I Don't Need To Log Out

As the clock ticked closer to the 4-hour mark, the clearing gradually became busier. The rustling of leaves signaled the approach of another group.

"Looks like we've got more company," Mei said, shading her eyes as she glanced toward the forest trail.

Arlon, seated at the edge of the conjured bench, remained as still as ever, while June adjusted her posture, sitting up straighter.

The next group to arrive was Zack, Carole, and Sia. Zack strode confidently into the clearing, his hand resting on the hilt of his swords.

"Alright, Professor," Zack said loudly, grinning ear to ear. "What's our time? We are the first ones, right?"

Elwyn checked the clock and smirked. "4 hours exactly."

Zack froze mid-celebration. "Wait. That's... not bad, right? I mean, it's not a record, but it's definitely respectable."

Carole sighed, shaking her head. "Zack, just stop while you're ahead."

Sia smirked, clearly unfazed. "Respectable? Maybe. But it's a far cry from the top three of all time."

Zack groaned, flopping onto the grass near the bench. "I was sure we were faster. Where does this put us, Professor?"

"Fourth place," Elwyn answered.

"Fourth?!" Zack buried his face in his hands. "We're not even on the podium. But still good, fourth place means we are the first ones today!"

"No, you are the fourth one today," Elwyn said.

"Huh? What!?"

While Zack was having his delusions, the others had already understood what it meant.

"At least we're not last," Carole said, though her tone was less than enthusiastic.

Sia glanced over at Arlon's group, her gaze lingering on Arlon. "So, you're the ones who set the new record, huh?"

Pierre's group was also sitting on a desk, created after the first one.

There was also a third group of students that the players didn't know about. They were standing a bit away from the first two groups.

Sia glanced over at Arlon's group, her gaze lingering on Arlon. "So, you're the ones who set the new record, huh?"

Arlon didn't reply, but Mei gave her a cheerful wave. "That's us! First place, baby."

Sia rolled her eyes but didn't say more.

Before long, another group emerged: Evan, Maria, Carmen, and Alia. They looked a little worse for wear, with scratches and dirt covering their uniforms.

"Finally," Evan panted, collapsing onto the grass near Zack. "Please tell me we didn't finish last."

Elwyn checked the clock. "4 hours and 15 minutes. Not last, but definitely not top three."

Maria groaned, wiping dirt from her face. "This was way harder than I expected."
Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire

Carmen, however, seemed unusually quiet. She glanced over at Mei, who was chatting with June, and her face reddened slightly.

"You okay?" Maria asked, nudging her.

Carmen nodded quickly. "Y-yeah. Just tired."

"Good work," Alia said, her voice steady as she addressed her team. "We didn't make the top three, but we worked well together. That's what matters."

Maria nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, yeah. Sure. I just wonder how we finished this late even though we had four members."

A few more groups came after them, leaving only one group.

Finally, the last group returned just as the clock struck 5 hours and 20 minutes: Helvar and his two teammates.

Their faces were a mix of exhaustion and embarrassment.

"About time," Elwyn said with a smirk. "5 hours and 20 minutes. Cutting it a little close, aren't we?"

Helvar grumbled under his breath. "We had... complications."

"Complications like falling into a trap twice?" one of his teammates muttered.

"Hey! I said I didn't see it!" Helvar snapped.

As the clearing filled with all the teams, the energy shifted to a mix of camaraderie and quiet rivalry.

Groups compared their times, exchanged banter, and discussed their strategies—or lack thereof.

Mei, leaning back on the bench, stretched her arms behind her head. "Looks like everyone's here. Should we get medals or something?"

June chuckled. "I think the record is reward enough. We will be also exempt from the exams."

Elwyn clapped his hands to gather everyone's attention. "Alright, everyone. That's the end of the first part of the lesson.

Great work to all the teams. Remember, this wasn't just about speed—it was about teamwork and adaptation. Keep that in mind for the next challenge.

The top three groups won't need to take the exams. Remember your standing right now, you will need to up it by one at least. If you were 4th, you need to be third at least to pass."

As the students began to disperse, Zack leaned over to Pierre. "Next time, we're taking that top spot."

Pierre adjusted his glasses and nodded. "Of course, you will. Since we won't be there, it will be easy."

Zack's face showed a blue face hearing that.

"Most of you probably already know, but, there is a new record! Mei, Arlon, and June finished in a record time of 1 hour and 27 minutes!" Elwyn announced.

Of course, everyone already knew. But there was still murmuring among students since this record was abnormal.

"The academy will record their names and show them until their record is broken. So, do your best! You will have at least 3 more chances to break this record.

Don't stop! Develop your teamwork. Change your groups if you are not compatible with them. Don't be disheartened by their time, but be happy to learn that this is possible!"

Elwyn's encouraging speech seemed to work since the students were hyped.

"Now, let's get to the second part. I will explain the things you did right and wrong so that you can develop yourselves."

---

Professor Elwyn went ahead and talked to each group one by one. Unfortunately, since he was eating, he didn't know how Arlon's group teleported back.

Arlon also didn't say how it was. He didn't mind people knowing, but he didn't want to advertise it.

Also, he was a bit embarrassed since it was a skill and not a spell.

Even though he was on his way to completely get rid of skills, teleport wasn't something he could turn into a spell right away.

In the end, Elwyn didn't give them much feedback except to request them to work together more since Arlon was the only one who worked on the second marker.

Arlon thought that it was a good start. He was already exempt from two exams. Of course, since he was here to learn, it was a good thing that he could spend this extra time learning other things.