Sunghoon blinked, coughing as sand filled his throat. He quickly healed, but the dizziness from traveling seven centuries back hadn't fully worn off. Looking around, he realized they were surrounded by nothing but endless sand. He glanced down, noticing that everyone seemed to be feeling the same side effects.
"Are you okay?" Soobin asked, handing him a bottle of water and the medicine they'd all gotten from Ningning.
Sunghoon nodded, swallowing the medicine without a word.
"What do we do now?" Karina asked, her voice steady despite the apparent fatigue. She must have gotten used to the side effects by now.
"We wait for the local agents. I'm pretty sure they've picked up our signal and coordinates," Heeseung said, squinting as he stared off toward the distant sound of hovering.
"Fast response," Jake commented, impressed. They all noticed the horses tied up nearby, likely a bet for them.
A carriage pulled up in front of them, and the cabman lowered the scarf covering his mouth.
"Welcome," he said awkwardly.
The carriage window rolled down, and two people waved at them.
"Xiao Jun!" Heeseung called out, recognizing the cabman's face, though he wore a pout.
"You changed your role again?" Ningning teased. "This suits you well," she added, laughing.
"Yiren! Long time no see! You look great," Ningning said with a grin. "Are you still the daughter of a rich merchant?"
"His wife," Yiren corrected, rolling her eyes and playfully complaining. Wonyoung chuckled, recalling her earlier encounter with a handsome guy on a small mission.
A tall, handsome man stepped down from the carriage.
"Zhang Hao?" Karina shouted in recognition.
"I'm glad you still remember me," Zhang Hao smiled, his eyes bright.
"He's someone I met during college admission," Karina explained, noticing everyone's curious looks.
"You should change your clothes before someone else notices," Zhang Hao suggested with a laugh. "You'll stay at my residence. You're my relatives from the East Region," he added, offering a brief explanation as his friend went to change clothes.
The other agents brought six horses along, ready for travel.
"The girls will ride in the carriage. I'll accompany Xiao Jun here," Zhang Hao directed, helping everyone saddle up. Jungwon gave Sunghoon a thumbs-up as he confidently approached the horse, clearly more comfortable now.
They soon arrived at a luxurious residence, its architecture bearing the unmistakable touch of the Chinese dynasty.
"Well, this is no joke," Soobin muttered, looking around. "They're treating you better than me."
"Actually, this is the period of isolation from the Chinese dynasty," Yiren explained. "The current emperor is Kublai Khan. If you like history, you'd probably know all about it."
Jungwon broke the silence, his voice curious. "You guys on a mission?"
Zhang Hao shook his head. "We're keepers. Our job is to monitor any attempts to alter the timeline."
"For how long?" Jungwon asked, intrigued. He was used to adrenaline-filled, high-risk missions. This was the first time he'd met someone from the Wanderlust faction.
"Around six months to a year," Xiao Jun answered as he stripped off his heavy coat. "If things go well, we move to another era. We compare historical events with records and sometimes debunk myths."
