I Don't Need To Log Out-Chapter 327: Asef (10)

Arlon was more curious than ever.

At first, he'd only watched Asef's past out of necessity—trying to understand the source of his strength, or the roots of his hatred.

But now, it had become something else.

He didn't know the full truth yet, but one thing was clear: Asef had been deceived.

Not about everything—he had truly hated his brother—but that hate had been twisted, sharpened, directed.

Fanned by Hon's manipulations like a blacksmith stoking coals.

Asef might have hated Efsa already, but Hon had turned that flicker into an inferno.

Arlon had seen Efsa's life as well, watched the boy who once clung to his brother become the man the world revered.

And at this point in their respective paths, there was no doubt—Asef couldn't defeat him.

Not yet.

And Asef had to know that.

So what would he do?

Arlon watched as Asef wandered.

He didn't rush into anything. No confrontation, no rebellion. Instead, he did something rare for someone who had spent a century consumed by vengeance.

He learned.

Asef traveled across the continents of his world, slowly, methodically. He visited cities that had risen and fallen while he was gone.

He listened to broadcasts, read archived reports, and dug through old records. Learned names, dates, and locations.

He listened more than he spoke.

After all, over 80 years had passed since he'd last seen the world as it was. There was much to catch up on.

And through that knowledge, one thing became clear—Hon hadn't just been strong.

He had been unmatched.

There wasn't a single sorcerer on the planet who came close. Most powerful mages had either died in the past century or turned to less public lives.

Magic was rare now. Respected, but mostly feared. Hon had been a phantom—a relic who should not have existed.

And yet he had.

He had molded Asef in the shadows.

Eventually, the inevitable happened.

War.

The invasion of other planets had begun, led by none other than Efsa himself.

The military praised his name daily. The man who had "ascended" beyond worldly boundaries.

He was now fighting in another star system, commanding elite forces, conquering resistant planets in the name of peace and expansion.

And Asef… realized that now was the time.

If he joined the ranks, no one would recognize him. His brother wouldn't be there to expose him. Just to be sure, he found an old, full-body suit of armor—battered but intact.

It concealed everything but his eyes. It was heavy, but that didn't matter.

What mattered was anonymity.

He needed to get close to someone.

So, when the recruitment officers asked him his name, he said "Asef."

Not to hide. Not to play games.

He chose it because, in their native tongue, Asef meant revenge.

At first, it felt symbolic.

But somewhere along the line, it became inevitable.

He hadn't known exactly when the shift occurred, but at some point, he stopped wondering if he could forgive Efsa.

He stopped wanting to.

He entered the military as a swordsman.

His skills were rough, unpolished, but Hon had given him the knowledge of the level system, of techniques, of how to blend in without revealing his full strength.

He adapted quickly.

He never revealed his magical abilities. That would raise questions.

Instead, he followed orders. Trained with the other soldiers. Kept to himself. free𝑤ebnovel.com

But always listened.

Always learned.

He identified the officers who could help him rise. Befriended those who had access to information.

Helped when it would earn him favors. Disappeared when he needed to avoid notice.

He never grew attached.

They were not friends, not in his mind. Just tools to reach the next rung of the ladder.

And eventually, he did.

The rank he earned wasn't high enough to bring him before Efsa.

That wasn't his goal.

He wasn't ready for that—not yet.

Instead, he aimed for something else.

A myth.

A whisper passed from base to base, among soldiers who had seen strange things. A story about a seer—someone who could look into the heart of a person and know their truth.

The story always said the same thing.

Only one person in the bloodline could possess the gift at a time.

And she was alive.

And powerful.

And hidden.

Asef already knew.

He had always known.

She was the reason he joined the military in the first place.

The Seer.

If anyone could give him a true vision of his fate—of his brother's fate—it would be her.

But meeting her was impossible through official channels. She was an advisor to the upper military.

According to rumor, even Efsa had been turned away when he sought her guidance.

So Asef waited.

Watched.

Planned.

He began gathering everything—schedules, routes, building layouts. If he couldn't meet her through official means, he would do so in secret.

He would sneak in.

And finally, after years of patience and silence…

The day arrived.

***

Asef had been stationed at this military base for a few months now.

It had taken careful effort to get here. This base wasn't just a routine outpost—it was one of the central hubs in the empire's chain of command.

And more importantly, it was the place where the Seer was rumored to reside.

To be deployed here, he needed the right rank. To reach that rank, he needed influence.

To gain that influence, he had manipulated a certain officer—subtly, precisely, like a knife slipping between ribs.

The man had no idea he was being used. And even if someone did trace it back, there would be no evidence. Not anymore.

The higher-ups granted Asef his transfer without question.

His quarters were modest, but private. At his current rank, he no longer bunked with the masses.

A single room, a sealed door, no prying eyes. Perfect for disappearing without being noticed.

That night, he slipped out like smoke.

No hesitation.

He had done the prep work—learned the base layout, memorized patrol routes, gauged the rotation of guards, and identified the building where the Seer was most likely kept.

It was a structure separate from the main compound, smaller, older. No strategic value, and yet it had its own power supply and private security line.

He had also picked this night for a reason. The guard shift was lighter.

A festival was being held in one of the outer cities, and many of the usual watch officers had been granted leave.

Everything should have made this infiltration tense but manageable.

But when he reached the extra building…

No guards.

Not one.

The doors weren't sealed, the security field was offline, and no alarms buzzed in the silence.

Asef froze.