Chapter 4: Trouble Has Arisen
During the night, the excessive meal stored withinside Xu Shao's stomach, its content began to rapidly break down into sustenance. Converting the excess nourishments of calcium carbonate within his diet into raw material and basic resources.
This helps his little tortoiseshell, which is an exterior exoskeleton, to grow thicker and hardened up slightly. Just like any other marine shellfish in the vast Ocean.
Such tortoiseshells like Xu Shao and the others have three distinct layers that which are mostly composed entirely of calcium carbonate and keratin, with a small margin of a number of other proteins and minerals.
Skill proficiency has reached a designated amount. Skill 「Reinforced Exoskeleton Lv1 」acquired.
In the wash of a new day, vibrant summer rays warm the seashore up, casting a shadow behind the alignment of stone, which is their nest.
There is a shuffling noise, wet sand uprooted from the ground, as Xu Shao pokes his head out from the ground. Slightly drowsy, he began to observe his surroundings, as per his usual daily routine.
Upon waking up, he saw a group of three other baby tortoises, gathering around him. The three individual were Xu Kaan's so-called underling, who immediately followed him on the first day.
Each one of them, with their towering large physique, gathers around surrounding the petite small figure of fragile little Xu Reya. Intimidating her. Whilst, she was sleeping quite soundly and happy next to Xu Shao, before being woken up forcefully.
An evil devious smile is apparently shown on each of Xu Kaan's underling's faces. Making them seem all the more sinister like a gang of hoodlums.
Inching closer towards Xu Reya's direction, within the line of encirclement, in order to show the great disparity of differences. This immediately frightens her, but she couldn't do anything, because she was trapped within their trio of encirclement.
They started headbutting her, displaying their strengths, berating her with insults and names. Whilst, she is defenseless unable to retort or fight back in response.
Xu Reya became a helpless sitting duck. She cries out in pain, frightened, shouting at her brethren to stop. She screamed, "Stop... Please stop! Not anymore..."
They responded with the usual, like "Why should we.","You're weak and worthless after all.", "You're nothing but a burden on our group.", "So leave..."
The Xu Kaan's underlings said in unison, as they continue to harm their lil' sis Xu Reya. Now looking at how pitiful of a figure she is, anyone would feel sorry for this individual.
Xu Reya cried out to Xu Shao for help. This greatly alerted him, drawing his attention. It only takes him seconds to immediately tell what is going on.
Before when Xu Shao was still asleep, in order to wake him up. She bumped into Xu Shao's tortoiseshell underneath in a desperate attempt to wake him up. As he was her only hope of insurance.
Xu Shao groggily wakes up, snapped right out of his drowsy, feeling surging wave of anger growing within him.
His large tortoise body rises, causing a small up drift within the sand, making way for his huge body, towering above the trio twice their overall size, rising from beneath the ground. The three tortoises, Xu Kaan's underlings uttered out a cry of surprise, backing away slightly from the frightened Reya. Almost like they were afraid to anger this big fellow.
Xu Shao then looked coldly at the three triplets, standing before him within his sights.
He felt a great sense of disgust towards them, not the usual love-hate relation between siblings, but something deeper and much more than that.
It was the way how they act. And how they treat one another. His breathrens. The ties of being blood sibling don't necessarily apply to them. All they really care about is a strength. Something that makes them more different than the rest of the others.
A feeling of animosity risen from within him, as he associated them with Xu Kaan. A prime example of this ideology. The so-called leader of the group.
The trio brothers are names; Xu Ron, Xu Dein, and Xu Kai.
Xu Shao looked at them, indifferently with a cold shoulder. He spoke, "So I see that you've been bullying my younger sister. And why is that?", his voice attracted the attention of all the others, and the trio brothers started to panic.
One of the brothers, Xu Kai spoke up, feigning ignorance, "Oh, no. We were just playing. Nothing of the saught like bullying you spoke of. Right, sis." However, Xu Shao was indeed not stupid, and can easily see through his lies.
Looking toward his side, he could see the now frightened lil' Xu Reya, tugged up right close to him, crying rather profusely.
She was finding it quite difficult to speak, to even form a full proper sentence, without even stuttering. She keeps repeating the same word, "They... They...", whilst leaning against his body crying.
However, someone else butted in, in her place. Talking in place of Xu Reya, who couldn't properly speak in defense of her own.
Xu Lin was amongst the eldest within the group, second to Xu Shao and Xu Kaan that is. She is similar to Xu Shao; a lone wolf, who hunts by herself, and scavenge for food by herself.
She spoke confidently, "They each gang up on her. Bully her. Treating her quite horribly. You could even ask her, herself. And there are plenty of witnesses here. Am I right?"
The three tortoise brothers were quite hesitant, now becoming scared out of their wits. They slowly retraced their step backward away from the brother-sister duo.
Xu Shao shouted in anger, "Is this true. Did they hurt you?", asking Xu Reya with a rather concerned look on his face.
He observed Xu Reya's body quite carefully, looking at the injuries on her body. There were indeed many bruises and cut wound on her body and web feet. Xu Shao thought that they were the results of the fight with the Sea Cricketeer. Looks like he was a bit wrong there.
Xu Reya said so in a quiet voice, "Yeah...", noticeable by Xu Shao who was quite next to her.
Xu Reya said it in a very timid voice while trying to keep her crying to a bare minimum. She looks up at Xu Shao, with her still teary eyes. Seeing the sight of Shao's figure growing cold, his eyes fuming with rage, burning in anger for her instead.
Enrage, and disgusted, Xu Shao berates them, "Why you little... Do you not care about family. You even willing to harm your own brethren. Your own blood and relative. You're even far worse than monsters."
Xu Shao then charges straight at the three troublemaker brothers. Instead of using his usual skill bite to deal some damage. He uses his webbed feet that has increased a bit in length after he leveled up and grow in size, whacking the three troublemaker brothers, straight in the face.
Sending one of them flying over, tipping over onto the side, or even fall onto their backs, humiliating them in front of the rest of the group.
Skill proficiency has reached a designated amount. Skill 「Anger Lv1 」acquired.
Xu Kaan was indeed angered at the result of the loss of his minions. Luckily they were not dead since this was not a life and death battle. Deep down he felt a sense of comradery and admiration for Xu Shao, for being overpoweringly strong, and different.
But a loss is a loss. Being the leader of a bunch of losers is much worse, than not being a leader at all. How could he keep the status of Leader if he were to do nothing?
Even if it were to fight for a false sense of justice. Then so he will do it, even if it were to make him a villain.
He sought to understands the feelings and message that Xu Shao was trying to convey across, but he denies it almost entirely. In order to make himself seem a lot more self-righteous in a way.
Xu Kaan acts like the typical hoodlum leader, taunts him, "How dare you pick a fight with my minions? Are you trying to pick a fight with me? I will definitely kick your sorry ass, you runt."
Xu Kaan then tries in an attempt to belittle Xu Shao. Trying to enraged him so he would attack, just like he did to the three little troublemaker brothers. But Xu Shao remains unfazed and walks back quietly to Xu Reya, trying to cheer her up as they leave to hunt for something to eat.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone