"Let me explain it to you in simple words."
The Ancient One's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable weight. She sat with an elegant posture, her fingers lightly tracing the rim of her tea cup. Eric sat across from her, back straight, listening attentively. Despite the casual atmosphere, he knew that any lesson from her would likely have far-reaching consequences.
She looked at Eric with her usual composed expression, but there was an unusual seriousness behind her gaze.
"Any kind of dimensional energy is exceptionally harmful to reality,"
Eric frowned.
"Harmful...?"
She nodded.
"Every dimension operates under its own unique set of laws. When you use your power here, the laws of your dimension and the laws of this universe inevitably clash."
—
She raised her hand, drawing a simple glowing circle in the air.
"For example, when you create a portal using your power, you're not just opening a door—you're changing the fundamental rules of this reality."
With a snap of her fingers, the circle shattered like fragile glass, vanishing into nothingness.
"This kind of interference might seem minor at first, but over time... the damage becomes irreversible."
Eric blinked. "Wait, irreversible? That sounds a bit extreme. I mean, I've used my abilities before, and nothing really—"
"—Nothing noticeable happened," the Ancient One interrupted, giving him a knowing look. "But the reality is fragile, young one. The damage may not always be visible, but the cracks have already formed."
Eric frowned. He had never considered the full consequences of using his power. Sure, he wasn't arrogant enough to think he had perfect control over his abilities, but he hadn't expected them to be that dangerous to reality itself. And to make things worse, this was his first time using these powers in his original world. Who knew what the consequences could be?
He let out a sigh. "So… should I stop using my powers for now?" He could already feel a headache forming.
The Ancient One simply smiled. "No need to worry. There's a simple fix."
"Oh?" Eric perked up.
"All you need to do is convert your dimension's energy into pure energy before using it," she explained.
"Once you do that, you can use it to manipulate reality without clashing with the universal laws. Converting the energy should be the easiest part. I'm sure you can figure it out on your own. As for reality-bending..."
She made a graceful motion with her hand, and in an instant, a shimmering portal appeared behind her. Through it, Eric caught a glimpse of an enormous, ancient library—rows upon rows of towering bookshelves filled with knowledge beyond comprehension.
Then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the portal vanished.
Eric stared, realization dawning. "You just gave me a cordinate to Kamar-Taj's library, didn't you?"
"Indeed." She sipped her tea. "You now have permission to enter freely. Study well."
Eric groaned, slumping back in his chair. "Great. More studying. Just what I needed."
The Ancient One chuckled. "If you ever have difficulty, you can always seek me out. That aside..." Her eyes twinkled mischievously. "I don't particularly care how you use your powers outside of Earth. But be warned—many powerful entities would love to sink their teeth into you."
Eric sighed. "Of course they would. Nothing's ever easy, is it?"
She only smiled in response, placing her cup down. "Now then, I believe our conversation is over. Thank you for the tea, but I should be taking my leave."
What the fuck, Eric just now noticed, she was holding a teacup, which this cheap bastard did not even offer him while enjoying herself.
Eric felt annoyed but quickly left past it.
As she moved to stand, Eric hesitated for a moment before speaking up. "Wait. Why don't you stay a little longer and meet my mom?"
The Ancient One raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Oh? A formal introduction?"
Well, he will probably be heading to another world again soon. At the very least, he will be leaving half of his shadow soldiers here for protection. Plus, he brought a lot of gifts for his mom, so she should be fine. But... extra insurance never hurts."
For the first time, the Ancient One looked slightly surprised. Then, a soft smile formed on her lips. "Very well. If you insist. Besides... Rebeca will be quite powerful in her own right soon. It would be interesting to see how she develops."
She looked at Eric for a moment, an unreadable emotion flickering in her eyes.
She felt a brief pang of envy.
Eric nodded, satisfied, and started heading downstairs, the Ancient One following behind.
In the Kitchen…
Meanwhile, Rebecca stood in the kitchen, waiting for the water to boil.
She had already prepared two cups of noodles—one for herself, one for Eric.
When she said that Eric had to eat cup noodles for a month, she wasn't joking.
In fact, she had been living off of them herself for the past few weeks.
After all, she had fired the housekeeper a month ago, convinced that Eric would never return. She had lost her appetite, barely eating anything substantial. Now, just thinking about all those cup noodles made her want to throw up.
That bastard deserved to suffer the same fate.
One month of nothing but cup noodles—only then would she feel a little better.
Of course, she would casually eat steak in front of him.
She smirked to herself.
Yes. That would be justice.
As she prepared his punishment meal, she heard footsteps approaching. Looking up, she saw Eric descending the stairs with a bald woman in a yellow robe following him.
Rebeca frowned, her eyes narrowing. Then, in a flat tone, she asked, "Did you bring a girlfriend from another world too?"
Eric almost tripped over his own feet and fell down the stairs.
WHAT THE HELL?!
"Do you think I'm the kind of guy who would date a bald woman older than our family history?!" he wanted to scream.
But seeing the Ancient One's smiling face, he held back.
He swallowed his frustration and calmly descended the stairs.
The Ancient One, standing calmly behind him, simply smiled in amusement.
Rebeca, still suspicious, leaned on the counter. "Then who is she?"
Eric took a deep breath, forcing himself to speak in the most serious tone possible.
"Mom, this is the Ancient One. She's the Sorcerer Supreme, protector of Earth from demonic threats.
Then, he smirked slightly.
"Or, if you prefer—the powerful mentor who died in a really stupid way because they didn't have the budget to show her fight properly."
The Ancient One nearly stumbled on the last step, her expression twitching.
That was... painfully accurate.
For a brief moment, she genuinely wondered if Eric had seen the future.
Rebeca, however, was too distracted to notice. Her eyes widened in realization, and before Eric could stop her, she rushed up to the Ancient One, practically vibrating with excitement. "Wait—so magic is real?! Can I learn it?!"
Her enthusiasm was almost suffocating.
The Ancient One chuckled softly. "Yes, you may learn magic."
Eric sighed in relief. He knew that if she had said 'no,' she would crash out.
"Humans, by nature, do not possess magic," the Ancient One continued. "They must borrow power from greater beings, and such power is never free. The price is often steep."
Rebeca's face fell slightly.
"However," the Ancient One added, glancing at Eric, "you do happen to have a personal dimension at home. There will be no need to beg others for it."
Rebeca perked up instantly. "Oh, I like this!
Let's eat, then we can discuss everything!" Eric sighed, dragging her to the dining table.
Rebeca, however, suddenly looked a little embarrassed. "Uh… we only have cup noodles. Should we order something?"
The Ancient One smiled warmly. "No need. I quite like cup noodles."
Eric smirked. "See, Mom? No problem. Eating is just a formality for us anyway. And don't let her appearance fool you—she's at least a thousand years old."
Rebeca's eyes widened with envy. "Eternal youth... that's so unfair."
The Ancient One's serene expression shifted slightly, her voice suddenly turned annoyed.
"Eric, a gentleman should never reveal a lady's age so casually."
Eric just laughed.