I Don't Need To Log Out-Chapter 236: Earth (3)

June's eyes fluttered open as the Zeno capsule released its hold on her, the world of EVR fading away as reality pulled her back.

A familiar soft hum filled the quiet room, the capsule's systems shutting down as its curved glass lid slid open.

She exhaled deeply, stretching her arms before swinging her legs over the side.

The cool air of her bedroom greeted her, a stark contrast to the time-warped atmosphere of the Tower.

One month inside…

It had been a month in the Tower since she logged in yesterday on Earth, but out here, in the "real world", just a single day had passed.

The time dilation was something she had already accepted. She has been logging in and out like this for a month now.

Yes, it had been one month on Trion and Earth since she and Arlon entered the Tower.

But it never stopped feeling surreal.

She glanced at the digital clock on her desk. 7:45 AM.

The scent of coffee and pancakes drifted up from downstairs, signaling that her family was already up and moving.

With a light shake of her head to clear the lingering haze of battle, she stood up and headed down to join them.

***

June descended the stairs, her bare feet making soft thuds against the wooden floor.

The clinking of dishes and the low murmur of conversation greeted her as she stepped into the kitchen.

Her mother stood by the stove, flipping pancakes with practiced ease, while her father sat at the dining table, scrolling through something on his tablet.

The warm, familiar atmosphere made her chest tighten slightly.

It felt… different now.

Not because anything had changed at home—but because she had changed.

Spending so much time inside the Tower, fighting, surviving, growing stronger… it made moments like these feel more precious.

Without hesitation, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her mother's waist, resting her head against her back.

Her mother nearly dropped the spatula.

"June?" she asked, startled. "What's with you lately?"

June didn't let go.

"I just love you," she said with a smile.

Her mother blinked, then huffed a small laugh. "You've been hugging me and your dad like this every day after logging out for two weeks now. What, did something traumatic happen in the game?"

June pulled away slightly but didn't answer. She glanced at her father, who was watching them with raised eyebrows.

"Not just your mother. You're hugging me every day too," he pointed out. "You were never this affectionate before."

June shrugged, forcing a grin. "Can't I just appreciate my parents?"

Her mother gave her a skeptical look but smiled anyway, reaching up to ruffle June's hair.

"Of course, you can," she said. "It's just suspicious coming from you."

June chuckled and finally let go, stepping back toward the table.

To them, it's only been two weeks.

To me, it's been months.

She had already spent so much time inside the Tower—more than she had ever expected to in such a short period.

Every time she logged out and saw her family, she felt the time difference weighing on her.

She wouldn't tell them, though.

She wouldn't tell them how much had really passed for her.

Instead, she slid into her usual seat as her mother brought over a plate of pancakes.

Her father set his tablet down, rubbing his chin. "Speaking of the game… the rumors are everywhere now."

June blinked, grabbing her fork. "What rumors?"

Her father glanced at her mother before turning back to her. "That EVR isn't a game."

June froze for half a second before quickly cutting into her pancake.

She already knew this would happen sooner or later.

"What makes you think that?" she asked casually.

Her father leaned back in his chair. "It's not just me. It's all over the internet. People are questioning how such a massive leap in technology happened overnight.

There were no gradual advancements, no build-up—just boom, suddenly, the most advanced full-dive system in history appears."

Her mother snorted. "Oh, come on. You just think that because you can't reverse-engineer it."

Her father turned to her, raising a finger. "Then explain why no one can."

June watched as her mother hesitated slightly.

Her father continued. "I'm good at my job. You know that. And I'm telling you, there's something off about all of this."

His voice grew more serious. "If this really isn't a game… then what does that mean for everyone playing it?"

June took a slow bite of her pancake, hiding her reaction.

She wanted to tell them.

She wanted to say that everything they were hearing was true—that EVR was real, that she was fighting actual living beings, that the people in that world weren't just NPCs.

But she couldn't.

Not because she was scared of their reaction—her parents weren't the type to try and force her to stop.

She was worried about something else.

Their concern.

Even if they didn't try to stop her, they would worry about her every time she logged in.

And that was a problem.

She didn't want them to look at her with fear every time she left for EVR.

So, she simply swallowed and said, "What do you think it means?"

Her father sighed. "I don't know. But I do know one thing. If it's real… then what does that say about the people playing it?" He met her gaze. "Are we really okay with going into that world and killing?"

June didn't answer.

Instead, she just smiled slightly.

Her father eventually dropped the topic, but the air at the table remained heavy.

So, he changed the subject.

"There are more and more people asking about you, by the way."

June groaned internally. Here we go.

She didn't need to ask why. She already knew.

She had become some kind of a celebrity as the second-highest-level player in EVR.

Since no one had any clue who Arlon was, the players' focus was on her.

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Also, her identity was completely exposed. So, seeing a beautiful girl playing a game, there are other kinds of interests also.

And...

Ever since she and Arlon had entered the Tower, their names had surged in popularity.

The sudden spike in levels had made everyone suspicious.

To them, it looked like she and Arlon had found some kind of secret leveling ground and were refusing to share it.

This created a lot of rumors about Arlon and June.

Normally, June wouldn't care about such rumors.

However, because of those rumors, the focus that should be on Arlon was also in June.

The reason was simple, everyone thought that if they could reach out to June, they could find Arlon.

Her father leaned forward. "You still won't tell me where you're leveling?"

"Nope," June replied immediately.

He sighed dramatically. "Come on, you're my daughter! You could at least give me a hint!"

"You can't go there," she said simply.

Her father's hopeful expression fell. "…Seriously?"

June nodded. "Seriously."

She wasn't lying. Even if she wanted to tell him, it wouldn't matter.

The Tower wasn't a place just anyone could enter.

Her father leaned back with a groan. "Unfair."

Her mother, who had been silent for a while, suddenly spoke.

"Why did Arlon let you level with him?"

June paused.

There was something about the way she asked it.

Her mother wasn't just curious—there was something else in her voice.

June didn't take the bait.

"Because we're friends," she said simply.

Her mother raised an eyebrow. "Is that so…?"

There was too much meaning in that tone.

June immediately stood up. "I have to go."

Her mother smirked knowingly, but June ignored it, moving to grab her bag.

She had plans today—plans to meet up with the members of the Gamers Guild.

This time, Maria, Evan, and Carmen would be joining them too since their school was over and they were on vacation.

Everyone except Arlon.

She gave her parents one last wave before heading for the door.

As she stepped outside, she exhaled.

Time to meet the others.