Chapter 155: Slime Planet

The Gongdori brought from the Alchemy Center inflated its size enormously using the [Spacetime★] skill.

It swallowed an amount of earth befitting that huge frame. Using the [Spacetime★] skill, it sped up the [Decompose+] and [Absorb+] skills, instantly turning what it consumed into <Slime> and adding it to its body.

The value of the [Spacetime★] skill was beyond anything I had imagined.

Especially, the temporary increase in volume that couldn’t be done with the [Store+] skill was incredible.

For slimes, size is everything.

Physical skills like [Decompose+], [Absorb+], [Divide+], [Multiply+], and [Transform+] become more powerful in proportion to size. Other skills also tend to have stronger output.

Using the [Spacetime★] skill to grow their size, they eat a lot of dirt. Decomposing and absorbing the dirt, they make their original body bigger. Then, using the [Spacetime★] skill, they grow even larger. With skills that strengthen in proportion to size, they swallow even more mass and repeat the process of turning it into their body. This virtuous cycle is accelerated by the [Spacetime★] skill, letting Gongdori grow rapidly.

It’s not just Gongdori.

The other children who inherited my [Spacetime★] skill also rapidly increased their size.

Mother, compared to before, was digging into the ground and inflating her body at a much faster pace.

The part above ground was limited to 30,000 pyeong, but underground, it grew much larger both upward and sideways.

What you could see from the surface was just the tip of the iceberg.

Root also expanded its area of activity.

The underground of Korea was already conquered by Root.

With some energy to spare, it’s now cooperating with Deps to extend its tentacles into the undersea area.

Gongsooni’s roots, which form Gongsooni Island, have also grown much deeper. Before, the area under Gongsooni Island was left empty due to lack of mass, but now it’s all filled in.

Road, connected to Gongsooni, is also quickly growing its frame with the mass delivered by space trash and Gongsooni.

All of this is thanks to the [Spacetime★] skill.

As befits a powerful skill, it consumed a lot of mana, but that’s not a problem.

The energy needed to use the [Spacetime★] skill is mostly supplemented by the sun and geothermal heat. Once the tentacles dig down to the mantle, energy supply will get even easier.

Then, growth will speed up even more.

The mass problem, which was the biggest obstacle, is more or less solved.

I also changed Road’s design plan to a simpler direction.

It wasn’t a compromise; I judged that this way was better.

Thanks to that, it looks like we’ll be able to finish before Independence Day.

Road to Space is the name of the project.

Road, like Mother, is the name of the child forming the space.

The new space needs a name.

The name of the new land is…

Yeah, let’s call it Slime Planet.

Strictly speaking, it’s closer to Slime Asteroid, but you should dream big.

***

The Road built by Alchemy Slime is a long pillar stretching out into space.

Though the height is immense, the diameter of the pillar isn’t that wide.

So from too far away, it’s hard to see.

The base of that pillar began to glow.

Inside the pillar, a mass shining like a star slowly moved upward at a steady pace.

[Current Road Situation]

From the inside, a star has begun to rise toward the sky.

-Is this a teaser for an event?

-If that thing reaches the top, isn’t something bound to happen?

People who saw that scene instinctively knew.

That when that light reaches the top, something will happen.

People immediately calculated when that star would reach the top.

-It could accelerate on the way up, right?

└I don’t think so.

└Why not?

└The arrival time is Independence Day in Korea.

└What’s Independence Day?

└The day the sky opened.

└The sky opens in Korea???

October 3rd, by Korean time.

It was clear that Alchemy Slime was going to do something.

-What do you think will happen?

└Space station open.

└Are we finally going to be able to go to space? I’ve been waiting!

└What do you think is up there?

└Isn’t it just Slime Land placed in space?

└If that’s the case, it’s a little disappointing.

└How can you not trust Yeonseul? Are you a nonbeliever?

└Honestly, I’d be satisfied just seeing Earth.

