Chapter 22 Aquaman 3

Xia Qi swiftly slashed away the first mate's lecherous hand.

In the escape game, NPCs usually dominated, but Xia Qi had never encountered one as brazen as this. In comparison, the old count could wear a red armband now.

Xia Qi prepared to pull out his silver dinner knife, ready to make the first mate experience the pain of having his hands chopped off: "Don't ask for trouble..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a massive iron anchor suddenly descended from above with a loud "Duang~," striking the first mate squarely on the head.

In the blink of an eye, Xia Qi watched helplessly as the first mate's head was smashed into pieces by the anchor, blood and brain matter splattering high into the air, even drenching Xia Qi in blood as he stepped back.

After the anchor hit the ground, the rest of the first mate's body swayed before falling backward with a thud. When his entire corpse landed on the deck, his shattered head scattered, mixing with crimson blood that stained half the deck red.

"Aaaaaah!!" The nearest female player, terrified, grabbed her teammate's neck and let out a piercing scream.

The entire deck instantly erupted into chaos, no one noticing the girl standing in the corner whose demeanor seemed off.

Her long hair floated in the air without any wind, her originally handsome and cold face now unusually grim. Blue scales covered her collarbone, and her red eyes glared viciously at the first mate's corpse. Sharp fangs protruded from her red lips, making her look like a demonic ghost crawling out of hell.

However, the moment Xia Qi climbed aboard, she instantly returned to her original appearance.

Xia Qi saw the girl standing innocently nearby, her large blue eyes staring at him quietly.

Xia Qi looked down at his blood-stained clothes and said to her, "Don't come over."

"Ding! Side mission failed!"

"Punishment: All survivors will receive the malice of the captain and the female deputy for three days."

As they spoke, a group of players gathered around, panicking and asking, "What? The first mate is dead?!"

They hadn't expected someone to die upon boarding the ship. Although it was an NPC rather than a player, the gruesome death still left everyone shaken.

The first mate's eyeballs were crushed, and several teeth flew out, blood spreading across the deck, filling the air with a pungent smell. Several people vomited at the sight.

The female deputy, the captain, and other sailors arrived along with the players. Unlike the players, they didn't seem overly surprised when they saw the first mate's condition; instead, they looked worried.

The captain furrowed his white brows tightly and asked angrily, "How did the anchor fall and crush Ince's head? Who had the nerve to hang the anchor there? This is clearly murder!"

"...But it really looks like an accident," muttered a sailor softly.

"How can it be an accident?! Our ship hasn't even set sail yet, how could something like this happen?!" The captain's face turned red with rage as he roared on the deck, "Someone died, can we still set sail?!"

Hearing this, Xia Qi frowned slightly.

From the captain's words and actions, it seemed he wasn't concerned about the first mate's death but more about whether they could set sail.

Just one crew member died, not a hull breach. Why couldn't they set sail?

The female deputy rolled her eyes and whispered to the captain, "Captain, Ince's death by the anchor has nothing to do with those things..."

After hearing the deputy's words, the captain thought for a moment and his expression softened.

The female deputy pressed on, "Let's take advantage of the good weather and set sail quickly."

"Hmph!" After venting his anger, the captain glanced neither at the first mate's corpse nor at the players and barked, "What are you looking at?! Clean up and get ready to set sail!"

He then walked away with a disgusted look.

The female deputy was tasked with handling the first mate's remains. Seeing Xia Qi standing there covered in blood, she found it quite bothersome and said, "Go to the cabin and change your clothes, clean yourself up."

The cabin had rooms prepared for the sailors. Xia Qi entered one and changed into a clean shirt.

When he returned to the deck, the female deputy was assigning tasks to everyone.

Men were assigned to operate the ship's crane, open and close the hatches, and hoist the sails. The three female players were tasked with cleaning the cabins.

Of course, there was no need to clean anywhere else on the deck; the most urgent task was to clean up the first mate's corpse.

"Ugh—"

One female player immediately vomited upon approaching the first mate's corpse. She clutched her throat and ran to the edge of the ship, vomiting uncontrollably into the sea.

Another female player stood trembling from a distance. Although they had passed through the game a few times and witnessed others' deaths, they had never personally cleaned up a corpse.

Moreover, the first mate's death was particularly gruesome, causing immense psychological distress.

Seeing the two female players unable to handle the task, the female deputy handed a rag to the girl and commanded, "Clean the deck."

