This puzzle is indeed "simpler than everyone thought" as suggested by the flavor text. Each clue includes the answer or a significant part of the answer. For example, the answer to 1-Across "Mosaic tile" is TILE.
TILE WAFTS ACCEDE EMIR AGLOW FRAYED APTS TIARA FOMENT PATENTLYOBVIOUS OIL USES ARKS TREAD SKIM AWL REFASTEN ASTRO ACRE ETHAN DIALED THENOSEONYOURFACE BASALT GLADE ASKS ARISE MUENSTER TON TINY VIPER SEEN SAFE RUE STRAIGHTFORWARD TRAINS RAYON AGED COLLIE ALLOT LUKE HOSTED BEETS LEAN
The letters in the numbered spaces spell SEVENTY-EIGHT ACROSS, and the answer there is the answer to this puzzle, HOSTED.