Warlock of Oceans: My Poseidon System

Cyrus grinned, now surrounded by three lizardmen. "No problem!" he called back, summoning a glowing shield of aether in his left hand. He blocked a simultaneous swipe from two lizardmen, their claws sparking against his shield. Using the force of their strikes, he twisted his body, the shield acting as a pivot point, and swept his blade in a wide arc, catching one lizardman across the chest and forcing the other to retreat. Jesua was toying with her opponents, her dark energy swirling around her like living shadows. When one lizardman charged her, she simply smiled and stepped aside, her form dissolving briefly into black mist. The creature stumbled forward, confused, only to find her re-materialized behind it. Jesua tapped its shoulder lightly. Black tendrils shot out from her hand, wrapping around the lizardman and squeezing until it collapsed, convulsing. She turned her attention to another foe. It raised a fiery spear, thrusting it toward her chest, but Jesua caught it mid-strike with one hand. Her fingers dug into the molten surface, her dark energy extinguishing the flames as she yanked it free and spun it in her grasp. With a flick of her wrist, she hurled the weapon like a javelin, pinning the lizardman to a wall. "Aren't you two done yet?" Jesua taunted, her voice dripping with mockery. Sylus and Cyrus didn't respond—they were too busy surviving. A particularly large lizardman, its body glowing brighter than the rest, barreled toward Sylus. It swung a massive molten axe in a devastating horizontal arc. Sylus dropped into a roll, the axe passing inches above his head and sending molten debris flying. Coming out of the roll, he drove his blade into the creature's exposed side, ice crackling along its ribcage. The beast roared, swiping at him with its free hand. Sylus barely managed to duck, the claws grazing his hair as he pivoted and delivered another precise strike to its thigh, forcing it to one knee. Cyrus, meanwhile, used his aetheric energy to leap above a trio of attackers. As they turned their glowing eyes upward, he released a concentrated blast of aether, the shockwave throwing them backward. He landed deftly, spinning his blade to deflect an incoming strike. His opponent lunged again, this time with its teeth bared. Cyrus sidestepped and drove his elbow into its throat, following up with a vertical slash that cleaved through its shoulder. "Behind you!" Sylus called out, noticing a lizardman charging at Cyrus from his blind spot. Cyrus didn't hesitate. He spun on his heel, throwing his shield into the oncoming attacker like a discus. The aetheric construct hit the lizardman square in the chest, staggering it long enough for Cyrus to leap forward and deliver a decisive thrust to its core. The tide of lizardmen began to falter under the trio's relentless counterattacks. They worked as a cohesive unit, each move complementing the other. Sylus's frost kept the creatures slowed, Cyrus's aether blasts created openings, and Jesua's dark magic turned their enemies' aggression into chaos. Still, the heat of the molten dome and the unending waves of enemies tested their limits. Jesua, noticing their fatigue, sighed theatrically. "Fine. Guess I'll clean up." She clapped her hands together, and a surge of black energy erupted outward, scattering the remaining lizardmen like leaves in a storm. Most of them scrambled back, retreating into the molten shadows. Cyrus and Sylus stood panting, their weapons still at the ready, but the immediate danger seemed to have passed. The molten civilization was eerily quiet now, save for the crackling of lava and the hiss of cooling metal. "Well," Jesua said, inspecting her nails, "that wasn't so bad." The trio moved cautiously toward the heart of the molten civilization. The air shimmered with heat, the ground cracked beneath their boots, and the towering spires of molten rock loomed ominously around them. Before they could take another step, a dozen lava lizardmen emerged from the shadows, their forms encased in thick, glowing metal armor that radiated heat. Each carried a weapon forged from the same molten material—blades, spears, and axes glowing like embers. The lizardmen didn't waste a moment. With a synchronized roar, they charged. Sylus was the first to react. He slid into a defensive stance, bringing his frost-enchanted blade up to parry a downward strike from an armored lizardman wielding a molten axe. The impact sent sparks flying, and Sylus twisted his wrist to redirect the attack, the frost coating his blade spreading to the axehead and cooling it slightly. Taking advantage of the momentary hesitation, Sylus lunged forward, driving his