Chapter 12 : Logging Out

  After inspecting the Medallion of Arkhma one last time, Aron nodded his head. He had spent more time in the game than he intended, and with this unexpected turn of events, it felt like the perfect moment to step away.

  "Guess I’ve logged in for quite a while now," Aron muttered to himself. With a swift command, he opened the game menu and selected the option to log out. His avatar faded from the world, turning into light particles.

  …

  As the virtual world disappeared from view, Aron got up from the capsule, with a smile attached on his face. He’d taken a powerful treasure, disrupted an entire guild’s plans, and now had time to reflect on his next move. Things would continue but for now, taking a good rest after such a harvest was not a bad choice at all.

  Aron went out of the room as he proceeded to go into the living room. He was kinda surprised as he didn't find anyone there, so he called, "Baby, where you at?"

  "Hey, I'm here..." A reply from a woman soon came after, sounded from the restroom area.

  Aron heard the reply while looking over his head toward the sound.

  "Alright."

  He walked toward the kitchen, deciding to grab a drink while he waited for her to come out of the restroom.

  Aron grabbed the remote and turned on the smart TV, navigating to the news channels and gaming networks that frequently covered updates about Second World, the so called revolutionary game he had just logged off from. The game had gained massive attention since its release, touted for its popular player-driven economy and political, dynamic world that evolved based on the actions of its players.

  He scrolled through the headlines, wondering if anything significant had been reported while he was immersed in the game. News of major battles, guild wars, and rare items often made waves, and with what had just unfolded, he was curious to see if there was any mention of it.

  “Well…”

  As Aron browsed through the news, a headline caught his eye: "Annihilation at Blue Moon City: Players Decimated by Unidentified Monster." He naturally clicked it as he realized that this was exactly the place where he had been playing just a short while ago, where he had watched Starday and the Bright Resonance guild members lead players into a trap, only for them to be wiped out by the monster.

  The article described the chaos that had unfolded, how most players in the area were killed in a massive attack by a mysterious, high-level monster. Many players had been caught off guard, not realizing the true danger, and it mentioned how some were speculating whether this event was connected to a larger, hidden in-game plot or just a freak occurrence.

  "Accident, huh?" he muttered to himself. "Well, it can be called like that I guess."

  Irregular monsters, like the one that appeared in Blue Moon City, were no joke. Their unpredictable behavior, hidden mechanics, and devastating power made them some of the most dangerous entities in the game.

  An irregular monster was really not something one could take lightly. Aron recalled how effortlessly the creature had torn through the players, even the well-organized guilds. Its health had barely budged if not undamaged at all, and the players had no way of knowing how to deal with its erratic attacks. Without the right strategy, or in Starday’s case, without the Medallion of Arkhma, there was no chance of survival.

  But naturally, encountering an irregular monster was a very rare event. Some players might never come across one in their entire gaming experience. These creatures only appeared under specific, often hidden conditions, and their appearances were so unpredictable that even the most seasoned players had little chance of preparing for them.

  Aron figured that was precisely why so many players had decided to stay and risk the heavy penalties. The allure of defeating such a rare, powerful monster was too strong to resist. Even knowing they could lose experience, levels, or valuable gear, the chance of landing the killing blow on an irregular monster was an opportunity too tempting for most to pass up.

  The potential rewards, tremendous loot, rare titles, and even just the prestige of taking down an unpredictable beast, outweighed the fear of penalties for many. In a game like Second World, fame and fortune often came from moments like these, where the stakes were impossibly high, but so were the rewards.

  Aron shook his head with a helpless smile. "They probably did not even consider that this was all a trap set by Starday. They walked right into it, thinking they could be the ones to bring it down."

  But the result had been clear: annihilation.

  Even Aron, with his arsenal, hadn’t bothered to attack the monster. He had an edge most players didn’t, some knowledge about the irregular monster that made it clear it was out of his arrangement, at least for now.

  He understood that no matter how skilled or prepared one was, there were some battles that simply couldn’t be won without the perfectly right tools, mechanic, or team. This monster was one of those fights, a creature that couldn’t be defeated through sheer force alone.

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  It was about knowing when to retreat and fight another day.

  And that was why Aron had been surprised when he saw Verment, Goover, and their teammates retreat early.

  They deduced the probability fastly with such limited knowledge about the monster, and were decisive toward it.

  The moment they realized something was off, that the monster’s health wasn’t dropping, no matter how hard the players attacked, they chose survival over risk. It was an unusual move in a game where the majority would rather risk it all than leave the battlefield early.

  "Truly not bad," Aron thought as he raised his drink and sipped it. It was a choice that had saved them from the same fate as the others. Aron acknowledged that, even if it wasn’t the popular decision.

  And as he was enjoying himself, suddenly a woman appeared beside him. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled, recognizing her immediately.

  "You snuck up on me," Aron said with a playful tone, still holding the drink in his hand. "Didn't hear you come out."

