Chapter 159 - 158: Catch and Release – Converting Mara-struck Soldiers with Coffee

Words : 1258 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

"No! Please, don't! Glug glug!" The Trailblazers had become experts in their techniques: the moment the Cloud Knight began questioning, Pei Guang and Stelle moved in—one holding his jaw open while the other poured coffee into his mouth. Sleep-inducing coffee—it always worked wonders. So far, everyone who drank it fell into a deep, peaceful sleep, like a baby. In just ten minutes, the group managed to treat 35 Cloud Knights. They used four mining carts in total to pack them all in. Pei Guang connected the four carts together. For the more agitated and affected Cloud Knights, they had been calmed down with a cup of coffee. For convenience, Pei Guang added another cart in case they needed to load more injured soldiers—or enemies. What Pei Guang and Stelle didn't realize was that their improvised actions actually saved lives. A few Cloud Knights were already on the verge of transforming into Mara-struck husks, but the coffee calmed not only their minds but their bodies as well! For those Cloud Knights, who were slipping into madness due to some hidden plot, this calm was the very thing that would keep them alive until proper treatment. The coffee couldn't sever emotions or desires, but it could at least bring them temporary peace. With four carts of "resources" in tow, Pei Guang, Stelle, and March 7th couldn't help but feel a sense of moral satisfaction. The Cloud Knights in the trash cans were indeed lucky. Not only had they been rescued, but they were also guarded by the noble dignity of Belobog. Under this protection, they would now enjoy some well-earned rest. Seeing this scene, Pei Guang and Stelle straightened up, feeling proud. Life is priceless, and they had saved so many while ensuring their safe transport. They could already imagine the admiration and praise that awaited them from the outside world. With this thought in mind, the two felt energized and ready to continue. Though transporting the Cloud Knights was a bit troublesome, it wasn't a huge problem. Each team member had a Herta puppet provided by Pei Guang. Four puppets came out—two pulling from the front and two pushing from behind. Despite the four carts being full of Cloud Knights, the group moved at an impressively fast pace. To further ensure safety, Pei Guang added four mass-produced Svarog models to guard the carts, turning their small group into a sizable convoy. However, as they moved forward, they encountered an unexpected issue—enemies. Mara-struck soldiers, monsters formed from Cloud Knights for reasons unknown. Ahead of them, three Mara-struck soldiers roamed, prompting March 7th to grow anxious. "Pei Guang, what are those monsters?" Pei Guang responded, "If I had to guess, they're what these soldiers are turning into. Look closely—the clothes they're wearing are similar to the ones these soldiers had. I suspect the mastermind behind this left them alive to transform into those." Stelle drew her flaming spear and bat. "Let me sneak in and kill them all!" Pei Guang shook his head. "Kill them? Not yet. We don't fully understand the story here. What if there's a way to cure them, but we kill them off before we find out? That'd ruin our chance to save them, and completing the mission wouldn't be as fulfilling. From my experience, the number of people we save, or fail to save, directly affects the mission rewards." Welt asked, "So, what's your plan?" Pei Guang pulled out an IV drip. Unlike a regular drip filled with saline or medication, Pei Guang's was filled with coffee, and the needle had been replaced with a pacifier. This was Pei Guang's invention, a fully automated coffee-feeding machine created upon Dan Heng's request. Through multiple tests, he realized that direct IV drops of coffee would sometimes be spit out, but using a pacifier would trigger the natural sucking reflex in both humans and animals. Pei Guang had also conducted further tests—if someone drank coffee while unconscious, the sleep timer would reset, ensuring they stayed asleep for longer. However, the duration couldn't stack, so it wasn't a permanent solution. If he could, Pei Guang would've put the coffee on a pedestal. Pei Guang explained the setup and demonstrated it on a Cloud Knight who was starting to wake up. The results were excellent. The waking knight unconsciously sucked on the pacifier, and Pei Guang controlled the coffee flow, ensuring they drank just the right amount to fall back asleep. As for how to suspend the drip? Simple—Pei Guang stuck a pole in the middle of the cart with nine hooks, each holding a drip. After hearing the explanation, Stelle, March 7th, and even Welt couldn't help but applaud. Welt knew about the mystical properties of Pei Guang's coffee, but seeing how far he had taken it was truly impressive. Still, Welt was curious. "How much of this did you prepare?" Pei Guang responded, "Not a lot. I only have a hundred drips. I left a few large barrels with Dan Heng. It's a shame I didn't have enough time, or I would've filled an industrial storage tank for him. Then, in a real fight, he could seal the enemy for life. Oh, and I've asked Asta to design a more advanced version—hopefully, in a few days, we'll have a mask version that's both stylish and practical." Welt's imagination ran wild at the thought of Dan Heng carrying an industrial coffee tank with a pacifier attachment, force-feeding his enemies while holding the meowing pink bunny... Nope, he couldn't think about it anymore. The more he thought, the more he felt like his brain would burn. While Welt was lost in his thoughts, Pei Guang, Stelle, and March 7th began their operation. Welt, curious, crouched behind them, wanting to try his hand at sneaking. The four of them crept toward the Mara-struck soldiers. These enemies, following only their base instincts, didn't sense their approach. However, just as Pei Guang and the others closed in, one of the soldiers turned around. At that moment, it locked eyes with the crouching group, staring directly at Welt. Meanwhile, Pei Guang, Stelle, and March 7th each confronted one of the other two monsters. March 7th, with her powerful six-phased ice control, went off on her own path, while Pei Guang and Stelle teamed up, positioning themselves behind another Mara-struck soldier. At the same time, Welt was locked in a staring contest with his own Mara-struck opponent. In his mind, stealth games typically fail the moment you're spotted. Yet, somehow, Pei Guang's stealth technique managed to let them sneak by even after being seen, as long as they crouched and moved slowly. Welt found this highly amusing. He began to wonder—what if this method could have been used during the Honkai battles? Could they have just crouched, strolling through the chaos to casually defeat their enemies? While Welt was lost in thought, the others had already succeeded. March 7th froze her Mara-struck soldier solid, and Pei Guang and Stelle executed a perfect combination move. One held the enemy down and pried its mouth open, while the other poured coffee straight into its stomach. The three unfortunate Mara-struck soldiers were not defeated, but rather, captured alive. After expertly subduing their enemies, Pei Guang, Stelle, and March 7th began looting them. Although these soldiers had turned into Mara-struck creatures, fragments of their clothing still remained.

Chapter 159 - 158: Catch and Release – Converting Mara-struck Soldiers with Coffee

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