The girl took the rag and looked at the female deputy dangerously.

On another part of the deck, Xia Qi was helping a male player with the ship's crane. The male player whispered to Xia Qi, "Is she your teammate? How unlucky to have such a novice player as a teammate."

From the girl's appearance, she seemed like a novice player, somehow matched with advanced players.

Xia Qi remained silent, pursing his lips.

If anyone was truly a novice player, it was him.

"Are you mute?" The female deputy frowned, seeing the girl's inability to work.

The girl nodded.

"Oh." The female deputy's expression soured, finally understanding why the girl didn't communicate—she was mute.

The female deputy patiently explained the task again, pointing to the corpse on the ground, "Clean up his body, can you do that?"

The girl's eyes lit up as if she understood.

The female deputy patted her shoulder and then looked at the other two female players, giving a strange laugh, saying pointedly, "Being a sailor requires courage; the braver you are, the longer you'll survive."

After the female assistant left, the two female players looked at each other, neither willing to move first. Just as they were staring each other down, the girl in the white dress, who had been the farthest from the corpse, suddenly took large steps toward the first mate's body.

The female player, holding a cloth, cautiously asked, "Aren't you afraid of corpses?"

The girl shook her head. At this moment, she had already reached the first mate's side and even stepped on one of his shattered skull fragments.

"You, you, you..." Just as the two female players thought she was crazy, the girl suddenly reached out, looking disgusted, and single-handedly lifted the first mate's corpse off the deck!

The two female players instantly forgot to breathe, staring dumbfounded at the girl.

Where did this fierce person come from, daring to grab a corpse that didn't even have a head left!

Even more terrifying was that she lifted an adult man's corpse with just one hand!

After lifting the corpse, the girl walked calmly to the edge of the ship, as if she were simply taking out the trash.

Upon reaching the edge, she skillfully lifted the corpse and casually tossed it into the sea, then wiped her hands with the clean cloth given by the female assistant.

"Plop!"

The water splashed high, and the first mate's corpse disappeared without a trace, swallowed by the ocean.

At this moment, some fish shadows resembling humans passed by, and the girl's lips curved slightly.

Those fish shadows circled around the corpse for a while before dragging it deeper. After a moment, a few pieces of flesh floated up, mixed with blood.

When the girl turned around, she resumed her innocent appearance.

"Are you a high-level player?" the female player asked in amazement.

After witnessing the girl's smooth and efficient disposal of the corpse, the two female players were stunned.

This incredible composure, this calm attitude, this graceful disposal—she must be a high-level player!

Not far away, the male player who had previously mocked the girl as a noob was nearly choked by his own saliva. With a complex look, he said to Xia Qi, "You've found a gem; she's definitely a high-level player."

Xia Qi: "..."

What a gem indeed; more like a ghost.

After disposing of the first mate's corpse, only a pool of blood remained on the deck. The two female players, having witnessed the girl's "power," dared not ask her to continue helping. They took over all remaining tasks and let her rest.

Feeling idle, the girl walked toward Xia Qi.

She cautiously approached him, staring intently, her eyes glued to him.

At this moment, Xia Qi was helping others move the hoist boat. His shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows revealed a pale arm, and the sunlight highlighted his beautiful muscle lines.

Someone noticed the girl's affectionate gaze and whistled at Xia Qi, teasing, "Chasing a woman is like climbing a mountain, but chasing a man is like tearing through a veil. Come on, little brother, give in!"

"Haha! Yes, yes." Everyone laughed heartily. They seriously doubted Xia Qi could handle such a tall and strong "girl."

All the players in this session were experienced mid-level players. Although everyone was wary of each other, due to the multiple teams, they didn't openly display hostility as they had in the previous game.

No one wanted to be the first to step forward, fearing they might get killed.

However, the more relaxed the environment, the more vigilant they needed to be. Xia Qi, despite laughing along, was secretly sizing up the others, assessing their strength.

Under the girl's unsettling stare, Xia Qi felt extremely uncomfortable and told her, "Go rest in the cabin."

Hearing him tell her to rest in the cabin, the girl lowered her head, hiding a smile.

After finishing moving the hoist boat, Xia Qi was directed to pull the sail.

The young master and the muscular man were also assigned to pull the sail. A cold wind blew, causing the young master to start coughing violently.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Hearing the familiar coughing, Xia Qi turned around in confusion.

