The Karakundra was getting more violent with every second. Suddenly it stood at one place and growled while surveying it's surroundings. It was weird for a berserk beast to act in such a way. The beast growled as it coiled back into a spike ball rolled around in a circular loop continuously for several times before it rushed on a pile of debris, which acted like a ramp.
The Karakundra using it to it's advantage took a high leap in the air while coiled as a spiked ball. The Karakundra crashed back on the ground, it's spiked segmented armor pieces released a crushing force into the ground, causing crevices to spread through the entire area like the flow of a lightening through the skies.
Those crevices soon shattered the ground under such a force of impact, chasing the surrounding to quake recklessly. A powerful wave was released from the impact, travelling at an insane speed it obliterated every obstacle in its way. A gaped crater was carved around where the beast had landed with cracks rippling around it.
The powerful wave flattened every single obstacle and piece of debris in the entire area making anything else remaining in that area clearly visible for that beast. But as soon as the wave reached Rudra, Sharun and Dharanesh they realized what was about to happen.
Sharun and Dharanesh took their stance in front of Rudra, protecting him with the embrace of their force. Still the wave hit them, releasing a crushing force upon them, all three of them were thrown meters behind. Even though Rudra was behind them, the wave still left a brutal impact on him.
All three of them tumbled on the ground, dragging through pieces of ruins destroyed by that wave. It was a fortunate accident that due to they fell to the ground, the Karakundra wasn't able to spot them among the debris.
"Aagh!"
Rudra spat a mouthful of blood, a sharp pain emerged back from his chest, it felt as if something was still pressing his ribs against his lungs, causing him to lose his breathe. He struggled as he gasped for air. Rudra, without thinking he just punched his own chest, causing him to vomit a little more blood. This returned his condition back to normal. Even though the pain was still there.
Rudra looked at Sharun and Dharanesh, who were lying the ground, he realised that if it wasn't for these two to protect him, he wouldn't have survived.
"Mr. Sharun, Mr Dharanesh, are you fine?"
"I am fine, it's just that I felt paralyzed after being hit with that wave, I still feel a lot of pain," Said Sharun.
Dharanesh got back to his knees upon hearing Sharun. "What happened to you?" Asked Sharun.
Dharanesh grabbed his head as he said: "My mind went into a dazed state, everything was blur and my bones felt as if they were fractured, until my mind returned back to its normal state. Even though every bit of my body still hurts,"
"Seems like this beast went berserk while trying to reach the higher tier of its first stage. It is too powerful in its berserk state.
"We need to get away from here as soon as possible," Said Sharun.
"But where should we go?"
Sharun looked at Rudra. "Your clan base, but the problem is, how can we guide through this ruined city?"
"I can recognize every corner of this city even if it's crushed to dust, I will guide us," Rudra said and turned to narrow path a few meters away from them that was hidden by the looming shadows of the remaining pile of debris.
But before take even one step further the, out of nowhere, a giant spiked ball bashed into the pile of debris, scattering multiple small rock and metallic pieces in the surrounding. Sharun was thrown away from the impact, where as Dharanesh dragged a few steps behind but he was able to balance himself.
The beast swung it's hand at Dharanesh, out of instinct the only thing Dharanesh was able to do was to pull out his long sword and take a defensive posture, crossing his sword in front of his vital organs to prevent excess damage infliction on them.
But the sword's strength couldn't match the parameters of the beast's strength. The Karakundra's hand crashed on to the sword, bending it to a tremendous extent. Although the sword was able to lessen the impact on Dharanesh, but it wasn't able to neutralize the entire force of the beast.
Dharanesh was hurled away by a violent force, shattering through rocks and debris in his wake. These few moves had churned up clouds of dust in the surrounding, blocking the Karakundra's vision as it tried to gaze through them.
The Karakundra without wasting a second, rushed out of the dust clouds. As soon as it emerged out of the dust clouds, a huge chunk of debris embedded with several shape shards of broken metallic weapons lunged at it.
Before the beast could fully coil to shield it's vital organs, the massive chunk crashed into it. Sharp metallic shards rained down on the spiked segments of its armor, a few also managed to slice into its limbs, leaving behind deep, severe cuts.
Rudra, down on one knee, watched the scene unfold in stunned awe. He shifted his gaze to his right thigh, where a sword, freed from the wreckage of the massive debris after its collision with the karakundra, had lodged itself deep into his flesh.
The Sword sharply sliced through the muscles in his thigh. Fortunately it missed his bones barely by an inch, penetrating through, and emerging from the other side of his thigh. Gallons of blood gushed out of the out through the injury, drenching the sword's blade with crimson red blood.
Due to loosing a huge amount of blood in such a short time, a pale weakness surfaced within him as he leaned behind, gritting his teeth and grabbed the hilt of the sword, embedded deep into his thigh. Rudra gritted his teeth as he struggled and pulled the sword out of his thigh, wincing in pain as a torrent of blood surged from the wound and splattered around like a fountain.
Meanwhile, the Karakundra shook it's head wildly and glanced in the direction that massive chunk came from, only to spot another similar chunk of debris to be thrown towards it by Sharun. The Karakundra growled as it coiled into a spiked ball and lunged at the massive chunk ruthlessly.
Dharanesh was somehow able to get out of the wreckage and reach Rudra. "Rudra, you should go and find the surviving members of your clan. We will stay here and handle this beast."
Rudra nodded, he had realized that he wasn't powerful enough to face that menacing beast, even if he did so, he won't be able to do anything than becoming a liability on Sharun and Dharanesh's back. Rudra took out some Vanshul resin and Vaidrika leaves from his spatial bag.
He ripped of the clothing around the wound, and smeared Vanshul over his wound, covering both the openings in his thigh. He then took multiple vaidrika leaves and wrapped them tightly around his right thigh.
Meanwhile, Dharanesh had taken the sword from Rudra and joined the fight with Sharun against the karakundra. Rudra somehow planted his feet and staggered for a few steps, before he was finally able to run.
***
BOOM
Rudra halted in his tracks as he turned around and looked in the direction that sound echoed from. After running through that long narrow path, Rudra had arrived in a specific area. The first thing his gaze fell at was a field covered with charred black ashes. Rudra carefully surveyed the area as he took a few more steps ahead.
TAP!
As Rudra went further ahead, he stepped on a more rigid surface that was present particularly only in that area of the field. He brushed aside the ashes with his foot, unveiling what was hidden beneath. Rudra caught glimpse of a stone like platform that seemed very familiar.
Rudra knelt down and brushed off the remaining the ashes with his hands, revealing the stone platform completely. It was a small circular platform with several crevices that spread outwards from its empty center.
In just a few moments, Rudra realized that this was the stone platform within which the spiritual stone was planted in the ground, the crevices evident of the root like structure that sprouted from the base of the spiritual stone, spreading across the field, making its surrounding more lively.
'Then the clan mansion shouldn't be much far from here!' Rudra thought as he ran towards a particular direction.
In his way, Rudra saw multiple hoarding, ruin and wooden monuments which reminded him of the structures present near his clan mansion. They were engulfed in the dazzling flames that swirled around uncontrollably. Rudra avoided most of the flame that flickered over, whereas his anxiety increase with each dodge as he thought of what sight could unfold for him.