  The woman beside him was his wife, Mimi. Aron smiled as he put down the remote, "Didn't realize you were done already."

  Mimi gave him a playful smirk. "You’re too absorbed in your game news to notice anything else, huh?" she teased, getting closer to him.

  Mimi glanced at the screen, not knowing yet about the details of the game Aron had just logged off from. "What’s this all about?" she asked, her curiosity piqued by the headlines.

  Aron still laid his eyes on the screen as he answered her question, "It’s, uh, something that happened in the game just now," he said casually. "A big event that caught a lot of players off guard, huh."

  Mimi raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like a big deal."

  "Yeah, I logged off right after it all happened," Aron replied, keeping it easy. "Was just turning on the news."

  Mimi looked curious as she sat next to Aron and inquired, "An irregular monster? What is that?"

  Aron leaned back, knowing he'd have to explain a bit. "In the game, irregular monsters are these really rare and unpredictable creatures. They don’t follow the usual rules, and most of the time, they’re way stronger than anything players are used to. Think of them as wild cards, no one really knows what they’re going to do."

  Mimi nodded, intrigued. "So it’s one of those monsters that showed up in the city?"

  "Outside of the city but yeah," Aron confirmed. "It pretty much wiped out everyone who tried to fight it. It was a complete mess." He paused for a second, then added, "I wasn’t part of the fight, though. Sadly or not."

  Mimi raised an eyebrow, "Sadly or not?" she repeated, her tone in wonder.

  Aron chuckled, glancing at her. "Yeah, I mean, on one hand, it would've been exciting to be part of it, maybe even take down this irregular monster. But on the other hand, most of the players who fought it got wiped out and suffered penalties. So, I guess I dodged a bullet by staying out of it." He said with a little grin on his face.

  Mimi turned her attention back to the TV, her eyes glanced on the man beside her occasionally as the news showed scenes of chaos and destruction outside of Blue Moon City. The footage highlighted the massive monster that had torn through the players, leaving devastation in its wake. Bodies of fallen avatars littered the battlefield, and players' attempts to fight back seemed futile.

  "Wow," Mimi muttered, her tone in surprise as she took in the scale of the disaster. "That thing wiped out everyone around it…"

  "Yeah, it was kinda brutal not gonna lie," Aron replied, looking at the screen. "Most of the players didn't stand a chance. That monster was on a completely different level."

  Most?

  Mimi paused for a second, her brow furrowing as she considered Aron's words. She thought to herself, recalling the footage on the TV where it seemed like no one had survived the encounter with the monster. But before she could dwell on it further, the thought slipped away as her curiosity shifted.

  "I see," she said, shaking her head. "It looks like no one made it out."

  Aron nodded as he took a sip of his drink once again. "Yeah, it was pretty much a massacre," he agreed. "But, you know, some people probably slipped away or didn’t get involved at all."

  Mimi nodded, still processing the chaos she had just witnessed. "I guess they’re lucky, then."

  Then, the footage continued for a while longer and Mimi shook her head in disbelief. "It’s crazy to think so many people would jump in, knowing how dangerous it was."

  "That’s the thing with a rare monster like this," Aron said. "People take risks, hoping they’ll get the big rewards. Unfortunately, most of them paid the price."

  The scene on the TV suddenly shifted, focusing on the last group of players who had fought against the monster. Mimi's eyes focused as she noticed a distinct emblem on their gear, a symbol combining light and sound.

  "That guild…” she said thoughtfully, glancing at Aron.

  Aron recognized the guild instantly. It was Bright Resonance, the guild that had spearheaded the attack, led by Starday. Aron’s connection to them wasn’t something he had shared in full with Mimi yet.

  "Yeah, they’re pretty big there," Aron replied slowly. "That’s the Bright Resonance guild. They were at the forefront of the battle."

  Mimi nodded in intrigue. "Looks like they held out longer than most, but... they didn’t make it either, did they?"

  Aron’s lips curled into a faint, knowing smile. "Well, we will see." He left it at that, letting the news speak for itself.

  Mimi watched intently as the footage continued, showing the Bright Resonance guild standing strong in the midst of the chaos. While other players and guilds had been decimated continuously, Bright Resonance had managed to hold out much longer, their formation and coordination clearly better. Despite the overwhelming power of the monster, they were among the few still standing, albeit not 100% perfect.

  "Wow, they really lasted a lot longer than the others," Mimi commented, her tone a mix of admiration and surprise. "It’s almost like they knew how to handle that thing."

  Aron glanced at her for a while and answered. "Oh, you’re smart,” he grinned. “Yeah, they had a solid strategy... probably some inside information or an edge that others didn’t have." He glanced at the screen, recalling Starday’s plan and the medallion he had stolen. "But even the best plans don’t always work out I guess."

  Mimi looked at him curiously. "You think they had some kind of advantage? It somehow seemed like they were prepared."

  Aron shrugged slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Could be. You never know what goes on behind the scenes for most of the time, yea."