"Coffee, huh? It's been a while since I had some. Let's see if the coffee in this game tastes like the real one."
Pei Guang picked up the cup and inspected it. As he gazed into the dark brown liquid, its aroma had a magical pull, as if transporting him back to the real world.
He took a small sip, and the moment his lips touched the cup, he felt a slight warmth. Perhaps not much time had passed since this coffee was made, and it still retained a sense of "freshness."
Taking another sip, the bitterness of the coffee took over Pei Guang's entire mouth. This taste seemed aggressive, launching a fierce assault on his taste buds.
After setting down the cup and savoring the flavor, Pei Guang couldn't help but exclaim, "Not bad. I didn't expect the coffee in this game to taste this good. Let's have another sip."
Pei Guang picked up the cup and gulped down the rest in one go. After finishing the coffee, he didn't feel more alert; instead, he felt a bit dizzy.
"Heh~ This game's dizziness effect… is so realistic. I mean… I feel the same as when I got dizzy before…"
Before he could finish his sentence, he slumped over the table, and the empty coffee cup landed precisely on the table as well. But a few seconds later, the empty cup instantly refilled itself.
A few minutes later, March 7th and Stelle came out of the bathroom.
March 7th had a big smile on her face. "A nice bath feels so good~"
Stelle: "Yeah, huh? Hasn't Pei Guang come out yet?"
She looked around but didn't see him.
March 7th joked, "He probably came out first and is waiting for us somewhere. Oh? Look, isn't that him sleeping over there?"
The two of them walked toward Pei Guang. When they reached the table, March 7th sat down next to him and said, "Wake up~ Don't sleep here~ If you want to sleep, you don't have to do it here. Come on, get on the train with me, and I'll get you a big room all to yourself. Hmm~ I'll help you and Stelle decorate your rooms…"
Meanwhile, Stelle's attention was drawn to the coffee beside them.
"Coffee? Wait, it's full?"
Staring at the half-full cup of coffee, Stelle fell into deep thought. The coffee sat quietly on the table, like an elegant noble. Even though the cup was cold, it still proudly held its head high, emitting a rich aroma. She couldn't resist the allure of the coffee.
She picked up the cup and curiously sniffed it. The rich fragrance made her take a small sip. The strong aroma and bitterness exploded in her mouth; she found the taste delightful.
Looking at the last bit of coffee left, Stelle said, "Hmm... He shouldn't be mad if I drink some of his coffee, right? I'll buy him another cup when he wakes up."
So, she downed the rest of the coffee in one gulp. The bitterness lingered in her mouth, but as the coffee went down her throat, the bitterness gradually faded, and her taste buds began to unveil its hidden layers. Was the true flavor behind this coffee elegant, gentle, and sweet?
The taste, like fruit, spread in Stelle's mouth, making her feel as if she was standing amidst a valley with birds chirping. The gentle stream running through the valley felt like the perfect remedy to soothe her soul.
Her body seemed to be lifted by a gentle breeze, and soft feathers seemed to wrap around her torso. Stelle felt like stars appeared before her eyes, and her body started swaying left and right.
Her consciousness began to blur, and she vaguely heard March 7th's voice.
"Look at this fool, sleeping so deeply. Huh? Are you feeling sleepy too? If you're tired, don't sleep here!"
March 7th shifted her attention to Stelle and, meanwhile, Pei Guang groggily woke up.
"Where am I..."
"Oh? You're awake, but now Stelle has fallen asleep. Stelle, don't follow his example! Wake up!"
March 7th was calling out to Stelle, while Pei Guang looked at the now-full cup of coffee on the table and fell into thought.
"Judging by the direction of the cup, Stelle must have drunk this coffee. And I remember drinking all of it. Why is there still more? Could it be...?"
"Could it be what?"
March 7th overheard Pei Guang mumbling to himself and curiously asked, "Is there another reason why you fell asleep?"
Pei Guang nodded, "Keep an eye on this cup of coffee for a while. Hmm, from what I can tell, this coffee shouldn't be poisonous."