└How can you underestimate Yeonseul? Are you a nonbeliever?

Everyone’s expectations were burning.

-Will a video go up this time too?

└I’ll hold my breath until the video goes up.

└22.

└333.

└People are found suffocated all over the world. Is it a new epidemic?

└N-J.

└The video is up!!!

A video was uploaded to the SLimelove channel.

***

Thump. Thump.

Heavy, powerful music echoed.

PengRhyme slowly stepped out from the shadows and looked up at the sky.

A dark night sky with not a single star in sight.

PengRhyme pointed at the sky with a sword sheathed at her waist.

As if declaring she would cut down the sky herself.

PengRhyme lowered her sword and drew a brilliantly shining sword from its scabbard.

Throwing away the scabbard, she gripped the sword with both hands.

The music grew even more intense.

At the very moment when the tension from the music peaked.

PengRhyme swung her sword fiercely toward the sky.

A flash drew a line across the sky.

And a moment later, it vanished.

The music stopped as well.

“….”

Nothing happened.

PengRhyme scratched her head with the sword, then flicked the blade with her finger.

Then the sword shattered into pieces and turned into star-shaped cookies.

Hugging a paper bag filled with star-shaped cookies to her chest, PengRhyme got into the elevator.

Listening to light background music, she waited, eating the cookies one by one.

The door opened, and for the first time, the inside of Road was revealed.

It felt like something out of sci-fi, yet the train station had a retro vibe.

Gentle music played in the video.

When PengRhyme boarded the train, it sounded its horn and departed.

Passing through the exit and going outside, a blue planet filled the view.

PengRhyme rested her elbow on the window frame, chin in hand, and watched the sight of Earth.

Soon, the train stopped.

Sitting atop a Slime, set like a boulder outside the train, she captured the view of Earth with her Towel Slime.

After tucking the picture into her chest, she boarded the train again.

As soon as the Earth disappeared from view, a brilliantly shining night sky spread out before her.

PengRhyme got off at the train station.

As she stepped down, her body floated lightly.

PengRhyme bounced along with a spring in her step.

There wasn’t a single blade of grass on the ground, but it didn’t feel especially lonely.

Because countless stars were always by her side.

After finishing her walk, PengRhyme returned to the train station.

The next stop she reached by train was the observatory.

It was a place to greet the light that had traveled through the universe for hundreds of millions of years.

After finishing her stargazing, PengRhyme boarded the train again.

The leisurely train journey continued.

She laid out a mat, sat down, gazed at the moon, and sipped her drink.

Floating through a zero-gravity zone, she sometimes read a book.

She also played with water as it drifted by.

After passing through one peaceful place after another.

The train slowly decelerated and finally stopped.

The gentle journey by train had come to an end.

Beyond the window, the sun slowly rose.

***

It was clearly a different vibe from when SLimelove promoted Slime Land or teased an event.

The video back then was dynamic and cheerful, but this one was calm and tranquil.

So opinions were divided.

-Putting everything else aside, just seeing the Earth alone makes this trip worthwhile.

└Agreed. Even though it was just a video, it took my breath away.

-Will they release it for free like Slime Land?

└It’s a completely different project from Slime Land, and if you consider that they charge for diving, they’re probably going to charge for this too.

└How much! Just tell me how much!

└Boss, open the door! Open the door!

└Call him President.

-Am I the only one who thinks they’ll limit the number of people? If they’re actually showing space and not just a video, then space has to be limited.

└Huh?

└Doesn’t matter to me either way. After all my experience with Slime open-runs, there are no blind spots for me.

└Hope it sells out right in front of you.

There were lots of positive opinions.

But some people felt let down because it was different from what they expected.

There were also plenty of negative opinions.

-Isn’t it way too boring?

└For real. Totally agree.

-Did they seriously not prepare anything but scenery? Looks like creativity is totally dried up.

└Do you think making something new every time is that easy? If it looks so easy, why don’t you try making it yourself?

