Warlock of Oceans: My Poseidon System-Chapter 466: Fifth Floor: The Molten Cavern of Lava Lizardmen (9)

Another drake lunged toward Cyrus with terrifying speed, its jaws snapping shut inches from his face as he leapt backward. He landed on a chunk of cooled lava, balancing precariously as the drake’s claws came down in a hammering motion. Cyrus rolled to the side, the impact sending shards of molten rock flying.

"Alright, big guy," Cyrus muttered, his aetheric blade flaring to life as he charged forward. He ducked under a sweeping claw and slashed upward, the blade leaving a glowing trail of energy as it cut through the softer scales beneath the drake’s arm. The beast snarled and retaliated with a blast of molten breath, forcing Cyrus to dive to the side.

Recovering quickly, Cyrus grinned and dashed toward the drake again, sliding beneath its massive body. As he slid, he slashed at its unprotected belly, leaving a searing line of aetheric light. The drake roared in pain and reared up, but Cyrus was already behind it, unleashing a concentrated burst of energy that struck its hind leg, forcing it to stumble.

Jesua stood still as a third drake fixed its molten gaze on her, its wings flaring as it leapt into the air. The beast circled above, raining down fireballs that splashed molten rock in all directions. Jesua didn’t flinch, her shadowy form melting into the ground to avoid each fiery impact.

Reappearing behind the airborne drake, she extended her hands, conjuring massive black tendrils that shot upward and wrapped around the beast’s wings. With a sharp yank, she dragged the drake out of the air and slammed it into the ground. As it roared and thrashed, Jesua conjured a shadow spear and hurled it with deadly precision, piercing the drake’s eye.

The beast howled, thrashing even harder as molten blood leaked from the wound. Jesua approached calmly, her form flickering with dark energy, and conjured a jagged blade of shadow in her hand. She slashed at the drake’s exposed joints with ruthless efficiency, each strike aimed to disable rather than kill outright.

The largest drake, its molten wings unfurled, let out another roar and began flapping, creating a vortex of heat that pushed the trio back. Sylus crouched low, driving his sword into the ground to anchor himself, while Cyrus conjured a barrier of aetheric energy to shield them from the scalding wind. Jesua, her eyes narrowing, melted into the shadows once more and reappeared above the drake, conjuring a massive shadowy chain that she wrapped around its neck.

"Now!" Jesua called out.

Sylus surged forward, using the frost aura of his blade to freeze the molten ground and create a slippery surface under the drake’s feet. The beast stumbled, its massive claws unable to find purchase, and Jesua’s chain tightened around its neck, dragging its head lower. Cyrus took advantage of the opening, leaping high into the air and driving his aetheric blade down into the drake’s exposed skull.

The beast let out a final, guttural roar before collapsing, its molten body dimming as its life force ebbed away.

No time to breathe—more lava drakes emerged from the depths of the village, each larger and fiercer than the last. Their roars echoed in unison, their eyes glowing like embers as they closed in.

"Stick together!" Sylus shouted, positioning himself between Jesua and Cyrus as the three prepared for the next wave.

Jesua smirked, her shadowy form flickering with anticipation. "This just keeps getting better, doesn’t it?"

The battle was far from over. Each step forward brought new challenges, and the trio braced themselves for the onslaught to come.

The air grew suffocating as a deep, guttural growl echoed through the cavernous village. A shadow loomed over the trio, cast by something massive moving within the molten depths. From behind a ridge of jagged obsidian, it emerged—a colossal lava dragon, its form wreathed in molten rock and fire. Its scales shimmered with an intense orange-red glow, like the surface of a sun, and each of its movements radiated waves of heat that warped the air around it. Its eyes glowed with a malevolent intelligence, and the heavy thud of its clawed feet sent tremors rippling through the ground.

The dragon stretched its wings, sending a torrent of embers raining down. With a deafening roar, it announced its presence, flames erupting from its maw. The trio instinctively took defensive stances, weapons and magic at the ready.

Updat𝓮d from freewēbnoveℓ.com.

