I Don't Need To Log Out-Chapter 249: Dead-end

Ten days.

For ten days, Arlon had fought nonstop.

The battlefield was unrecognizable now. What had once been a pristine, untouched floor was now a graveyard of monsters.

The bodies had long since vanished, absorbed by the Tower, but the lingering scent of blood and mana still clung to the air.

The last boss—the strongest one, Level 294—staggered back, its monstrous body barely holding itself together. It was massive, its deep crimson eyes flickering as if trying to stay alight.

Arlon could use the slow spell on the boss to make him so slow that it wouldn't seem like it was moving, but he didn't.

There were two reasons behind this. First, he didn't want to make this fight easy. He still needed to train, especially with the time magic.

But he wouldn't be able to do that back in Trion since almost everyone would be weaker than him.

At least, that was what he told himself.

The second reason he didn't use the slow spell was, and this was the real reason, he couldn't use it.

Since it was an AOE spell, the spell would also affect him. He wasn't that good at controlling this spell yet.

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One year wasn't much in terms of time magic.

But it was over.

Arlon dashed forward, Aetherion's Edge humming as it cut through the stale air.

His body moved with perfect control, enhanced by the very spells that had helped him last this long. Haste kept his movements sharp.

Slow had ensured that the strongest enemies never interfered at the worst times.

And now, after ten relentless days, only one thing remained.

The boss let out a final, desperate roar as Arlon closed the distance. With one last precise strike, Aetherion's Edge tore through its core.

The monster's body froze, its form trembling—then, in an instant, it shattered into particles of fading blue light.

It was over.

Two rapid notifications appeared. Level Up. Level Up.

Arlon let out a slow breath, his grip on Aetherion's Edge loosening just slightly.

His body ached, exhaustion clinging to his muscles, but his mind was clear. He didn't check his new level. He didn't need to.

With this, I've finally surpassed my level in my past life.

A small smirk tugged at his lips before fading just as quickly. He had done it. He had finally done it.

But then… nothing happened.

No new notification. No message announcing that he had cleared the floor. No transition to the next level.

Arlon frowned. That wasn't normal.

He glanced around, his sharp gaze scanning the empty battlefield. There was nothing left. Not a single monster, not a trace of movement.

For a few moments, he simply stood there, his breathing steady as he waited for something—anything—to happen. But the Tower remained silent.

"…I see."

Arlon tightened his grip on his sword again and began moving.

The first thing he did was sweep through the entire floor.

He checked every possible hiding spot, every shadowed corner where a monster might have been lurking. He listened for any sound—any sign that the floor wasn't truly clear.

But no matter where he looked, it was the same. Nothing.

His frown deepened.

The Tower didn't make mistakes like this. If there were no monsters left, the floor should have been cleared automatically. Unless…

He shook his head. It didn't matter. He would figure it out.

Raising his gaze, he turned his attention to the ceiling. Unlike the previous floors, this one was still pristine.

Not a single crack, not a single sign of damage. It was high—absurdly high—but that didn't matter.

With his stats, he could probably scale a skyscraper with just one jump.

So, he did.

Arlon bent his knees slightly, then launched himself upward. The air split around him as he shot toward the ceiling, Aetherion's Edge still in his grasp.

His eyes narrowed as he reached the top, scanning every inch of the smooth surface before gravity pulled him back down.

Nothing.

He landed lightly, barely making a sound. Then, he tried again. And again.

Each time, he searched for anything out of place—an opening, a crack, even a single disturbance in the mana flow. But there was nothing.

Arlon exhaled slowly.

Something was wrong with this floor. That much was certain.

But whether it was another bug in the Tower or something far worse… he still didn't know.

***

With no leads, no monsters, and no way forward, Arlon made a decision.

For now, he would wait.

If this was a bug, then maybe it would fix itself. If it was a test, then maybe the Tower was simply delaying the next step. Either way, he needed rest.

He sat down in the middle of the battlefield, crossing his legs as he leaned back slightly, letting his body relax. At least two weeks passed like this.

Of course, he never truly slept.

Instead, he acted like he was asleep. His breathing slowed.

His posture shifted slightly, as if he had truly succumbed to exhaustion.

But his mind remained sharp, his senses stretched to their limits.

Why?

Because the possibility of an invisible monster lurking nearby couldn't be ignored.

If there was something watching him, waiting for the perfect moment to strike, then this would be the best way to bait it out. But nothing came.

No attack. No movement. No sound.

Eventually, he ended his fake sleep and began training.

He refined his mana control, practiced his spells, and pushed his limits further. Yet, despite his efforts, the Tower remained silent.

At this point, he was certain.

This wasn't a test. This was a bug.

He started thinking; if this was a bug, then how could he escape?

Through extensive research, which is asking Agema, he had learned the truth about death in the Tower.

If he died here, he wouldn't revive in EVR.

At first, he thought it was because the Tower held the enemies of Trion. But after entering the Tower, he learned the truth.

If his deduction was right, the Tower could overrule Zeno's existence.

This meant that the creator of the Tower had created something stronger than what EVR, the strongest existence, had created.

Of course, this didn't mean they were stronger than EVR. It only meant EVR didn't create Zeno to be unbeatable.

However, there was a catch.

What if he didn't die to a monster? What if he killed himself?

According to Agema, he would most likely revive… unless the Tower had a countermeasure for that. In other words, it was testable.

But Arlon had no intention of testing it.

Dying wasn't an option.

He had climbed too far, trained too long, and fought too many battles to throw everything away on a gamble. He would find another way.