5 The Bigger the Better

Day 004

When morning arrives, the bottom of the ocean seabed in which I lay, starts to brighten up a bit. The darkness retreated back to the abyss, as I start to awake from my slumber, burrowing my head out from the ground. The dirt sand gave way, as a tiny white hook-like head pops out, sticking out from the ground.

I began to shake the dirt off my body, as I dug myself up to the surface, out from the ground. After a good night rests, I felt my body fully recovered, brimming with energy to spare.

However, the severe wounds that were inflicted by the violet sea snail, were none recoverable at this moment. It would probably take roughly around one to three weeks before I could enter the molting cycle, and shed my own skin off, and build myself a new.

Molting is a necessary process that all shrimps must go through numerous times as they grow up. When they are young, all shrimps will tend to shed their skin around once a week, varied from species to species. As soon as they have shed their shell, or exoskeleton off, they are quite very vulnerable to predators, as this is because their new shell is quite soft and has yet to harden in the beginning.

'For now, I must make do with what I now have. I must be resourceful, and not waste any opportunity I would get, whether it is big or small...' I thought.

Just as I was about to head off in search of food, I was immediately stopped in my tracks, as a small ghost shrimp roughly half my size, blocked my path. It quickly approaches me, like an impending arrow, heading towards my direction.

I was on guard, raising my spiney spider-like legs, incredibly cautious, and weary, prepared to go on the offensive, when the time needs me.

'Please let me join your group! Or at least let me be your follower! I beg you!' The little ghost shrimp said, cowering in fear, at my mere presence.

'What! You want to join me! You want to become my follower! Why?' I asked, slightly surprised at the sudden turns of event. I would never have expected this.

'For sure, I would have thought that large groups like them, would despise loners type like me because I would contribute nothing and provide no benefits to them. I would only become a nuisance to them later on if I decided to stick with them. That is under normal circumstances of teamwork when I provide nothing to the group.' I thought.

'However, in the wild it is different, it is only in greater numbers that tasks can be achieved in greater efficiency. For instance, hunting in a pact would make it easier if the task was evenly distributed, with one luring the target, the other tiring it out or wear them down, as the most agile one lands a decisive blow to kill the prey.' I commented, recalling of a wildlife documentary I saw years ago.

'It is because you are currently the strongest one in our generation. You are not in a group or team, so I thought I could take the chance and ask you to take me in.' The little ghost shrimp said to me, as its body shivering uncontrollably, curled into a fetal position. While it is nervously fidgeting with its legs.

'Strong! How could you tell that I'm strong?' I asked the little ghost shrimp.

According to the little ghost shrimp's response, because of our species specialization and growth period. A big indicator of our strength lies in the individual sizes differences, as the higher level you are, the more bigger you would get. Due to the effects of growth, as each time a member of our species-levels up, the individual would increase by a centimeter in height.

It is said that a full-grown adult ghost shrimp is roughly over a hundred centimeters tall, with its legs having hardened and become lances, reaching the maxed capped level at Lv100.

Once an individual monster has reached the maxed level capped at Lv100, it means that the individual has met the prerequisite requirements for evolution. However, any experience points that are gained after reaching the maxed level capped are not added to the host and are instead then converted into bio-growth points.

The more the host gathers up large amounts of bio-growth points, the more benefits they would gain, as rarer evolutionary paths would be unlocked. And skills otherwise wouldn't be possible to acquire due to racial differences, can be bought with bio-growth points in the monster system, can also trigger a variant mutation, which simulates an environmental evolution that changes the host's race, but isn't actually classified as an evolution.

'So you want to become my follower is that right?' I asked the little ghost shrimp.

'Yes! Please let me join! I've got nowhere else to go. Please!' The little ghost shrimp nodded his head up and down, pleading to me to accept him.

'You would do anything I task you with. Even if it were quite dangerous like becoming shark bait would you still...' I said, carefully choosing word by word, as to test the willpower of the individual.

The little ghost shrimps shiver uncontrollably, on the brink of breaking into tears, as it suddenly it has gone quiet. It didn't speak or uttered a single word out of its mouth, silently glancing towards my direction. This almost seems like bullying, but nevertheless, if I must place my safety in the hands of others, it must be someone capable and is not a coward.

'I don't want to carry unwanted luggage around. It would just unnecessary dragged me down, or possibly in the slim chance, it could put my life at danger.' I thought, glancing at the little ghost shrimp, my large size didn't seem to make it better, only further serves to intimidate the little lad even further.

The little ghost shrimp kept quiet for a while, as it glanced at me, then at the groups of ghost shrimps, and finally back at me.

'What little difference would it make? Whether I'm by myself or in a large group. Only the strong gets first pick and we the weakest get the leftovers. Sometimes or pretty much most of the time, there is nothing left for us, last pickers. At least I've got a much better chance of survival if I hang out with you. Even if it is a small piece of scrap. I would still be grateful...' The little ghost shrimp cried, weeping in sorrow at its own worthlessness.

'Fine! I will take you under my wing, little one, but you must still do whatever I say.' I said to the little ghost shrimp, as it jolts backward in joy and happiness.

'Yes! Yes! Thank you, so much! I promise that I will do everything you will say. Even down to the very last orders!' The little ghost shrimp shouted out in joy.

'Now that is enough bickering, little one! Let us depart on for our hunt!' I said to the little ghost shrimp.

'Yes, Boss!' The little ghost shrimp nodded his head in response.

The two of us then departed, leaving the safety and comforts of the nest of our own accord. We didn't swim so far away from the burrow nest, and its location, but kept at a small distance a couple few meters away.

The underwater ocean seabed is vast, and plentiful, filled with many wild sea life and fauna, that I could hardly count. We travel for who knows how long, as the underwater seabed is extremely vast.

With my elongated long whisker spreading out, I utilized it as detectors to detect movements in the water, as it gently flows waving squiggly against the ocean currents.

For as long as the eyes could see. There are massive sea corals, and large red sea urchins, lying around on the underwater seabeds, and at the ends of steep cliffs. I wondered if the red sea urchins and sea corals are even edible. There are still classified as living organisms after all.

'Red sea urchins are typically spiny, globular animals, though quite primitive by nature. They boast a powerful defense mechanism. Their large spiny spikes can sting, it can be extremely painful. This may cause extensive damage to the skin, bones, and even tissue.' I commented.

The spiky spines would hurt like hell when they pierced the skin, much like a large splinter would. So no wild animal would tend to devour red sea urchins whole, unless they want to prolong the agonizing pain, and caused internal bleeding.