After having killed the Sea Cricketeer that was tormenting his younger sister, Reya, and feeling quite satisfied with his own work. Shao then turned himself around (in order) to face Reya. Checking to see if she was alright and not badly hurt that is. Watching as Reya gazed right back at him in admiration.
You could almost see the sparkling wet tears emanating from her teary eyes. That was how close she was in terms of a near-death experience. If her older brother Shao wasn't there to save her, she would surely have been killed by the Sea Cricketeer.
"Are you alright, sis?"
Reya then nodded her head in confirmation, reassuring Shao that she was perfectly fine, for the most parts. Except that her exterior tortoiseshell has some slight cracks and slash damage incurred from the Sea Cricketeer's slashes.
"I'm alright."
"Are you able to walk by yourself?"
Shao asked Reya whether she could walk by herself, alone that is without any support. Reya then affirms to him that she can manage to walk by herself.
"Yeah, I can manage somehow."
"I see. Are you by chance on your way heading home. Or just out to look for food."
Reya kept quiet for a sec. Embarrass to tell him that she was looking for some prey or food to eat. But couldn't find anything edible by herself. Which resulted in her in getting ambushed by the Sea Cricketeer, bullying her, and almost got herself killed in the process.
She was quite a shame to even tell him how weak of a creature she is.
The gap between herself and the much older ones just keeps on growing, as they slowly grow stronger and bigger in size. Rising in levels and strength steadily, becoming out of her reach.
"I was... on my way heading home."
Reya paused her speech in mid-sentence, afraid that Shao would belittle her for being how weak she is. So she changed her statement to something else. Despite how hungry and starving she is. Whilst, Shao observed her small figure. Finding it quite strange on how small her size is when compared to himself and the rest of his brethren's.
Every day, he would watch and observe the growth of his brothers and sisters, whether it is small or some major growth spurt. Everyone is making some progress. However, Reya still remains tiny in size, almost like she was starving herself.
"Are you by chance hungry, sis? I can share the prey I hunt with you. And teach you how to find food. Food is everywhere. Here and there."
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Upon hearing the mentioning of food, Reya becomes immediately responsive. She looks at her brother with starry eyes. Drawing much closer in excitement.
"Are you really sure, big brother?"
"Yeah..."
Shao drew closer to the corpse of the Sea Cricketeer he killed, dragging along its dead torso in his mouth, bringing it towards the direction of Reya. The corpse being dragged along the sandy beach area, leaving behind a small trail in the wet sand.
"Here."
Dropping the corpse caught in his mouth, down with a thud. As Reya looks at it with drooly lips, saliva almost overflowing out of her mouth.
She chomps and tore bits of the Sea Cricketeer's body off. Finding it quite hard to chew on the hard endoskeleton of the Sea Cricketeer. Nevertheless, she continued to chew breaking apart the thin endoskeleton, then into its meaty flesh. Watching from a distance, Shao was indeed quite satisfied.
Changing the subject. Shao then has a look at his Status, recently updated after his frequent level us. He should be now a lot stronger than his previous self.
"Status"
『Baby Tortoise LV6 Name Shao
Status
ＨＰ ：２７／２７（Green）（Details）
ＭＰ ：１５／１５（Blue）（Details）
ＳＰ ：４１／４１（Yellow）（Details）
ＳＰ+：４９／４１（Red）（Details）
Stats/Attributes
Strength: １８ Defence：４９
Agility：１９ Endurance：１９
Intellect：２３ Luck: ９
Unallocated Stat Points: 12 』
『Skill List
「Bite Lv5」「Hide Lv1」「Leap Lv1」「Defence Up Lv2」「Overeating Lv2」「Weak Acid Resistance Lv3」「Charge Lv2」』
"I have become a lot stronger. But more creatures much stronger than myself. I need to become stronger. Not risk getting eaten by others."
Shao was already quite the intelligent lad as he is. Realising the limit of his strength, and not being too overly arrogant as Kaan was. There are a lot more monsters bigger and stronger than he is. Just by being able to level up doesn't mean that you are able to qualify yourself as being at the top of the food chain.
It is easy to kill someone like it could easily get yourself killed at any time.
Reya was quite satisfied with having the leftovers of Shao's kill, even if she didn't actually put in much work. That was something that doesn't happen quite often
At least she could rely on her big brother Shao when the time comes if she needs help. If she is willing to learn from Shao, correcting her weak mindset and lifestyle, and be able to survive on her own. Rather than being too over-reliant on him, that is.
"Are you finished?"
"En!"
Reya nodded, and they both headed home to the nest.
On their way home to the nest, Shao pointed out the plentiful food resources of Seaweeds and kelp, an edible plant commonly found washed off from the seabed, lying around all over the place around the sandy beach.
Shao then grabs a few seaweed as a traveling snack, sharing it with Reya on their way home.
Once they were inside of the nest and stone safety encirclement. It was already starting to get dark out. So they each began to go to sleep like the other tortoises within the facility. Reya was afraid of being alone by herself at night.
So she asked on whether could she cuddle up next to Shao. Shao then happily obliged, finding it not to be a problem at all.
"Can I sleep next to you?"
"Sure thing..."
Shao then slowly digs a hole in the sand surrounding them, partially burying themselves within the sand, disguising themselves as still rocks. In an attempt to trick predators, if they were to be invaded and prey upon during the night.