Warlock of Oceans: My Poseidon System-Chapter 366: Second Floor: The Gaurdian of Autumn Toads (3)

As the screech subsided, the toads loomed before him, their grotesque bodies shimmering with slime in the damp air. They were waiting now, anticipating his next move. Cyrus, unshaken by the intensity of their call, smirked. His hand tightened around the hilt of his summoned aetheric sword, the ethereal blade glowing faintly in the mist.

"That’s more like it," he muttered, feeling the adrenaline course through him. Now, it was a real fight.

Cyrus’s smirk grew as he squared off against the Autumn Toads, his aetheric sword humming with energy in his hand. The toads shifted uneasily, their bloated bodies swaying as their milky eyes fixed on him. Their mottled, slimy skin shimmered under the faint light filtering through the mist, their grotesque forms blending into the eerie landscape around them.

Without hesitation, Cyrus dashed forward, his movements swift and graceful despite the muck and mire beneath his feet. The first toad lunged at him with a sudden, jerky motion, its large, slimy leg sweeping out in an attempt to knock him off balance. Cyrus easily sidestepped the attack, his keen eyes tracking the toad’s sluggish movements. The aetheric blade in his hand flickered like a living extension of his will, and with a smooth, precise motion, he swung it downward.

The blade sliced through the toad’s thick, gelatinous flesh as if it were air, leaving a glowing, ethereal trail behind it. The toad let out a guttural croak of pain, its body recoiling as dark, noxious blood splattered the ground. Cyrus barely flinched, already shifting his stance to face the next threat.

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The remaining toads, perhaps enraged by the sight of their wounded companion, moved in unison. One toad leaped toward him, its bloated body soaring through the air with surprising speed, while another lashed out with its grotesque tongue, aiming to wrap it around Cyrus’s leg and pull him into the mud.

Cyrus was ready.

He ducked beneath the flying toad, feeling the rush of air as it passed overhead, and spun on his heel just as the tongue shot out. In a split second, his blade flashed again, cleanly severing the disgusting appendage. The toad let out a horrific screech, retracting what remained of its tongue with a violent shudder.

Cyrus moved like a phantom, his aetheric sword dancing through the air as he wove between the toads. His strikes were deliberate, each one finding its mark with deadly accuracy. He slashed through thick, oozing flesh, his blade singing with every cut. The toads, while massive and powerful, were clumsy and slow compared to his speed and precision.

Still, they were relentless. Another toad, its body swollen with venom, spat a glob of poisonous bile in his direction. The corrosive liquid hissed as it flew through the air, aimed directly at Cyrus’s face. With a fluid motion, he raised his sword, the aetheric energy pulsing along the blade as it effortlessly deflected the toxic spit away from him, sending it splattering against a nearby tree where the bark sizzled and blackened.

The toads began to close in on him, their guttural croaks and heavy footsteps creating a chaotic rhythm around him. But Cyrus remained calm, his eyes narrowed in concentration. He dodged and parried with ease, weaving between their attacks with a dancer’s grace. His aetheric sword thrummed in his hand, glowing brighter with each strike as he continued to chip away at their defenses.

It was clear now—these creatures, despite their grotesque forms and horrifying screeches, were no match for him. As he struck down another toad, sending its body crashing to the ground in a heap of slime and blood, a sense of exhilaration surged through him.

But Cyrus knew better than to get overconfident. Even though they were individually weak, he could feel the weight of their numbers pressing in on him. His every move was calculated, precise, and relentless as he carved through the pack, reducing the once-threatening swarm of toads to little more than a scattering of defeated corpses.

As the last of the toads circled around him, Cyrus could feel their desperation. Their sluggish movements grew more frantic, and their once-terrifying screeches now sounded more like cries of fear than fury. Still, their sheer numbers remained a challenge. Even the weakest of enemies could become dangerous when backed into a corner and banding together.

Cyrus steadied his breathing, tightening his grip on the aetheric sword as he prepared for the next onslaught. The toads were spreading out, trying to encircle him again. Their bulbous eyes gleamed with hunger, and one by one, they launched themselves at him in a grotesque display of flailing limbs and gnashing jaws.

