Over the next few hours.
The study turned into a bustling alchemical workshop.
Nicolas Flamel unearthed countless strange tools and materials from every corner—some Ian recognized, while others were unfamiliar even to him. Dumbledore and Grindelwald were not idle either, being run ragged by Nicolas as they fetched this and carried that.
"Albus! Bring me that dragon's blood over there—not that bottle, the one on the left. Yes, that one!"
"Mr. Grindelwald, I hear you know something about spatial magic? Come look at the meshing of this gear—the spatial coordinates seem to have shifted by 0.3 milliseconds. Can you calibrate it?" "Perenelle! Darling, we need more phoenix fire—yes, that kind. The more, the better!"
Watching from the side, Ian could not help smiling. The Alchemy master who had lived for more than six hundred years now resembled a child who had found a new toy, gesticulating excitedly. Yet his hands were as steady as the finest instruments, every movement precise down to the smallest detail.
"This rune..." Nicolas pointed to an immensely complex rune engraved on the Time Machine's core component. "Do you see the problem?" Ian leaned closer and studied it carefully for a moment before nodding. "It's worn down. The lines around the edges aren't clear enough, which is disrupting the flow of magical power." "Exactly!" Nicolas nodded in satisfaction. "And look—the rune's original design uses Titan's runic system, which differs from the one we use now. To repair it, you can't simply trace it. You have to..."
He paused, pulled a carving knife as thin as a hair from the pile of tools, and held it out to Ian.
"You try."
Ian froze for a moment. He took the knife but did not begin immediately. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and let his consciousness