Warlock of Oceans: My Poseidon System

"Alright, fine," she muttered under her breath, gripping her staff tightly. "I'll help you."

But just as she took a step forward to offer her support, Cyrus raised a hand, stopping her in her tracks. "No," he said firmly, without turning to look at her. "I've got this. Stay back."

Athena froze, her protest dying in her throat. She clenched her fists, frustrated but unable to ignore the confidence in his voice. Cyrus was focused, in his element. She could feel the intensity of his presence, the aura of resolve that surrounded him as he crept closer to the deer.

She reluctantly stepped back, her eyes locked on him as he closed in on the creature.

Cyrus moved like a shadow through the frost-laden trees, his body blending with the eerie light filtering through the leaves. His predatory gaze sharpened with each step, and the aura around him darkened, thickening with palpable bloodlust. It was as though the very air around him was growing heavier, charged with his intent to strike. The Winter Deer, still grazing peacefully just moments ago, suddenly twitched.

The deer's neck swiveled unnaturally, twisting its head around to face Cyrus. All one hundred of its eyes blinked simultaneously, locking onto him with an almost mechanical precision. The atmosphere changed in an instant. The calm, ethereal beauty of the forest turned ominous as the creature's eyes began to glow a vivid, dangerous red.

Athena's breath hitched. "Cyrus, those eyes—"

But before the mental assault could begin, Cyrus was already in motion.

He moved faster than the deer could react. In one fluid motion, his aether blade arced through the air, glowing with an ethereal light that illuminated the shadows around him. The deer's glowing eyes flared brighter for a split second as if trying to unleash their mind-breaking power, but it was too late.

With a clean, swift strike, Cyrus' blade sliced through the deer's neck. The glowing eyes dimmed as its head tumbled to the ground, the creature's body collapsing in a silent, graceful heap. Blood pooled beneath its lifeless form, soaking into the frost-covered earth.

Cyrus stood still for a moment, his breathing steady, his blade humming faintly with the residual energy of the strike. His bloodlust ebbed away, leaving only the quiet hum of the dungeon's eerie forest around them. He glanced back at Athena, a satisfied grin playing on his lips.

"See?" he said, his voice low and calm. "Told you I had this."

Athena exhaled, a mixture of relief and exasperation washing over her. "Tch… yeah right…" she muttered, shaking her head. "But... that was pretty incredible."

Cyrus simply shrugged, his grin widening as he released his blade. "I figured I'd leave the hard part to you next time."

Cyrus and Athena continued to weave through the frost-laden forest, their senses heightened, every step deliberate and cautious. The eerie glow from the trees cast elongated shadows that danced in the corners of their vision, making it feel like something—or someone—was watching them. The silence was unnerving, with only the soft crunch of their footsteps breaking the oppressive quiet.

Athena walked beside Cyrus, her grip on her staff never faltering. Her eyes scanned the surroundings, her gaze sharp, but even so, a subtle tension hung between them. "This whole forest…" she muttered under her breath, barely loud enough for Cyrus to hear. "It's like one giant, stalking eye."

Cyrus glanced at her, his expression tight. "What do you mean?"

Athena exhaled softly, eyes narrowing at the trees surrounding them. "The Winter Deer—those eyes covering their bodies—are part of this dungeon. I wouldn't be surprised if this entire forest is connected to them in some way. It's like the dungeon is constantly watching us, stalking us. If we're not careful, we'll fall into its traps."

Cyrus nodded, understanding the gravity of her words. The dungeon's transformation had made it more insidious, and they couldn't afford to let their guard down, even for a second. Every flicker of light, every rustling leaf could be part of some grander scheme, waiting for them to slip.

They walked in silence for what felt like an eternity. The shimmering trees, though beautiful, were disorienting. It was hard to keep track of where they had been and where they were going. After an hour of steady movement, Cyrus began to feel something gnawing at him—a creeping sensation of unease that made his brow furrow.

