Well, I sent a decent video message to Menelapie and Yeonhwa, so they’ll likely take my situation into consideration.
I originally came to Busan to participate in the Hunter Train, but there’s still about a month left before it starts. My bank account is quite comfortable too, so my mom probably won’t have any trouble.
One, two, three.
I wiggled my body slightly.
As I moved my legs, my fins moved accordingly, allowing even a beer bottle like me to swim at incredible speed.
Sometimes, when my body doesn’t feel like my own or when my physically shattered and regenerated flesh moves, I cannot move as well as before.
In those moments, just like Menelapie taught me social dancing, counting numbers and synchronizing my body movements sort of resolves the issue.
How do I know this?
Of course, it’s from experience.
In my previous world, I went through all sorts of trials with Menelapie to smash the Demon King and his armies. I fought different monsters and demons, and during that process, my body had been shattered and had to regenerate repeatedly.
In those cases, it wasn’t usually due to my lack of strength, but rather to protect someone beside me.
I am accustomed to pain and have been banished from death, but others weren’t.
Anyway, since my body often gets reassembled, maybe there’s no one better at controlling a newly created body than I am.
“How about? Isn’t my swimming skill decent?”
– Nah, not really. Show more.
– For real, I think I need to see more to understand.
– For real, for real.
– Damn, so pretty.
– Is this a person?
– Nope, not a person, lol.
– For real, for real, for real.
The viewers’ responses were predictable.
Some intentionally made strange comments just to get my attention.
However, I can’t cater to each and every one of your whims.
Just because I turned on the broadcast doesn’t mean I’m always playing around.
After all, I’m here to be somewhat of a saint.
I came to hear the desperate voice and wishes of a certain mermaid child asking for help, and I came to fulfill those somehow. I didn’t come here to engage in nonsensical broadcasts riddled with chaos and nonsense.
Well, the broadcast is ultimately a secondary element.
Just like the concept broadcast I did in the Elf Great Forest last time, it’s something I need to do anyway, and rather than doing it alone, I want to ease my loneliness a bit by sharing it with the viewers.
Right now, while I might seem like a glamorous, beautiful mermaid on the outside, I am actually filled with tentacles that reassembled my body, and the jellyfish perched on my head was directly connected to my brain.
The corpse of a god mutated my flesh, resulting in it clinging to my body by any means necessary.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t some miracle I created. I have no miracles to transform my body.
I might be able to create it somehow, but miracles aren’t spontaneous magic that can pop out just because I want them to.
My deceased body, which is originally human, has become a completely different species of mermaid.
Twisting and mutating the fundamentals of a living being isn’t a miracle; it can be considered a ‘sacrilege’ against the very species of that living being. And surely, the corpse of the god residing in my body committed this sacrilege without being detected by anyone in the heavens.
If someone had witnessed me transforming, they might have certainly detested it as a sacrilege.
The sight of shaking the essence of soul and body is sacrilege, no matter how positively one might think of it.
Anyway, the viewers only saw me in my fully transformed mermaid shape, not during the mutation process.
They likely thought of it as splendid adornment and decoration, not sacrilege.
I spun around 360 degrees and glanced at the camera.
– Wow wow wow!
– Whoa…
– Wow, that’s some intense swimming in the water!
“Hey, look at my fins, not my chest, okay? Doesn’t this look like a dress?”
[‘Bokobokoetyouaservice’ donated 5,000,000 won!]
More food! More food!
Why on earth is someone donating that much…?
– This guy is insane, lol.
– I thought he was a freak after reading the donation content, but look at the amount, lol.
– LOL.
“Hey, what do they think I am, a dancer?”
Why do they keep talking about my chest?
Most things I can let slide with a gracious heart, but I’m not broadcasting for them to look at my chest; I want them to see my mermaid form and my beautifully spread fins.
I mean, can’t they see that chests are visible any other time?
And I’m not gonna show you the real thing anyway.
The drone would automatically apply adult filters, so my body’s important parts would likely appear smooth like a mannequin.
“Ahhh…”
“Wowww~”
“Hehe…”
Ah, the mermaids could see me since they were right beside me.
