After completing the first working model of my techno staff, I finished calibrating my time-pool locator as well. The staff still had plenty of room for improvement, but it was stable—good enough for field use. For now, that was all I needed.
I followed the direction the device pointed me toward, trusting theory over certainty. This was its first real test run, after all. Still, the logic was sound. The locator was programmed to scan for both temporal energy and Titan blood—the two essential components that formed time pools when Titan blood fused with algy and water. If the readings aligned, it should lead me straight to a temporal rupture.
Should being the key word.
As I traveled, I didn't waste the journey. I continued sketching and testing new glyph combinations, upgrading pieces of my techno gear whenever I could. The distance was considerable, and my techno staff—annoyingly—still lacked a flight function.
Maybe I should invent one.
But what glyphs would even make that possible?
Light was an obvious component. A light glyph could reduce mass or generate propulsion, but that alone wouldn't stabilize sustained flight. Maybe a hybrid—light and wind? Or light combined with energy amplification and directional control? I shelved the thought for later. I'd figure it out when I had time. Right now, I had a destination.
Eventually, the readings spiked.
I'd found them.
The time pools shimmered unnaturally, their surfaces folding in on themselves like liquid mirrors. Carefully, I leaned forward and dipped my head into one of them, allowing my scanners to begin downloading temporal data. Streams of information flooded in—fractured timelines, overlapping eras, potential entry points.
It took a while.
There were countless time periods accessible from these pools, but I wasn't here for just any of them. I needed a specific point—one tied to the Savage Ages… and more importantly, to Philip.
I could have jumped earlier, but caution won out. Time is volatile. One mistake and you don't just die—you unravel. So I set up several stabilization spells around the pools, anchoring the shoreline and manipulating tidal flow to prevent the water from reclaiming them.
According to my calculations, I had three days before the pools collapsed naturally.
Three days.
That should be enough.
Enough time to acquire what I came for.
Titan blood.
I already carried a small amount with me—obtained through methods I'd rather not dwell on—but its usefulness was undeniable.
First, I wanted to integrate more of it into my body. Carefully. Slowly. Titan genetics meant increased power, accelerated regeneration, and—if my theory was right—something close to semi-immortality.
Second, stockpiling it was simply practical. Titan blood was one of the most valuable substances in existence.
And third… its applications were limitless.
Portals between realms. Reality anchors. Temporal phenomena like the very pools before me. With enough refinement, I could even build a device capable of controlled time travel.
Eventually.
Not now.
Time was not something to experiment with casually. It demanded respect—and precision.
That was why every step from here on out would be deliberate.
Careful.
Calculated.
With the pools stabilized and my path finally clear, I straightened up and prepared myself.
The past was waiting.
And I was ready to meet it.