Warlock of Oceans: My Poseidon System

Cyrus watched her carefully, noting the tension in her posture. She wasn't lying—that much he could tell. But the fact that even she didn't fully understand what they were dealing with made the situation all the more unsettling. Athena was someone who exuded calm confidence, and yet here she was, visibly nervous.

"My dreams…" she hesitated, then continued, "They were guiding me here, but they never told me why or what this is." She glanced back at the toad, her voice wavering slightly. "I just know I was meant to come here. To see it."

Cyrus' gaze returned to the massive creature. Whatever it was, it was clearly beyond the scope of a typical dungeon boss. And the fact that even Athena, with all her knowledge, couldn't identify it only added to the gravity of the moment.

"I've never been one to trust in dreams," Cyrus muttered, keeping his eyes on the toad. "But if they led you here, there's got to be a reason. And I doubt it's a good one."

Athena nodded, her expression still tense. She didn't seem eager to stay in the church much longer, and Cyrus could hardly blame her. Whatever this creature was, it held a strange, quiet power that neither of them fully understood. But one thing was clear: this was no ordinary floor, and this creature was no ordinary foe.

Without warning, the creature stirred, shifting its massive form with a deliberate slowness that sent a ripple of unease through the air. Cyrus tensed, his grip tightening on the hilt of his aetheric sword. The once passive beast was now moving, its bulky, toad-like body unfolding from its seated position near the altar.

The eerie silence in the church only magnified the sound of its movements—the faint creaking of ancient bones, the rustle of its damp, leathery skin. As the creature stood up to its full height, it was far more imposing than either of them had realized. It towered over the altar, its grotesque, humanoid form covered in rough, warty skin that looked like it had been left to rot under the sun for decades.

In its massive, clawed hand, the creature gripped a longsword that was easily twice the size of its body. The blade was ancient, chipped and cracked in several places, yet it radiated a raw, untamed power. The sheer weight of the sword seemed to strain the creature's arm, but it held it with an unsettling ease, as though it was more than used to wielding such a destructive force.

Cyrus could feel the tension thickening in the air, the raw power of the beast before him pressing down on them like an invisible weight. The creature's presence filled the ruined church, making the already dilapidated building feel even smaller. Yet, despite the threatening stance, it didn't attack.

Instead, it spoke.

"Leave," the creature ordered, its voice deep and guttural, reverberating through the decaying walls. The sound alone was enough to send a shiver down Cyrus' spine. There was no malice in its tone—just a cold, detached authority, as though it held no interest in a fight, but would strike them down without hesitation if they disobeyed.

Before either of them could react, the altar beside the creature began to shimmer. A soft amethyst glow emanated from the stone, casting an eerie, ethereal light throughout the room. The glow flickered, then intensified, bathing the altar in an otherworldly blue hue. It was as though the ancient stone itself was reacting to the presence of the creature, or perhaps, it was the other way around.

Cyrus glanced toward the glowing altar, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. Whatever power resided within that altar, it was far beyond anything he'd encountered before. He could feel the pull of the amethyst light, a strange energy that seemed to tug at the edges of his consciousness.

Athena's eyes widened at the sight, her earlier nervousness now mingling with something closer to dread. "That glow..." she whispered, more to herself than to Cyrus. Her voice was shaky, uncertain.

Cyrus kept his gaze locked on the creature. It was waiting for them to leave, but the shimmering altar held some deeper secret—a secret that neither he nor Athena could understand just yet.

"Hey, you can fight, right?" Cyrus muttered.

"Yeah. I understand… I'll back you up."

The moment Cyrus muttered his question, a heavy silence settled between them. Athena's quick response—"Yeah, I understand… I'll back you up"—felt more like a promise than an agreement. Both of them knew what they were about to face, and the tension surged like a tidal wave crashing against a fragile shore.

In that split second, something shifted in the creature. The weight of its presence, once still and cold, morphed into a palpable bloodlust. It sensed their intent, and its passive demeanor melted away as quickly as it had come. Without another word, the toad-like beast launched itself forward with terrifying speed, swinging its colossal longsword through the air in a blur of deadly force.

Cyrus, already prepared, leaped back, summoning his aetheric sword in one smooth motion. The blade materialized in a shimmering burst of pure energy, crackling with raw power. His other hand weaved through the air, gathering droplets of water from the damp atmosphere. The water swirled around him in a thin, razor-sharp veil, ready to be unleashed at a moment's notice.

The creature's blade came down hard, but Cyrus was faster. He sidestepped the brutal strike, his aether sword arcing upward to parry the massive longsword. The clash sent sparks flying, and the sheer force of the impact reverberated through his body. But he held firm, his muscles straining as he locked weapons with the creature.
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With a quick pivot, Cyrus unleashed his water magic in the form of whips that lashed out at the creature's legs. The water sliced through the air with deadly precision, aiming to bind and slow the beast's movements. The toad, however, was no mere brute. It twisted its body unnaturally, avoiding most of the attack, though the water whips still managed to carve shallow gashes into its thick, leathery hide.

Meanwhile, Athena moved like a shadow behind Cyrus. Her fingers traced intricate symbols in the air, and with each gesture, radiant beams of light shot forth from her hands. But instead of targeting the creature directly, she used the light in a more creative and supportive way.

The light gathered around Cyrus, forming an ethereal shield that shimmered with a golden glow. It bent and refracted the creature's movements, subtly altering the perception of distance and speed, making it harder for the beast to accurately land a hit. The light also flickered just enough to momentarily blind the toad when it glanced in their direction, giving Cyrus more openings to strike.

"Nice," Cyrus grunted, stepping into the advantage Athena had created.

The beast roared in frustration, swinging its sword wildly now, each attack carrying enough force to tear through the decaying walls of the church. Cyrus darted between the creature's legs, using his smaller size to stay just out of range of its devastating swings. With every step, his aether sword sliced into the creature's flesh, each cut deepening the gashes already forming from his earlier strikes.

Athena, seeing an opportunity, unleashed another burst of light, but this time it shot directly into the creature's chest. The beam of concentrated energy didn't just strike—it exploded on impact, sending the creature stumbling backward with a roar of pain.

The creature's momentary loss of balance was all Cyrus needed. He channeled his aether into his sword, the blade glowing brighter as its energy surged. He dashed forward in a blur, slashing the creature across its abdomen in a clean, devastating strike. The toad howled in agony, thick black blood spilling onto the floor, mixing with the decaying rot around them.

But even wounded, the beast wasn't done. It growled low, raising its longsword high above its head for one final, desperate attack. The sheer size of the blade meant that if it hit, it would bring the entire church down with them.

"Finish it!" Athena yelled, her voice sharp with urgency.

Cyrus didn't hesitate. With a final burst of speed, he closed the distance between him and the creature, his aether sword crackling with energy. He jumped, launching himself into the air as the creature's sword began its deadly descent. Time seemed to slow as Cyrus swung his blade down, aiming for the creature's exposed neck.

With one swift, clean strike, the aether sword cleaved through the creature's thick flesh. Its head fell to the ground with a sickening thud, its body collapsing in a heap of dead weight.

The church fell silent once more, save for the faint, glowing hum of the altar behind them. Cyrus landed lightly on his feet, panting heavily, his sword disappearing in a wisp of light. He looked back at Athena, who stood there, her hands still glowing faintly with residual light magic.