└Damn. Can’t even criticize?

└What you did wasn’t criticism-

There were wild speculations and arguments, but AlchemySlime Company made no further announcements.

Time passed, and it became October 3rd in Korean time.

At the same time, a new station appeared in Slime Land.

[To Slime Planet.]

There, a train was stationed with the very top of Road as its final stop.

-There’s a new station in Slime Land!

└Train tickets are free!

└Why would you say that out loud!

Amazingly, the train tickets were free.

Naturally, crowds of people flocked in.

Those who arrived quickly could board the train, but the latecomers could only wait and watch.

The winners enjoyed the train first.

Unusually, the train had only a single row of seats. There was no hallway, so every seat was by the window, left and right. Even so, you could turn your seat left, right, or even backward. So even groups traveling together didn’t feel separated.

[Departing now.]

The departing train passed through the undersea tunnel.

They marveled at the scenery outside, but only for a moment.

[We will soon be passing through Road. The seats will be fixed facing forward, so please prepare.]

The train tilted vertically and began racing toward the sky.

At first, it showed the ground receding, but after a certain point, all the windows turned black.

“How long will it take?”

“They say thirty minutes.”

“Thirty minutes? That’s longer than I thought.”

“That’s actually really short. The distance we have to travel is tens of thousands of kilometers.” “Huh? Really? Isn’t that almost the speed of light?”

“Not quite, but it’s still several times the speed of sound.”

The trip to space was much shorter and more comfortable than anyone imagined.

The train’s angle shifted to horizontal, and a sign appeared.

[Welcome to Slime Planet.]

Soon, an announcement played.

[This stop is Space Entrance Station. This stop is Space Entrance Station.]

They arrived at the train station shown in the video, but only a few people got off.

There were some stores, but most people were more curious about seeing Earth.

The train sounded its horn and departed.

The train soon left the indoors.

At last, the panorama of Earth came into view.

Those who had been excited.

And those who said it would be boring.

Everyone was struck speechless in front of Earth.

Everyone pressed up against the windows to see Earth.

[This stop is Earth Observatory Station. This stop is Earth Observatory Station.]

Most people on the train got off at the first station.

Sitting on Slimes placed here and there like benches and chairs, they gazed at Earth.

There was no need for any special content.

Earth itself inspired awe and emotion.

But not everyone was captivated by Earth.

The Diamond Spoon Tokong (Tokki Princess) quickly lost interest in Earth.

She didn’t even get off the train.

Tokong (Tokki Princess) is a term for people who quickly burn through a game’s content and then complain there’s nothing left to do.

This Tokong was someone who lived in Slime Land and constantly grumbled that there was nothing to do there.

Born with a diamond spoon in her mouth, she never had to worry about money for the rest of her life.

Her parents even told her not to waste the family fortune trying to start a business, but to just live quietly nibbling away at their assets.

Tokong got a room at the accommodations inside Slime Land and tried every single amusement ride.

But nothing ever truly grabbed her.

She never rode the same ride twice.

Even if a ride was improved, if the changes were minor, she wouldn’t ride it again.

Even during the Water Land event, she wandered around for a bit and then stopped.

Since nothing ever made her heart race, she never felt like trying any of the experiences again.

Recently, she had been experiencing various stories in [My Own Story].

She was only doing it because there were still stories she hadn’t tried yet. She didn’t really like it.

Still, there was nothing else to do.

She didn’t expect much from Slime Planet either. She planned to quickly check it out and then complain there was nothing to do.

Because she got bored so quickly, even the scenery of Earth didn’t excite her.

Even in low gravity areas like the moon, she would set foot there and then immediately return to the train station.

Whether out to see the moon or at the observatory, Tokong’s indifferent reaction continued.

[Next stop is the Zero Gravity Zone Station. Next stop is the Zero Gravity Zone Station. Please note that this is a time-limited area. Please note that this is a time-limited area.]

