Since there was some time, as the measurements kept dropping at the rift, Kaden observed things. The ancients seemed to be in process of conducting their own research. They had always been described as such, people who wanted to always advance their understanding of things. Kaden didn't find this odd. It was, after all, a rare, possibly singular oportunity to study nature of time so directly due to the rifts presence.

Kaden would have done some too, if he'd be able to interact with the rift and time mana directly. Yet, his methods, at his current level at least, were insufficient to do so. He didn't feel any dismay, though. The secrets of time was within reach of human undestanding. One would merely need to be at least True Magus.

As far as Kaden understood. Time and space had a lot to do with each other. This was confirmed in depth with the physics material he had been able to get a look at. The only question was about how much of that was known in future? In parts, understanding, at least by the use of mana, had gone past what ancients could understand. Yet, in some ways, Kaden felt, their understanding was not in the appliacation, but in the deeper knowledge.

They might not be able to use it, but their understanding of theory might exceed the future. Kaden felt some annoyance regarding what Ron had said to him. Despite that he had brushed the man and his opinions away rather quickly, he knew that people concentrated most of their understanding to gain strength. Majority of people in his own time indeed did not research just to increase knowledge for betterment of all. It was for power. This wasn't neccessarily a good thing.

"If I ever get a chance to search through some undisturbed remnants, I better keep eye on usable knowledge", Kaden though to himself. "I have passed over that sort of stuff before and only picked up things related to direct strength increases. Yet, there are likely benefits to be gained from the other knowledge too. Not that I would spend time researching that myself. At least not anytime soon."

With such thoughts Kaden went around to look for that sort of knowledge. He wasn't sure, if the ancients would simply give him anything, if he went to ask. Instead he went to the upper levels where everyone had disapeared. The area was abandoned and no one would ask anything.

It was the higher ranked people at the bottom levels that survived. Yet, what about the lower ranked people? Surely many of them were still scientists or equivalent, specialists of some kind? The ancients were very wary of wandering anywhere from the bottom levels, if they didn't have to. They likely never moved belongings of these disapeared people anywhere.

Kaden wanted to see, if he could loot something useful from there. He didn't even have to do more than cursory look what he was picking up and putting into his bag. There would be plenty of time to do more indepth look later. It seemed there wasn't enough time to left and study.

He passed through quite a few residences. People had just disapeared. Things left on the tables, by now rotted food and other such things. No signs of struggle. No blood. Nothing.

This was good. All would be in their places. In addition to the electronic devices, he actually found some books. From his understanding that should have been 'old' for the ancients. Perhaps they made some actual books simply due to sentimentality. It wasn't like everyone used crystals to store information in the future either.

Kaden looted everything that seemed worthwhile.

He wasn't sure what the ancients would think of it, but he didn't care. Everything was ready. His concerns were directed towards the attempt to return to his own time through the time rift.

"Hopefully it is possible", Kaden though to himself. "That thing is beyond my understanding and all I can do is to prepare. For all I know, particles that make up my body could be scattered across the thousands of years between now and my own time once I enter the rift. I can only hope that the way here wasn't a fluke."

There was very little to do. Kaden didn't wish to cultivate nor was there enough time to left to do anything significant. Instead, Kaden took his battle armor and moved it to the storage room where the time rift was.

Emina still spent time interacting with the ancients. Due to this Kaden could see the measurement they used to track the changes in the time rift. It didn't seem there much time left. It also seemed like the changes in the rift were speeding up. Emina was also about to do the same as Kaden, that is to come wait by the rift with everything ready.

"It is interesting that the changes suddenly quickened", Kaden thought to himself. "This brings more credibility to the assumption that we are supposed to be here. If this time will connect to our time only once chain of events from here to our time happen, it means all is going as it should. Not only that, the more neccessary events happen the quicker the correct state will be reached."

Insight into how time worked was very good gain too. It seemed to stay on its course and stick to it. Only very large changes with enough power behind them could change it. Everything happened exactly as it needed to otherwise.

"I wonder what kind of higher mana types tie to all this", Kaden continued his thoughts.

It was well known that people such as Archmagi could peer into workings of fate and other such matters. Was the force keeping time in order fate? Or perhaps some other concept. Perhaps it was simply something time did and there was no need to consider any external more complicated things. Time itself was complicated enough. Yet... at the same time, in many ways, simple.

"Once I am powerful enough, all these insights could prove very valuable", Kaden thought. "It is hard to say what is what. If it is fate that is keeping time in its set path, then why is the the rift closed until the timeline matches? Shouldn't fate be something ever present, stationary, within the flow of time? Why can it disapear and need to be reconnected? Does true fate even exist?"

Kaden pondered some more on the matter, but let it go. There were far more pressing subjects to be thought about. Now that the time to enter the rift was approaching, assuming their predictions due to the measurements were correct, and, if succesful, both Kaden and Emina would find themselves at the future great remnant.

Yet again, Kaden ran into the problem of not having enough information. He did not know how churches were handling their guard over the remnant. Was there possibly some small army camped nearby at all times? Unlikely? Some guardians? That was far more likely. Yet, most of the time that would be pointless effort. No one, expect gods, could enter the remnant for hundreds to thousands of years.

