Chapter 21 Aquaman 2

"All survivors have formed their teams. Let's begin the game with joy!"

After successfully forming their teams, the gray air barrier on the beach disappeared, indicating that they could now move freely.

Xia Qi sighed helplessly and said to the girl next to him, who was taller than he was, "Let's go."

The girl's narrow eyes squinted, her gaze filled with a strong sense of possessiveness as she slowly followed behind him.

Xia Qi glanced at the girl from the corner of his eye and noticed that she was limping, her legs moving as if they were noodles stepping on cotton.

"Is your foot injured?"

The girl shook her head, signaling that she wasn't hurt.

_Then why is she walking like that..._

Xia Qi pursed his lips and continued walking forward.

Unexpectedly, when he walked a bit faster, the girl suddenly tripped over her left foot with her right, falling face-first onto the sand with a thud.

Xia Qi: "..."

He glanced at the girl's long legs, puzzled. _Aren't longer legs supposed to make walking faster? Why did she fall?_

Seeing many players already boarding the pier in the distance, Xia Qi grew anxious.

"You can support me." Xia Qi extended his right arm, gesturing for the girl to help him.

Upon hearing this, the girl's eyes slowly widened.

"No help? Never mind then." Xia Qi frowned and reluctantly withdrew his hand.

At that moment, the girl took a big step, reached out to hold his shoulder, and decisively leaned all her weight against him.

Xia Qi: "..."

Caught off guard by the tall girl's embrace, Xia Qi frowned, feeling something was not quite right about the gesture.

"Let go." Xia Qi stared at the girl, who seemed to be using his head as a pillow, his expression cold. "If you touch me again, don't blame me for not wanting a teammate."

Seeing Xia Qi displeased, she quickly let go.

Xia Qi sighed. No matter how ruthless he might be, he couldn't argue with a girl, especially one who couldn't speak.

"Give me your hand." Xia Qi said to her.

The girl's eyes curved slightly as she extended her hand, intending to interlock fingers with him. However, Xia Qi simply grabbed her elbow and pulled her along, dragging her like a sack of potatoes without any gentleness.

The girl: "..."

Finally, the two arrived at the gathering point. All the players had been waiting impatiently, their faces showing signs of agitation. Some even sneered, "What a grand entrance, daring to be late for the game?"

Just as Xia Qi was about to explain, he unexpectedly saw someone familiar.

"What are you doing here?!"

He saw the young master standing unharmed on the pier, accompanied by a muscular man. The muscular man, seeing Xia Qi's threatening expression, moved closer to the young master and asked tenderly, "Lin Qing, who is he?"

Seeing the young master again, even Xia Qi, usually calm, couldn't help but change his expression slightly.

What's going on with the young master?

Upon seeing Xia Qi, the young master looked grim and whispered, "He was my former opponent."

The muscular man eyed Xia Qi warily.

At that moment, a man wearing a tight-fitting suit with hair styled like a Tony teacher rushed up to Xia Qi and cried, "This little bitch named Lin Qing stole my boyfriend! Ahh!"

Overwhelmed by this flood of information, Xia Qi glanced at the muscular man beside the young master. "Him?"

Tony, finding a kindred spirit and savior, burst into tears. "Yes, as soon as we entered the game, he stole my boyfriend."

Xia Qi's lips parted slightly. For some reason, an image of a child with many question marks popped into his head.

The young master's face turned slightly red, and the muscular man quickly explained, "I just teamed up with him; don't talk nonsense."

"He's a homewrecker!" Tony continued screaming, echoing Xia Qi's thoughts.

"Stop arguing!" A middle-aged man with gold chains stepped forward and yelled at Tony, "Will you shut up?! The beginners from level 3 haven't even started crying yet, what are you whining about?!"

Recognizing the familiar voice, Xia Qi hesitated for a moment.

This middle-aged man with gold chains... he also knew him. After more than two years, the man had been released from prison.

Never did Xia Qi expect to encounter two old enemies in one game.

Unfortunately, the Gold Chain Man didn't recognize him and continued yelling at Tony. Everyone listening to the argument grew increasingly tense.