If he remembered correctly, the young master had caught a cold during the last mission. During the final confrontation between the red and blue sides, it was Cha Gong and the female member of the red side who fought the hardest, while the young master barely participated.

Xia Qi always remembered what the old man had said: the young master had ten life-saving items, including an S-grade item. This made Xia Qi keep a close eye on him.

"Lin Qing, are you okay?" His teammate, the muscular man, immediately dropped the rope and grabbed the young master's hand to check on him.

Xia Qi frowned inwardly. The young master clearly had a cold; what could he possibly see by grabbing his hand?

Xia Qi suspected the muscular man was taking advantage of the young master and showed a look of disdain.

However, upon further reflection, he found it rather amusing. The young master had cheated on Cha Gong, and now the muscular man was cheating on the young master. Was the muscular man taking advantage of the young master or Cha Gong?

Before he could ponder further, the muscular man's ex-boyfriend Tony turned to look at them, his angry gaze ready to devour someone.

"Bitch! Are you so desperate for men? Will you die without a man!" Tony pointed at the young master and launched a furious tirade, lunging at him.

Facing Tony's attack, the young master not only didn't retreat but moved forward instead. He smiled palely, like a pure white lotus blooming in the wind, making every other innocent flower seem dull in comparison.

When Tony reached him, the young master uttered another shocking statement.

"You can't keep your man, and he doesn't want to be your teammate. Why blame me?" the young master smiled at him, his tone infuriating.

"I'll kill you!" Tony's face turned red with rage as he raised his hand to scratch the young master's face.

At this moment, the muscular man stepped forward, blocking the young master, grabbed Tony's hand, and pulled him aside. "Stop it!"

"It hurts! You hurt me!" Tony cried out in pain and suddenly jumped up, slapping the muscular man.

"Slap!"

"You dare hit me!" The burly man, after being slapped, fought back against Tony. For some reason, perhaps to avoid disturbing others at work, the two of them moved further and further away as they fought.

The young master watched their retreating figures, raising an eyebrow.

He seemed in high spirits, completely unaffected by Teacher Tony's interruption.

Xia Qi stood behind him and asked, "Why didn't you go into the Hell Reincarnation Instance?"

"Do you know about the Pass Ticket?" The young master smiled slightly, speaking to him with unusual gentleness. "Unfortunately, I only had one Pass Ticket at the time."

Hearing this, Xia Qi couldn't help but glance sideways at him.

The young master must be someone significant, possessing both a Pass Ticket and an S-Class Lottery Ticket. Who exactly is he?

However, from the young master's words, it was clear that Cha Gong had indeed entered the Hell Reincarnation Instance.

"Can Cha Gong come out alive?" Xia Qi asked again. He wasn't worried about Cha Gong's safety but rather about his USB drive and bullets.

"Yes." The young master answered succinctly, then smiled at Xia Qi. "If he can't get out, wouldn't I have wasted my time on him?"

Xia Qi hadn't expected such an attitude from the young master towards Cha Gong. It seemed he had underestimated him.

The young master leaned against the ship's railing, squinting his eyes contentedly, seemingly enjoying the warmth of the sun.

At this moment, he spoke in a low voice audible only to the two of them: "Xia Qi, you're quite capable, being judged as an intermediate player and entering a high-level instance."

Xia Qi turned to look at him.

The young master continued, "Your abilities are strong, and you possess an S-Class item. Now, being your enemy puts a lot of pressure on me."

In the previous Rose Earl instance, Xia Qi had used a magic wand, which made the young master cautious and even adopt an avoidance strategy.

Hearing this, Xia Qi was slightly taken aback.

Is an S-Class item really so precious? Even the young master dares not offend him anymore?

The young master smiled again. "If we weren't the same, I might actually like you."

Unfortunately, now the young master only wanted to kill Xia Qi.

Looking at Xia Qi's profile, the young master slowly narrowed his eyes.

With everyone's efforts, the ship named "Pearl" officially set sail, cutting through the waves toward the south.

"Ding! Course progress: 0%. Please make your way to the target point!"

Hearing the announcement of the course progress, Xia Qi frowned slightly.

What is course progress? It sounds like they are heading to a destination. But where is their destination?

Resting his chin on his hand, leaning against the ship's railing, Xia Qi pondered, feeling the sea breeze brush past his face, lifting his long hair and revealing his exquisitely chiseled profile and beautiful ear.

Suddenly, he felt a slight itch on his neck.

After a moment, he realized it wasn't his own hair causing the itch, but a girl's hair.

