The neighborhood was noticeably better than the areas Rifi had passed through earlier. The streets here were clean, and the houses, though modest, didn't look rundown. Still, they lacked the grandeur of the wealthier districts. Rifi stood in front of a three-story house, one of many in this tightly packed row of homes.

Rudeus lived on the second floor of this house, renting enough space for his small family. Rifi took a deep breath, climbed the stairs, and knocked on the door, resisting the urge to overthink the situation. Before his nerves could get the better of him, the door opened, revealing a middle-aged woman with long brown hair and a gentle face.

"Hello, how can I help you?" she asked, smiling politely.

"Hello, uhmm..." Rifi hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. "I was hoping to speak with Rudeus, if he's here."

The woman turned and called into the house, "Honey, there's a man here to see you!"

In the background, Rifi could hear the sound of toys clattering and a child's playful giggles.

"Who is it?" a voice called back, accompanied by footsteps.

"I don't know," she replied, a hint of playful annoyance in her tone. "But you'd better greet your guest yourself, honey."

"Yes, yes, just a second."

Rifi smirked as he listened to the lighthearted exchange, a warmth spreading through his chest. Then, the footsteps grew closer, and Rudeus appeared at the door. The wooden floor creaked beneath his weight as he approached, and as soon as he laid eyes on Rifi, his expression shifted from casual curiosity to pure shock.

"This can't be… are you… Rifi?" Rudeus stammered, his face cycling through a whirlwind of emotions—first disbelief, then happiness, and finally confusion.

"Hey, Rudeus," Rifi said with a small wave. "Yeah, it's me. Long time no see."

Before Rifi could say another word, Rudeus had thrown his arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. The force of it surprised Rifi, followed by a few hearty slaps on his back, a customary greeting between old friends.

"Man, I'm so happy to see you!" Rudeus said, pulling back just enough to look at Rifi. "But how… how are you alive? What happened?"

"It's good to see you too, Captain," Rifi said with a grin. "It's a long story."

"Oh, where are my manners? Come on in!" Rudeus gestured for him to enter. "Helena, you won't believe this, but this is Rifi—our teammate! The one we thought…" He hesitated, scratching his head, "Well, the one we thought died over a year ago."

Helena raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "Yeah, right. As if I'll believe that. You won't fool me with another one of your crazy stories, Rudeus." She smiled warmly at Rifi. "Welcome to our home, Rifi. I don't know how you put up with my husband."

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Rifi stepped inside, taking in the cozy atmosphere. The living area was warm and welcoming, with toys scattered about and the scent of food wafting through the air. It was the complete opposite of the cold, damp cave he had been living in for so long. Compared to that, this felt like a palace.

Rudeus led him to the kitchen table, where they both sat down. Rifi couldn't help but feel a strange mix of nostalgia and relief, the familiar chaos of family life washing over him as Helena bustled around the kitchen and their child played nearby.

"So," Rifi said, leaning forward with a smile. "Do you know how Lucilia is doing?"

"I haven't seen her in two weeks," Rudeus answered, his expression softening. "She's been out of the city with her strike team, but she's doing well. We keep in touch… unlike a certain someone." He shot Rifi a playful smirk.

"Believe me, Rudeus," Rifi replied, shaking his head. "I wanted to reach out. I really did. But the situation I was in didn't exactly allow for that."

Helena paused mid-stir at the stove, glancing over her shoulder. "Wait, are you seriously telling me what Rudeus said is true? People thought you were dead for over a year?"

Rifi nodded, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, it's been a bit over a year, actually. Everyone thought I died during the beast wave. And… well, they weren't entirely wrong. I barely survived."

Rudeus turned to his wife with a smug grin. "See? I told you I wasn't making things up. Your husband tells the truth!" He winked at Rifi. "I think I deserve a bit more appreciation, don't you think?"

"Alright, alright," Helena said, rolling her eyes but smiling at the banter. "I'll give you that one. But no more gloating. This is Rifi's first visit in ages."

With the light teasing behind them, Rudeus grew more serious, focusing on Rifi once again. "So… what really happened? If you're willing to share, of course."

Rifi took a deep breath, preparing himself to explain. He had already decided not to tell the full story—nothing about Nala or the Devils. It wasn't safe to share that information, especially not knowing if the Devils had infiltrated the city-state. Rudeus could already be unknowingly caught up in their schemes, and Rifi couldn't risk endangering his friend.

He began to tell them a heavily edited version of events, keeping it simple. He spoke of how he had stumbled upon a cave belonging to a long-dead hermit mage, where he found magic stones and some old scripts. He told them how his injuries from the beast horde had been severe, forcing him to stay in the cave for months to recover. During that time, he used the stones and the hermit's knowledge to further his cultivation, leading to his eventual return to the city.

Helena served dinner as Rifi shared his tale, and the three of them ate while chatting. Rudeus's son, an energetic little boy, insisted on sitting in Rifi's lap, and Rifi found himself uncomfortably out of his element, trying to balance storytelling and entertaining the child. Eventually, Helena took over, allowing Rifi a moment of peace.

Throughout the conversation, Rifi carefully avoided the dangerous details. The story, though stripped of its darker elements, still conveyed the hardship he had endured.

When Rudeus learned that Rifi had reached the red core rank, his eyes widened in disbelief. "A red core? Already? That's… incredible!" Rudeus shook his head, laughing. "I expected you'd be at least a blue core mage by now, but this? A red core in such a short time? That's unheard of! There are barely a hundred and some change of red core mages in the entire city-state!"

Rudeus himself had just recently broken into the blue core rank, and Luciliana had reached the same level a few months earlier, motivating him to push for his own breakthrough. Both of them had now taken on more prominent roles within the ranks of the city lord's clan. They were being promoted, and soon, they would be moving to a larger home closer to the city center—just in time, as Rifi's return had been perfectly timed. Had he come any later, he would've missed them.

Rudeus explained how, despite the lure of better pay from elite clans, he and Luciliana had no desire to join. Like Rifi, they weren't fans of the main clans and preferred to stay under the employ of the City Lord.

The conversation eventually shifted to Rifi's plans. Now that he was back in the city, what did he intend to do?