're monsters to us, but to Trionians, they're just aliens. Well, I don't care about those, to be honest, but what about the named monsters?

They were told to be intelligent. Also, there are Demons and the last boss. I am sure they will all be intelligent. Can you kill them?"

June pointed out the harsh truth.

"We need to think this through carefully," she continued. "If we're going to keep playing, we can't half-ass it."

"I've already made my decision," Carole said quietly but firmly. "I'm going to keep going."

Everyone was shocked by her changed attitude. Carole wasn't shy or timid, but she was also never this open with anyone.

"I'm not killing anyone anyway," she added. "And for the first time in my life, I have a real chance to help someone."

But, this was still not enough for June.

June scrutinized her. "Are you sure? You're saying you want to help, but what if the Trionians aren't the good guys? What if the intro lied?"

A heavy silence settled over the table. Each of them wrestled with their thoughts, searching for any evidence to support their beliefs. Find exclusive stories on empire

Finally, Pierre spoke up. "Let's continue for now. We don't know who's right or wrong, but while we're in Kelta, we'll focus on training and won't be killing anyone. If we decide the other side is right, we can always switch later."

It wasn't a perfect solution, but it was the best option they had. One by one, they nodded in agreement.

---

Meanwhile, Evan and Carmen were talking on the phone. Since they were underaged and it was nighttime on Earth, meeting in person wasn't an option.

"Carmen, you don't need to worry so much. You didn't do anything wrong. You were just helping me," Evan said, his tone calm and reassuring.

"But still... I helped you k-k-kill them," Carmen stammered, her voice trembling. She could barely bring herself to say the word, a testament to how much the thought unsettled her.

Evan sighed softly, sensing how deeply this was affecting her. "Carmen, listen to me. It wasn't your fault. You didn't hurt anyone, and you were just doing what anyone else would have done in that situation."

"But it feels like I did. If I hadn't helped..."

"You helped me," Evan interrupted gently. "That's all you did. I would've done the same thing on my own, with or without you. You're not to blame, okay?"

For the next hour, Evan patiently reassured her, speaking in a steady voice and repeating comforting words when she started spiraling.

Eventually, Carmen's breathing evened out, and she began to sound calmer.

"Okay," she murmured finally, though her voice was still soft. "I'll try to believe you."

Evan felt a wave of relief but knew the real challenge was still ahead.

"So," he asked cautiously, "what do we do now? Are we logging back in tomorrow?"

Silence hung on the line as they both considered the weight of the decision.

---

"I have a lot of things to report. You can choose to believe me or not, but I won't be able to answer any questions about how I know the things I'm about to share," Arlon began, his tone firm.

He wanted to set expectations from the start since he planned to share knowledge from the future.

Of course, he wouldn't reveal everything—doing so would make his information too suspicious. But he would share as much as he could without raising unnecessary doubts.

Zephyrion nodded. "Understood. Go ahead."

"First of all," Arlon started, "I'll provide you with some additional information about the time of the heroes. Please send an exploration team to Poko Mountain. There's a cave near the summit. You'll find something important there."

This was information about the monster core.

Arlon already had one in his possession and had initially planned to find the other himself.

However, relying too heavily on his skills alone wasn't a good strategy—even Agema had emphasized this in her book.

He decided to pass on the core's discovery to the Trionians, allowing them to start researching it earlier than they would have in his past timeline.

Normally, that core would remain undiscovered for another five years, and no meaningful advancements would be made for a decade.

But this wasn't just about expediting research by five years.

In the original timeline, many researchers would lose their lives when the Trionian government fell.

By sharing this information now, there was a chance to significantly advance equipment-making techniques and prevent critical knowledge from being lost.

Zephyrion didn't react visibly, maintaining a calm demeanor. He was here to listen, not to act impulsively.

Regardless of how valuable Arlon's information seemed, Zephyrion had no obligation to act on the word of a mere player.

But he would evaluate the information carefully.

"The second piece of information," Arlon continued, his voice steady despite the weight of his words, "is this: Kelta will fall in three years."