Some of them even poked at my chest, perhaps mistaking it for a toy or coral fruit because it’s larger.
If those malicious net runners had done that, I would have scolded them properly, but since I sensed no vile desires or malice from these mermaid girls, I understood it as innocent curiosity and playfulness, so there was no reason to be angry.
It’s fine.
I was also observing the mermaids.
While it’s only natural to wear clothes in human society, this is the land of mermaids.
In this land full of water, where even the sea surface is indistinguishable, how can human notions hold up?
Anyway, the first thing that changed after becoming a mermaid was the voice of the mermaids.
Before I transformed, their voices sounded more like a low humming, but after the transformation, it seemed like my vocal apparatus and auditory organs changed, so I could hear much better than before.
Of course, mermaids still couldn’t speak human language.
‘By the way, where did that girl go?’
For the record, the mermaid who guided me down here while desperately asking for help had disappeared at some point.
With all my wishes and yearnings pulling me into the deep sea, the moment I arrived in this realm of mermaids, all I saw were unfamiliar mermaids surrounding me with curious looks.
‘What am I supposed to do…?’
No, she asked for help…
The person who asked for help has disappeared. What am I supposed to do now when I don’t even know what I need to help with?
After all, I just transformed into a mermaid; it’s not like they’re going to say, “Welcome to the land of mermaids! Now please go back!”
‘This seems to be a higher difficulty than in the Elf Great Forest…?’
In the Great Forest, it was just a misunderstanding, and I hadn’t received an actual request. Thanks to the elves treating me like a guest, presenting me with a feast, I was able to do various activities.
However, the mermaids here could not form a society like the elves did. They were all just children.
In human terms, they were like 3- or 4-year-old toddlers who couldn’t speak, just slightly bigger in size.
‘And there’s no surface here…’
No matter how much of a mermaid’s world it might be, this otherworldly realm is definitely otherworldly.
It completely ignored the laws of physics and gravity, a world where everything is filled with water.
While it was not difficult to identify the terrain thanks to the soft lights scattered around, it was still uncertain whether there were continents or land, and no matter how high I tried to rise, I couldn’t see the surface.
An endless sea, endless water, and the mermaids following me.
This wasn’t exactly dark like the deep sea, but it was so deep I couldn’t find an answer.
What is this?
“By the way, do you guys know what dungeon this is?”
– ?
– No idea?
– Why don’t you know?
– ?
– Don’t you normally know when you enter somewhere for the first time?
– I’m seeing it for the first time.
– Don’t underwater dungeons usually only have specialized hunters?
– What is this, how do you not know?
“Hmm, then do you know what kind of monster mermaids are?”
– Are mermaids monsters?
– Aren’t they a different race?
– I thought they were like dwarves or elves?
– Nope, not that.
– Now that I think about it, I’ve never seen a mermaid.
– They should be common, but I’ve never seen one on broadcasts.
– So is this the first mermaid broadcast by the streamer?
– Seems like it?
sigh I didn’t expect much from you!
Reluctantly, I waved my fingers at the drone.
Noticing my gesture, the drone slowly approached me and opened a holographic screen.
“Searching, Hunter Wiki.”
[—Beep!]
“The listed information includes… dungeon name, level, appearing monsters, and mermaid’s rank!”
For reference, this was a new drone usage method I learned from Yeonhwa.
Originally, this drone wasn’t for broadcasting; it was mainly created to assist hunters strategizing in dungeons.
The broadcasting function was merely a superfluous feature blasted together by techies who got too much funding and disregarded cost-effectiveness, but since this drone was for hunter assistance, it densely records countless information about dungeons around the world, updated in real time.
Using this function, I could see everything from the dungeon’s level to the characteristics of appearing monsters, their rank, and various information including attack methods.
I had virtually barged into dungeons heedlessly, feeding off information later, but it would be proper to gather information about this new world and dungeon first.
[Dungeon Name: Unknown]
“Huh…?”
[Level: Unknown]
[Monsters: Permission Denied]
[Entity Name ‘Mermaid’: Information, Level: Permission Denied]
What the…?
