I Don't Need To Log Out-Chapter 177: Esia
The rest of the day passed in steady waves of battle.
With the two groups reunited, they continued their hunt, taking down Keldars efficiently.
No Named Monsters appeared again, but it didn’t matter—everyone knew the real fight would be tomorrow.
Even with the lingering energy from the earlier fights, there was a sense of finality in the air.
They weren’t just hunting anymore.
They were preparing.
By the time the sun had begun to dip below the horizon, the decision was made to return to camp and rest.
The journey back was quieter than usual, the fading sunlight casting long shadows as they walked.
Even Zack, who had spent most of the hunt joking around, had fallen into thoughtful silence.
Maybe they were just tired.
Or maybe… the weight of tomorrow was finally settling in.
---
The campfire crackled, its glow flickering against the faces of those gathered around it.
The usual banter was there—Pierre and Zack still going back and forth, Maria and Carmen teasing them both, and Lei casually throwing in sarcastic remarks—but it wasn’t quite the same.
Even Nova, who usually kept a relaxed air, sat quietly, watching the flames.
Some of them had already faced their fear today. Tomorrow, it wouldn’t be against unintelligent Keldars.
It would be against Demons.
June stared into the fire, arms wrapped around her knees. "It’s strange," she murmured.
"What is?" Lei asked.
June exhaled. "Even though we’re logging out soon, it feels like this is real. Like we’re actually sitting here, about to fight for our lives tomorrow."
No one spoke for a moment.
Then, Pierre chuckled. "Well, when you put it like that, maybe I don’t want to log in tomorrow."
"Too bad," Zack said, nudging him with his foot. "You already signed up for the suicide mission."
Pierre sighed dramatically. "What a mistake."
That lightened the mood just a little.
Soon enough, it was time to log out.
One by one, the players vanished, their bodies dissolving into faint glows before disappearing completely.
And once again, only three people remained.
Leon, Nova, and Arlon the guide.
Nova stretched. "Well, I’d say today was productive. No major injuries, only one complete wipe."
"Good enough," Leon agreed.
Arlon thought about how they learned the word, "wipe".
He dismissed the thought with an It was probably from Zack.
---
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The next morning, as the golden light of dawn stretched across the sky, the players logged back in one by one.
There was no morning banter this time. No complaints about sleeping on the ground. No jokes about Zack’s bad luck.
They all knew what today was.
Nearby, Leon, Nova, and Arlon the guide were making their final preparations.
Unlike the players, they wouldn’t be joining the battle against the Demons.
Because for them… death was real.
Leon adjusted his armor, his expression unreadable. "This is as far as we go," he said, his voice even. "From here, it’s on you."
"Good luck," Nova added, his usual casual air still present, but his tone more serious than usual.
Arlon nodded once, then turned to Nyx.
"Go with Nova," he instructed.
The young dragon let out a soft growl, nudging against his leg before reluctantly flapping her wings and soaring upward. She didn’t want to leave him, but she obeyed.
Arlon watched her disappear into the distance, heading toward Kelta alongside Nova and Leon.
That left only one of the three behind—Arlon the guide.
Leon raised an eyebrow. "Aren’t you coming?"
Arlon the guide shook his head. "I have a different objective."
That was a lie.
But it was easier this way.
Leon didn’t question it. He simply gave a small nod, then turned, walking alongside Nova as they left the battlefield behind.
Arlon the guide stood there for a moment, watching them go.
Then, slowly, he turned back to the other side and walked away.
---
They were ready.
Or at least… they thought they were.
Arlon had seen this kind of determination before.
It was strong in words. It was strong in training.
But when it faced the real thing, it could crumble in an instant.
And some of them would probably break.
Arlon knew that.
But he also knew… some of them wouldn’t.
Some of them would see it through to the end.
And that was enough.
"Let’s go," Arlon finally said.
No one hesitated. No one questioned it.
With that, the players began their journey toward Esia—the town where the second-strongest Demon awaited.
What Arlon didn’t know was that a surprise was waiting for them in Esia.
---
Esia was a small town, barely larger than the starting towns most players had come from.
It was a quiet, unassuming place, sitting just outside the starting town territories.
Despite not being an official starting point, it looked the part—small houses, dirt roads, and an overall lack of anything impressive.
The journey there was short, thanks to the military carriage still in their possession. But as they rolled into town, the reaction was immediate.
NPCs and players alike froze in place.
Conversations halted.
Weapons lowered.
Some even stepped back as the massive carriage, adorned with its military insignia, made its way through the otherwise peaceful settlement.
