The Hidden Hand

Liam Watson swayed on his small boat, watching the chaos unfold with heavy eyes. After a long, unsettling silence, he murmured to himself as though recalling something half-forgotten. "Ah… that's right. I prepped for this before boarding. I knew I'd hit this fogged-up state from the sanity drop."

Then, as if nothing were wrong, Liam pulled the blankets tighter around himself, curling up as if settling in to watch a late-night show.

The viewers staring at the small screens were speechless.

"What?! What did he do before boarding?! How did Andrew just... die like that?!"

Shawn was practically clawing at his hair, eyes wide with disbelief. "I've NEVER seen fishermen attack Andrew! What the hell did Liam pull?!"

Another player squinted, racking his brain. "Wait, I was watching the whole time too... the usual route, right? He took the driver's car, paid the fare, boarded the ship. The driver said he'd prep the betting arena and tools..."

Players who had been leaving rushed back to the crowd.

"Anyone here a system member who can replay the footage?! I don't have the premium pass!"

"I am! I'll cast it up on the wall—everyone, gather round!"

"Looks like standard gameplay to me! There's no way! His Luck stat is ZERO! No chance this was a random event where fishermen spontaneously devour Andrew!"

"So how did he trigger this?!"

"Screw it, someone post this on the forums! I've rewatched it three times and still can't figure it out."

[GAME FORUM – HELP! How did this player trigger the fishermen eating Andrew in Siren's Cove?!]

1st Post:

Saw the craziest playthrough today. Is anyone familiar with Siren's Cove? Has anyone ever triggered the merfolk devouring Andrew during the "True Love Boat" quest line?! This is my first time seeing this. (Video link attached)

2nd Post:

"Kid, I've got SO many questions. WHAT is this route? I've NEVER seen this happen. The game's monsters HELPED him?!"

3rd Post:

"Must be high Luck stat, right? Sometimes high Luck causes weird routes."

Original Poster Reply:

"Nope. His Luck stat is literally zero. Total newbie. First-ever dungeon was Siren's Cove. Even pulled the roaming NPC curse from the monster book. Rock-bottom Luck, then THIS happens. I'm lost."

4th Post:

"Yo... this newbie's kinda terrifying. But HOW did he trigger this?"

5th Post (Mason Shepherd):

"It's a hidden branch. If you complete over 80% of the 'Gerald's Bloody Conspiracy' side quest, the driver will enter the water and ambush Andrew, drawing the fishermen to finish him off."

"To trigger this, you have to discover Gerald's conspiracy during the first night while controlling the merfolk statue—and you MUST avoid being caught by Gerald, or you'll be assassinated."

"If this player pulled it off as a newbie, that's seriously impressive. I've brute-forced through this before but never unlocked that path."

6th Post:

"WTF! It's Mason! Screenshot for good Luck!"

7th Post:

"Mason, bless me with a one-shot clear on my next dungeon run!"

8th Post:

"Mason praising a rookie? Tell me what server they're on—I'm spectating them next!"

"But wait," Shawn muttered, "how did he push the conspiracy side quest from 50% to 80%? It was only at 50% back in the car ride."

He quickly messaged Mason.

Mason replied:

"He tipped the driver a second time."

"Huh?" Shawn blinked. "He paid again?"

Mason:

"Yep. The driver was already paid by Gerald, but Liam slipped him a hefty tip. Also—watch the replay—he deliberately showed the driver that his bag was full of cash."

"Siren's Cove townsfolk are coded as raiders," Mason continued. "Flash too much wealth, and you'll trigger their aggression. The driver will prioritize killing Andrew first due to the active side quest."

"Revealing valuable loot bumps the conspiracy to 80% completion, forcing the driver to stalk you—but he'll deal with Andrew first."

Shawn's eyes widened as he read aloud.

"So that's it..."

But then he frowned.

Shawn:

"Mason, but won't the driver just come back to rob and kill the player afterward?"

Mason:

"Exactly. That's why players usually hide in an Air Bubble, which repels merfolk. The driver's sneak attack works on Andrew, but he's weaker in open combat."

"Andrew is the true boss here. The Bubble is enough to repel the driver and the fishermen after Andrew's dead."

Shawn sighed, staring at the screen. "Mason says once Andrew's gone, the Bubble makes surviving easy. But... Liam spent all his points on alcohol earlier. He can't buy one now."

"Exactly," another player grumbled. "Dude's trapped. Could've cleared it if not for those wasted points."

The group watched helplessly as Liam, still bundled in blankets, dozed on his rocking boat.

The merfolk finished devouring Andrew, their slick bodies turning toward Liam's tiny vessel.

With no Bubble, with no plan—or so it seemed—Liam sat there half-asleep as the predators silently glided closer.

The room full of viewers was left in stunned silence.