Time Travel: Age of Discovery

Through the crack in the door, sharp eyes flashed, and silent whispers echoed like the night:

"Stealth in the dark night..."

“No trace.”

The iron gate creaked open, and the middle-aged man stepped inside. Standing at the doorway was a burly man, a broad axe gripped tightly, who nodded slightly at the middle-aged man. This place resembled an underground treasure house, its dome sixty to seventy feet high. People sat and chatted, their black clothes veiled beneath masks of various colors.

The middle-aged man's arrival did not attract anyone's attention, but as soon as he entered, he seemed to be reborn. His humility faded away, replaced by a sharp and cold face.

Everyone was dressed in black, each with a distinctive mask, some gray, some red. If Teya were here, he would recognize the gray mask; it was the one worn by the slave traders he had arrested in Shiyin Town.

"Fifteen, long time no see."

A young man in a black robe, who looked like a magician, came over and stuck out his tongue teasingly at the middle-aged man, causing him to frown slightly.

"Sixteen, you are here too?"

"How can I be absent when the leader summons me?"

The young man put his arm around the middle-aged man's shoulders, his words full of mockery.

"However, I admire you for building this secret realm on this desolate snowy island. The leader has made an exception and promoted you to 'Thousand Faces'. You truly deserve the title."

"Don't mention that name, or you'll get killed."

The middle-aged man had a sinister look in his eyes, and the young man tactfully kept silent, only responding with a faint smile.

Suddenly, everyone fell silent, their gazes directed towards the entrance. There was silence, only the echo of footsteps, and a tense atmosphere.

"leader!"

The newcomer appeared, and everyone greeted him respectfully. A man in black walked out slowly, his eyes fixed on the scroll in his hands, and waved to everyone.

Everyone stood, knowing full well the horrible fate awaiting those who disturbed their leader, and they dared not even breathe loudly. After a moment, the man in black closed the scroll, chuckled, and looked at the crowd.

"Everyone is here. I called you here today for one thing."

Upon hearing this, everyone held their breath and listened.

"I have decided to retire."

Everyone was shocked when these words came out. Their power came from their leader, and now that their power was growing, the leader wanted to retire. This move...

They were full of questions, but no one dared to ask them because the leader's words were as strong as a mountain.

"The new leader of the Dark Side slave organization will be chosen from among them. This is the real reason for summoning you. As for who to choose and how to choose? I have not yet decided."

The leader's words stirred ripples in people's hearts. Who can resist the temptation of power?

The man in black glanced at the crowd, his lips curled up slightly, and he continued, "Since we are slave traders, let's compete to capture the 'goods'. The strongest one will be the leader."

Everyone looked at each other, no one objected, even if they thought it was absurd. But he was still the leader, so he had no choice but to obey.

Everyone left and prepared to go. The middle-aged man wanted to leave but was stopped by the leader.

"Fifteen, come with me. I have something to tell you."

At dawn, the sky was slightly bright.

Teya yawned as he emerged from his warm bed. Winter beds truly held a magical power, making one sleepy and unable to leave. On a cold winter morning, being out of the warmth felt like being in another world. Even someone as resilient as Teya felt a slight chill upon leaving. It wasn't an icy cave, but the feeling irritated him.

In high school, his home was close, so he could walk to school. Waking up early in the morning was especially tough in the winter, but the hardship eventually faded, and sweetness followed. Everyone goes through this phase.

So, even though the scene reminded him of the past, he still missed his school days, when he only needed to focus on his studies and was relaxed.

Teya put on her clothes and looked in the mirror, her hair was a mess like a chicken coop.

"Alas, people in anime wake up with the same hairstyle, why am I so real?"

After a quick wash, he went downstairs to prepare breakfast. As soon as he opened the door, he heard a commotion downstairs.

So many people were already here? It was exactly as he expected.

The snow was still falling and Teya felt trapped.

Why are you here?

He picked up the piece of meat with a fork, with the word "joy" written all over his face.

"Hey, it's so early."

A man suddenly sat opposite Yu Teya. He stopped eating and looked up at the other person curiously. It was the middle-aged man from yesterday.

Looking around, there were indeed no empty seats, so it seemed they were just sharing a table. He nodded to the middle-aged man without saying anything, concentrating on enjoying his meal.

Upon arriving here, Teja had already given up his habit of skipping breakfast, which was a huge improvement for him. While this wouldn't be a problem for some people, for him, the first training session was enough to completely change his habit.

They feel weak even if they don’t eat or even eat less. Therefore, the name “foodie” is well-deserved.

After a hearty meal, Teya deeply realized the importance of breakfast. The sky was covered in snow, a blanket of white, but Teya didn't rush. Instead, he called for a servant to add a cup of tea and waited for time to pass slowly.

"Your Excellency has a commendable appetite."

The middle-aged man holding half a pancake looked at it with a smile, quite interested.

Teya smiled calmly and thought that since he was just killing time and this person seemed to be willing to talk, it would be a pleasure to have a conversation with him.

"Does this island often have auspicious snowfalls?"

Seeing that Teya took the initiative to talk, the middle-aged man became very interested and talked like a spring.

According to the middle-aged man, this kind of weather is rare, and it's only happening this year, so Teya is relieved. However, sailing on the sea without a boat is a serious problem at the moment, and Teya can't rely on moon steps to soar into the sky.

After a few words, Teya felt that this man was quite knowledgeable, even knowing Shiyin Town in detail. A closer look revealed that he was a grocery store owner, and he understood.

The middle-aged man asked cautiously and tentatively, and Teya had already prepared a response.

He calls himself Carlos, a wanderer who has been wandering around the world for many years.

The other party didn't suspect anything, after all, they were strangers. Teya was secretly thankful that despite his fame, no photos were circulated, so only a few people he had encountered knew his face.

Today, Teya looks ordinary and is just an ordinary person.

"Meeting you must be fate. Why don't you come to our shop and take a look? The snow is coming down hard, so why not stay for a while?"

The middle-aged man invited Teya to his store. Teya thought that since he had nothing to do, it would be fine to have some free time.

With a cloak covering his head, Teya went out with the middle-aged man.

The wind and snow were still strong, but the two of them concentrated on their journey without any delay.

After a moment, Teja looked at the shelves in the store, his eyes full of curiosity.

"Your store has everything you need."

"Ha, I really didn't bully you."

Just as the middle-aged man said, this is a grocery store with a wide variety of exotic products. There is even a sharp blade that is said to be ranked 21st among the great swords. Teya is not impressed by this and even suspects that it is an exaggeration.

If you don’t open for three years, you can make money after you open it for three years?

Seeing that Teya was interested in this, and having previously learned of his identity as an adventurer, the middle-aged man introduced him quite enthusiastically.

"This thing is quite good, maybe it can help you."

The man took out a portable waist bag from the cabinet. When Teya saw it for the first time, he suspected that it was a waist bag from the past, as the style was exactly the same as the waist bags in the old days.

The man claimed the bag was from an island, made from the skin of sea monsters, suitable for outdoor use and incredibly durable. Teya, impressed by the middle-aged man's persuasiveness, felt he was a skilled salesman and asked for its price.

He had enough silver, but he didn't want to show off his wealth to prevent thieves from stealing it. Unexpectedly, the middle-aged man offered to give him something, saying it was to make friends. Teya declined politely, saying they had no friendship and that accepting gifts was not his wish.

The middle-aged man refused to accept the money and forced the wallet into Teya's hand. Teya had no choice but to agree, but then said that he owed him a favor.