The girl had silently approached him, her long black hair blown by the sea wind, brushing against him occasionally.

"What do you want?" Xia Qi moved to the right, eyeing her warily.

The girl pointed behind her, indicating she had something important to discuss.

Just as Xia Qi was about to look back, the sky above them suddenly darkened. Without warning, Xia Qi felt the wind turn cold, howling mournfully in his ears as if someone were singing a sorrowful tune.

Then, there was a loud thud as the ship collided with something.

The ship shook violently, and Xia Qi quickly steadied himself by holding onto the railing. Once the ship stopped moving, he peered over the side into the water below.

On the right side of the ship, a strange patch of black rocks appeared on the surface. These rocks were very dark, almost like ink. Near the rocks, Xia Qi could see several broken animal bones on the shallow shore.

"We found it! We found it!" a sailor exclaimed joyfully.

After confirming the rocks, the captain ordered the ship to stop. Once it was fully anchored, the female first mate instructed the crew to bring boxes and gather all the sailors on deck.

"We've arrived near Pearl Reef. You need to change into your gear and dive to collect the Pearl Reefs and Pearl Fish," the female first mate said to the new players.

"What are Pearl Reefs and Pearl Fish?" someone asked.

"Pearl Reefs are a type of coral reef, entirely white and more valuable than ordinary reefs. Near these reefs, you'll often find equally white Pearl Fish. Both items fetch a good price," the female first mate explained.

Pearl Reefs and Pearl Fish were rare commodities in high demand. They hadn't expected to encounter such a fortunate opportunity right away.

Xia Qi looked at the increasingly darkening sky and the rising waves nearby, feeling a vague sense of unease.

Would this instance be like the previous one, where monsters appear at night? If they were to dive now, encountering danger underwater would leave them with no escape.

Like Xia Qi, the other players also looked uneasy, with some whispering, "What if there are sharks...?"

Everyone knew that at night, there could be monsters in the water, but since the first mate was an NPC, they referred to them as "sharks."

The female first mate drew her sword from her waist, twirling it casually in her hand, and said coldly, "If you're afraid of death, why become a pirate?"

This silenced the questioning player.

A female player timidly raised her hand and whispered, "What if I don't know how to swim?"

The young master frowned; he also disliked diving.

The female first mate narrowed her eyes impatiently and said, "Sailors who can't swim end up in the bellies of sharks."

Hearing this, the female player's face turned pale, and she quickly said that she could learn even if she didn't know how.

At this moment, everyone heard the familiar system notification in their ears.

"Congratulations on accepting the quest: Fall in Love with a Fish."

"Quest Description: Without you, I am like a fish out of water. Come on, my prince, come catch some fish in the sea!"

"Quest Countdown: 02:00:00."

Xia Qi: "…"

Hearing this inexplicable quest introduction, Xia Qi had a faint but uneasy premonition...

At this moment, the female deputy ordered someone to open the box they had carried out. When the box was opened, the glittering items inside almost blinded everyone.

"What are these glowing pants...?" Looking at the more than ten artificial, scale-simulated blue "pants" in the box, a player asked in surprise.

"No, haven't you noticed? It looks more like a skirt... Oh, I remember, I saw something like this at someone's wedding; it's called a mermaid skirt!" the female player said.

"That's right, these are mermaid skirts." The female deputy casually took out one mermaid skirt. "You can only approach Pearl Reef by wearing these mermaid skirts."

The female player muttered softly, "This game setting is too magical..."

Wearing a skirt to get close to Pearl Reef to catch fish seemed utterly absurd. Could these NPCs be deliberately sending them to their deaths, then catching them all?

All the players fell into deep thought. It wasn't unheard of for several people to die at the start of a game. The NPCs in escape games were cunning and devious. Although these NPCs looked human, they might be scarier than ghosts, capable of chopping up all the players.

A vein pulsed on Xia Qi's forehead. The moment he received the slippery mermaid skirt, a familiar sense of resistance rose within him.

History always repeats itself. He never thought that after escaping the fate of being forced into women's clothing, he would encounter a task to pretend to be a mermaid!

"Can you swim in this thing? I think you'd sink straight to the bottom and become fertilizer," a male player said, shaking the tight mermaid skirt around his legs, showing clear disdain.

"Yeah, and you have to be naked... Damn." Another person added. This was the Gold Chain Man, who had a muscular build, making it hard to imagine what he would look like in the skirt.

