6 The Near Impenetrable Red Sea Starfish

In the depths of the ocean waters, with the brine flowing past our limbs, the currents provide little to no resistance to us all. I alongside the little ghost shrimp swam for who knows how long, with no intended end or destination, but the goals of scouting for food.

The deep blue sea is extremely beautiful, solemn, and quiet. It has so many secrets, stories yet to tell, and here we are exploring it all, admiring the many natural wonders and wildlife.

Below the calm still, ocean waters, beneath the water surface, laying on the steep empty patches of the ocean seabed, with little wildlife and fauna, was a sizeable large individual starfish; reaching nearing a full 30 centimeter in length, with rough red stone coarse like skin, and five long stretching arms.

'This red sea starfish should be our next target. It is pretty much defenseless and immobile. Easy for the picking. Not many predators would choose to hunt and eat the meat of starfishes, because of their rocky hard texture.' I said, expanding my knowledge.

'I see. You're right, boss.' The little ghost shrimp at my side commented.

I and the little ghost swam down from above the seabed, kicking our legs backward, we moved towards the direction of the rocky underwater seabed, where the large sizeable red starfish lay immobile. I swam steadily around the red sea starfish, getting 360 degrees visual of the creature, gauging its bodily features, and testing if it has any defense mechanisms.

'The red sea starfish seems to completely lack any sort of natural offensive measures. It's sort of pretty defenseless if I do say so myself. However, it possesses a defense mechanism, where when a predator has caught one of its five limbs. The red sea starfish can completely be severed or detached its caught limb from its main body to escape the predator. The severed limb would then wiggle around wildly, insinuating as if it is alive, to fool its predator, so that the main body could escape safely.

On the other hand, the red sea starfish are natural predators of most mollusk species, that is because of most mollusks have a hinged two-part shell, which includes clams, mussels, oysters and scallops, as well as various types of octopus, snail, and squid.

The mollusk would remain stationary, trapped within its homemade defensive seashell, as the red sea starfish wraps its many arms around the mollusk trapping it. It would then releases a highly acidic substance from its stomach, which slowly eats away from the outer seashell of the mollusks. So that it could make its way to the delicious insides of the mollusks. The natural apex predator of the mollusk species.' I commented.

'I see! You're right, boss!' The little ghost shrimp nodded his head in confirmation, but still slightly confused at where all the information I've got comes from.

Starfish are marine invertebrates with a typical hard exoskeleton similar to us. They typically have a central disc, which is its mouth and brain, in addition, to five additional limbs or arms, though some species of starfish have a larger number of arms. The aboral or upper surface may be smooth, granular or spiny, and is covered with overlapping plates.

Many species are brightly colored in various shades of red or orange, while others are blue, grey or brown. Starfish have tube feet operated by a hydraulic system and a mouth at the center of the oral or lower surface.

'Let's kill it before any unsuspecting predators comes and find us.' I said.

'I gotcha!' The little ghost shrimp responded, following my lead.

We swam closer towards the red sea starfish, as the red sea starfish immediately senses our presence, and is able to gain visual of us through its many eyes at the tip of its arms. More like light receptors able to detect the changes in light.

The red sea starfish immediately raises its large arms, attempting to swash us like flies. However, that proved to be ineffective, as we can just swim above the red sea starfish, and outside of its attack range. Even if the red sea starfish is more than twice my overall size, its limps are made to capture mollusks, not for attacking incoming predators. It couldn't possibly strangle them to death like how most large snakes do.

'It isn't capable of attacking. It's just simply thwarting its large arms around as a way of intimidation in order to scare away dumb frightened predators.' I said.

I swam above the red sea starfish and landed on top of its central disc, the head of the red sea starfish. Utilizing my many spiney spider-like legs, I tried to stab the red sea starfish to death, aiming at its mere joints to separate its limb from its main body.

However, it's armored plated exoskeleton was a bit too tough, it took me several stabs in order to just create a little dent a dot in its armored plating, but that was enough to give me hope that it was possible. I start unleashing constant barrages until I'm tired out, wrecking one of the five limbs of the red sea starfish, as holes start to appear all over the joints of the red sea starfish.

[You have reached the maximum skill proficiency. The skill { Weak Stab Lv4} has become { Weak Stab Lv5}...]

[You have reached the maximum skill proficiency. The skill { Tier 1 Dexterity Up} acquired...]

From repeating the same repetitive action hundreds of times, lunging my spiney spider-like legs at the red sea starfish. It seems that I have grown used to it, adapting to changes in my new way of life. The proficiency of how I've used my spike-like legs has improved considerably, letting me acquired a new skill { Tier 1 Dexterity Up}.

'The skill { Dexterity Up} allows me to use my spike-like legs more effectively, modifying my joints, making it even more flexible and agile.' I commented as I saw numerous blue notification appeared before my retina.

'Boss!' The little ghost shrimp shouted at me.

'What is it, little one? I'm busy...' I said to the little ghost shrimp, who just watches me off in the distance, afraid to approach the red sea starfish, as I unleashed countless piercing attacks like a mad man.

'Aren't you even a bit tired, boss?' The little ghost shrimp asked, a bit worriedly, but that still doesn't unface me.

'Something like this is not even the least bit difficult, but it is a bit time-consuming. If we constantly worried about every little bit of thing, then how would we reached our goal. Just sit tight and wait for a bit.' I said to the little ghost shrimp.

'Alright...' The little ghost shrimp felt a bit disheartened at my quote but seeing me fight the red sea starfish diligently, without giving up. The little ghost shrimp then become a bit inspired, as it watches the fight with great appreciation.

[You have reached the maximum skill proficiency. The skill { Tier 1 Dexterity Up Lv1} has become { Tier 1 Dexterity Up Lv2}...]

[You have reached the maximum skill proficiency. The skill { Weak Stab Lv5} has become { Weak Stab Lv6}...]

I continued to unleash one piercing stab attack after another, therefore, becoming a torrent of blows. Until it finally couldn't handle it anymore, the plated armor of the red sea starfish gave in and collapse, caving in, as I stabbed into its flesh and attempt to severing its limps apart.

When it's severed limp completely fallen apart and separate from its main body, the red sea starfish screeched, screaming in absolute pain.

I didn't let go, and stabbed my spiney spider-like legs through the entirety of the severed limb of the red sea starfish, as it convulses uncontrollably flaunting its severed arm around, before it becomes completely silent, as a milky semi-transparent like fluid flows out from its body, through the opened wound caused by me.

[You have killed a Red Sea Starfish level 11 (1 out of 5). You have earned 574 experience points...]

[You have leveled up and become level 10...]

'What! I've killed the Red Sea Starfish and leveled up, that is not possible, because the Red Sea Starfish is still alive. Unless each individual limb of the Red Sea Starfish is considered alive, and the main body is the hive mind.' I screamed, as I tried to make logical conclusions out of the current situation.

'Hahaha!' I laughed as I carried the severed limb over to the little ghost shrimp.

'What's the matter, boss? Why are you laughing?' The little ghost shrimp asked me, finding my odd laugh rather peculiar, it couldn't make heads or tails over it.

'Nothing much. I think I just found a large experience bank. With I fully kill this red sea starfish, then I would gain a large number of experience points, as well as level up my skills and skill proficiency in the process. Eat up little one, I'm sharing this with you. So that you would gain some bio-growth points to spend on improving your growth.' I said.

'Do you mean it, boss?' The little ghost shrimp asked rather excitedly, as he became rather jumpy.

'Yes!' I replied with a nod of confirmation.