Chapter 52: Daisytown Dungeon (1)

Before entering the dungeon, there was a gear inspection. Items carried physically, not in inventory, had to be pre-registered. Ion listed his backpack, Sansevieria pot, and bananas. The Hegis guild member checking gave him a look that screamed, What a weirdo.

“This plant… it’s not a summon, just a regular plant. Do you really need to bring it?”

“Yes. It’s my companion plant.”

“What… marrying cats, phones, anime characters, and now calling a plant a companion? What a crazy awakened. End times, I swear.”

“A plant’s not just some thing. What makes you belittle plants? Have you ever produced oxygen or comforted someone like a plant—”

“Okay, fine! You’re right! Pass, pass! Next!”

The guild member waved Ion through to meet the entry schedule.

Ion waited away from the chattering Hunters.

Kyuu.

The bat on his shoulder fidgeted uncomfortably. Ion was in Peter Argen’s form to hide the bat—no other way came to mind. It made Peter’s body bulkier, but since potions and items often caused physical changes, no one found it odd.

“No noises. Stay still, or no bananas.”

“…”

The bat quieted. Then a familiar voice rang out.

“It’s a summon, I tell ya. Cuter than it looks. Skully, do Trick #4!”

Clack, clack-clack.

“…”

Ion hurried away from the inspection line.

But…

“Hey, Peter Argen! You’ve packed on some weight since I last saw you!”

Uiji had spotted him.

Clatter-clatter.

Skully, the skeleton, smelled plants and excitedly chattered its jaw.

Ion was already exhausted.

Hyaaak!

“Argh!”

Boom! A Hunter reflexively used an explosion skill as a mermaid charged. Turquoise scales and purple fins scattered.

Kyaaak!

Despite its body half-destroyed, the mermaid raised its claws again. The Hunter, tripped by the unstable terrain, screamed as the mermaid bit their shoulder. Another Hunter swiftly stabbed the mermaid’s neck, saving them.

“Urgh…”

A white ring enveloped the Hunter’s mangled shoulder—Joseph Bright’s Ring of Light. The shoulder healed quickly.

Kaboom!

Another explosion erupted behind. Someone, overwhelmed by the mermaid’s ferocity, used another blast skill.

“What are you all doing? Don’t damage the scales! If you can’t handle it, fall back!”

“It’s not that easy! We gotta survive first!”

“Right, Captain. There’s plenty of mermaids—let’s focus on subduing them for now. It’s just the start!”

“Damn it!”

Leader Elliet swore, stabbing a paralyzed mermaid’s neck. A support Hunter used a skill to net the dead mermaid’s body.

Not easy to subdue mermaids—or anything—without damage, Ion thought, dodging a mermaid and scanning the area.

Everyone was panicking, swinging weapons wildly.

Daisytown’s dungeon terrain was a sea.

Three small reefs rose amid crashing waves, with the gate on the central one.

Before the raid team could deploy exploration skills, mermaids attacked in droves.

S-rank monsters, mermaids were 20–30 cm taller than humans, five times thicker. A thick, crocodile-like tail hung between sturdy legs, and serrated purple fins ran from neck to tailbone. Webbed hands and feet had hooked claws.

Their bite and grip strength could pulverize rocks.

Their turquoise scales, later called Solminium, were key to blocking Giant attacks.

Solminium’s fatal flaw: any damage made it unusable for armor.

Hunters targeted the unscaled neck center, eyes, or mouth to kill without damage. But in the frantic battle, mermaid and human flesh flew everywhere.

Not everyone struggled.

Some followed the plan, securing undamaged scales.

First, Captain Elliet Middlener.

“Everyone, close your eyes!”

At Elliet’s shout, nearby Hunters shut their eyes. Her skill, Fata Morgana, created mirages.

A blue flash burst, and the mermaids froze mid-attack, pupils empty, entranced by some hallucination.

“Got ‘em! Finish them!”

“Yes!”

“Yessir!”

Whoosh!

Crunch!

Hunters easily killed the immobilized mermaids.

