201. Tour De Hearts!

Day after day, night after night, they were greeted with the peerless sights of the City of Hearts. The Sectors of each City were diversified and fostered their own unique subcultures.

H7 was a vast, architecturally impressive Sector where artists conglomerated. From the humble oil painter to the brazen marble sculptor, there was never a dull sight. Frost wondered if this place somehow had an influence on the newly formed Objet D’art.

The Hearts were a mysterious existence to begin with, but they did know that the Ateliers and deeply rooted emotions created them as they sept into the earth. Such a concept was lost on Frost who still to this day was boggled by the idea of emotions, thoughts and traumas being a tangible source of energy.

Sort of like mana…

Nav. I never questioned what mana was, did I? Any idea?

“If Nex is food for the mind, then mana is food for the physical. All in all, they are both sources of energy produced in different ways. Everything naturally produces mana. A flame will produce more than an unlit campfire. You could view it as being closely tied with how energy functions in your modern physics.”

You’re telling me a crystal capable of creating fire follows the same principles?

“I am.”

The concept was strange to Frost because mana was far more complex than that. It allowed people to physically alter the elements and to manifest the mind. It sort of reminded her of the Corrupted. Just less egregious and more in line with how magic was depicted in traditional media.

I really need to stop referring to this stuff as ‘traditional’. I know we had stories about fantasy worlds and people being spirited away into a whimsical world, but this is our reality. Making comparisons will only set me up for disappointment. Mana is just what, the essence of life? Existence?

“Life, yes. Existence? Perhaps. But for beings like us, mana is not required to live. The magical races like the Fairies for example perish when they lose mana.”

Yeah. That’s why they have hundreds of thousands of MP. The ‘Blessing of the Nexus’ gamifies things for the Blessed.

“I like to call it the streamlining of information. The Nexus operates in mysterious ways.”

Grand archways and floral gardens were erected in every neighborhood. The stores severely lacked diversity, with the majority being food and art supplies. The food in H7 were either small in portions or looked something straight out of a modern art museum.

The humble cupcake for instance was either topped with so many condiments that it completely ruined the taste or were decorated with nigh inedible ingredients for the sake of ‘art’. Still, Frost ate them, albeit somewhat guiltily since they were the same things Nav wished to taste.

She expressed the flavor to her companion. The textures. The good and bad. There was never a dull moment between them, and Frost relayed the world as quickly as she devoured it to her disembodied friend.

Ignis had been doing the same as well, as did Jury.

The artists of H7 seldomly sold their works here. Instead, they were hauled off to other Sectors or auctions to be sold off. Artists did not tend to purchase the works of others. At least not from what she could tell.

One such Sector where their works were transported to was D4, where the biggest markets and auction houses were held. The rich thrived in those glowing strips, and the richer flocked there to splurge their wealth.

***

In the following day they arrived in H8. This was where the rich came to rest in their elite class of living. The urban sprawl was considerably less, and each manor residence were separated as plots of grand, gated lands.

There was little to see, do or ponder. Stores were a rare sight, which allowed a rather unique economy to thrive in H8. Because they tended to seclude themselves in the comfort of their homes, wandering, high-classed traders and merchants would sell them goods to spare them the discomfort of leaving to a distant store.

The poor made their coins from the complacent rich. Frost imagined them as a delivery service to convenience them. When interacting with one trader she realized that the prices were far higher than usual. Goods were usually bought in bulk, and the main sellers were raw materials and pantry items.

They spent their night on Snap’s back as usual, and on the third day they found themselves in H9. But the sun did not come up much to their surprise. An extended night had engulfed H9 as the shadow of the Nexus befell them. A glorious twilight sky of black, blue, and gold dominated the world above.

Because of how vast Elysia was, the shadow revealed the slight twinkles of distant stars as the night sky looked like a tear in space. The sweeping night which contrasted the day hypnotized Frost. She had seen this phenomenon before, but never had she been caught in it.

Surreal could not scratch the surface to desribe stunning spectacle.

H9 was an infamous Sector of the City of Hearts for the right and wrong reasons depending on one’s perspective. So far, Frost hadn’t seen anything that justified the City of Hearts being labled as the City of Lust.

Until now.

