Mordo's attitude of apology was sincere, showing no dissatisfaction whatsoever at Quinn's sarcasm.
He was a rigid but reasonable man.
Once he determined right from wrong, he wouldn't let external factors like pride or sentiment sway his judgment.
Seeing this, Quinn dismissed the Nichirin sword and asked, "So, what do you want from me?"
"This isn't a convenient place to talk. Let's go somewhere else."
The Ancient One snapped her fingers. Bright sparks traced a circle in the air, revealing a scene on the other side—a spacious villa hall decorated in eighteenth-century British style.
"...Alright."
Quinn hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
The Ancient One stepped through the portal first, Mordo followed closely behind, and Quinn came last.
The Ancient One gestured toward the empty space. A coffee table and chairs materialized out of thin air. With another wave of her hand, a teapot and cups of freshly brewed tea appeared on the table.
"Please, have a seat."
The Ancient One extended an invitation to Quinn, then settled into a chair herself. Mordo stood behind her like an attendant.
Quinn didn't stand on ceremony and sat down.
"I came to you because I have a few questions."
The Ancient One poured tea for Quinn. "A year ago, you appeared in Manhattan, New York, seemingly out of nowhere. Two months ago, fifteen cannibal cases began occurring throughout New York."
She filled his cup with tea, set down the teapot, and stared directly at Quinn. "Do you know any clues about these events?"
"Yes. I do."
Quinn admitted it without hesitation, which surprised both the Ancient One and Mordo.
He picked up the teacup, blew gently on the hot liquid, took a sip, and continued, "They're demons—creatures from another world."
Quinn had no choice but to be so forthright.
He'd crossed over in his physical body, not by possessing someone else's.
Deceiving S.H.I.E.L.D., who weren't certain about the authenticity of the multiverse, was one thing. But deceiving this Supreme Sorcerer who could travel across multiple dimensions? That was obviously impossible.
No—it wasn't just professional matters he couldn't lie about. He couldn't deceive her in ordinary conversation either.
This Supreme Sorcerer had lived for over five hundred years. She hadn't spent that time in seclusion and meditation like in cultivation novels, but rather experiencing the vicissitudes of the world, observing the multiverse, and seeing through human nature itself.
There might be people in this world who could deceive her, but he certainly wasn't one of them—not some young man in his twenties.
If he tried to act clever and play tricks in front of her, he'd only outsmart himself.
Better to be frank and honest from the beginning.
Of course, telling the truth didn't mean telling the whole truth.
The Ancient One wasn't an omniscient god. She couldn't think of everything.
And there was an information gap between Quinn and her. As long as he didn't slip up, she wouldn't figure it out.
"Demons from another world..."
The Ancient One raised her teacup to her lips but didn't drink for a long time. Instead, she seemed lost in thought—or perhaps her consciousness had already wandered to exotic dimensions, searching for clues or answers in other timelines.
Neither the Ancient One nor Mordo showed any surprise at the answer "from another world." They'd obviously understood this already.
"...Can you tell me the specifics?"
After a moment's pause, the Ancient One looked at Quinn again and made her request.
"Of course." Quinn smiled slightly, showing the same expression he'd given Coulson. "But I'm a businessman. If you want information from me, there's a price."
"Do you realize who you're speaking to—"
The Ancient One raised her hand, stopping Mordo's threat.
She stared directly at Quinn. "Fair exchange is reasonable. Your request is perfectly valid. So what do you want in return?"
"Money or something valuable will do."
Although he really wanted something like the Book of the Vishanti, Quinn knew that was impossible.
Besides, the only reason to ask for payment was to maintain his persona as a hero who walked in darkness—someone whose morality was ambiguous. And he wanted the whole world to know about the creature called "demons from another world."
"As for money..."
The Ancient One pondered for a moment, then removed a plum blossom ring from her left index finger. "This isn't from any famous craftsman—just a trinket I made when I was learning magic. It can calm anger and impulse, bringing peace and tranquility to the heart. Is this sufficient as payment?"
"Let me see."
Quinn took the ring and examined it carefully, secretly asking the system to verify its authenticity. After confirming there were no problems, he smiled with satisfaction.
"Although it's just a meditation trinket, it does have five hundred years of history. With the right marketing, I might be able to sell it for a fortune."
"Now, about those demons from another world..."
"They were originally human too."
Quinn pocketed the ring, sat up straight, and explained in detail. "About a thousand years ago in that world, a baby was born with a weak heart. He barely survived birth but was nearly cremated as a stillbirth.
However, though he survived through sheer will to live, his body remained extremely frail, and he could only lie in bed.
When a kind doctor learned of his condition, he developed a prescription for him. It not only freed him from his weak body but gave him immortality and power far exceeding ordinary humans. But the price he paid was that he could never be exposed to sunlight, and he had to consume human flesh to survive. He is the source of all demons—Muzan Kibutsuji!"
The Ancient One listened without saying a word.
Mordo, however, expressed doubt. "You claim the doctor was kind. If he was kind, then why did he create a medicine that makes demons? Also, was the medical technology in that world so advanced that they could create such a monster?"
"The doctor was genuinely kind, and his original intention wasn't to create demons." Quinn picked up his teacup, took a sip to wet his throat, then continued. "That prescription wasn't a complete treatment process. But here's the irony—in the early stages of treatment, Muzan's condition didn't improve but actually worsened. This made Muzan think he'd been deceived, so he killed the doctor. In the end, the medical technology in that world wasn't particularly advanced. The doctor was a special case."
Quinn paused before continuing. "Just like Tony Stark in this world. That prescription was his unique secret formula—which is also why Muzan's flaws, like his fear of sunlight and need to consume humans, can't be corrected."
"This is the cycle of cause and effect." The Ancient One sighed. "If Muzan hadn't been so narrow-minded, if he hadn't judged the doctor with such malice, he probably would have become the ultimate perfect being—not a demon king who can only hide in darkness."
Quinn disagreed with this assessment.
If it really was a cycle of cause and effect, then the doctor who treated Muzan without malice ended up dying tragically. How should that be calculated?
Should he not have meddled at all?