I Don't Need To Log Out-Chapter 228: The Challenge (1)

The moment Arlon stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted.

The cavern behind him disappeared entirely, replaced by a grand, empty hall.

The space was vast but not oppressive, the ceiling stretching high above, supported by tall, marble-like pillars that curved elegantly into sharp, twisting arches.

The walls shimmered with unknown symbols, softly glowing as if responding to his presence.

There were no monsters here. No threats, no immediate sense of danger—just an eerie stillness that weighed on the air.

This was a waiting ground. A place meant to prepare those who dared to challenge what lay beyond.

Ahead of him, a narrow corridor extended into the distance.

The floor was smooth but slightly reflective as if polished by countless steps that never reached their destination.

At the end of the corridor stood a portal.

It wasn’t like the standard teleportation gates used in Trion’s cities—those were stable.

This one was different.

It pulsed, its surface a swirling blend of deep blue with streaks of faint purple hues, moving in endless, liquid-like motion. Alive.

And it wasn’t alone.

Scattered across the entrance hall were remnants of things left behind.

Half-broken weapons, rusted armor, books with unreadable titles, and forgotten trinkets littered the space, placed near the portal as if abandoned mid-journey.

Some objects were meticulously arranged—like offerings. Others were thrown aside in frustration.

This was supposed to be a challenge.

A test for those who sought to conquer it.

Not in Trion—but in the world Trionians had once gone to save.

So that’s what this is.

Arlon scanned the area, his fingers twitching slightly.

For the people of Trion, this portal would be just an entrance. A doorway to another battlefield.

But for the people of that other world—this place was likely something far greater.

A ritual, perhaps? A place where warriors and scholars prepared before stepping into the unknown?

It doesn’t matter.

This wasn’t a place of history anymore.

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It was a place to grow stronger.

Arlon took a deep breath and reached for his sword.

Aetherion’s Edge materialized in his grasp, its blade humming faintly with power. The weight was familiar, reassuring.

He had no idea what was waiting for him beyond the portal, but that wasn’t new.

He had stepped into the unknown many times before.

And he would do it again.

Without hesitation, he moved forward.

The moment he passed through the swirling light—

Everything changed.

It wasn’t instantaneous like Trion’s teleportation gates.

Instead of a smooth transition from one space to another, this felt different.

A force wrapped around him—not harsh, not painful, but noticeable.

It was as if his body was being unraveled and reassembled simultaneously, pulled through a current he couldn’t see.

The sensation was uncannily familiar.

This feels like my own teleportation spell…

That realization sent a strange thought through his mind.

Could I teleport out of the Tower?

Unlike Trion’s man-made portals, which operated on fixed points, this felt natural. Almost like a part of the world itself.

If his teleportation spell was designed to manipulate space and bypass physical barriers, then—

Before he could consider testing it—

A notification appeared in his vision.

Not from the Tower.

Not from some external force.

But from the system itself.

The same system that had been with him since the moment he arrived in Trion.

The system that was supposed to be a part of Zeno.

It shouldn’t be active now. Normally, the system only had one duty, helping the players.

When a worldwide event or a change in the player itself occurred, it would send a notification.

Apart from that, it would almost always only be activated when a player used it like an AI.

The only exception was the Samera Stone.

But now...

A system that should not, under any circumstance, be affected by the world around him.

Yet—

The moment Arlon fully materialized inside, the system notification appeared before him.

[ Welcome to the Tower of /&[#$(%, challenger. ]

[ Floor 1, Level 1 will start as soon as the challenger is ready. ]

[ Do you want to start the challenge? ]

Arlon’s brows furrowed.

The strange symbols in the Tower’s name weren’t the result of a glitch—they meant something.

But what stood out even more was the fact that the system itself was reacting to this place.

The system—the one designed to help players—wasn’t supposed to be influenced by the world around it.

It had always functioned as an external force, detached from Trion’s laws.

Then why is the Tower affecting it?

Arlon stood still, his fingers twitching slightly at his sides.

The system was a part of Zeno and Zeno was the creation of the highest-level existence, EVR.

The only possible explanation was that the Tower wasn’t just some ancient ruin hidden from Trion’s history.

Was it created by EVR itself?

That thought should have made sense.

But then he remembered something Kalmer had told him.

Some of the stronger existences—those beyond Trion’s scope—could affect the authority and existence of Zeno to some degree.

Could this be one of those cases?

Arlon exhaled slowly.

If that were true, it meant that whoever had built this place had intended for the players to challenge it.

And from what he could tell, it wasn’t done with malicious intent.

Rather, it seemed… designed to help.

Otherwise, there was no way Arlon could defend against someone who could affect Zeno’s system.

He tightened his grip on Aetherion’s Edge and answered the prompt.

[ Yes. ]

---

A blinding flash filled the space around him.

When his vision cleared, he found himself standing in an expansive chamber.

The ceiling was high, the walls smooth, built from polished obsidian-like stone that absorbed light rather than reflecting it.

The floor beneath his feet was made of the same material, but was surprisingly even and stable—clearly built for battle.

The chamber was large enough to hold an army.

And the moment he finished that thought—

A hundred monsters appeared all at once.

They teleported in a synchronized formation, surrounding him in an instant.

Arlon’s eyes flashed as he activated Eyes of KET**.

Names, levels, and threat evaluations appeared in his mind immediately.

[ Lesser Crawlers – Level 30 ]

[ Hollow Hounds – Level 45 ]

[ Bladed Mantises – Level 50 ]