Chapter 187: The First Response

The black slimes did not attack immediately.

Across the vast stretch of land surrounding the Astral Gate, countless black figures had gathered, their bodies glistening beneath the unfamiliar light spilling from the opening.

Some were no larger than stones, while others had grown into enormous masses capable of swallowing entire buildings. Yet their movements were not those of mindless creatures drawn toward an unfamiliar object. They moved with purpose, maintaining formations and leaving clear paths between their ranks.

Far beyond the gathering, civilization continued to function.

Within cities built from dark materials, black slimes moved through streets, entered buildings, and gathered in public squares.

Their bodies could change shape according to their needs, allowing them to operate tools, construct structures, and communicate with one another through methods Liam had yet to understand. The appearance of the Astral Gate had already become a subject of discussion among their inhabitants.

A meeting was taking place in one of those cities.

Several black slimes had gathered inside a large circular chamber, their bodies resting upon elevated platforms. Their forms were relatively small compared to the enormous creatures outside, but each carried a distinct appearance, with some maintaining multiple extensions that moved as they spoke.

"The spatial disturbance has become more stable," one of them communicated. "It is not a natural phenomenon. Something is connecting our world to another."

"An invasion?"

"Possibly. However, we have insufficient information to determine the intentions of the other side."

Another slime shifted its body, forming a series of thin projections that displayed the surrounding region. The Astral Gate appeared at the center of the projection, surrounded by the black creatures that had gathered there.

"Then we should not wait for them to make the first move."

Liam observed the world from beyond the gate.

He had initially expected Leo’s inhabitants to be simple creatures, perhaps possessing intelligence comparable to the early civilizations that had once developed on Essiel. However, the sight of organized settlements and coordinated movements had already challenged that assumption.

These black slimes were not merely creatures gathering around an unfamiliar phenomenon.

They had cities, structures, and a civilization of their own.

’Interesting.’

Liam’s consciousness extended across the region, observing the movements of the slimes.

Some were approaching the gate, while others had begun withdrawing toward nearby settlements. He could also see distant groups moving in organized lines, seemingly responding to instructions from somewhere beyond his immediate field of observation.

He had no intention of underestimating them.

"Have they discovered the gate’s nature?" Trias asked.

"Probably not entirely," Liam replied. "But they understand that something has entered their world."

Wias stood beside her, examining the distant structures. Unlike the creatures that had gathered around the gate, those settlements suggested a level of organization that could not be ignored.

"They are more developed than I expected," Wias remarked. "If they possess a civilization, then Leo’s world may have more to offer than we initially assumed."

"That is one reason I chose this world."

Liam continued observing.

The gathering inside the circular chamber had grown larger.

More black slimes had arrived, each bringing information from a different region. Their reports revealed that the disturbance was not simply a spatial phenomenon.

Something was attempting to establish a connection between their world and another, and the creatures near the gate had already discovered that the opening could not be crossed easily.

"Can we destroy it?"

"We do not know."

"Then test it."

The slimes exchanged information, and several immediately departed from the chamber. Their bodies flowed through the passages, splitting into smaller portions as they moved toward different destinations.

Their civilization had faced countless environmental changes throughout its existence. They had learned that unfamiliar phenomena were not always threats, but neither were they something that could be ignored.

This time, however, the disturbance had an intelligence behind it.

And that intelligence was watching them.

Near the Astral Gate, the first coordinated operation began.

The black slimes that had gathered around the entrance suddenly separated into several groups. Rather than continuing to approach the gate, they moved toward different directions, spreading across the surrounding landscape while maintaining a clear distance from one another.

Some entered the ground, while others climbed nearby structures. A few remained close to the gate, their bodies expanding and contracting as they examined the strange spatial boundary.

Liam noticed the change.

’They’re organizing themselves.’

It was not the behavior of a creature reacting instinctively. Their movements suggested that they were following a deliberate plan, one designed to gather information without exposing too many of their forces.

A moment later, the ground beneath the gate began to change.

Thin black tendrils emerged from the soil, connecting with one another before spreading toward the surrounding area. The network expanded gradually, with individual slimes positioning themselves at specific intervals.

The gate trembled.

Liam’s attention sharpened.

"They are attempting to interfere with the connection," he said.

Trias looked toward the growing network. "Can they close it?"

"I don’t know yet."

Liam examined the phenomenon, but the information he gathered was incomplete. The network was not simply pressing against the gate. It was interacting with the surrounding space, perhaps attempting to understand how the connection had been established.

For now, observation remained the better choice.

Within Leo’s world, the reports had reached another location.

A black slime stood at the center of a wide chamber, surrounded by several others. Unlike the creatures outside, its body remained relatively still, with only a few subtle movements revealing that it was actively processing the information being delivered.

It was Leo.

He had noticed the intrusion almost immediately after the Astral Gate appeared. At first, he had considered sending his forces directly toward the opening, but the inability to cross the boundary made such an approach meaningless.

Instead, he had ordered his inhabitants to investigate.

"The connection is stable, but the surrounding space responds when our forces interact with it," one of the slimes reported.

Leo remained silent for a moment.

"Then stop trying to break it."

The surrounding slimes shifted.

"Instead, determine what happens when something passes through it. If the connection cannot be destroyed, we need to understand what it allows the other side to do."

His orders were quickly distributed throughout the civilization.

Some slimes began gathering materials, while others returned to their respective settlements to prepare. The ones near the gate continued their investigation, carefully testing its boundaries without committing their entire forces.

Leo had no intention of sacrificing his inhabitants merely to satisfy his curiosity.

But he also understood that the presence of another player could not be treated as an ordinary disturbance.

Liam watched the black slimes retreat from the immediate vicinity of the gate.

Their movements were orderly, and their withdrawal did not resemble a defeat. They had gathered information, established communication, and begun preparing their civilization for what might come next.

’So Leo has already started responding.’

The invasion had barely begun, yet the opposing world had demonstrated something Liam found considerably more interesting than raw strength.

It possessed an organized society capable of making decisions and adapting to an unknown enemy.

Liam looked beyond the gate, toward the distant settlements that continued to operate despite the disturbance.

He had opened the path into another world, but that did not mean he needed to rush through it. The first encounter had already provided valuable information, and he wanted to see how Leo would respond once he understood that the invasion was not going to disappear.

On the other side, Leo received another report.

The connection remained open.

The enemy was still watching.

For the first time in a long while, his civilization had encountered an opponent whose existence could not be explained by anything within their world. Leo did not know what awaited them beyond the gate, but he had already begun preparing for the possibility that this would become a war.