I Don't Need To Log Out

Chapter 29 Blackout

The red-eyed man punched the cheetah-like man standing before him with a force that sent him staggering.

"What do you mean they're dead?!" Asef roared, his voice shaking the room. He was the leader of the Keldars, and his fury was palpable.

The other Keldar, blood trickling from his lips, immediately straightened and replied respectfully despite his pain. "Sir! One of the Trionians must have leaked the information. All but one of the Keldars we were cultivating on the Trion frontlines have been killed."

Asef's crimson eyes burned brighter. "Tell Draco to find out who talked—or he'll be the next to die! I will deal with him soon."

Draco, the Twelfth Demon, was the one responsible for the project Arlon had uncovered.

"Understood!" The cheetah-like Keldar, still trembling slightly, bowed and retreated.

Asef slammed his fist into the table before him, splintering it. "I shouldn't have trusted Draco with this mission! He's ruined everything!"

"Sir, please calm down," a smooth voice interjected. A Beastman woman with sleek, lupine features stepped forward, her tone measured and unafraid. "Even though this is a setback, it doesn't jeopardize our ultimate goal."

Asef's fiery gaze turned to her. "Do you honestly think we'll still reach Kelta in six months?"

She nodded, unflinching under his scrutiny. "We may need to accelerate certain plans, but it's still feasible. Six months is achievable." Her poise made it clear that she wasn't intimidated by Asef, even though she knew he could end her life with a single blow.

Asef growled low in his throat. "I never should have listened to him. If we attacked all at once, we could've wiped out those Trionians by now."

The woman shook her head, her expression calm but firm. "Sir, as you know, a direct assault would have dragged the conflict out for decades. And if their kin were slaughtered en masse, morale in our own ranks would crumble."

"It doesn't matter," Asef snapped, his voice final. "You have six months. If we're not in Kelta by then, I will start the war myself."

---

Arlon received multiple notifications, but his attention was drawn to one in particular. He stared at it in awe:

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

What do you mean, I've leveled up? What just happened?

"Sir Charon, what did you do?" Arlon asked, his voice tinged with confusion. Before Charon could answer, Shirl interjected:

"He shared his life force with you, which means he gave you some of his experience. But, Sir Charon, was that really necessary? You consumed more life force than the experience you transferred."

Charon chuckled, a deep, dismissive sound. "Do you think such a minuscule amount at his level would affect me? I don't even notice it."

"You are correct. But, do you know why we can see each other's levels? We changed our level system at the same time we started seeing the levels on each other, the time when we were blessed with the Eyes of &%/(^+"

Her words were cut off. Instead of a name, a distorted sound reached Arlon's ears. A strange buzzing filled his head.

"I'm sorry, Miss Shirl. I didn't catch the last part. Could you repeat it?"

"Which part, Eyes of &%/(^+"

"Ahhh!" Arlon cried out in pain as his head felt like it was splitting apart. The buzzing grew louder until it overwhelmed his senses. Moments later, everything went black, and he collapsed to the floor.

---

Darkness enveloped Arlon, stretching endlessly no matter where he looked.

Where the hell am I? he thought.

"You don't need to know that yet," a voice answered, calm yet laced with an eerie resonance. "And you can't, even if you want to."

Arlon froze. He hadn't spoken aloud, so whoever—or whatever—was responding had read his thoughts.

"You're only partially correct," the voice continued. "But don't trouble yourself over that."

Arlon scanned the void, but no figure or shape materialized. Anger bubbled beneath the surface; the idea of someone invading his mind unsettled him. Still, he masked his irritation with caution. "I'm Arlon. May I know who I'm speaking to?"

"That, too, is something you cannot know," the voice replied smoothly. "Don't you recall what happened the last time you tried to uncover something you shouldn't?"

Memories surged forward: the incomprehensible sound Shirl uttered, the agonizing headache, and the moment he fainted.

You can't know that. You can't know this! Arlon thought bitterly. Then why drag me here?

"I didn't drag you here," the voice replied, almost amused. "You came of your own accord. Though, to be fair, you shouldn't be here at all. Not yet."

"Then I apologize for intruding," Arlon said, forcing calm into his voice. "Can you at least tell me how to leave?"

A low chuckle echoed in the darkness. "Aren't you curious about this place? About me?"

"Curious, yes," Arlon admitted, "but it seems asking won't get me any answers."

The voice chuckled again, a rich sound that seemed to reverberate through the void. "A smart response. You'll wake soon enough. Oh, and when you see Charon, tell him I said hello."

Before Arlon could reply, light flooded his vision, and the darkness receded. Moments later, he awoke in an unfamiliar bed, the memory of the voice lingering like a phantom whisper.