I Don't Need To Log Out

Arlon is a weird guy. No—both Arlons are weird.

Let's start with Arlon the guide.

We met him in Istarra. Back then, we didn't know this world wasn't a game.

So, we treated him as an NPC. But I was always sure something was up with him.

However, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find anything solid.

Whenever I thought I did, there was a shred of evidence that I was wrong.

That was also suspicious.

Unlike other NPCs, he didn't stay in one place. He treated us as different than the other players.

I asked questions, tested theories, and even confronted him directly. Once, I told him to his face, "Other NPCs don't even know they're NPCs. How do you know what you are?"

His reply? "I don't know what an NPC is—you're the one who keeps calling me that."

This was another perfect answer.

I had also checked his outfit. But, Arlon had taken off his armor, getting ready for sleep.

This was an NPC move, so I didn't get any closer to the truth, or whatever I thought the truth was.

There was a lot of back and forth after that, but after that day, I loosened up.

It was more plausible that there was nothing wrong with Arlon the guide.

That was until I met Arlon the player.

When I first saw Arlon the player, I immediately got the same vibe. That nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right.

It was already weird that they shared the same name even though they were from different worlds.

Arlon the player was also wearing a mask. Of course, this was okay. He probably didn't want to be known since he was the top player.

Many people, including me, didn't want to be famous on Earth. It was a tiring thing to be.

But still, wasn't that another perfect excuse?

Then there was the fact that he was a mage even though he generally used a sword.

During the tournament, he used weird skills. His speed was too fast. And he told me that he had things to discuss with us in Kelta.

At first, I thought I could figure him out by spending more time with him. I invited him to party up during a two-man hunt, hoping to uncover something.

But he answered every question so smoothly that I came away with nothing.

So, I didn't learn anything again.

Still, I was hopeful since we would go to Kelta together. Then I learned that he wasn't coming with us.

That is when I realized I hadn't seen Arlon the player and Arlon the guide talk to each other before.

Arlon the guide would come with us while Arlon the player stayed.

I remember saying something cheeky like 'I am gonna catch him this time!' to myself.

In the end, nothing happened during our voyage and when we arrived at Kelta.

Everything still seemed perfect. Arlon the player also came a few days after us.

We spent around three weeks in Kelta, doing nothing but getting closer to each other.

I already had my friends in our guild, but the others also became our friends.

Except Arlon the player. He didn't get chummy with us. We were sincere in our friendship. I even talk to Carmen and Maria on Earth sometimes.

But he had nowhere near that kind of friendship with us for some reason.

One day, when we were talking to each other in a cafe we frequented in Kelta, we talked about where we were from.

Arlon, again, didn't answer that question. He didn't have such an obligation, of course.

He could even be a criminal hiding from the police... Scarry!

But anyway, that still wasn't the highest point of my suspicion.

When we learned EVR wasn't a game, apart from our general situation, I thought of two things.

First of all, it was natural for Arlon the guide not to act like an NPC since he wasn't one.

No one was an NPC, so maybe my suspicions were unfounded. He acted as he needed to act.

I was wrong...

But then, I realized one more thing.

Arlon the player knew.

He knew that this wasn't a game. He was the one that helped us understand this wasn't a game.

We later learned that Lady Rael had already talked to Arlon the player back in Istarra and requested his help with this.

But, how did he know? There was still something fishy.

Doesn't this also mean that since Arlon the player knew this wasn't a game, he could have done things the others didn't think of like acting like an NPC?

I always suspected that Arlon the guide was the one acting like a player, but it was probably wrong.

Arlon the player was the one acting like an NPC, I thought.

Except... how? He logged out like the rest of us. He couldn't possibly maintain the illusion for so long, could he?

During our stay in Kelta, we started seeing less of Arlon the guide, and more of Arlon the player.

But it didn't feel any different. It was as if they had just switched bodies.

I knew it. I knew something is weird.

But I don't have any evidence.

After that day, I tried many things to uncover the truth, but there were still perfect excuses. Your next read awaits at My Virtual Library Empire

We received a notification the second we entered EVR on the day he killed the Demon.

This time I was sure that I was onto something.

First of all, why did both Arlons work together? They hadn't even communicated before.

I understand this was Zephyrion's order, but why them?

Secondly, there was the timing issue.

How could he kill the Demon when we were logged out? His excuse this time was still good.

It was that Arlon the guide had captured the Demon and waited for Arlon the player. But it didn't add up.

But this excuse was far from perfect.

I logged in the moment servers were opened. But there was no way that he could log in, understand the situation, and kill the Demon with one hit as soon as he logged in.

It was basically impossible.

I was sure then. This time, I had solid enough evidence for myself.

I decided the last thing to confirm my suspicions was to see Arlon the player's face.

I knew the opportunity would come soon. Probably when we were in the academy.

Fortunately, another opportunity under the name of banquet showed itself.

Before the banquet, I casually asked him if he'd be removing his mask. He said yes, but he seemed reluctant.

I couldn't leave it to chance, though.

So, I took matters into my own hands. I begged my magic trainer to teach me a spell for spying and used it to peek into his room while he was changing.

It was embarrassing and dangerous to look when a man was changing. I could have seen something I shouldn't.

But luckily, I didn't see anything since he had already finished changing.

I used a spell to see behind the walls.

He was looking at a mirror.

His mask was off.

And his face was the same.

The same as Arlon the guide's face.