Everything says “No Permissions”…
I tried again, just in case, but the outcome was the same.
Even though it’s another world, the connectivity of a drone linked to a returnee’s tech to the Hunter Wiki and the internet was fine, so it wasn’t a connectivity issue. It meant there was literally no information about this dungeon.
Why?
Aren’t mermaids supposed to be fairly well-known monsters?
According to what the dork said, when she learned about mermaids in the academy, they were supposedly harmless like F-rank monsters and lacked intelligence, making communication with humans impossible.
So why is there no proper information?
Moreover, the “level permission denied” part stuck in my mind a bit.
“Uuuh?”
Poke poke
After pondering for a while while watching the drone, the mermaids beside me seemed fascinated by it, pushing it or poking it with their tails.
If that drone received too much attention, it might get broken by the mermaids, so I switched the drone back into stealth mode.
I did come upon the request for help, but now that I’m here, I had no clue what I should do.
Not that I could immediately sense any maliciousness around.
Of course, being in another world, and especially in this bottomless deep sea, was laden with mana and a trace of malice, but that’s the average state for any dungeon.
If I sensed something odd, I could sort that part out or track down the Demon King’s fragments or their users, but since I didn’t feel any notable anomalies, it was a problematic situation.
SDVIMVFoanVzY1YwSVhjamMzUkt1Ukw1enk4TVJUTmV1UEtPNUE5S0ZnSmp4L2ZXS2dPRVFKdnZDRlMzbC9NcA
“Ughh…”
Think, Isia.
Think!
What would Menelapie have done in this situation…?!
But after much head-scratching and contemplation, good ideas didn’t come to mind.
I realized I was surrounded by mermaids, who were playing with my dress-like fins or poking at the jellyfish hat on my head.
These kids are really like toddlers.
Alright.
I’ve made my decision.
“Let’s eat something first.”
– ?
– Huh?
– Do mermaids cook food?
– Suddenly talk about food here?
– Why did you go there then?
– Can’t you catch a mermaid and give us one as a pet, streamer?
“Hey, say something stupid like that and you’ll be banned!”
Who’d be crazy enough to buy a mermaid as a slave?
So, for a while, I started to wander around like I was originally a mermaid.
– These mermaids are eating something strange??
– What is that?
– It’s probably crystalline coral.
– Crystalline Coral: A species that combines plankton and mana, occupying the bottom of the underwater dungeon’s food chain, as stated in Hunter Wiki.
– No wonder the mermaids looked weak compared to the streamer, they’re eating stuff like that…
– That’s weak…?
– Weak, you say?
The mermaids showed fascination around me, the new companion, or played with my tentacles. A few even ripped off some crystal-like corals and greens nearby, chewing on them like fruit.
Ah, so that’s what mermaids primarily eat?
But can they truly survive on that…?
– So what will you eat, streamer?
“Something delicious.”
Of course, while it’s debatable to consider seaweed or corals as vegetarian, my belief is that meals need to include meat.
I had experienced enough of meals just consisting of veggies from my time in the Elf Great Forest.
I wouldn’t want to lose my palate by only munching on seaweed in a sea brimming with all kinds of delicacies.
“Fortunately, this place is a sea dungeon. A deep and vast sea, where you can’t even see the surface.”
And just like how the mermaids eat crystalline corals and seaweed, other creatures also seemed to thrive in these coral areas and reefs nearby. The one notable feature was that they were significantly larger than any fish I had known.
I spotted, hiding behind a rock, a massive eel over 20 meters long, looking like an anaconda. I also caught sight of swarms of 3-meter-long mackerels moving in hordes.
For reference, I heard that those too were around F to C rank monsters.
If a 3-meter mackerel is attacking, it would certainly be monstrous.
And among fish, I had one favorite that was clear.
“By the way, what fish do you like?”
– Tuna!
– Huh? I don’t really like it.
– Flatfish!
– Salmon!
– Salmon sashimi bowl is delicious.
“There’s a fish lover here!”
My absolute favorite fish is, of course, salmon.
What is salmon?
A fish dense with meat, rich in fat, with a unique savory flavor and umami taste.