"Is there something wrong with this coffee?" March 7th asked, curiously.
Pei Guang shook his head, "No, it's just delicious and helps you sleep. I just want to taste it again."
March 7th looked at Pei Guang with a hint of surprise. He picked up the cup of coffee and took a small sip. He didn't feel anything unusual; instead, he noticed the coffee's rich taste, with a dance of bitterness and acidity in his mouth.
But this time, Pei Guang didn't savor the coffee's flavor; he drank it all in one gulp. As the coffee entered his mouth, he felt his consciousness start to blur again.
"Can't deny... it's really tasty… just… don't drink it all..."
Those were Pei Guang's last words before falling asleep again. Watching him slump over once more, March 7th wore a shocked expression because she had seen the empty coffee cup suddenly refill itself.
"What is... this?"
March 7th looked at both her teammates. Both of them were unharmed, just asleep, with steady breathing and peaceful expressions, indicating they were in a deep slumber. Pei Guang waking up earlier had also proven that this thing didn't have any harmful effects on the body.
Looking at the cup of coffee, March 7th's hand involuntarily reached for the cup.
"This coffee... is so weird."
Even as she said the word "weird," her body instinctively picked up the cup. It was as if this action had been etched into her soul, making it impossible to resist.
"Just one sip, only one little sip!"
She took a small sip of the coffee. The rich, fragrant aroma made March 7th unconsciously lick her lips.
"I have to say, it's really good. But why do you fall asleep after drinking it? My body feels fine, so maybe... one more sip? After all, Pei Guang did say it's not dangerous..."
With these thoughts, she eagerly raised the cup and poured more coffee into her mouth.
"Indeed... it's delicious..."
Those were her last words. As she swallowed the coffee, she too fell asleep. At the same time, the coffee cup landed steadily in the middle of the three, and the empty cup refilled itself once more.
The trio, who had never been wiped out by the Anti-Matter Legion, was successfully taken down by this coffee after taking a bath.
In less than ten minutes, Stelle woke up.
"Where am I..."
Stelle rubbed her head, trying to recall why she had passed out.
"This coffee has something weird about it!"
She instinctively looked at the table, and there it was, the cup of coffee, still full. Just as she was about to investigate, Pei Guang woke up as well.
"Are you alright?"
Hearing the concerned question, Pei Guang shook his head, "I'm fine, it's just the sleeping coffee, no other side effects. By the way, the coffee is quite good."
"Sleeping coffee?"
Pei Guang nodded, "Yes, after drinking it once, I got some information about it. After drinking it, you'll fall asleep for about ten minutes. The exact time depends on a person's constitution and how much they drink. Aside from putting you to sleep, it has no other harm. But that said... What if you don't drink the whole cup? Would you still fall asleep?"
Stelle asked, "Wanna try?"
Pei Guang replied, "Let's do it, let's do it. You go first; I'll drink what's left."
Stelle picked up the coffee and drank half of it. Pei Guang took the remaining half and drank it all in one go. As soon as the last of the coffee went down his throat, Pei Guang fell asleep once more.
Stelle clapped her hands together with a knowing expression, "I get it now! Whoever drinks the last sip of coffee will fall asleep! Hmm... it's full again. It tastes pretty good; let me drink half again~"
Stelle admitted to herself that this coffee was really good. Now that she knew its properties, she thought: why not just drink half a cup each time?
Seeing the cup full of coffee again, she picked it up and drank half.
"Tasty, one more sip."
"One more sip!"
"Hey? Why do I feel a bit dizzy..."
If Pei Guang were there, he would have definitely figured out the coffee's properties. Whoever drinks the last sip will fall asleep, but drinking up to a certain amount will also cause sleep. Stelle hadn't thought of this and so she wobbled a bit before slumping over.
At this moment, March 7th happened to wake up. Seeing Stelle wobbling and Pei Guang still asleep, she decided not to drink this coffee and to wait until the other two woke up.