Sli Nest
A dark, sticky, and viscous liquid—that was none other than the sli's bodily fluid.
"Yikes, did these slis make sothing like a ladder so they could go up and down easily?"
Structures made of sli bodily fluid connected the apartnt building and the Tower, linking the Earth's dinsion and Praeri's dinsion.
For a human, it would be like spit, but the sli's bodily fluid was considerably sticky and viscous.
It wasn't solid enough to serve as a proper ladder, but it could function as a kind of swaying rope bridge.
"But just how many slis are there...?"
A faint chill went down his spine.
If they'd made ladders out of their bodily fluid like that, it ant there was quite a considerable number of slis.
Furthermore, the existence of such a ladder ant they were constantly coming and going.
If it were only a one-ti descent, they'd have just dropped down and left it at that. After all, slis wouldn't get hurt even if they did.
"At the very least, the first floor of the Tower must be a sli nest."
Even in Praeri fields, there were tis when slis would build bodily fluid structures like that.
However, it was extrely rare.
That was because the places where people lived and sli nests were strictly separated.
Yet, unfortunately, the point where the portal malfunctioned, connecting the Earth's dinsion, turned out to be right at a sli nest.
"Amazing."
Ian shook his head as he approached the ladder made of sli bodily fluid.
At any rate, it seed he would have to climb it to rise to the Tower.
Not only was the apartnt entrance locked, but even if he did manage to get inside, he'd still inevitably need to climb the sli bodily fluid ladder from the rooftop onward.
Ian first summoned Praeri energy, generating a clear barrier and wrapping it around his body.
Sli's bodily fluid was, naturally, harmful.
Since it ca from inside a monster, there was no way it could be beneficial.
He also hated that slippery and sticky sensation.
Because of that unpleasant feeling, he layered his barrier several tis over for extra protection.
'It won't be easy for Earthlings to enter the Tower.'
At least, not in the beginning. Not until they found a way to avoid the toxins of the sli's bodily fluid.
There would be all sorts of hunters with various abilities, so eventually, soone would figure out a way.
'Still, it should be fine for a while.'
That was a relief.
He had been considering setting up so sort of barrier to keep hunters away, but it seed nature had taken care of it for him.
He felt reassured it would be okay for the ti being.
Ian reached out his hand toward the ladder of sli bodily fluid. As expected, the sticky and slippery sensation was sickening.
He wouldn't suffer any harm, thanks to the barrier, but he still didn't want to actually touch it.
"There's really no need to touch it, anyway."
Ian swung his gaze around the area.
It would be nice if there were so kind of plant around.
Before all this chaos, the landscaping in the apartnt complex had been quite impressive, but now there were almost no plants to be seen.
The slis must have devoured everything.
Still, on closer inspection, he spotted a small shrub had survived in a corner.
"Oh, that'll do."
Ian reached out his hand toward the little shrub and drew an image in his mind.
With Praeri energy, he pictured the shrub's branches growing vigorously and shooting up toward the sky.
'Oh tree, lend your branches and leaves.'
He poured a generous amount of Praeri energy into the shrub.
As he had pondered earlier, he was now planning to test the thod for drawing up earth energy.
Instead of simply using Praeri energy he carried in his body to grow the plant, he would use Praeri energy as a prir to elevate the energy tier of the earth's energy.
Then, he would attempt to freely manipulate that earth energy.
Having absorbed many sli cores, his Praeri energy reserves were ample.
Ssshhh. The mont he poured out Praeri energy,
Brrrr. The Praeri energy vibrated.
The area was filled with invisible energy from Praeri.
At the sa ti, he sensed a different energy, Earth energy, stirring.
It was lighter and more subtle in nature.
It began to move—activating, gradually vibrating outward.
At Ian's intent and the ntal image he willed.
'Tree!'
Ian flicked his fingers.
Drawing out the potential of plants was a routine thing on Praeri.
However, this ti, Ian was newly performing the sa action by channeling the light and subtle earth energy.
He could feel the plant responding.
First, the air around the shrub rippled. The atmosphere moved, and finally the leaves of the bush fluttered.
Soon, its branches grew out long and stretched toward Ian, flourishing with healthy leaves as they approached.
'It's working well.'
Just as he had expected, everything was functioning smoothly. Ian was delighted.
"Tree, let's go up there together now."
Ian spoke as he patted the shrub's branch as if stroking Hao's fur.
Then he extended his hand and pointed to the Tower above the apartnt.
The shrub's branch passed over Ian's arm and stretched upward in the direction he indicated.
Now, Ian no longer had to touch the sli's bodily fluid.
He simply needed to grab hold of the shrub's branch and let the leaves envelop him as he smoothly slid up the outer wall of the apartnt.
The wind pushed his body upward.
That way, he quickly reached the rooftop of the apartnt.
He paused for a mont and looked up.
That bluish portal light, and the Tower, stretching endlessly beyond it.
'Alright, let's go.'
Ian took a deep breath and reached out his hand again.
Now, if he just climbed the ladder of sli's bodily fluid suspended in the air, he could enter the Tower.
The shrub's branch was tightly wrapped around the sli's bodily fluid ladder.
Gripping it, he hoisted himself up. Up and up he went.
At last, he reached the base of the Tower.
'It really is Praeri.'
He could sense the familiar Praeri energy.
But at the sa ti, he felt an alien, eerie tainted air.
'... Is another dinsion mixed in here?'
The fog enshrouding the base of the Tower felt thicker again. Ian summoned a breeze to scatter the mist.