And if there’s an enormous salmon here?
It must taste incredible.
Given that the seawater itself contained trace amounts of mana, the salmon residing here could not possibly taste bad.
– So, how do you catch salmon?
– The streamer will catch it somehow, she has miraculous powers.
– This is boring, lol.
– For real, lol.
“Hey, you think it’s boring? You want to see me catch fish without miracles?”
– Let’s see!
– Alright!
– Show us!
– Miss streamer only has miracles as her crutch, lol.
– No, no, there’s also the Potion, the sword, and the Seongnyeok pouch.
– What the hell, lol!
– If you catch salmon without miracles, I’ll donate!
– For real!
“Do you have a death wish?”
If I succeed, you’re the ones offering donations? You’re digging your own graves.
As I intensely eyed the fish, some mermaids began to look intrigued, scratching their heads about what I was up to.
Which was understandable, since the mermaids lived on crystalline corals and seaweeds, they’d be baffled as to why I was eyeing fish that they’d never normally consider.
Catching fish as a mermaid was incredibly simple.
I would use the tentacles that sprouted from my jellyfish hat connected to my head.
Fish tend to have the habit of wanting to bite anything that flutters before their eyes, figuring it’s bait.
Currently, I could manifest up to 5 tentacles.
I could increase that number with miracles, but if I summoned more tentacles just to catch salmon, I might get some backlash.
And 5 was sufficient.
I am a super mushroom.
I am a mushroom embedded in the sea!
– ? What’s the streamer doing?
I am a mushroom… embedded in the sea…
– LOL.
– It seems like some mysterious ascetic training…
– What are you doing?
– LOL.
“Whoa, no matter how much you tease the mushroom saint’s heart, I won’t break!”
With that determination, I let my body gently sway with the current while relaxing my tentacles. Slowly but steadily, a few fish began to show curiosity in the movements.
Of course, if the fish took a bite of my tentacles, I wouldn’t feel a thing; there wouldn’t even be a hint of pain or damage.
Could even the fangs that shattered the Demon King’s bones bruise a mere giant fish?
And anyway, it isn’t even my body. Let them do what they want.
After spending some more time, it was the mackerels that first reacted to my tentacles.
Though some fish were initially cautious, they started hovering around, with their mouths slightly moving as I remained still, having my tentacles merely twitching gently.
While mackerels are tasty, I was after a massive salmon today.
I held my breath and stayed frozen in place.
Just then, a gigantic salmon nearly 7 to 8 meters long began to take interest in my tentacles.
Come on, bite it…!
The salmon, after keenly observing, brought one of my tentacles to its mouth, sucking it in like bait. I then immediately jabbed its jaw with my tentacle, piercing its brain and paralyzing its entire body while extracting the blood it held.
Since there was a chance the salmon might try to escape or flail about, harming nearby mermaids, I used the tentacle to bind it and whirl its body, ensuring it wouldn’t move at all.
Once I confirmed the salmon was incapacitated, I proudly showed it to the viewers.
At 7 meters long, it certainly had a majestic appearance.
That must yield at least 50 servings, right?
“Ha! How about that?”
– How the heck did you do that, lol?
– How can that be?!
– Crazy, lol!
[‘KawaiiHorned’ donated 100,000 won!]
No way, this really works!
[‘MaliciousNetRunner’ donated 50,000 won!]
How did you even do that? You’re crazy!
Honestly, this wasn’t my first time trying such fishing techniques.
Even in my previous world, just letting my tentacles dangle in lakes or seas often resulted in catching remarkable fish.
Okay, that should be enough…
“Uuh?”
“Uuh!”
“…Ohhh?”
“Uuh!”
But the moment I caught the salmon, mermaids rapidly began to flock around me.
Why are you all rushing over when you were eating seaweed before…?
“Uuh!”
I tried ignoring the first few mermaids who’d come to check, but as the initial couple turned to so many more, it felt like news had spread through the underwater vines.
They began circling me and the salmon I caught.
“……..”
“Uuh…?”
“Uo…”
“O….”
“Eee….”
Alright, alright. Here, take a bite…