shoulder into the lizardman's chest and forcing it back a step. He followed up with a quick, upward slash that caught the creature's arm, leaving a trail of frost that began to crackle along the armor. Cyrus faced two lizardmen at once. They flanked him, their weapons swinging in tight arcs meant to box him in. Cyrus ducked low under a horizontal strike, his body flowing like water as he spun on one knee. His aetheric sword flared to life, slicing upward to intercept a spear thrust aimed for his side. Sparks and energy crackled as his blade clashed with the molten spear, and with a grunt, Cyrus pushed forward, using his momentum to bash the spear-wielding lizardman with his glowing shield. The impact forced it back, giving him just enough room to sidestep and deflect another attack from the second lizardman. Jesua stood in the center of the fray, her arms crossed lazily. When a lizardman lunged at her, she didn't flinch. Instead, a tendril of black energy snaked out from her shadow, catching the lizardman by the throat mid-air and slamming it into the molten ground. "You two look like you're having fun," she said, watching Sylus and Cyrus with a smirk. "Any time you want to help!" Cyrus barked, narrowly dodging a flaming blade that left scorch marks in the air. Sylus gritted his teeth as another lizardman pressed the attack, its massive hammer swinging in brutal arcs that shook the ground. He darted in close, stepping into the creature's guard before it could fully swing. Sylus delivered a quick slash to the back of its knee, causing it to stagger, and then spun around to deliver a devastating horizontal strike to its exposed side. The frost magic from his blade began to spread rapidly, slowing the creature's movements as its molten armor hissed and cracked. Cyrus, meanwhile, switched tactics. Summoning a burst of aetheric energy, he propelled himself backward, creating distance between himself and his two opponents. With a flick of his wrist, he sent a surge of energy outward, forming a protective barrier around himself. The lizardmen struck at the barrier, their molten weapons clanging uselessly against the glowing shield. Using the moment to catch his breath, Cyrus focused his energy into his sword, the blade glowing brighter with every second. When the barrier dropped, he surged forward like a lightning bolt, his blade cleaving through the first lizardman's weapon and striking it square in the chest. The impact sent it flying into the second lizardman, toppling them both. Jesua sighed theatrically. "I suppose you do need me," she muttered, raising one hand. The shadows around her writhed like living creatures, coiling and striking out at the advancing lizardmen. One shadow speared through a lizardman's molten armor, leaving a smoking hole where it struck. Another shadow coiled around a spear mid-thrust, yanking it from its wielder's grasp and snapping it in half. "Keep moving!" Sylus shouted, noticing more lizardmen closing in from the sides. He and Cyrus shifted their positions, covering each other's flanks as the fight intensified. Sylus used his frost magic strategically, creating slick patches of ice on the molten ground that caused the lizardmen to lose their footing. When one stumbled, Sylus capitalized on the moment, delivering a precise thrust that pierced through a gap in its armor. He immediately spun to deflect an attack from another lizardman, his blade meeting its molten sword in a shower of sparks. Cyrus used his aetheric energy to maintain mobility, leaping and dashing in unpredictable patterns. When a lizardman charged him with a flaming axe, Cyrus ducked low and rolled beneath the swing, coming up behind his attacker. With a sharp strike to the back of its leg, he forced it to kneel before delivering a powerful downward slash that severed its weapon arm. The lizardmen's numbers and coordination were overwhelming, but the trio's teamwork and adaptability kept them from being overrun. Sylus and Cyrus worked in sync, their attacks and defenses flowing together seamlessly, while Jesua's dark magic disrupted the lizardmen's formations, creating openings for the others to exploit. The heat intensified, and the fight was far from over. The armored lizardmen, undeterred, regrouped and launched another wave of attacks, their molten weapons glowing brighter as if fueled by the dome itself. The battle raged on, the searing heat of the molten dome pressing down like a physical weight. The lava lizardmen, their glowing weapons and thick armor radiating menace, charged with unrelenting ferocity. Sylus, Cyrus, and Jesua stood firm, each moving with a calculated mixture of aggression and defense to avoid being overwhelmed.