Warlock of Oceans: My Poseidon System

Nearby, Athena stood her ground, her fingers crackling with mana as she launched spheres of compressed ice toward the advancing Deers. The frozen blasts hit like hammer blows, sending creatures sprawling as they shattered against the cold ground. But the relentless press of enemies meant that Athena couldn't remain stationary; with each spell cast, she quickly changed position, slipping through gaps in the oncoming swarm to avoid getting boxed in. She summoned a spiraling shield of frost around herself, the glimmering cold reflecting the chaotic scene, before letting it explode outward in sharp, icy shards that drove several Deers back, buying her a brief reprieve. The ground trembled under the stomping hooves of another Eldritch Deer, its antlers glowing as another barrage of illusions surged toward Athena. This time, the illusion was accompanied by an eerie echoing hum that penetrated her mind, disorienting her as her spells flickered and wavered. Her vision darkened, the forest seeming to twist in on itself as her head spun. Gritting her teeth, she focused inward, calling on the last of her reserves. With a guttural shout, she channeled aether through her body, forcing the illusions back and clearing her mind just as a Deer lunged toward her. She ducked under its reach, slamming her fist into its side and releasing a pulse of ice magic that froze the creature from the inside out, its body cracking as it fell. Sylus, meanwhile, wove through the battlefield with brutal efficiency, his movements a symphony of precise strikes and controlled bursts of aether. He faced two Winter Deers simultaneously, his blade flashing as he brought it down on one in a powerful, downward strike, severing it from shoulder to hip. He immediately pivoted, thrusting his elbow into the chest of the second Deer before following up with a lightning-fast slash that ended it. The ethereal light from his blade blazed as he spun around, narrowly avoiding a charging Eldritch Deer as it thundered past, grazing his shoulder with an antler. The creature's antlers pulsed with malevolent energy, and he could feel the illusionary magic pressing against his mind with an iron grip. Sylus closed his eyes for a brief moment, channeling his inner reserves as he sent a pulse of aether through his body. It radiated outward, dispersing the magic and pushing back the illusion's grasp. His eyes snapped open just as the creature reared back, preparing for another charge. He sidestepped, sweeping his blade in a low arc across its legs, destabilizing it before driving his sword deep into its neck with a fierce thrust, causing it to fall with a shudder. "Watch your left!" Sylus called to Cyrus, who immediately spun, his blade meeting the outstretched claws of a lunging Deer. He parried the blow, pivoting to the side as he grabbed the creature by the neck, wrenching it down and using his sword to drive it into the ground. But even as he ended one, another was already upon him, claws swiping at his torso. He barely managed to twist away, but the attack grazed his side, tearing through his armor. Ignoring the pain, he retaliated with a swift upward slash, carving through the creature's torso before delivering a powerful kick to its chest, sending it tumbling back into the advancing horde. The onslaught of Winter Deers showed no sign of stopping, but Sylus saw a pattern forming in their movements—a slight hesitation, a coordination that betrayed the influence of the four Eldritch Deers. He realized they were acting as commanders, directing the relentless swarm. Sylus barked, "They're being controlled! Go for the Eldritch ones!" Cyrus and Athena responded immediately. Athena hurled a spiraling bolt of fire toward one of the larger creatures, the flames licking along its antlers, catching it off guard. The massive creature recoiled, its influence weakening for a split second. Sylus took the opportunity to press forward, leaping up to bring his sword down on its exposed flank. The Eldritch Deer staggered, the ground quaking beneath its massive form. But the other three Eldritch Deers responded, their antlers glowing ominously as a fresh wave of mental energy swept through the battlefield. The trio felt their minds bombarded with a torrent of disorienting illusions—phantom claws swiping at them from every angle, shadows twisting into monstrous forms. "Stay grounded!" Cyrus shouted, releasing another pulse of aether that snapped his mind back into clarity. With renewed focus, he darted toward one of the Eldritch Deers, his sword a flurry of slashes and thrusts as he closed in, each swing aimed at disabling its limbs. When the creature swung its massive head down, he rolled under it, driving his blade up into its underbelly, twisting it to make the wound as grievous as possible. Athena was likewise embattled, her limbs aching as she pushed herself to keep up. Another illusion crept into her vision, fogging her mind with images of endless trees and countless deers. With sheer willpower, she gathered her strength, conjuring an intense sphere of flame and hurling it at one of the Eldritch Deers. The fireball struck with explosive force, the creature's skin sizzling as the blaze spread across its antlers and eyes, momentarily breaking its control over the swarm. With two of the Eldritch Deers momentarily incapacitated, Sylus saw their chance. He lunged forward, coordinating his movements with Cyrus and Athena as they converged on the remaining two Eldritch creatures. They moved with an unspoken rhythm, each one stepping in to cover the other's vulnerabilities as they struck, parried, and countered in seamless succession. Yet the Eldritch Deers remained undeterred, their illusions pulsing with renewed strength. Sylus gritted his teeth, his aether reserves waning as he pushed himself to the brink. But even as his muscles burned and his vision blurred, he pressed on, refusing to yield. The fight was far from over, and they were determined to emerge victorious against the relentless horde. The battle raged on, each passing second a trial of endurance and skill. The thickly packed Winter Deers swarmed around them, never relenting, with the four looming Eldritch Deers pulsing with malevolent energy. Every swing, strike, and dodge demanded their full concentration, each of them operating at the edge of their limits as they fought to break through the waves of illusions and physical assaults. Cyrus swept his sword in a wide arc, cleaving through three of the Winter Deers in one powerful swing. Before he could regain his stance, two more lunged at him from either side. He adjusted his grip, letting his sword drop low, and pivoted with explosive force, bringing his knee into the jaw of one of the Deers and then following through with an upward thrust that impaled the other, flicking it off his blade with a quick twist. The illusions hit him like waves, his vision clouding as the forest seemed to warp, twisting into surreal, dizzying shapes. Cyrus fought back with a surge of aether that radiated outward, breaking the illusion with a shattering sound as he steadied himself, breath ragged. To his right, Athena conjured a spiraling shield of fire that encased her like a barrier. It spun around her, flames leaping outwards in sharp tendrils that kept the advancing Deers at bay. Each step forward, however, was met with another illusory assault—phantom claws, biting winds, and shifting shadows pressing against her mind. Her vision swam, but she focused, anchoring herself with a burst of ice beneath her feet, grounding her mentally and physically as she refocused her energy. She extended her arms, and a line of crystalline ice shot out from her fingers, lancing through several Winter Deers in a jagged line. She spun, driving her elbow into the snout of another Deer, following it up with a kick that sent it stumbling back into the others. On the other side, Sylus was a blur of speed, his movements sharp and calculated, each strike delivered with precision and lethal intent. His eyes locked onto one of the larger Eldritch Deers, the one at his left, and he sprinted toward it with relentless focus. He dodged low as two smaller Deers lunged, their antlers grazing the air above him, and he retaliated with a brutal downward slash that severed the legs of one, while simultaneously hurling a concentrated pulse of aether toward the other. The blast destabilized it, and he used the opportunity to jump on its back, using it as leverage to launch himself toward the towering Eldritch Deer. He slashed at one of its massive antlers, severing a section that fell heavily to the ground. A ripple went through the Winter Deers, their movements faltering as the Eldritch creature let out a guttural sound, reeling from the loss of its antler. Seeing the impact, Cyrus capitalized on the opportunity, his voice carrying above the chaos, "The antlers! They're controlling the illusions!" He unleashed another wave of aether, this one larger and more concentrated, driving back a mass of Deers as he and Athena redirected their focus to the massive Eldritch Deer that still wielded influence over the swarm.