They had only just crossed the invisible borders between H8 and H9, and almost immediately they were greeted by groves of low-height trees and various luscious greenery. The diversity was immediately staggeringly large compared to its neighboring Sectors and Res explained that certain Elves were able to manipulate the growth of flora, as well as allow foreign species to grow in otherwise impossible climates.

So, what did this have to do with the City of Hearts being exalted to the City of Lust?

“… Ignis. I think you should close your eyes.” Jury slowly spoke as the innocent Ignis tilted her head. Ber swiftly moved into action and cupped her eyes shut, not wanting to taint her precious friend.

Surrounding them were phallic-like plants and ripe, interestingly shaped fruits of various colors. They dangled from the trees like bundles of bananas, from low-hanging trees like apples and cherries, and they grew from the ground like flowers.

Frost, being the mature person she was, didn’t think of them as that odd. Earth had its own fair share of weirdly shaped fruits and flora. Still, judging by everyone’s reactions, she couldn’t help but to childishly laugh.

That was until she used Analyze Object on one of the plucked, phallic-shaped fruits, and a glowing-red apple.

Lust Nana

< Increases libido when consumed. Libido Stacks will accumulate. Beware of the ‘In Heat’ Condition >

Aphrodisiac Apple

< Applies the ‘In Heat’ Condition to the consumer. Over consumption will inflict the Insatiable I disease >

“… I don’t believe it.” Frost uttered to herself, finally seeing it all in the same light as the others. “You’re telling me that someone purposefully developed fruits and plants to look like this? Like that?” Frost blinked multiple times as a cry for help, wincing at the seemingly living flora that looked like a giant pitcher plant.

Except its opening was rather… explicit. Frost’s mind had an automatic filter for sexualized things. This characteristic was highly important to her as a nurse, and a discipline she took seriously above all else.

Still, Frost ended up laughing in light of all of this, finding it completely absurd but somehow fitting for this whacky world.

“Elves are the craziest bunch you’ll meet.” Cer began, laughing at Frost’s reaction to this mess. “On one hand you have the moralistic clans that side with Justica Arms, and on the other you have the ones that live lives like they have Succubus blood. ImpulseWorks’ perverted Beholder used to be renowned as the Goddess of Lust a few hundred years back.”

Frost shot a glance at Res for confirmation. She nodded.

“Why don’t you believe me?” Cer shouted.

“Sorry, it just sounded so outlandish to me.” Frost sighed. “Phallic-looking plants are completely different from actual phallic-designed plants. I cannot get my mind over that.”

“Heh. I guess I also would be shocked if I was surrounded by the same thing I lost.” Ber took a sudden jab at Frost’s gender change.

“What sort of horny Elf takes pleasure in doing this?” Frost further lamented. “Er… Language, I know. I’m sorry Ignis.”

“The type of Elf that’ll use these fruits for –!”

“Shut up Cer!”

Cer was instantly struck down by Res’ fist before she could finish her sentence. Frost couldn’t imagine using a fruit to achieve one’s sexual desires, but if that was their purpose all along, then why should she care?

She let loose of a long sigh, clearing her thoughts as she found Jury oddly infatuated with the forest.

“Magic is a wonderful thing, hm? Our Resist would negate them, right…? Like my neurotoxin…” Jury hummed to herself, hugging her tail. “So many different kinds of forests…”

Frost’s blood chilled unexpectedly.

“Uh. Jury? You’re saying some dangerous things right now.” She pressed, only to have Jury kindly smile at her, like everything was alright.

“Oh, I was just being mindful. We can’t eat all that much here. Luckily, I have a bunch of food stored! Why, were you thinking of something else?” Jury counter attacked with a sly hum, cupping Frost’s hand.

“Nothing. Nothing at all. But you’re right. A city of lust is bound to have its fair share of lunatics. We should reach H10 by noon at this pace. Haaah… I wonder if my name’s spread far enough for Justica Arms to recognize us.” Frost pondered.

Things were going to be moving at light speed soon enough. Each passing day brought them closer to an inevitable clash with Scarlet Logic. She hoped that at least Justica Arms would be proactive in their approach.

Because after H10, they would finally enter the City of Spades.

The territory of the Scarlet Logic and the turpitude souls of the Nex Megalopolis.