"It is far more likely they merely keep a few people around to observe", Kaden surmised. "The armies should be gone by the time the remnant closes. My survival hinges upon how many and how strong people there are left."

Kaden obviously skipped the entire part of actually getting through the rift safely and getting out of the great remnant. If it was impossible, it was certain death. There was no need to consider it. Nothing would matter, if it turned out bad.

There would likely be some combat. Kaden had already prepared for that when he modified the battle armors. They would be able to take some hit and also dish out some, but they wouldn't last too long.

Any further planning was even more vague. If he did survive outside and be able to defeat or escape from whatever guards were outside, he wasn't sure where to go. Only thing he knew that, if possible at all, he would attempt to return back to human territories. What exactly was at western side of Murika or on souther side, Kaden didn't have clear knowledge. At the very least he knew his targets were not at those directions.

"They are merely hiding places, if I have to escape", Kaden decided. "Or at the worst case No Man's Land, but I'd rather avoid that. I have been delayed for far too long. Some people must die. I have plans. I must return."

Kaden didn't trust Emina and the elves to be enough to put forward his plan to strike at the churches and gods. He had to do something about it himself too and quickly. Suddenly and unexpectedly, spread his godless mana system far and wide enough that there would be nothing that could be done to make it go away. If he was to trust the elves, once the church discovers them, the mana system could be gone with a simple genocide of elves.

Despite the importance of these goals, there was very little to plan. Kaden made up merely a preliminary plan to try to get back across the sea. How? He had no idea. He would decide once he had more information.

For a moment Kaden pondered how Emina was going to do it. Perhaps it would be possible to use the same method?

Kaden's thoughts were interrupted as Emina and the ancients started acting up at the measuring devices. It seemed the time was up. Kaden didn't even bother confirming the matter and went into his battle armor.

"It's time to see, if our predictions are correct", Emina came to say to him. She also went inside her armor. "All our planning and preparations would look rather foolish, if the rift does not even open."

"Then we will stay here", Kaden replied. "We will create another timeline. One where we get to grow powerful beyond imagining. It is ... barely acceptable."

Kaden didn't obviosly say it, but if that was going to happen, he planned to kill Emina right away. Then he would kill all the ancients in the shelter. He would then learn their technology. The shelter was perfect place to hide for the time being. Then he would wait until he felt safe to cultivate more. Once gods came and stopped cataclysm, if they didn't erase him for being some kind of intruder, Kaden would get the chance to personally own basically all available resources and grow to the utmost limit of what was possible. Arrange things so that churches never grew too powerful. Perhaps start his own empire.

There were a lot of things he could do, but it wouldn't be his time. Kaden knew he wouldn't ever get his revenge, nor would he be able to repay to Anuu and fulfill his promise to her. These matters were things that Kaden cared about. Perhaps any other promises he would break as soon as it would benefit him, but these ones ... no.

"We don't know how long the rift will remain open, if it does open", Ron told Kaden and Emina. "I recommend to wait next to it and go in immedialtely."

"I agree", Emina said and went nearby.

Kaden quietly followed nearby. He watched the ancients use their machines and record numbers and such. As far as Kaden could tell, all the science people were there. Some extra were moving around stuff and helping. Many others were visible at the broken doorway that had been destroyed when Kaden and Emina arrived.

It was indeed a very intriguing matter so a lot of people were watching. Kaden didn't care.

Around at this time the opaque rift started to show some change. Unlike when they originally came and it closed near instantly when Emina had come in, it was now slowly becoming more visible. It was like the rift had been buried in some grayscale sand that was being slowly blown away by some wind.

"I say we go in once its fully cleared", Emina said. "I don't know what that that gray stuff is, perhaps dense time mana, but previously it blocked the path entirely. I don't want to get stuck in small fragments of it."

Kaden agreed.

It didn't take too long until all of the gray stuff was gone.

Kaden leaped in with Emina right behind him.

-----

"They are gone", Ron said to Alexander.

"Did you manage to get it?" Alexander asked.

"We were able to scan both of their bodies as they stood at the rift entrance. The scanners were rudimentary and quickly put together, but I believe we have enough information", Ron replied. "The mutated one was not scanned properly. His body structure was completely different. As for the woman, we were able to use the 'mana' measurements to gain rough image of how it works in her body."

"Can you use it to produce a method for us to gain control of this mana and allow us to survive?" Alexander continued.

"As far as we understand they have something called mana system that they use to gather mana in controlled manner", Ron explained. "We only see the result of this process, but now that we have some form of goal and we know it is possible, I expect it to be possible! I believe we don't even have to have success to the level these people from the future have, we just need to gain some control of mana and we can resist its effects much further! We still have functioning computers we can use to simulate possibilities. It might take time, but I believe we can do it!"

Alexander let out a deep sigh of relief.

"We will divert whatever energy we have left and run those simulations", Alexander said. "This is our chance to survive! We shall make ourselves our own mana system!"