At that moment, not only did the monsters react, but in a hidden corner, Kafka and the mind-controlled Cloud Knights also looked toward the sky.
Kafka instinctively stepped forward and narrowed her eyes, watching Pei Guang's flight path. "I didn't expect it to be so soon. There's still some time left: looks like things are about to get busy~ You all come back now~ If anything happens to you, it'll be troublesome~"
Kafka had her own plans, but causing chaos in Xianzhou wasn't part of them. Thus, she didn't want any harm to come to the Cloud Knights under her control. Ensuring their safety would also help the people of Xianzhou have a positive view of the Astral Express crew.
Meanwhile, as Kafka prepared to get busy, Stelle's trash can was propelled by the Engine of Creation, letting her experience the feeling of soaring through the sky within it.
"Now's not the time to enjoy this; I need to find Kafka," Stelle muttered, poking her head out and scanning her surroundings. Since Pei Guang was attracting all the aggro with his taunt, Stelle could focus entirely on searching for Kafka in every corner.
Kafka's eyes were still on Pei Guang's direction, but because of that, Stelle, who was flying from another direction, managed to spot her and marked her.
She knew how powerful Pei Guang's shared minimap was—once someone or something was marked, it would stay on the map until removed. Ordinary levels of concealment were useless unless one left the map's range.
Welt was monitoring the mini-map, and when he noticed Kafka marked by Stelle, he smiled.
"March, let's go! The enemy has been found."
March 7th exclaimed, "Huh? Aren't we waiting for Pei Guang and Stelle?"
Welt replied, "No need to wait. Let's head there directly; they might even arrive before us."
March 7th's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Uncle Yang, why don't we try this travel method too? It looks super thrilling."
Welt: "…"
March 7th: "Hey! Uncle Yang, wait up."
Welt: "What is it?"
March 7th took out several bottles of coffee from the storage space. "As Pei Guang always says, we need to make good use of all items and materials before facing a boss. Even if Kafka isn't a boss, she's at least an elite enemy. Let me prepare a bit."
Holding the coffee, March 7th approached the trash can and stuffed them inside before hoisting up the can containing Bailu. "Little one, if we encounter an enemy, pour these into their mouths—about a third of a bottle each. If you run out, just call me."
Bailu didn't know what effect the coffee had, but since they were all part of the same crew, and Pei Guang had been kind enough to share food and drinks with her and take her on adventures, she decided to help out.
"No problem, leave it to me. But, just out of curiosity, what does this stuff do?" Bailu asked.
March 7th recalled, "This is an item we obtained by chance, a never-ending coffee refill. We're not exactly sure of its effects. But don't drink too much yourself—just one capful is fine. Any more, and it starts having side effects."
She remembered a past mistake when she'd told Seele it was safe to drink but not to overdo it. Seele, unsure of what "too much" meant, took sips until she ended up falling asleep. If that had happened at any other time, it would have been fine, but with an upcoming battle, losing their main healer or crowd-control expert was more than just a minor issue.
"Understood~" Bailu responded.
March 7th continued, "Remember, don't drink more than one cupful, even if you're tempted. If you really like it, we'll treat you to more after the battle. Based on my experience, as someone joining mid-mission, you'll definitely play a big role."
As Bailu agreed, she felt Tingyun's gaze. Having learned from past experience, Bailu stuck her tongue out playfully through a crack in the trash can.
Tingyun, meanwhile, was curious about March 7th's conversation with the can's occupant. The voice sounded familiar, but peeking through the gap only gave her a sense of an abyssal stare—nothing but darkness.
After finalizing the battle plan with Bailu, March 7th hoisted the trash can. "Uncle Yang! Let's go meet up with Pei Guang and Stelle."
Just then, Tingyun spoke up, "Honored guests, I must say upfront, if we truly encounter Kafka, I won't be of much help. I'll only be able to tremble in fear on the sidelines, cheering you on."
March 7th's eyes glimmered with a knowing look. "You don't want to join the battle?"
Tingyun placed her right hand over her chest, looking somewhat distressed. "You are all skilled fighters who can easily defeat Mara-struck soldiers. But I am just a humble civil official. If Kafka lashes out... Even though we foxians don't live as long as the people of Xianzhou, I'd like to live for another hundred years or so in peace. Please, spare me."
March 7th's eyes shone even brighter. "No worries, everyone has different talents. I remember Pei Guang saying that even if you're not good at fighting, you can still assist by singing and dancing to boost morale. Pei Guang isn't here, so I'll make the call. Miss Tingyun, during the battle, please sing and dance from a safe spot to inspire us."
Tingyun: "Huh?"
March 7th then pulled out a trash can. Unlike the other clean ones, this one was half-full. Why did she have this? In the last few days in Belobog, when she couldn't find any open trash cans, she packed a few half-filled ones in frustration into the public storage.
Tingyun fell silent as she watched. When March 7th opened the lid, Tingyun instinctively took a few steps back. Xianzhou might not have trash cans, but that didn't mean she wasn't aware of how dreadful they could be.
March 7th smiled. "You have two choices: become support or hide inside the trash can. There's no third option."
Welt: "???"
He was now certain that March 7th had been thoroughly influenced by Pei Guang's antics. However, it didn't matter: Pei Guang always had a sense of boundaries. At the very least, he wouldn't use his companions for experiments—if he did, it would be after thorough preparation.
This time, with Bailu present, Pei Guang felt confident enough to try things out bit by bit. Welt, on the other hand, was curious about Bailu's abilities.
Meanwhile, Kafka also noticed the other trash can in the sky. Since Stelle wasn't just peeking through a crack but had her head poking out, Kafka naturally spotted her mid-air.
For a moment, Kafka was silent. She had figured out during Pei Guang's earlier call that they were putting on an act. But seeing Stelle's head sticking out from a trash can flying through the air, surrounded by water, made Kafka instinctively rub her eyes.
"Looks like… she's having a lot of fun?"
Kafka noticed that when Stelle saw her, she even made a hand gesture.
Seeing this, Kafka waved back at Stelle with a smile. "It seems like it's time to change locations. This spot is too troublesome for reaching the Divination Commission."
With a simple wave, Kafka stood up, ready to move. She glanced at the controlled Cloud Knights by her side and, after some thought, decided to take them along. She hoped they would at least slow down Pei Guang and his group.