76 – The Ancient One

76 – The Ancient One

[A/N: When you've been writing for so long, you can't even remember what you've written anymore. XD]

As I watched the edited footage of the interview Lois and Clark recorded, I couldn't help but crack a smile. My plan proved to be a resounding success! Sure, revealing the fact that I was once human could end poorly, but I felt it would act more as a boon than a curse. If they knew I was once human, then they'd know I can be reasoned with and am not just your average Eldritch Horror from the Stars.

It would also serve as a way to attract more customers; after all, one of the Humanities' most known traits was their curiosity, which bordered on suicide in many cases. I was betting that my store would attract Thrill seekers and people who wanted to experience a different life, something that many in my old world wished for, and I was betting that many would also want to experience the same thing here. That's why I showed not only the Simulator but also why I showed off Joshua. If they believed that someone like Joshua really came from another world, perhaps that would give humanity the push it needed to get off this small planet in an incredibly large universe. They'd also come to talk and meet with Joshua as well, bringing me in more business that way.

Speaking of Joshua, as he was my employee, I felt it was only fitting to give him his own quarters, wage, and benefits. He was commission-based, so he would earn around 25% of the training fee when he started getting students. He also received three meals a day, free healthcare, and other necessities and amenities to make his new life more comforting.

However, he did say that all of the 'luxurious' items I was offering were too valuable for him to use, something I proved him wrong about as I proceeded to fill his bathroom with dozens of rolls of toilet paper. Man...if the people who hoarded toilet paper during COVID could only see their bathroom now...ah, those idiots and it only cost me 3 Karma.

[A/N: If you feel called out by the joke above...you should -_-]

I also purchased a wide range of equipment for Joshua, who wanted to add them to his curriculum, specifically medical supplies, and several different guns and types of weapons, ranging from Primal to advanced energy weapons such as Gauss Rifles. How he even knew what they were, I had no idea. I doubt he ran into any of them while working for Ceaser, a man who was stupid enough to think using guns was a sign of weakness in a post-apocalypse where there existed quite a few things that you would want nowhere near you, such as Deathclaw, it would not be pretty.

He was taking his role as a teacher quite seriously, designing multiple courses for different types of people—his words, not mine. For example, he seemed to be designing a course specifically for Guerrilla Tactics, while another was based on leadership skills. I certainly did not expect Joshua to be such a competent man with such a wide variety of skills, but hey, it just means he will do a good job. Even if he doesn't, there's bound to be some that take to his teachings, though I doubt that would be the case, as he was in charge of teaching a bunch of tribals how to fight and was a general in an army.

Of course, I let him know that I was available if he ever needed help and that he could freely use the Simulator during his training sessions. I let him try out for a few hours, where he really pushed the limits of the Simulator and his own skills. Specifically, he chose to fight against insurmountable odds, where he would, without a doubt, eventually lose.

I let him be, but with the Simulator not having any sort of time acceleration, he could only use it for a few hours before I forcefully terminated the Simulation and told him to go to bed.

With a pull, I tore open space, imagining where I wanted to go, and with a mere thought, I stepped through, finding myself in a strangely similar version of my cafe, one completely empty.

Ah...the mirror dimension, good to know that I can do that now.

A moment later, I heard the sound of glass shattering and found the Ancient One standing before me. Yet I also saw everything on the other side, as my customers freaked out from my actions but quickly calmed down.

"The Ancient One, I presume?" I asked, simply.

"You guess correctly, and who do I have the luxury of meeting?" Baldie asked.

"Ah, you may call me Zeref, your local Cosmic Horror," I introduced myself, showing off a brief glance at the void to the baldie, using [Gaze of the Void], opening that tear where the eldritch horrors squirmed and freaked out on the other side before.

"I see...and what are your intentions on this planet?" The Ancient One asked rather directly.

"To the point, aren't you? The answer is simple, for fun and a bit of enlightenment," I answered her question. I had no doubt that the Sorcerer Supreme wouldn't believe my answer of 'I just showed up here,' so why not give her an answer that may satisfy her and could be clearly seen with my activities so far on this Earth?

"Enlightenment?" She questioned, face stoic but clearly concerned despite the lack of reactions.

"Quite, Humanity, as you should know, has quite the predicament for its future, quite a few things that even your successor will find impossible to stop. My goal, so far, is to uplift humanity to a stage where it can protect itself while giving it a peak at what's possible across the Multiverse," I explained, and if her frown was anything to go by, she clearly did not like that answer.