Tokong got off the train.

[You can adjust your altitude with the bracelet.]

[Staying too long in zero gravity is bad for your health. If you exceed the time limit or show abnormal symptoms, you will be retrieved immediately.]

Tokong ignored the instructions and warning labels and left the train station.

She kicked off the ground as she usually walked, and Tokong was flung straight into space.

“Huh? Huh?”

Even if she wanted to go back, she couldn’t.

It was as if she had fallen out of the world.

She felt as though she’d been thrown somewhere she could never return from.

Terror swept over her.

Just as her heart was about to react strangely. Tentacles sprouted from the ground and grabbed Tokong, retrieving her to the train station.

“Huff. Huff.”

Tokong braced herself on the ground, gasping for breath.

Sweat poured down her entire body like water.

Tokong was strong against the fear from amusement rides.

Her heart didn’t even race.

But this was different.

It was a fear of a different kind than the [Scream Course], which wrings out screams with speed and sudden changes.

It was the kind of fear that made you feel you’d be crushed by loneliness until the moment you died, thrown into empty space.

It wasn’t a sudden terror, but a fear that squeezed her heart slowly, like a snake.

Tokong placed a hand on her chest.

Her heart was still pounding hard.

In fact, there was no need to put her hand on her chest.

Even now, the sound of her heartbeat was pounding in her ears.

“I… I’m alive.”

Which comes first, the body or the mind?

That didn’t matter.

For the first time in her life, she had found something that made her heart race.

Somehow, the scenery around her seemed to have changed.

She started to see things she hadn’t seen before.

Tokong looked around.

She figured out what to do by reading the sign.

And then she threw herself back into the zero gravity zone.

The terror swept over her again, just like before.

But after adjusting her position with the bracelet several times, she was gradually able to calm down.

Maybe it was because that initial fear still lingered.

Her heart was still pounding fiercely.

The zero gravity that had seemed scary now felt different.

It felt as if she’d been freed from everything.

Tokong closed her eyes and drifted through space, listening to the sound of her heartbeat.

On her face was not the usual empty expression.

There was a smile.

***

I won.

Even the people she thought were boring forgot their complaints, caught up in the thrill that Earth and space offered.

Especially that person.

There’s a person who always holes up in Slime Land with a bored face.

Even that person is completely absorbed, floating around in the zero gravity zone.

For some reason, it feels like I’ve won.

Just looking at that person is proof that Slime Land and Slime Planet are places that offer different experiences.

You could say the opening of Slime Planet has been a success.

Still, I should get my assignment checked.

“How is it?”

I asked Ash, who showed up uninvited as always.

“Not bad.”

“I’m glad you’re satisfied. Actually, it’s changed a lot from the original plan.”

“It happens sometimes.”

“So you’ve had that experience too?”

“Of course. Meeting you is a prime example.”

“Haha. Is that so. I guess you never imagined you’d become friends with me.”

After getting scolded by Ash, I wanted to stuff all sorts of things into Road.

I wanted to turn it into a place even greater than Slime Land.

But then I changed my mind.

I took out some of the things I’d planned to add.

There was no need for extravagant decorations.

Space itself is endlessly vast, infinitely beautiful, and holds infinite mystery.

So I made it a structure where you could leisurely enjoy those things as you traveled.

Actually, there are a few extra surprises.

I hid a slightly more stimulating flavor inside Road.

I plan to open it up after the modern people used to strong stimulation have calmed down a bit.

There’s always a hidden platform at the train station that leads to the unknown.

Well, Ash saw through it right away, though.

“How’s the bonus?”

“It’s ordinary.”

“Is that so.”

I just used the environment of space, so there’s not much difference from what’s in Slime Land.

Still, it seems he’s not disappointed, so that’s fine.

I feel good, like an assignment that was about to be rejected barely passed.

The <Satellite Slime> side still needs more time.

Maybe it’s time to release a new <Slime> soon.