Chapter 74
The energy culminated in a powerful surge, warping the space around Gray as he disappeared into the stream of time. However, a familiar and formidable will intervened, twisting the spell's intended destination. The interference sent Gray hurtling further back in time than he had anticipated, the distortion pulling him into an unfamiliar reality. When the disorienting sensation faded, Gray opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by towering skyscrapers piercing the clouds. The hum of cars and the distant murmur of city life filled the air. He had arrived in a completely different time and place, one that belonged to the Muggle world. The vast cityscape stretched endlessly before him, its modernity and enormity a stark contrast to anything he had prepared for.Gray frowned deeply, his expression unreadable as he discreetly entered his suitcase.
-scene change-
Inside the golden compartment of a familiar hideout, wizards clad in white lab coats busily worked. Some took notes while others closely examined a large golden sphere encased in metal. The sphere suddenly flared red, catching the attention of one wizard. "God Green, we've got unauthorized time travel in Nepal of all places," said a wizard named Elric. Another wizard, Brandt, examined a glowing map of the globe and remarked, "That makes sense, considering Nepal is one of the places where a rift was estimated to appear."
A third wizard, Helen, chimed in, "Whoever they are, they seem to have extensive knowledge of time and rifts." A younger wizard named Theo hesitantly added, "But haven't we ensured the wizarding world hasn't come into contact with those rifts? How could someone else know about them?" An older wizard, Alaric, replied, "Yeah, keeping magical Muggles from discovering these rifts has been a pain, but we're not omniscient." The conversation was interrupted by the entrance of an older man named Isaac, who commanded instant respect. Adjusting his glasses, he studied the sphere. "Oh, that's time travel all right, and old-fashioned too. Clunky, but the principles are solid. As for the destination… whoever it was, they're no amateur. We need to track every master of the subject of time," he said thoughtfully, his voice tinged with concern.
Meanwhile, Gray sat within his suitcase, his face clouded with frustration as he went over the mistake he had made. With a determined sigh, he corrected it and exited the suitcase, embarking on a mission to gather information. His efforts quickly bore fruit, and he learned he was in 1927 Paris. Nodding to himself, he thought, "I'm far back in time, but according to my research, Nicholas Flamel should be living in Paris." Walking through the bustling streets, where carriages dominated the roads, Gray's sharp eyes scanned for clues. As he turned a corner, he bumped into a man in his late 40s, with white hair and a single strange white eye. A woman followed closely behind him, but Gray paid them no mind, focused solely on his search for the Philosopher's Stone.
The man, however, turned to look at Gray, their gazes locking for a tense moment. Gray's immediate thought was, "A wizard." The man, Gellert Grindelwald, shared the same realization but reacted with quiet hostility. Gray, sensing this, scoffed and walked away, unwilling to engage. Grindelwald, watching the young wizard's retreating form, whispered to the woman beside him, "Have someone tail him. Find out who he is." The woman nodded and slipped away into the crowd. Minutes later, Gray, undeterred, continued on his path. Reaching a quieter area, he stopped to perform a time-related spell. Chanting, "Visionus Temporis," Gray utilized magic to peer hours into the future. The spell, while effective, drained a significant amount of his magical reserves, but it revealed his target—his journey was far from over.
Thankfully, Gray's magic reserves were enhanced, allowing him to spare enough energy to Apparate several yards behind the man who had been watching him. As Gray appeared silently behind the observer, the man spun around, immediately casting the Killing Curse. However, he was too slow; Gray had already raised an ice spike from the ground, piercing the man's throat and hands to prevent him from uttering a single spell or performing any wand movements. Ensuring the dark wizard posed no further threat, Gray burned the corpse and turned his focus back to his target: a heavily enchanted house. The enchantments were formidable, forcing Gray to consume an Enlightenment Potion as he searched for vulnerabilities. Even after using the taxing Visions Temporis spell again, which further drained his magic, he finally located a small gap to exploit. Borrowing into the house under the effects of an Invisibility Potion, Gray entered the residence of none other than Nicholas Flamel, the creator of the Philosopher's Stone.
Inside the house, Flamel was sound asleep, unaware of the intruder. Gray, now invisible, moved swiftly yet cautiously, using the knowledge gained from his spell to locate the stone's hiding place. After deciphering the complex protective enchantments, he identified one designed to allow only those without selfish intent to access the stone. Gray smirked. "This is easier than I thought," he mused as the stone materialized in his hand. He had no intention of using it for its famed immortality or alchemical properties; instead, he saw it as a valuable research material. As an alchemist, he was confident in his ability to create another Philosopher's Stone. However, a memory surfaced, making him pause. "Last time I was confident too," he muttered, shaking off the thought. Gray took the stone and exited the house, but no sooner had he left than a future version of himself returned the artifact, ensuring that, to everyone else, the stone had never left its place.
Returning to his suitcase, Gray embarked on the most intense research session of his life. Consuming Enlightenment Potions in rapid succession, he remained awake for days, tirelessly studying and experimenting. Failures did not deter him; he had prepared extensively for this journey, stockpiling enough experimental materials to last five years. With the system panel providing precise analyses of his progress, Gray quickly achieved what had taken Nicholas Flamel a lifetime—at least the first step. Inside his suitcase, a sleep-deprived Gray, who hadn't seen the sun or bathed in days, floated cross-legged in the air. His glowing mana-infused eyes fixed on an enhanced cauldron he had personally enchanted. Precious materials levitated before him as he controlled them with precision, nearing the final steps of creating something extraordinary. Just as he prepared to complete the process, a loud crack echoed from the corner, instantly breaking his focus.