Chapter 5: Home Sweet Home

At that moment, a voice echoed from within the tower.

"Xenos, how is home?"

It was Sumanth.

Hearing the familiar voice, Xenos smiled and replied, "Nostalgic... and strange at the same time."

Sumanth chuckled. "Obviously! What did you expect? It's been approximately 1,000 years since you left your home in the space warp."

"So, what have you been doing all this time?"

Xenos shrugged. "Nothing special… I cultivated the Nirvana Technique and perfected the first realm of martial arts."

Just as Xenos was about to continue explaining his achievements, he heard Sumanth shout in shock.

"WHAT?! Seriously?! Come on, man! You left home for an insanely long time—no, 'long' doesn't even do it justice—and the first thing you do after returning is sit in a basement below ground to create a martial realm? Are you crazy?"

Xenos remained calm. "Well... didn't we come here to save them? I thought this would help."

Sumanth let out a deep sigh. "Your common sense really degraded after staying in the True Universe for so long… Whatever. So, tell me more about this first realm you're talking about."

Xenos nodded. "I looked into their martial arts cultivation techniques, but they were filled with flaws. So, I took a part of their knowledge and perfected it."

As he spoke, Xenos transferred the knowledge to Sumanth.

After a moment of silence, Sumanth murmured, "Hmm… this is interesting. I'll hand it over to the elders. They can analyze it and refine it further. Also, give me the original cultivation techniques you studied. I'll pass those along as well for reference."

Xenos nodded and handed them over.

A short while later, Sumanth's voice rang out again. "Xenos, I have given the cultivation technique to the elders. They'll review it… but until then, let's go out and explore. Show me your world."

Xenos knew there was no point in arguing, so he simply nodded and led Sumanth out for a walk.

As Xenos walked through the streets, he carried the tower with him, allowing Sumanth to observe the outside world. To avoid drawing attention, he shrank the tower to the size of a keychain. Before long, Sumanth's curious voice echoed from within.

"Why are people waving their hands in mid-air? Is there something wrong with their heads?"

Xenos burst into laughter at his words. "No, no, they're using virtual reality glasses. It's one of the greatest inventions of this era."

Sumanth sounded intrigued. "Virtual reality glasses? What do they do?"

Xenos explained, "These glasses have three modes. The first mode turns them into regular eyeglasses, just like any normal pair."

"The second mode is virtual display mode. It allows people to access something called the internet—they can chat, hold meetings, watch videos, and do work-related tasks."

Before Xenos could continue, Sumanth interrupted. "Internet? What is that?"

Xenos thought for a moment before answering. "The internet is a vast network that connects people and allows them to exchange information, kind of like... Hmm… Do you remember the Core Formation Plates we used in battle?"

"Yes."

"Just like how Core Formation Plates allow us to send messages across long distances, scan terrains, and detect enemies, the internet does the same—but on a global scale. It connects the entire world, making all kinds of information accessible. However, just like the plates, there are restrictions on what can be shared and who can access certain information."

Sumanth hummed in thought. "Interesting… What about the third mode?"

Xenos smirked. "The third mode is the most fascinating one… but it's not for daily use. It's mostly used while lying in bed."

"Huh?" Sumanth sounded confused.

"It's called Virtual Reality Mode. When activated, the person's consciousness enters a fully immersive virtual world. Unlike regular illusions, in this world, they can touch, feel, and interact as if it were real. It has countless applications, from entertainment to education and even military training."

Sumanth was silent for a moment before finally speaking. "Hmm… I didn't expect this world to be so different from ours."

Xenos nodded. "Due to the lack of spiritual energy, humans lost their ability to cultivate and transcend. But instead of giving up, they chose a different path—the path of science—to survive and advance."

Sumanth let out a deep sigh, as if contemplating the weight of those words.

With a smile, Xenos continued leading Sumanth on a tour, showing him the wonders and achievements of the 31st century.

Sumanth looked around in amazement. "Oh… so that's a car! Interesting, it looks like a carriage—but without horses."

His gaze wandered upward. "Ohh… the buildings are huge! So these are skyscrapers."

A moment later, he suddenly exclaimed in shock, "What!! Do women wear such short clothes these days?"

Xenos chuckled. "Well, they wore them in my time too. It's no surprise they're still wearing them in the 31st century."

