A brief explanation of why the wood held by Aliff did not break during the duel—it's because Aliff has reinforced the defense of the wooden stick. He has his own way of using his strength. Not everyone can do what he does.
"I can't believe you now live in this city," said someone named Naim, Aliff's childhood friend.
Aliff used to live with his family in City 2, and his family's graves are also there. Now he has moved to City 1. There is a reason why he made this move.
Before Aliff could answer, another voice interrupted.
"You left without saying goodbye. Disappeared just like that—three years without news."
Liu. His long hair was neatly tied back, but his expression was full of questions. Next to him stood Ravi and Bima, both with equally curious faces.
"You escaped from the hospital and then vanished. We searched everywhere, but there was no trace of you," Ravi sighed, still unable to believe that Aliff was really standing in front of him now.
Aliff remained silent. He looked at each of them in turn, then gave a faint smile—a smile that did not reach his eyes.
"Ahhaa..."
"Alright, I'm getting sleepy now, I want to go home," said Aliff, who started walking away.
"Hey! Where are you going?!" Naim chased after him, followed by the others.
"It's already night. Of course, I want to go home," Aliff replied without turning around.
Actually, Aliff had known for a long time that they were following him since he left the café where he worked. But he let it be.
His flat wasn't far away. After a few steps, the building finally came into view.
"This... is your place now?"
They were now on the fifth floor, in front of Aliff's room door.
Aliff did not answer.
"Why did you four follow me all the way here?" he suddenly asked, his voice flat.
"We haven't seen each other in a long time. Aren't we allowed to stop by?" Naim grinned, trying to lighten the mood.
"Hmm..."
Aliff sighed. "Whatever you say."
*Even if I tell them to leave, they probably won't want to go. I know them too well, so it's better to just let it be.*
He entered, leaving the door open. The four of them exchanged glances, then slowly followed him inside.
Although the flat looked like a haunted place from the outside, the inside was quite impressive. The four of them sat comfortably on the sofa, facing a large television and a PS5.
Most of the items in this Elarithia world came from Earth. Mobile phones, video games, game consoles, even animals—everything was sold in the Elarithia market. Although the Elarithia world is very advanced with flying vehicles and sophisticated technology, Earth products still have a unique appeal to its inhabitants. There is something special about Earth items that makes people from Elarithia or other worlds unable to resist owning them.
To obtain these items, Elarithia residents use high-tech aircraft. Unlike the planes on Earth, their planes use mana—magic energy—as the main power source. In the back of the aircraft, there is a square-shaped room that serves as a storage area for the items they buy.
Before traveling to Earth, they certainly have to learn the language used there. However, this is not a big problem for Elarithia residents. Their linguistic abilities are extraordinary—they can master Earth languages in just a few days. This is one of the special traits that distinguish Elarithia humans from Earth humans.
It takes them 10 days to reach Earth, and of course, there is not just one aircraft coming to Earth. There are usually five planes that travel there, and each plane carries 30 people.
The currency system is also different between the two worlds. In Elarithia, they use coins, while in Earth, paper money is more commonly used. Upon arriving on Earth, the first thing they do is exchange their coins for paper money at currency exchange places. Only then are they free to shop to their heart's content.
Earth is known as one of the places where monsters rarely appear. That is why many Elarithia residents who do not possess magical powers choose to live there. The minimal presence of monsters makes Earth a relatively safe place for those seeking a life without threats. On Earth, there are also magic academies and S-Rank Heroes.
Aliff entered his room, then went to take a shower. After finishing, he made drinks for his friends who were sitting on the sofa.
"Here, take this!" said Aliff as he brought hot coffee for them.
"Hahaha, thank you," they all replied in unison.
"Hey, Aliff, do you want to know something?" Naim asked.
"Something what?"
"We just returned from Earth a few days ago!" Naim said enthusiastically.
"Oh, really?"
"As people in our world say, there are many cool items and delicious food there. The five of us also learned some languages while we were there. Learning languages there is not as hard as people in this world say," Naim explained while sipping his coffee.
Aliff turned on the television and then sat on the sofa. The sofa he sat on was long enough to accommodate five or six people at once.
*So the five of them, Aina, Naim, Ravi, Bima, and Liu, just returned from Earth,* Aliff thought. *I don't know much about Earth, but I've always heard from people that Earth is a very interesting place.*
"So, what exactly do you want to do at my place?" Aliff asked, looking at the four of them from the end of the sofa where he was sitting.