The ocean is blue, the waves are silent, and some mysteries are better left undiscovered. Isabella Stark has always been fascinated by mermaids. Kaya naman, when an opportunity to study an unknown creature in the ocean came up, she didn't hesitate to take it. After all, it's her final research project before graduation. What could possibly go wrong? Apparently, a lot. Sa unang exploration pa lang niya, nakatagpo na siya ng isang totoong merman. Handsome, mysterious, and with the most unusual pair of dark blue eyes she's ever seen. Pero sa lahat ng puwede niyang ma-discover tungkol sa kaniya, there's one thing that bothers her the most. 𝙃𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙨. No matter how many questions she asks, he only stares at her. Sometimes, he leaves fish outside her villa. Other times, he simply appears out of nowhere, as if keeping an eye on her. Is he just curious about humans? Or is there something else behind the way he acts around her? Isabella wants answers, but the more time she spends with him, the more she realizes that the ocean holds secrets she was never prepared to uncover. And when it's finally time for her to leave, the merman seems to have one thing to say. He's not letting her go that easily. She came here to finish her research and earn her degree. She never expected that her biggest discovery would be a creature who might change everything she knows about the ocean… and herself.

Blake was just an ordinary orphan trying to survive. When mysterious portals suddenly appear across the world, dungeons emerge, monsters invade, and translucent status windows appear before every human, the world is thrown into chaos. But Blake’s story begins somewhere far less heroic—a dumpster, where he discovers a wounded black cat being hunted by a monster. Without thinking twice, Blake throws himself in front of the attack. And dies. Yet when his blood touches the black cat, something impossible happens. [A Master has been chosen.] [Contract accepted.] [Nine Lives have been granted.] Blake awakens once again, but he is no longer the same. He now shares a mysterious bond with the black cat and possesses a strange power that takes the form of a terrifying shadow. Every time he loses a life, he returns with the possibility of becoming even stronger. As dungeons spread and monsters threaten humanity, Blake must uncover the truth behind his nine lives—and the mysterious cat that chose him. Because saving a stray cat may have been the moment that changed his entire destiny. Nine lives. One mysterious bond. And a world waiting to be conquered.