Chapter 31: Belobog's Problem

The Homu System went wild with excitement when it learned Theresa wanted to make a purchase.

It eagerly asked what she desired.

Theresa pondered, chatting with Serval as she browsed the Homu System's offerings. Prominently displayed were various Homu plushies, and Theresa felt a childish urge to buy them. She secretly purchased several Homu plushies resembling her companions and stored them in the Homu System's inventory.

These plushies weren't expensive, costing only ten Elation Points each. To be on the safe side, Theresa recharged the Homu System with one million Credit Points, earning ten thousand Elation Points.

While this might seem like a lot, the Homu System's shop offered everything imaginable. Daily necessities were relatively affordable, but fantasy and science fiction items were outrageously expensive. For instance, items related to Honkai and Star Rail, even divine keys, could be purchased.

The Judgement of Shamash, the weapon most coveted by Captains, cost one million Elation Points, while the Star of Eden required nine hundred and eighty thousand.

What truly excited Theresa was the Honkai World Leap Device, priced at one hundred thousand Elation Points. This device could temporarily pause time in her current world, allowing her to venture into the Honkai World for adventures.

Theresa could have purchased the Honkai World Leap Device immediately. With over nine million Credit Points, converting them would have given her precisely the one hundred thousand Elation Points required. However, she had no intention of doing so.

As a former Captain, she deeply understood both the tragedies and fleeting moments of joy within the Honkai World. She planned to wait until she was stronger, at least strong enough to face Finality without fear, before venturing into that dangerous realm.

Moreover, Theresa wasn't a true Emanator of Elation. She wasn't yet ready to don the mask, her intuition warning her that doing so would fundamentally alter her, perhaps even causing her to physically mature.

Therefore, she wasn't prepared. She would wait for the opportune moment, confident that the choice would naturally present itself.

[It won't be long now. Probably around the time we confront the Stellaron in this world.]

Next, Theresa purchased books on machinery repair, along with rare coffee beans and brewing guides for Himeko. She also bought feminine necessities like lingerie, socks, and other daily essentials, acknowledging her current female form and its natural requirements. Cute trinkets and accessories were intended for March 7th and Stelle, along with martial arts novels and Welt's favorite Arahato Robot.

Theresa snapped up everything on the list in a flurry of shopping, spending just over three hundred Elation Points.

"Oh, you're curious about these heating devices, aren't you?" Serval asked with a smile.

"Yes! I heard you mention earlier that they're powered by Geomarrow, right?" March 7th asked curiously.

"That's right, Geomarrow—the lifeblood of this city," Serval replied. "For Belobog, a City of Preservation besieged by perpetual blizzards, reliable heating is essential."

"After all, with such fierce blizzards outside, without reliable heating, both the Overworld and Underworld layers of Belobog would have long since become desolate ghost towns," Serval sighed, gazing out at the snow-covered landscape.

"Geomarrow? What's that?" Stelle asked, tilting her head.

"It's a unique mineral energy resource found only here," Serval explained. "From heating entire districts to powering the calculators in your hands, everything runs on Geomarrow."

"It's mined beneath the planet's surface as golden, rectangular crystals by specialized teams from the Underworld. The extracted Geomarrow is then transported to the Overworld via pipelines. In return, the Overworld sends essential surface resources back to the Underworld through the same pipelines."

Serval savored her rich, bitter coffee as she explained to the group.

"The Overworld and Underworld?" March 7th asked, puzzled.

"Ah, right! I keep forgetting you're all from the outside world."

"Belobog is structured like two interconnected millstones. The Overworld handles administration and trade, while the Underworld manages energy production and resource extraction."

"Unfortunately, due to an order issued by the Supreme Guardian many years ago, there's been no direct communication between the two districts since then—only the exchange of resources."

"Ah, why dwell on such gloomy things? I'm embarrassing myself," Serval said, a hint of sadness in her voice. She seemed to be recalling something as she sighed and forced a wry smile.

"Then why are the heaters placed outside? Shouldn't heating systems normally be inside homes?" Theresa asked curiously.

"Excellent question, Theresa!" Serval replied with a smile. "Think of it like cooking over an open fire. If the house is the cooking pot, the heater is the stove outside the pot."

"So... we're all just ingredients in a giant stew?" 

Theresa immediately chimed in with a playful retort.

"Haha, that's quite a vivid analogy! But this approach is undoubtedly the best. After all, if the heating equipment were placed indoors, the areas outside buildings would be engulfed by snow and biting winds. That's why we decided to install the heaters throughout Belobog instead."

"One heater might not seem like much, but what about a massive network of them?"

"On Belobog's streets and alleys, heaters are spaced roughly every ten meters. Wider areas feature colossal heating units that radiate warmth. The combined heat naturally rises and disperses outward, forming a thermal barrier that repels blizzards and icy storms."

"Exactly! That's why you can see clear blue skies and white clouds here. The rising heat pushes away the overcast layers above," Serval explained proudly.

"But doesn't this system deplete your Geomarrow reserves at a catastrophic rate?" Theresa analyzed thoughtfully. "Sustaining heat for a city of this magnitude must be extraordinarily demanding. By my estimate, Belobog spans at least a thousand square kilometers. That's far beyond a small town's scale!"

"Theresa's remarkably reliable when she's not being foolish," Stelle remarked with a grin.

"Hmm? Stelle, do you want a tap on the head with the Oath of Judah?" Theresa teased, smiling mischievously. Stelle awkwardly covered her head, fearing Theresa might actually use the weapon to give her a playful whack.

"I was just kidding. Don't be so scared," Theresa sighed, amused by Stelle's timid reaction.

"As for Theresa's question about the Geomarrow supply, I've looked into it myself," Serval explained with a wry smile. "The Silvermane Guards handle the distribution of Geomarrow for the city's heating system. Before dawn each day, they drive trucks loaded with Geomarrow around Belobog, replacing depleted supplies. Broken units are sent to local mechanics—including me—for repairs. That's actually my main job these days."

"Sometimes, when a bunch of Geomarrow heaters break down at once, we're swamped with repairs."

"It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. Machines break down eventually, it's normal."

Serval's explanation revealed that she wasn't as carefree as she appeared. Everyone realized that even she faced real challenges.