Hearing this, Xia Qi felt the hairs on his back stand up.

No wonder he felt something was off. It turned out that he had to strip down completely when wearing the mermaid skirt!

The trap was waiting for him here.

"How will we breathe underwater?" Seeing that going into the water couldn't be avoided, someone asked anxiously.

"You each can take a pill. This pill will help you breathe underwater for two hours. Remember the time yourself. If you don't come up in time, no one will save you from the sea." The female deputy threw out several pill boxes, letting the players distribute them themselves.

The girl eagerly went to get a pill for Xia Qi.

Xia Qi watched the girl's actions and quietly asked the male player beside him, "I didn't hear clearly just now. What's the quest content?"

"To catch ten pearl fish and dig out one pound of Pearl Reef... What's wrong?" The male player glanced at him with disdain.

Given Xia Qi's ability to participate in advanced scenarios, he shouldn't have missed the quest details. How did this guy make it to the advanced level? Was he cheating?

"Thanks." Xia Qi's lips twitched as he gritted his teeth and forced out a thank you.

He knew it!

After the notification sounded, Xia Qi noticed that everyone's expressions were normal, and some were even counting on their fingers. This made him have a bold guess: could his quest name and content be different from others?

Indeed, they were different!

Wait!

At this moment, Xia Qi suddenly realized that maybe in the previous scenario, his quest name and content were already different from others?

He had been tricked by the game system!

"System, come out! Explain this to me!" Xia Qi burst into anger. Why was his game like this?

"Dear user, your quest is the same as everyone else's."

"Explain properly. Which word is the same?!" Xia Qi erupted again. His quest was entirely different from others!

"Dear user, Sinister Game is an international game, and every translated version is different, so there may be slight variations in wording."

Xia Qi sneered.

Shifting the blame to translation?

He continued to question the system, but after a few more questions, the system beeped and displayed an automatic reply similar to a customer service message: "Dear user, please leave your questions. The system will respond when it comes back online. Please wait patiently."

Xia Qi: "..."

Does an AI customer service need to go offline?

Xia Qi was so angry that he laughed.

Realizing the system had completely ignored him, Xia Qi had to suppress his anger and walk towards the girl with a cold face.

The girl handed him a seaweed pill.

Xia Qi casually took the pill, feeling that something about the girl's smile was off, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was. He had been watching her hands, so she had no chance to tamper with his seaweed pill.

"Ah." The girl pointed at the mermaid skirt, her blue eyes gazing at him, urging him to change and get into the water.

Xia Qi: "..."

Looking at the mermaid skirt in his arms, Xia Qi felt a wave of exhaustion.

Really.

Many men nearby had already taken off their outer clothes and were wearing fish tail skirts, exposing their bare chests. Seeing this familiar and eye-watering scene, Xia Qi's temples began to throb painfully once again.

At this moment, two female players were walking together, carrying fish tail skirts toward the cabin. When they saw the girl still standing at the door, they greeted her.

"Miss, aren't you going in to change?" one of the female players asked.

The girl tilted her head, not understanding what they were saying.

Seeing that the girl didn't move, the female player approached her and mysteriously pulled her aside.

Once they reached a corner, the female player handed her a bra and whispered, "This is a waterproof bra from the female deputy."

The girl: ?

The girl held up the bra given by the female player, trying to examine it against the sunlight. Unexpectedly, the female player pressed it down in her hand.

"Oh, put it down quickly!" The female player gasped, "This is a secret; no one else can see it!"

The girl: ...?

Seeing that she still didn't understand, the female player muttered, "Foreigners usually develop fast, right? Didn't your mom teach you? This is an important weapon for charm, something you shouldn't show others casually."

The girl was stunned.

"Yes, yes, do you understand now? We're going in." The female player gave her a knowing look and then went inside.

After the female player left, the girl weighed the bra in her hand, lost in thought.

Xia Qi noticed the girl standing at the door in a daze and walked over.

"What's this?" Xia Qi asked, puzzled, looking at what she was holding.

The girl shook her head and shoved the bra into his hand as if passing equipment to a dedicated teammate.

Xia Qi lifted the string of shells and thin ropes, asking with a puzzled face, "Is this for making soup?"

They stared at each other silently, unsure of what it was. At this moment, a female player who had already changed emerged from the cabin.

Xia Qi happened to meet her gaze.

Seeing Xia Qi holding a bra, the female player looked horrified.