This time, they had entered a high-level scenario, and the game rules had changed. There were more teams but fewer teammates, which meant lower survival rates. No one had the heart to watch the drama between the homewrecker and the original partner.

As everyone was arguing, two figures descended from a distant galleon.

"The NPCs are here, be quiet!" Someone reminded, and the Gold Chain Man and Tony fell silent.

The leading man wore tattered striped clothes, a red bandana around his neck, and had a scar under his eye, making him look intimidating. He touched the holster at his waist and shouted, "You new sailors are slacking off again. Watch out, or I'll skin you alive and feed you to the sharks!"

"Ince, you're too harsh," said a black female first mate standing next to him, smiling at everyone, her gaze wandering over the female players. "You'll scare away our pretty sailors. Where will you find such lovely ones if they run away?"

"Hmph, they're somewhat attractive..." The first mate's greedy gaze roamed over the female players, causing two of them to pale. His gaze lingered on the girl for a moment before finally stopping on Xia Qi's face.

He hadn't tasted the flavor of a tall woman in a long time, nor had he encountered a handsome man more beautiful than a rose...

Feeling the first mate's hostile gaze, Xia Qi took a step to the right, shielding the girl behind him.

The first mate's throat moved as he raised his chin at everyone and said, "Hurry up and get on board!"

This was a ship about 60 meters long and 12 meters wide, equipped with 46 broadside guns, a pair of swivel guns, a ram, four bow chasers, and powder kegs. It didn't look like it had low firepower, which made Xia Qi somewhat worried that their time at sea might be prolonged.

Everyone stood below the ship, looking up at the large vessel before them.

"Ding! Side quest appears!"

"Side Quest Name: The First Mate's Test"

[Quest Content: The first mate will choose one person he 'likes' the most from among you all. In the coming delightful times, the first mate will give him special attention!]

Upon hearing this "special attention," the expressions of all the players were varied.

However, everyone present was an experienced player, having at least cleared one game. They did not rush but instead lined up orderly and began boarding the ship via the temporary gangplank.

Since the gangplank was relatively narrow, only one person could pass at a time. The first mate was waiting on the ship. When a female player passed by, the first mate suddenly reached out and pinched her buttocks.

"Aah!" The female player screamed, tears streaming down her face.

"No meat on your butt." The first mate grinned, showing his yellow teeth, and waved at the next female player. "Get up here!"

The female player at the back was terrified, her face pale. She nervously looked back at her teammates, who pushed her forward. "Go on, it's just a touch. Be careful not to fail the test, or he might kill you in the end."

The female player whimpered and mustered the courage to board the ship.

"Aah..." Even though she had mentally prepared herself, she still cried out when the first mate pinched her hard.

Her teammate patted her shoulder and dragged her away from the deck.

After everyone boarded, it was the girl's and Xia Qi's turn to go up.

The first mate showed a sinister smile.

The girl hesitantly lifted her head and looked at the first mate. A sharp glint flashed through her blue eyes, and a row of tiny fangs faintly appeared at the corner of her mouth. At that moment, Xia Qi pushed her forward and said, "You go ahead of me."

The girl quickly closed her mouth and walked forward, with Xia Qi following closely behind.

Just as the girl was about to step onto the deck, the first mate impatiently extended his hand. Just one finger away from touching her, his hand was suddenly grabbed.

The first mate froze, staring in disbelief at Xia Qi, who was holding his wrist.

"You go up first." Xia Qi nodded toward the girl.

Seeing Xia Qi standing up for her, the girl smiled slightly and slowly climbed onto the deck.

The first mate lowered his head, staring intently at the exposed white arm of Xia Qi, his gaze burning hot.

Xia Qi, seeing the first mate silent, assumed he would let it go and released his grip.

But just as he took a step up, the first mate's hand reached out again, aiming for his back!

"You're even more enticing than a woman, little rose." The first mate sneered, making a move to pinch him.

Unexpectedly, the first mate was targeting him. Xia Qi was startled.

At that moment, the girl on the deck, seeing the first mate's intention to harm Xia Qi, her expression changed instantly!

Her eyes turned from green to red, a frightening shade of red.

The author has something to say: Just a reminder, the official version is the correct one, with many more scenes and smooth plot developments!