I Don't Need To Log Out

"Do you have any more questions?" Jiroeki asked.

Arlon had many.

But before anything else, he reached into his inventory and pulled out a small, worn-out note.

It was something he had found deep inside the cave beneath Oceina—after killing the monster placed there by the Keldars.

At first, he had assumed the note was dropped by the creature. But after speaking with Agema, he realized that might not have been the case.

Agema had told him one thing.

"This isn't something that should exist in Trion."

And more than that—

"You shouldn't know about it before ascending. So, I can't answer your questions."

That had been frustrating. But it had also given Arlon a lead.

This note had a connection to something beyond Trion.

And now, after everything he had just learned, he had a suspicion.

There was a link between Jiroeki's race and Trion.

So, he looked up and asked—

"Why was your race trapped in the Tower?"

Jiroeki's face darkened.

"…Because they chose that fate," it said. "Or rather, the version of my race you know isn't the same as the one I was born into."

It sighed, then explained.

"They found my research—the knowledge I left behind.

And they changed.

They became a new race. A race that wanted ascension."

Jiroeki's tone turned bitter.

"The result? They regressed to the Chaos Era.

But instead of killing each other like before…

They turned their attacks outward.

They invaded other planets."

Arlon narrowed his eyes.

"And they were punished for it," he guessed.

Jiroeki nodded.

"Yes. The strong ones from those planets came together and put an end to them.

The survivors were sealed away—trapped in the Tower."

A moment of silence passed.

Arlon processed everything.

Then, something clicked.

Jiroeki's race had attacked other planets.

And among those planets…

One of them must have been the planet and the other heroes had gone to save.

And if that planet had a Tower—

Then that would explain everything.

When Karmel had wished for Trion to be the same as that other planet, it hadn't just brought in a Tower.

It had also brought everything connected to that Tower.

Including the monsters.

And including the other races that had attacked that planet.

Which meant—

The note Arlon had found in Oceina…

It could have belonged to one of them.

His grip on the paper tightened.

"Then this…"

He lifted the note slightly.

"Does this belong to your race?"

Jiroeki's gaze dropped to the paper.

Then, its expression shifted.

And just like Agema, it said—

"You shouldn't know about that before ascending."

Arlon clenched his jaw.

Another roadblock.

"…Fine," he muttered. "Then at least tell me why I can't know."

Jiroeki's gaze lingered on the note.

Then, it met Arlon's eyes again.

And this time, its voice was serious.

"Don't show that to anyone else."

Arlon didn't respond.

Instead, he silently placed the note back into his inventory.

And the conversation ended there.

***

Arlon had more questions.

Most of them were about the Tower.

"How many floors are there?" he asked.

Jiroeki shook its head.

"I can't answer that. You have to find out yourself."

Arlon frowned.

"Then why was it built?"

Another shake of the head.

"You have to find that out yourself, too."

Arlon exhaled sharply.

No matter what he asked, the answer was the same.

He tried to think of something else—something worth asking.

But the more he thought, the more he realized…

There wasn't anything else he truly wanted to know right now.

His thoughts went back to the first time he arrived.

To the moment he had attacked Jiroeki.

His sword had broken.

It had struck Jiroeki's chest and shattered on impact.

Or rather, it hadn't actually hit Jiroeki's chest.

Something had appeared between them. A barrier—no, something different.

He hadn't seen it.

He had known it.

And now, knowing that Jiroeki was an ascended being, he understood why.

There was a gap—a vast difference between their existence levels.

And that was the result.

No matter how much Arlon tried, he couldn't land a single hit.

It wasn't just because of Jiroeki's speed.

Even if he had managed to strike first, his attack still wouldn't have connected.

This effect existed even when there was just a single existence level difference between two beings.

But it was so small that most people mistook it for a simple level disparity.

This was also why monsters in the Tower had been easier to fight once Arlon had surpassed level 200.

And yet, Jiroeki had taken the hit.

It could have dodged easily, but it hadn't.

Arlon's brows furrowed.

And without thinking much, he asked, "Since your time flow is much faster than mine, you could have dodged my attack easily. Why did you take the hit and let my sword shatter?"

His tone came out harsher than he intended.

Jiroeki looked… awkward.

For the first time since Arlon met it, it seemed shy.

"I… uh… I'm sorry," it said. "I just… wondered what your attack would be like after that big of a build-up."

Arlon stared at it.

He had no way of blaming it.

He was the one that attacked.

And he was the one that lost.

But even then, Jiroeki looked somewhat disturbed by what it had done.

So, after a moment, it said, "I'll make it up to you," and tilted its head slightly.

"You're a magic swordsman, right? That's rare in the physical world. Wait a second."

Then, it walked into another room. When it returned, it was holding a sword in one hand and a staff in the other.

"I couldn't find anything that could help you," it said casually. "But it's okay."

Then, it mashed them together.

Physically.

There was no magic involved.

It simply pressed them together like it was kneading dough.

The sword and staff bent like rubber, twisting into a round shape in its hands.

It was as if Jiroeki was making meatballs.

But with priceless weapons.

Arlon's heart thumped every time he heard metal bending.

Because he had taken a peek at them with his Eyes of KET**.

And both the sword and the staff—

They were on par with his Aetherion's Edge.

And yet, Jiroeki had grabbed them like they were nothing.

And now it was crushing them into a ball.

Arlon swallowed.

Jiroeki held the ball in one hand.

Then, it hovered the other hand over it.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then, as it slowly lifted its hovering hand away, the ball shifted.

Its shape stretched and elongated, following Jiroeki's hand.

Until finally, it became a sword.

"This is a makeshift," Jiroeki said. "But it should be okay in the Tower."

It glanced at Arlon.

"I'm giving you a bit extra because of the sound you endured for a year."

Arlon looked down at the new sword.

His eyes were wide.

And he was shocked.