“Let me explain it to you in simple words,” the Ancient One said, her voice calm yet carrying an undeniable weight.
She sat with elegant posture, fingers lightly tracing the rim of her teacup—somehow, a perfectly brewed cup of tea had materialized in front of her without Eric even noticing.
He sat across from her, back straight, listening attentively.
Despite the casual atmosphere, he knew any lesson from her would likely have far-reaching consequences.
She looked at him 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 with graceful ease.
“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, processing her words.
“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 gently, giving him a knowing look.
“But reality is fragile, young one.
The damage may not always be visible, but the cracks have already formed.”
Eric frowned deeper.
He had never really considered the full consequences of throwing around shadow energy and portals like it was nothing.
Sure, he wasn’t arrogant enough to think he had perfect control, but he hadn’t expected his powers to be that dangerous to the fabric of the universe itself.
And to make things worse, this was his first real time using them extensively in his original world.
Who knew what kind of hidden mess he might have already caused?
He let out a long sigh, already feeling a headache coming on.
“So… should I stop using my powers for now?”
The Ancient One simply smiled.
“No need to worry.
There’s a simple fix.”
“Oh?” Eric perked up, leaning forward with renewed interest.
“All you need to do is convert your dimension’s energy into pure energy before using it,” she explained patiently.
“Once you do that, you can manipulate reality without clashing with the universal laws.
Converting the energy should be the easiest part for someone like you.
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 glowing tomes and knowledge that felt older than time itself.
Then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the portal vanished.
Eric stared, realization dawning with a mix of awe and mild annoyance.
“You just gave me coordinates to Kamar-Taj’s library, didn’t you?”
“Indeed.” She sipped her tea elegantly.
“You now have permission to enter freely.
Study well.”
Eric groaned, slumping back in his chair like a student who just got extra homework.
“Great.
More studying.
Just what I needed after a year of fighting for my life.
Can’t a guy get a break?”
The Ancient One chuckled softly, the sound warm and surprisingly human.
That aside…” Her eyes twinkled with a hint of mischief.
“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 if they notice what you carry.”
Eric sighed dramatically.
“Of course they would.
Nothing’s ever easy, is it?
One minute you’re back home eating cup noodles, the next you’re on some cosmic watchlist.”
She only smiled in response, placing her teacup down with a soft clink.
“Now then, I believe our conversation is over.
Thank you for the tea, but I should be taking my leave.”
What the fuck, Eric thought, just now noticing she was casually enjoying a full cup of tea.
This cheap bastard hadn’t even offered him any while sipping away like she owned the place.
He felt a flicker of annoyance but quickly brushed it aside.
Priorities.
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 elegant eyebrow in mild amusement.
“Oh?
A formal introduction?”
Eric shrugged, a small grin forming.
“Well, I’ll probably be heading to another world again soon.
At the very least, I’ll be leaving half of my shadow soldiers here for protection.
Plus, I brought a bunch of gifts for her, so she should be fine.
But… extra insurance never hurts.”
For the first time, the Ancient One looked slightly surprised.
Then a soft, genuine smile formed on her lips.
“Very well.
If you insist.
Besides… Rebecca 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 ancient eyes.
A brief pang of envy, perhaps—for the simple, grounded connections he still held onto despite his overwhelming power.
Eric nodded, satisfied, and started heading downstairs, the Ancient One following gracefully behind him.
In the kitchen…
Meanwhile, Rebecca stood at the counter, waiting for the water to boil.
She had already prepared two cups of instant noodles—one for herself, one for Eric.
When she had threatened him with a month of cup noodles earlier, she hadn’t been joking.
In fact, she had been living off the stuff herself for the past few weeks.
After firing the housekeeper a month ago, convinced her son would never return, she had lost her appetite for real food.
Now, just thinking about all those bland, salty packets made her want to throw up.
But 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 planned to casually eat steak right in front of him every chance she got.
She smirked to herself, stirring the boiling water with vindictive satisfaction.
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 flowing yellow robe following calmly behind him.
Rebecca frowned, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
Then, in a completely flat tone, she asked, “Did you bring a girlfriend from another world too?”
Eric almost tripped over his own feet and nearly face-planted down the stairs.
WHAT THE HELL?!
“Do you think I’m the kind of guy who would date a bald woman older than our entire family history?!” he wanted to scream.
But seeing the Ancient One’s faintly amused smile, he held back, swallowing his frustration and calmly descending the rest of the way like nothing happened.
The Ancient One, standing serenely behind him, simply smiled in quiet amusement.
Rebecca, still suspicious, leaned on the counter with crossed arms.
“Then who is she?”
Eric took a deep breath, forcing himself into the most serious tone possible.
“Mom, this is the Ancient One.
She’s the Sorcerer Supreme, protector of Earth from demonic threats and all that jazz.”
Then he smirked slightly, unable to resist.
“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 serene expression twitching for a split second.
That was… painfully accurate.
For a brief moment, she genuinely wondered if Eric had peeked into the future somehow.
Rebecca, however, was too distracted to notice the subtle burn.
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 kind that could power a small city.
The Ancient One chuckled softly, clearly charmed.
“Yes, you may learn magic.”
Eric sighed in relief.
He knew that if she had said “no,” his mom would have thrown a full tantrum.
“Humans, by nature, do not possess magic,” the Ancient One continued smoothly.
“They must borrow power from greater beings, and such power is never free.
The price is often steep.”
Rebecca’s face fell slightly, her excitement dimming.
“However,” the Ancient One added, glancing meaningfully at Eric, “you do happen to have a personal dimension at home.
There will be no need to beg others for power.”
Rebecca perked up instantly, eyes sparkling again.
“Oh, I like this one!
She gets it!”
“Let’s eat, then we can discuss everything!” Eric sighed, gently dragging his mom toward the dining table before she could launch into full interrogation mode.
Rebecca suddenly looked a little embarrassed, glancing at the sad packets of instant noodles on the counter.
“Uh… we only have cup noodles.
Should we order something?”
The Ancient One smiled warmly, completely unfazed.
“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.”
Rebecca’s eyes widened with pure envy.
“Eternal youth… that’s so unfair.”
The Ancient One’s serene expression shifted slightly, her voice turning mildly annoyed for the first time.
“Eric, a gentleman should never reveal a lady’s age so casually.”
Eric just laughed.