Novels by ANN MARIE

Despite the tantalizing aroma of bubble-trapped mermaid flesh luring most mermaids and fish swarms, a few rogue mermaids zeroed in on Liam Watson’s raw flesh. They eagerly sank their teeth into his arms and ankles, leaving jagged, ring-shaped bite marks that oozed menace.Shawn’s breath hitched, nearly stopping. “His sanity’s about to crash below 20!”[System Alert: Player Liam Watson’s Sanity at 17, below 20. (Berserk) mode activated. Panel stats surging—]The moment the system’s chime faded, Liam’s lips curled into a sly grin. His critically low stats, long flashing red, skyrocketed in a frenzy—[Player: Liam Watson (Berserk Mode Stats)][Stamina: 7 → 151][Agility: 3 → 149][Attack: 6 → 167][Resilience: 2 → 166][Total defense and attack stats exceed 500. Evaluated as a C-rank player. Liam Watson promoted from F (?) to C-rank, now capable of resisting mermaid sailors, mermaid statues, and mermaid larvae attacks.]Shawn froze for a split second before it clicked. “Right! When Sanit

As Mason Shepherd fixed his bizarre, unsettling eyes upon the proud audience members, an icy shock ran down their spines. Chests tightening with fear, they stepped back, swallowing hard and shaking their heads.With a wry, cheerful grin, Mason pulled out a cartoonish monkey hat from behind his back, gesturing to it grandly. “You see, I hate loud-mouthed audiences,” he said casually, “so in the game, all those annoying spectators? I killed them.”He tossed out the words like ordering coffee as if murder was nothing more than a daily inconvenience. “If Liam comes out,” Mason added, “I’d root for him to shut you all up too—take that as advice from someone who’s been there.”He flashed a polite but chilling smile. “You guys are seriously obnoxious. Interrupting my show? Idiots.”Suddenly, the plush monkey hat opened its mouth, making a creepy, chattering laugh. Crimson lights blinked in its eyes as if encouraging Mason’s murderous suggestion. The effect was both disturbing and surreal.Pa

In the pouring rain, a distant beam of light cut through the gloom, merging with the one in the narrow alley of Eclipse Harbor. The two beams fused into a blinding blaze on the main boulevard that lit up the night. The light-fearing mermaid wax figures froze instantly, blocked by the intense glow, unable to advance. This searing light stretched across Eclipse Harbor, trapping the wax figures behind it and preventing them from crossing to chase Liam Watson. Even the mermaid sailors, shielded by their talismans and less afraid of light, hesitated, pacing warily near the beam, testing its edges.Liam leaned against a wall on the other side, catching his breath. At his feet sat a **3In the pouring rain, a beam of light sliced through the fog from the distance, merging with the one in the alley to

Only Shawn's eyes lit up. "He's collecting the Monster Codex! He's identifying the final weakness of every mer-creature! And now—he's using that to drive them back!"The others stared at him, stunned and skeptical."Seriously? He's trying to complete the Monster Codex?""I heard only The Shepherd ever managed that in Eclipse Harbor. Regular players are lucky if they unlock even one page. You think a rookie can pull it off?""No way. I've watched many gameplay videos—no one's ever figured out the third weakness of the mermaid statue or sailor."...Liam Watson couldn't hear them. With his usual laid-back expression, he raised his pickaxe high and smashed it hard on the glass display housing the Eclipse King.The glass shattered with a loud crash, shards flying everywhere. The Eclipse King slid out with the viscous liquid, landing at Liam's feet.The mermaid statues recoiled in what looked like pure terror, scattering from the central hall. Even Lucy and Gerald, standing beside Liam, sc

After stepping off the ship, Liam Watson was bound by the sailors’ local customs to stay at the Eclipse Wax Museum until nightfall, supposedly to cleanse the sin of witnessing the mermaid slaughter. Lucy and Gerald trailed him to the museum. In the dim morning light, the museum felt lifeless. The sailors dropped Liam off, sternly warning him not to leave before evening. They left him under the watch of the museum’s keeper and departed. Lucy huddled behind Liam, whispering nervously, “How’s this place still so creepy even in daylight?” Wax figures loomed over them, their mermaid faces eerily lifelike—sharper, somehow than the ones Liam had seen the day before. He noticed two statues with shortened tails, now only fishlike below the knees, their thighs morphing into human legs. Liam tilted his head, studying their faces. They bore an unsettling resemblance to Lucy and Gerald. The figures grinned strangely, staring straight at Liam, Lucy, and Gerald. As he’d suspected, Lucy and G

After diving into Mike’s backstory, Shawn felt regretful about his knack for digging up players’ pasts with his Know-It-All skill. It wasn’t the gift he’d hoped for. This game thrived on raw ambition, drawing in the ruthless like moths to a flame. For them, it was the ultimate stage—a battlefield where high rollers often had blood on their hands. Shawn glanced at the small TV screen displaying Liam Watson, sighing. The game wasn’t over yet, but a butcher was already circling, ready to guard—or gut—his prey.Liam, you’re one unlucky bastard.[126 viewers liked Liam Watson’s stream, 675 bookmarked it, 0 tipped, and 378 gave it a thumbs-down.][Player Liam Watson drew 3,000 viewers in a minute, but with a like rate barely hitting ten percent, most are just here for the drama or to gawk.][High-level player Mike is watching Liam Watson’s stream. Congrats, Liam, you’ve snagged your first big-shot viewer!][Mike gave Liam Watson’s stream a thumbs-down. Ouch, looks like this VIP’s not a f