It was an absurd sight—a high-ranking military vehicle arriving in a town where the strongest player was probably still struggling with basic Keldars.
Even the NPCs looked anxious, their eyes darting around as if expecting something horrible to happen.
Did they do something wrong?
Was the army here to punish them?
The tension in the air was almost comical.
Ignoring the stares, Arlon guided the group straight to their destination.
Before arriving, Arlon had already learned about Esia’s power structure from Zephyrion. In a small town like this, there was usually one person who held influence over the rest.
And here, that person was Osgar—a Dwarven magical device engineer.
Arlon led the group toward the southern edge of the town, stopping in front of a large, worn-down cottage—or perhaps it was more accurate to call it a shed.
The structure looked like it was barely holding together, but despite its messy appearance, this was Esia’s most important workshop.
Inside, the place was a disaster zone.
Metal scraps littered the floor, some shaped into recognizable tools, others into strange, unidentifiable objects.
The air smelled of burned metal and oil, and the only source of light came from a single, dimly flickering crystal lantern hanging from the ceiling.
In the corner of the workshop, a Dwarf with wild hair and soot-covered hands was hunched over a small metal device, tinkering with intricate parts.
The group stepped inside, but the Dwarf didn’t react.
Osgar was too deep in his work to notice nine fully armed warriors entering his workshop.
Arlon glanced at the others before clearing his throat.
Nothing.
He coughed, louder this time.
Still nothing.
The Dwarf remained completely absorbed in whatever he was building.
At this point, Arlon knew how these kinds of people worked. It was better to wait than to force an interruption.
So, he sent a quick message to the group.
[Just wait. He’ll notice us eventually.]
With nothing else to do, the group sat down on the floor and watched Osgar work.
The Dwarf continued his meticulous adjustments, occasionally muttering to himself, scribbling notes, and making tiny tweaks to the mysterious device in his hands.
The players had no idea what they were looking at, but Zack eventually whispered, "I feel like I’m watching a genius… or a madman."
Fifteen minutes passed.
Then, finally, Osgar finished.
With a proud grin, he lifted the device, examining it under the dim lantern light.
Then, he turned around—and nearly jumped out of his skin.
"W-W-WHO ARE YOU?! WHEN DID YOU GET HERE?!"
The Dwarf stumbled backward, knocking over a pile of metal scraps.
Arlon raised his hands calmly. "Apologies. We didn’t mean to startle you. You were focused, so we decided to wait."
Osgar blinked rapidly, then let out a deep sigh, rubbing his soot-covered forehead.
"Ah… I see. You’re a patient one, lad." He straightened his posture and puffed out his chest. "Then, as a reward for your good manners, I shall tell you about my latest invention!"
With a dramatic flourish, he held up the small metal object he had been working on.
The players leaned in slightly, expecting something impressive.
"This!" Osgar declared. "This is a device that lets you control things from far away! I call it the Controlist!"
The players stared at him.
Then, at the device.
Then back at him.
June squinted. "Wait. Is that… a remote control?" she said, whispering to the others.
Zack, barely holding back laughter, shook his head. "Hold on. You called it a Controlist?"
Osgar huffed. "Hah! Do you think I didn’t consider other names? Of course, I did! But ’Controlist’ has a sophisticated ring to it!"
Zack grinned mischievously. "You know what might be a better name? Controller."
The Dwarf’s face turned visibly red.
"HAH! You think I didn’t think of that?! OF COURSE, I DID!" Osgar crossed his arms, then stroked his beard thoughtfully. "...But, since you managed to think of something on my level of brilliance, I shall reward you by officially naming this invention ’Controller.’"
It was obvious he hadn’t thought of it before.
At least, it was obvious to most of them.
"Really?!" Zack gasped. "I get to name something? I’m so honored!"
"So," June cut in, without battling an eye to Zack’s witlessness. "What exactly does it control?"
Osgar froze.
The workshop fell silent.
"...What do you mean what?" the Dwarf finally said.
"I mean, what does it control?" Zack repeated. "You said it’s a device that lets you control things from far away, right?"
"Obviously!" Osgar said proudly.
"So… what does it control?"
"...Nothing. Yet."
The entire group stared at him.
"You see," Osgar continued, completely unfazed, "I just invented it, so now I need to invent something that can be controlled."
June blinked. "So you invented… a remote control for nothing?"
Osgar beamed. "Exactly!"
"Then, how do you know it works?" June asked again.
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"Of course, it works. I invented it."