He darted forward, the ethereal glow of his sword slicing through the air with lethal precision. The nearest toad lunged at him, its mouth wide open, revealing rows of jagged, slimy teeth. Cyrus sidestepped the attack, bringing his blade across its thick neck in a single, smooth motion. The creature’s head toppled to the ground with a sickening thud, but Cyrus was already moving toward the next one before it hit the dirt.

Another toad leaped at him, its bloated form casting a shadow over him as it soared through the air. Without breaking stride, Cyrus twisted his body and slashed upward, cleaving the toad in half mid-leap. Its body split apart, spraying a torrent of black, viscous blood as it crashed into the ground beside him.

Despite his swift kills, more toads closed in. One of them lashed out with its grotesque tongue, attempting to wrap it around Cyrus’s ankle. He quickly reacted, stepping back just in time to avoid the sticky appendage, then retaliated by plunging his sword straight through the toad’s gaping maw. The aetheric blade hummed as it pierced through the back of the creature’s skull, leaving a trail of shimmering light as he withdrew it.

But as Cyrus battled his way through the pack, he began to notice something. The toads, while individually slow and weak, were moving in a strange coordination. They weren’t just mindlessly charging at him anymore; their attacks were becoming more synchronized, more strategic. Two of them attacked from opposite sides, forcing him to dodge in one direction, only for a third to leap at him from behind.

It was a subtle change, but it spoke volumes. These creatures, despite their grotesque appearances, had some level of intelligence. They were adapting to his fighting style, working together to corner him.

A smirk crept across Cyrus’s face as he realized this. So, this was what made them dangerous. They were pack hunters, drawing strength from their numbers and coordination. Alone, they were no match for him, but together, they could become a formidable threat.

With that realization, Cyrus adjusted his approach. He stopped playing it safe, shifting from defense to offense, no longer waiting for them to make the first move. He surged forward with blinding speed, cutting through the closest toads with ruthless efficiency. The aetheric sword in his hand thrummed with power, glowing brighter as it absorbed the ambient energy around him, each swing more devastating than the last.

One toad screeched and lunged at him, but Cyrus met it head-on, slashing its belly wide open. Another leapt from his left, but he spun mid-swing, severing its leg before delivering a finishing blow to its skull. The ground beneath him became slick with the remains of the fallen creatures, yet he moved through the carnage effortlessly, his focus never wavering.

The battle dragged on, the toads continuing to press in despite their dwindling numbers. But Cyrus was relentless, his sword an extension of his will, slicing through their ranks with precision and grace. The pack grew thinner, their attacks more desperate and erratic as their numbers shrank.

In a final, chaotic rush, the remaining toads charged at him all at once, hoping to overwhelm him in a last-ditch effort. Cyrus’s eyes narrowed, and with a burst of speed, he darted through them, dodging their lunges and swinging his blade in wide, deadly arcs. One by one, the toads fell, their screeches fading into gurgling croaks as their bodies collapsed into the muck.

Within moments, the battlefield was still. The once-formidable pack of Autumn Toads lay in heaps around him, their twisted bodies dissolving into the dark, oily ground. Cyrus stood in the center of the carnage, breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling with the exertion of the fight.

Despite the blood and muck coating the ground around him, he felt exhilarated. He had uncovered the secret of their strength and overcome it with his own. With a final glance at the fallen toads, he sheathed his aetheric sword, the glow of its energy fading as it disappeared from view.

Athena, who had been watching the fight from a distance, approached him, her expression unreadable. "Well done," she said softly, though there was a note of something else in her voice—perhaps surprise, perhaps approval.

Cyrus viciously and very quickly wiped the sweat from his brow and nodded, a satisfied smirk on his face. The Autumn Toads, while tough in a group, had proven no match for him. But he knew that this was just the beginning. The tower held far greater challenges, and he was ready to face them. Enjoy more content from novelbuddy