I Don't Need To Log Out-Chapter 230: The Challenge (3)

Agema materialized behind Mei without a sound.

The instant she became visible, Mei froze.

Her body tensed instantly, and before she could even think—

She spun around and took a defensive stance, her grip on her staff tightening.

But—

The next moment, Mei's staff was no longer in her hands.

She blinked.

Then, her eyes widened in shock.

Agema twirled the staff between her fingers, examining it casually.

"You don't need to be so aggressive."

Her honey-colored eyes flickered toward Mei.

"I won't attack you. I just don't want to complicate things with you attacking me."

Mei stiffened further but didn't move.

She wasn't foolish.

Whoever this woman was, she had taken her staff without her even noticing.

If she had wanted to kill her, she would've done it already.

Still—

Mei's voice was tense.

"Who are you?"

Agema smiled.

"Someone who knows Arlon."

She tilted her head, her tone lighthearted.

"What do you need him for?"

Mei's face hardened at Agema's question.

She looked hesitant—clearly unwilling to share too much.

"I just came to return something he lent to Vulwin, and—"

She stopped herself.

Her lips pressed together as if she had almost said something she shouldn't have.

Agema smirked.

She wasn't blind—this girl had another reason for being here.

"And?" Agema prompted, tilting her head slightly.

Mei hesitated again, her expression uncertain.

But after a long pause, she finally admitted:

"…And he promised me something. I'm here for that."

The moment those words left her mouth, Agema laughed.

It was a quiet chuckle at first, but it quickly grew into a full, amused laugh.

Mei furrowed her brows. "What's so funny?"

Agema waved a hand, clearly entertained.

"Oh, nothing. It's just—" She placed a hand on her hip, her honey-colored eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Now, that is two-timing."

Mei stiffened.

Her face turned slightly red. "I-It's not like that!"

Agema let out another light chuckle.

"Well, whatever it is, you won't be able to see him for the next three months."

Mei's expression dropped.

"What?"

"I mean exactly what I said." Agema twirled Mei's staff in her hand before lazily tossing it back to her. Mei caught it, still visibly confused.

"For the next three months, he'll be completely inaccessible."

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Mei's grip on her staff tightened again.

She wasn't just confused now—she was frustrated.

"Why?"

"I can't tell you," Agema replied smoothly.

Mei's eyes narrowed. "Why not?"

"That's also something I can't tell you."

Mei exhaled sharply. "Then when will he be back?"

"Three months."

Silence fell between them.

Mei clearly wasn't satisfied with the answer.

But no matter how much she pressed, Agema wouldn't say more.

Mei finally let out a deep breath, calming herself.

"Then… What about this?"

She reached into her inventory and summoned a small, ornate box.

"This is what he requested back," she said. "I was planning to give it to him personally. Why did he request it if he wouldn't be able to take it?"

Agema raised an eyebrow. "He didn't know he would be inaccessible for this long. Oh? Maybe I can take it for him."

Mei shook her head.

"No need. I'll return it directly to Lord Zephyrion since he would do the same."

Agema observed her for a moment before nodding. She probably still didn't trust Agema, which was the right thing to do.

She was just someone claiming she knew Arlon.

"Well, that makes sense."

She wasn't surprised.

Even if she had offered to deliver it, Mei clearly wanted to handle it herself.

There was something more personal about this errand.

Agema tilted her head slightly, watching as Mei turned away.

"I guess that means you'll see him in three months," Agema mused.

Mei paused for a second—then nodded.

"…Yeah."

And with that, she left.

---

Arlon moved through the ninth floor like a shadow, his blade cutting through the air with precise, effortless movements.

The monsters that filled the room—levels 70 to 80—were nothing more than fodder in his path.

Aetherion's Edge gleamed in his grip, coated in mana, striking down enemies before they even had a chance to react.

One step. One swing. Another wave gone.

He wasn't even breaking a sweat.

It had been thirty minutes since he entered the Tower, but in that time, he had already cleared every level of every floor up to the ninth.

And each one had been a joke.

Not a single monster had lasted more than five seconds.

Arlon's movements were flawless, efficient, and merciless.

His body was so fast that most enemies didn't even have time to register they had been attacked.

The moment they noticed him—they were already dead.

Despite the sheer ease of these battles, Arlon never rushed.

Instead of immediately advancing, he took his time on each floor.

Even though he finished every fight in seconds, he always spent an extra minute or two checking his surroundings.

It was a habit—one he had developed over countless hours of exploration in his past life.

I know the Tower forces me into an empty room for each challenge…

But if there's even a 1% chance that something is hidden—

He would find it.

Every floor was grand, the architecture similar to ancient temples, with high ceilings and endless stone walls.

Each time he cleared a floor, he made sure to check for hidden switches, markings, or anything unusual.

But so far—nothing.

It was exactly as the Tower designed it: a pure battle challenge.

Of course, that alone wouldn't cover the 30 minutes he spent.

On the second floor, he had spent time analyzing the Tower's mechanics.

He had been particularly interested in how it interacted with the system.

That's when he made a discovery.

He could check the time outside.

Through the system, he had confirmed that while thirty minutes had passed for him inside the Tower—only fifteen minutes had passed outside.

A 2:1 time ratio.

So, for every two minutes inside, one minute passes outside.

That meant, theoretically, he could spend six months inside the Tower before three months passed outside.

Arlon smirked.

That was a lot of extra training time.

But he knew better than to assume it would stay this way.

Agema had warned them—time would flow differently depending on how high they climbed.

For now, though, this ratio was good enough.