'Invincible' Durdhamas (1)

"How about next time, use that skill first?" Aahan joked as Maya smiled after taking a deep breath.

"That was awesome!"

Arjun enthusiastically hugged Aahan. However, when he extended his hand towards Maya, she gently raised her own, indicating a preference for a respectful distance.

"Right," Arjun awkwardly mumbled. "Now what?"

"Now you decide whether you want to continue or leave," Amrita informed them while tapping something on the tablet. "If you decide to quit, you will qualify for the next round based on your performance here.

She continued, "But if you proceed with the waves and fail, you'll be disqualified. You have thirty seconds to decide."

With that, Amrita left them alone to deliberate on their choices. Continue to face the second wave of demons or opt for the safer route, taking a lower score but qualifying for the next round.

"We have a respectable score after the first wave," Arjun said, immediately cutting to the chase. "We can withdraw now, take a lower score, and secure our qualification for the next round. It's a safer option."

Aahan nodded. As much as he wanted to reach closer to Vivaan's score and try to defeat Isha, he didn't have enough reason to do it. After all, he wasn't there to prove himself better or anything.

Besides, Isha was a trained archer with over two decades of experience. It didn't make any sense for him, someone who barely knew how to fight to try and beat her score.

Instead of making a decision himself, he waited for everyone's input. He glanced at Maya, who stood nearby, her expression unreadable. Maybe she, too, wanted to go along with whatever decision Aahan and Arjun made.

As no one responded, Arjun continued, "However, if we choose to face the second wave, we can earn a much higher score. But it comes with risks. We all saw what happened to Dheera's team."

"Let's continue-" Aahan was about to say when Maya tapped on his shoulder. "Do you have anything you want to add?"

Without a word, Maya gestured toward the digital scoreboard hovering over their heads and then motioned as if to say, "Higher score."

Aahan understood her and nodded with a smile before turning towards Amrita. "We'll face the second wave."

Amrita looked at them with a knowing smile. It was as if she already knew what decision they would make and was glad to be proven right.

"Very well then, get into positions," she said before tapping some buttons on her pad.

As instructed, the trio resumed their positions, waiting for the next wave of monsters to appear. Little did they know that a new type of demon, Durdhamas, would be their adversary in this wave.

"What the hell is that..." Aahan mumbled as three massive cages appeared before them. Before he could process their presence, the cages opened, letting the giants free.

The fissure's eerie landscape grew darker as the creature appeared before them. The Durdhamas stood imposingly, its massive form casting a long shadow in the surreal light.

Suddenly, it made sense why Dheera was in such a condition. After all, who in their right mind would fight against three five-metre-tall giants?

Despite being as shocked as the rest of them, Arjun continued to do his job and gave them as much information about Durdhama as possible.

"That, my friends, is a Daitya-class or level 2 threat," he said. "As you can see, Durdharmas are massive, heavily armoured demons with an incredibly thick and resilient hide known for their incredible strength. One punch from them is enough to land you in a coma."

"Gee, who would have thought about that!" Aahan replied as he got ready to face the creatures. "How are we supposed to defeat them?"

"I was getting there," Arjun replied before clearing his throat. "They are strong. However, their Achilles' heel is a prominent core or heart visible on their chest, which is not as well-protected as the rest of their body.

He continued, "A precise strike to this core can incapacitate or kill them, making them vulnerable despite their formidable defences."

"That... makes it much easier for us," Aahan mumbled.

He wondered if destroying the exposed part was all they had to do, then why did Dheera fail to do so? After all, with their apparent weakness, it was only a matter of time before they destroyed the creature.

Maya noticed the look of relief on Aahan's face and shook her head. She then turned to Arjun and gestured for him to continue, her eyes focused on the Durdhama, which had begun to lumber slowly toward them.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple, Aahan," Arjun sighed. "Durdhamas have a unique ability. If they notice someone aiming for their core, they immediately cover it up using their movable hide by removing the cover from somewhere else on their body."

"Wait, what?" Aahan furrowed his brow in thought. "So, they sacrifice another part of their body to protect their core?"

All the hope Aahan had of winning was shattered at that moment. If the demons kept covering the core, it would take them hours to take one of them down, let alone three! However, Arjun was done trampling Aahan's hopes just yet.

"That's not even the worst," Arjun shrugged. "They possess an extraordinary healing ability. As long as their core isn't destroyed, they'll keep regenerating the lost part of their bodies."

Arjun added a final, sobering detail. "It usually takes two to three Rathis to care for one Durdhama. They're formidable opponents, and facing three on our own is next to impossible."

However, a sudden thought hit Aahan, and he wanted to confirm something.

"Do they have high perception?" he asked Arjun.

"What?"

"Can they see through 'stealth' or not?" Aahan yelled at the top of his lungs.

"I-I don't think so, no," Arjun replied. "But where are we going to- Don't tell me, you have a skill?"

"I just might," Aahan smiled as hope finally appeared before them. "Keep their attention off me for a while."