Sumanth examined the fabric closely. "What material is this? It doesn't look like any cloth I've seen before."

"It's a nano-material," Xenos explained. "Back in my time, we used to see superheroes wearing nano-material suits in sci-fi movies, but I never expected humans to actually make it a reality."

Sumanth nodded in fascination. "Interesting… I think Elder Saladin would love this. Buy a few of these clothes so I can give them to him. He might come up with some new ideas."

Xenos agreed and led Sumanth into a nearby mall.

As they wandered through the shopping center, they noticed groups of young people moving in and out, chatting loudly. Xenos overheard their conversation and couldn't help but become intrigued.

"Hey dude, did you hear the news?"

"Yeah! Who hasn't? It's all over the internet!"

"I was shocked when I saw it. I thought, 'Is this even real?'"

"The Federation has done something incredible! They're opening martial arts schools to train the new generation to become warriors!"

"It's like something out of a video game! But why are they doing it?"

"I heard from my dad—he works for the Ministry of Education. He said monster attacks have been increasing. Some creatures are territorial, but others have started attacking nearby villages. And according to some scientists, these monsters are evolving… they're becoming more intelligent over time."

"But don't we already have an army? We have laser guns, tanks—why do they need to train us in martial arts?"

"Haven't you been watching the geography channel? Ever since the continents collided, all the landmasses merged into a single giant continent. Because of this collision, five enormous mountain ranges were formed. Our region—the central region—is completely surrounded by the largest of them, Montisol Mountain. For this reason, the central region is also known as the Closed-Off Region."

"The other four mountains branch off from Montisol, like its arms and legs. The mountain separating the north and west is called Braccia Mountain. The one between the north and east is Ruki Mountain. The mountain dividing the west and south is Ƙafa Mountain, and the one separating the east and south is Ashi Mountain."

"Because these mountains, it's difficult for the military to reach every area quickly. That's why the government is training civilians in martial arts—to ensure people can defend themselves."

"Ohh… I want to apply!"

"Me.. too"

"Yeah, they're accepting students between the ages of 10 and 20 because younger people can handle the intense training better. They're also looking for experienced martial artists to serve as instructors… I wonder how they'll find them."

After listening to their discussion, Xenos frowned in thought.

Sumanth noticed his expression. "What are you thinking about?"

Xenos shook his head. "Nothing… I'm just interested in this martial arts school. Let's go. We should focus on buying the clothes for now."

After finishing their shopping, Xenos headed to the food court and ordered two ice creams. Once he received them, he sent one into the tower, where Sumanth eagerly took it.

As they ate, Sumanth suddenly exclaimed, "Whoa! This is amazing! Take a box of this—I want to bring some home for my wife and children."

Xenos nodded.

Sumanth licked his ice cream thoughtfully. "Didn't you say that all modern food had lost its originality? That everything was full of artificial chemicals? This doesn't taste like something synthetic… it feels natural, almost earthy."

Xenos sighed. "Honestly, I was surprised too when I first bought fresh ingredients for cooking."

Seeing Sumanth's curiosity, he continued, "After doing some research, I found out that everything changed after World War III in the year 2100. The war left massive nuclear contamination, leading to famine and widespread casualties. Humanity hit rock bottom."

"Life expectancy, which was once around 60 years, dropped to 40. The population dwindled, reaching just 6 billion by 2040."

"The world became a living hell. Tensions kept rising, and governments feared another catastrophic war. To prevent further destruction, all nations agreed to merge into a single global government—the Federation. It was officially established in 2050."

"Once the Federation took control, they focused on restoring the planet. They worked on decontaminating nuclear waste, promoting hygiene, switching to renewable energy, ensuring clean water, banning artificial chemicals, and reintroducing organic food. Basically, they rebuilt the world into a healthier, cleaner place. And in return, life expectancy increased once again."

Sumanth listened carefully, nodding in understanding.

Xenos smirked. "So yeah, all the chemical-laced food from my time was banned. Now, everything is pure and organic." He paused for a moment before adding with a grin, "Though you still have to watch out for obesity."

After finishing their ice cream, Xenos ordered a carton box of ice cream and Hyderabadi mutton biryani to take home. With that, they left the mall and headed back.