Xia Qi: ...

Xia Qi reacted as if electrocuted, instantly throwing the item into the sea.

With a splash, the bra landed in the water.

The girl: ...

Xia Qi: This game is toxic.

He took a deep breath, trying hard to stay calm. Once he felt a bit steadier, he hurriedly descended the ship.

By then, many people had already rushed onto the black reef and jumped into the sea.

After all, two hours could be long or short. As intermediate players, everyone feared wasting time and affecting the progress of the mission.

The young master, wrapped in a robe, stood at the edge of the reef, coughing violently. Seeing this, his teammate, a burly man, quickly offered, "Lin Qing, don't worry, I'll take care of your part of the task."

The young master responded with a nod and a smile, "You really make me feel safe."

Praised by the young master, the burly man grinned widely, like a 200-pound fathead.

Ignoring the affection between the young master and the burly man, Xia Qi collected the fishing bag and shovel distributed by the female deputy and headed to the black reef.

At this point, his mood had calmed down considerably.

Xia Qi showed a rare bit of sympathy, turning back to the girl and coldly asked, "What are you going to do?"

Without answering, the girl demonstrated that she was fine.

She casually lifted her dress, slipped her legs into the fish tail skirt, and pulled it over her white cotton dress.

Xia Qi: ...

Would the girl really sink because of the water-absorbing dress?

Xia Qi sighed. If she did sink, he would pull her up and help her complete the task.

Having made his plan, Xia Qi began unbuttoning his shirt. After undoing two buttons, he felt a burning sensation on his back, as if someone was staring at him.

Xia Qi suddenly turned around, startling the girl, who nearly stumbled and fell.

Regaining her balance, the girl quickly turned away, her ears turning red, almost as if she was writing "I really wasn't peeking" on her face.

Xia Qi frowned. With so many people bare-chested, he couldn't be different. Besides, there was no one else on the black reef except the girl. He decided to just go ahead.

He swiftly took off his shirt and began unbuttoning his pants, slipping into the fish tail skirt.

However, Xia Qi didn't notice that the girl behind him was trembling uncontrollably.

Her eyes gradually turned red as she stared at the tall, slender figure of the beautiful man standing on the reef, forgetting how to breathe.

It must be said that Xia Qi, who regularly worked out at the gym, had an excellent physique. The phrase "slim in clothes, muscular without" was tailor-made for him.

His muscles were well-proportioned, his lines taut, and there wasn't a single ounce of excess fat on his body.

Under the gloomy sky, one could still see his smooth, creamy back. On either side of his spine, a pair of butterfly bones protruded slightly, spreading gracefully like wings. At that moment, a wave surged high, white foam bursting around him. Wearing a fishtail below his waist, he stood on the reef with his back to her, resembling a breathtakingly beautiful painting.

The girl involuntarily let out a pained moan: "…ah."

Darkness gradually descended as his figure grew taller, and countless blue bubbles began to float around him.

"Swish—"

At this moment, the sea churned and roared due to his emanating power, and the sky turned dark with rolling clouds.

As the restraining force was completely released, a layer of fine, translucent scales appeared beneath his collarbone.

Beneath those scales, his skin had turned bright red, matching his flushed face and blazing eyes, making him look like a fish sprinkled with cumin, about to be charred.

Unaware of the changes in the girl behind him, Xia Qi was earnestly experiencing his fishtail, trying to walk by keeping his legs together.

Contrary to expectations, the fishtail was not heavy but rather light and felt like fish skin, though it was unclear what material it was made of.

"I'm going down now," Xia Qi turned around, intending to give the girl some instructions.

At that moment, the dark clouds in the sky seemed like a giant hand, blocking the last sliver of light.

The entire world was once again enveloped in darkness.

Xia Qi squinted, barely able to make out the silhouette of the girl wearing the fishtail.

At this time, the sea surface was whipped by fierce winds, strong gusts blowing toward him.

Xia Qi almost lost his balance, struggling to speak loudly, "The waves are too big now; remember to follow me and don't get lost."

Whether it was his imagination or not, he felt that the girl's silhouette seemed to have grown a bit taller.

However, he had no time to dwell on it; he needed to gather the required Pearl Reef and Pearl Fish before the storm swept everyone away.

"Okay, my Qi."

The girl spoke in his direction, her voice like a celestial melody, but it was quickly scattered by a fierce gust of wind, leaving only the howling of the north wind in Xia Qi's ears.