"Hold on," he muttered, slowing his pace. He scanned the area, his sharp eyes picking up on the smallest details around them. Athena stopped beside him, watching as his gaze darted from tree to tree, from patch of ground to patch of ground.

"What is it?" she asked, her voice edged with concern.

Cyrus didn't answer right away. He crouched down, examining the ground where they stood. There were no obvious signs of danger, no traps or monsters lying in wait. But something was off, and it gnawed at him. He looked back at the path they had just walked and then turned his gaze ahead again. His eyes narrowed as he pieced together the subtle clues that had been gnawing at the edges of his mind.

"Athena…" he began, standing up straight again. "We've been walking in circles."

Athena blinked, her eyes widening in disbelief. "What?"

Cyrus pointed to a tree nearby, one that had a particularly twisted branch. "That tree. We've passed it three times already."

Athena glanced at the tree, her mind racing as she tried to recall the path they'd taken. "Are you sure? It all looks the same."

"That's the point," Cyrus replied, his voice calm but firm. "It's subtle, but look closely. The frost on the ground—we're leaving faint marks from where we've stepped. And there's that broken branch, just there, on the ground. I noticed it the first time we passed it, and now it's here again, in the exact same spot. And that rock formation—it's all the same. We've been walking in a loop."

Athena's jaw clenched, and she clicked her tongue in frustration. "Damn it," she muttered under her breath. "We've already fallen into the forest's illusion. This whole place is a trap designed to disorient us."

Cyrus nodded, his expression grim. "Exactly. It's subtle, but that's what makes it dangerous. The dungeon is trying to wear us down, mentally and physically. If we keep going like this, we'll never find our way out."

Athena groaned in irritation, tapping her staff against the ground in a rhythm of frustration. "So what now? Do you have a plan?"

Cyrus gave her a reassuring smile, his eyes glinting with confidence. "We've been following a pattern, and that's how the illusion has been working on us. We need to break the cycle, make an unpredictable move."

Athena raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Unpredictable how?"

Cyrus motioned toward a small, narrow path hidden between two thick trees, nearly invisible unless you were looking for it. "We go this way. It's off the path the dungeon is guiding us on. It's risky, but if we disrupt the pattern, we might be able to slip through the illusion."

Athena stared at the path, then back at Cyrus, and sighed. "You're insane."

"Maybe," Cyrus said with a grin. "But it's our best shot."

Cyrus and Athena pressed forward down the hidden, narrow path. The trees seemed to grow denser as they moved, their shimmering leaves casting fleeting shadows that danced just out of sight. Each step felt heavier than the last, as if the forest itself was trying to pull them back. But Cyrus remained focused, his eyes sharp as they weaved through the maze of trees, determined to break the illusion that had trapped them in a loop.

For a while, there was no sound except for the soft crunch of frost underfoot and the occasional rustle of leaves. The air felt thicker here, more oppressive, and the further they ventured, the darker it became. The soft lights that had once illuminated the forest floor now flickered erratically, casting eerie shapes across the ground.

Then, without warning, they crossed some invisible threshold.
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In an instant, their vision went black.

The overwhelming darkness enveloped them like a suffocating blanket, stealing away all sight. Cyrus instinctively reached for his sword, and Athena gripped her staff tightly. Panic surged for a brief moment, but as their eyes adjusted, they realized something strange. They could see... each other. Nothing else. Just the faint outlines of their bodies, barely illuminated against the pitch-black void that surrounded them.

Cyrus' voice was calm, but tense. "Athena?"

"I'm here," she replied, her voice tight with unease. "What just happened?"

"I don't know," he muttered, glancing around. But it was useless. There was nothing to see—just endless black.

Suddenly, a presence loomed above them. Slowly, like something emerging from the darkness itself, a massive, grotesque eyeball appeared overhead. It was enormous, its size dwarfing them both as it floated silently in the void. Veins pulsed beneath its glistening surface, and its pupil—wide and unblinking—stared directly at them.

Athena's breath hitched. "What... is that?"