His field of vision cleared, but the strange tainted air still lingered.
It seed to leach out from the entire Tower—rather dense.
'What could this be?'
The tower, tangled in a peculiar way, seed overlapped with countless dinsions.
Was the tainted air the result of such overlaps?
Was it a sign of disharmony caused by dinsions intertwining?
He still couldn't be sure.
He wouldn't know which dinsion the Tower's stacked spaces belonged to until he entered and investigated.
'Then I'll go in and find out!'
When Ian had decided to go on vacation, he'd been looking for new stimulation.
That's why he had ventured so far away to a strange place, and now he realized this Tower was a place packed with strange and new experiences.
Incredibly bizarre and intriguing.
The Tower pulled at Ian's curiosity.
With a beating heart, Ian plunged inside the Tower's interior without hesitation.
Starting from the first floor.
"Mmm. A reassuring, familiar flavor."
As soon as he entered, the familiar Praeri energy on the first floor gave him a sense of peace.
At least the first floor was not an unfamiliar space.
The chamber was dark, and the air stagnant, but this was stagnation Ian was well acquainted with.
This was a sli nest.
Due to the lack of proper light, he couldn't see clearly, but the slis were certainly swarming within.
He could sense movent all around—unmistakable evidence of slis stirring.
"Slis, remain still."
Ian spoke with the authority of the land's master. Regardless of the physical form he currently wore, he commanded as a Praeri spirit.
The command was well-received.
The slis, recognizing the land's master, instantly ceased their movents and beca still.
Ian slowly moved through the cavern, inspecting every corner.
He tried to gauge the space's size. At first glance, it didn't seem that big.
But that was likely due to spatial distortion.
Looking at the chamber's edges, they were oddly twisted.
Just as the inside of the portal behind the Mount Jiri house had looked—spatial distortion at play.
So the edges might not actually be dead ends. The Tower's first floor space was likely much wider than it appeared.
Ian used his energy to move quickly. Yet, he still reached the periphery in no ti.
No matter where he went, it was all still cavern.
"Where's the way up to the second floor of the Tower...?"
He searched for a passage leading further inside.
There might or might not be such a path, but Ian suspected there likely was.
Still, there were no steps or anything visible.
Another thing he wondered about this space was whether it connected to the Mount Jiri portal.
"I'm sure it must be connected over there as well..."
They were portals generated simultaneously, both fragnts of dinsion. And both Praeri land.
Logically, they should have been connected.
But he couldn't find the connecting point.
The sli nest appeared endless, yet looked as if it were a closed space.
There must be so exit sowhere...
Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.
"Slis, move about as you please."
Ian released his energy, issuing a new command.
This nest belonged to the slis. So, if there was a way out to another space, these guys would know better than anyone.
As soon as his order was given, the slis began moving again.
Their temperant was to keep wriggling and wandering, rather than stay still.
'Alright, go ahead. Show the way to the second floor or to the Mount Jiri portal.'
Ian focused on the slis.
Every creature's foundation is its search for food. But inside this cavern, there was nothing but rocks, dirt, and darkness—nothing edible.
So the slis would try to go anywhere with more abundant food, like Praeri fields, or perhaps down to the earth below...
Just as he thought, the first direction the slis headed was down towards the base of the Tower.
"Wait—hold on! Don't go down there right now."
That was an exit Ian already knew about.
Besides, if the slis spilled outside now, it might attract crowds of hunters unnecessarily. That would only be a nuisance.
Ian manipulated his energy to summon a gust, blocking the exit leading down out of the Tower.
The slis heading that way quickly pivoted in another direction.
They wandered and road, scattering here and there once again.
Ian tailed one heading a long distance away.
But then, all at once, the sli vanished right before his eyes.
'Huh? Where did it go?'
He quickly glanced around and saw a crack in the corner faintly leaking light.
It was just a hairline gap, barely wide enough for anything.
Through that narrow slit, impossible for Ian's bulk to pass, the sli had slithered out.
"Seriously? That's the kind of places you guys go through?"
For a mont, he envied the sli's flexible, liquid body.
Regardless, since he couldn't squeeze through the gap himself, Ian pressed his eye to the crack and peered through.
Just as he expected, Praeri fields stretched out on the other side.
"Yep, just as I thought..."
While every Praeri field looked similar, he spotted a particularly familiar area.
It was the interior landscape of the Mount Jiri portal.
"It's really connected after all."
Just discovering this made today's exploration worthwhile.
Although he couldn't get through the gap right now, he figured he'd be able to cross from the Mount Jiri portal side.
'Let's handle this at Mount Jiri. It'll be much better than trying to dig through from here.'
It would surely be easier to find a way, taking ti within his own territory.
Satisfied, Ian turned back.
As he headed towards the exit, he examined the surrounding slis again, curious if he could find a way to the Tower's second floor.
Countless formless slis were squirming about. Ian observed those crawling toward the ceiling.
'Surely, the way up to the next floor is sowhere above?'
There were quite a few slis climbing up toward the ceiling. Yet, every so often, they would suddenly vanish sowhere.
Ian's eyes couldn't track them.
He poured his energy into his eyes, enhancing his vision.
Only then did he see it.
There were several slender cracks in the ceiling as well.
However, unlike the one leading to Praeri fields, there was no light leaking from these.
Regardless, the slis were slipping through those cracks.
He was curious what lay beyond.
'What kind of space is on the Tower's second floor?'
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