“Jin Seongha should be grateful his name’s mentioned with Elliet’s. She’s the unrivaled top!”

“Jin Seongha’s impressive too. Three skills, right?”

“He’s got no shield skills, just attack ones. Elliet’s skills are perfectly balanced.”

“True, Korea hypes him up too much.”

Hunters chatted while collecting bodies.

That’s not true… Jin Seongha could fry all these mermaids’ organs at once, Ion thought, suppressing the urge to argue.

“But it’s not just Korea hyping. Look over there,” a Hunter said.

Another nodded. “Thought he just had a decent foresight skill, but to have that…”

The second standout was Onil.

Alone on the left reef, her blue eyes darkened to navy.

Crunch, stab!

Mermaids around her stabbed their own eyes, punched their mouths, or pierced their necks with their tails, committing suicide.

Grrr.

One, surviving self-blinding, was finished by another piercing its neck.

Bang!

Onil sometimes shot a dazed mermaid directly, piling up bodies.

A mental interference skill…

Ion didn’t know its name. The strongest mental interference skill he knew, Mentalist’s Note, didn’t exist yet—an awakener would gain it years later as their fifth skill.

Controlling 24 at once, moving freely, with low mana cost since she’s not using potions. It’s nearly as strong as Mentalist’s Note.

Awakener traits and skills often stemmed from their behavior and mindset.

Sa-on, a snake lover, awakened Medusa’s Kiss and Shedding. Choi Jungo, a vet, got Monster Diagnosis.

Il-on devoured psychology and mind-reading content as a child.

Unlike Sa-on’s love for snakes or Ion and Se-on’s for plants, Il-on’s reading felt mechanical, like homework.

No wonder she studied so obsessively despite no interest—to awaken a mental interference skill.

Her skill use confirmed it.

“Look there. That guy’s doing well too. Best yield among A-ranks.”

“Uiji Krillin, huh? Slacks off, but his skill’s top-notch.”

The third standout, securing the most undamaged Solminium, was Uiji Krillin.

While others wore combat gear, Uiji dressed like he was in a play—black pants, white frilled shirt, blue vest.

His skill was eye-catching too.

Thin threads, like fishing lines, dangled from his fingertips, piercing the crowns of five mermaids’ heads, likely into their brains.

The mermaids moved like puppets under Uiji’s control, their pupils shaking in panic, struggling against his command. Ultimately, they attacked each other, dying with wrists piercing necks.

“Hahaha! Easy, easy! Come at me! I’ll make you all my puppets!” Uiji cackled like a mad clown.

His skill, Yorick’s Circus.

In the novel, at Level 1, it only moved corpses…

Uiji’s skill was stronger now than in the novel.

While Elliet, Joseph, and Trish matched their novel selves, Uiji had surpassed his.

This raised suspicion.

The Hahoe mask and butterfly mask breeders trained supporting characters… Was Uiji one of theirs?

Ion noticed Il-on staring at Uiji too.

Same suspicion?

Did the orphans know about another breeder?

Feeling her gaze, Il-on turned toward Ion. He dodged her eyes just in time, slashing a charging mermaid’s neck.

Clang! His sword only scratched the scales, leaving no visible wound. But Ion had planted vines in the neck’s flesh.

Hyaaak!

The mermaid froze, its organs likely constricted by vines.

Since Peter Argen was known for sonic skills, Ion burst the mermaid’s eardrums, making blood trickle—appearing like a sonic attack kill.

As another charged, Ion blocked its claws, wiping sweat to glance at Il-on. She’d already looked away.

After the battle, the byproduct team moved in. The cramped reef terrain and crashing waves forced cautious steps.

“Argh!”

A porter slipped, tumbling toward the sea, where mermaids or other monsters might lurk. Instead of cold water, a warm, soft texture caught them—a yellow-white woven carpet floating in the air.

Joseph Bright’s Carpet of Light.

“Thank you!”

The porter bowed to the short-haired, bespectacled man.

Joseph adjusted his priestly collar and nodded.