Sylus gritted his teeth. "We’ve fought drakes, but this... this is something else."

Jesua’s shadowy form flickered, her voice steady despite the heat. "Stick together. Do not get caught alone."

The lava dragon reared its massive head, opening its maw wide to unleash a torrent of molten fire.

Sylus moved first, raising his frost sword to intercept the oncoming flames. Channeling his magic, he created a dome of ice that shimmered like crystal under the intense heat. The flames struck the ice barrier, steam erupting in thick clouds that obscured the battlefield. Sylus grunted, his muscles straining to maintain the barrier against the dragon’s overwhelming heat.

"Move now!" he shouted, holding the barrier long enough for Cyrus and Jesua to reposition.

Cyrus took advantage of the steam, using the cover to dart to the dragon’s flank. His aetheric blade crackled with energy as he leapt onto an outcropping of rock, then launched himself into the air. With a sharp slash, he aimed for the dragon’s exposed wing joint.

The dragon, however, reacted with startling speed. It swung its massive tail, the molten rock trailing behind it like a burning whip. Cyrus barely twisted his body mid-air to avoid the strike, but the tail grazed him, sending him spinning to the ground. He landed hard, rolling to disperse the impact, and immediately pushed himself back up.

"Okay, that hurt," Cyrus muttered, shaking off the sting as the dragon’s glowing eyes locked onto him.

While the dragon focused on Sylus and Cyrus, Jesua sank into the shadows, her form disappearing entirely. Reappearing beneath the dragon, she conjured long shadowy tendrils that shot upward, wrapping around the beast’s legs and tightening like snares. The dragon roared, slamming its claws against the ground in an attempt to shake them off.

Jesua smirked, her tendrils dragging the dragon’s legs just enough to throw off its balance. "I’ve got it pinned! Hit it now!"

Sylus seized the opening, charging forward with his frost sword glowing brilliantly. He slashed at the dragon’s foreleg, ice spreading along its molten scales and cracking them with loud pops. The dragon bellowed in fury, swiping a massive claw down at him. Sylus sidestepped, the claw grazing his shoulder and leaving a searing burn, but he didn’t falter. Instead, he drove his sword into the dragon’s claw, freezing it in place for a moment.

Cyrus capitalized on the momentary opening, charging back into the fray. He leapt high, channeling his energy into his blade, and slashed downward at the dragon’s wing joint. This time, his strike landed cleanly, severing a portion of the wing membrane. The dragon roared, its flight momentarily compromised.

The beast retaliated by inhaling deeply, its chest glowing brighter and brighter.

"Move!" Jesua shouted as she dissolved into shadows again.

Sylus and Cyrus dove in opposite directions just as the dragon unleashed a massive fireball that exploded against the ground where they had been standing. Molten rock sprayed outward, forcing them to shield their faces.

Recovering quickly, the dragon swung its tail in a wide arc. Jesua, having reappeared behind it, conjured a wall of shadows to absorb the brunt of the impact, but the force sent her sliding backward.

"Persistent, aren’t you?" she muttered, brushing off the molten debris.

The dragon roared again, this time leaping into the air despite its damaged wing. It hovered briefly before diving toward Sylus with its massive claws extended. Sylus rolled to the side just in time, the ground where he had been standing erupting into flames as the dragon’s claws struck.

As the dragon turned its attention back to Cyrus, Jesua once again immobilized its legs with her tendrils. This time, she sent a pulse of shadow magic through the restraints, causing bursts of dark energy along the dragon’s lower body. The beast bellowed in pain, stumbling slightly, and Sylus and Cyrus both charged at its vulnerable sides.

Cyrus delivered a rapid series of aetheric slashes to the dragon’s ribs, each strike chipping away at its molten scales and exposing the glowing magma beneath. Sylus followed up by freezing the exposed sections with precise strikes of his frost sword. Steam hissed violently as ice met magma, the rapid cooling causing cracks to spread along the dragon’s armored body.

The dragon let out another roar, shaking off the tendrils and rearing back onto its hind legs. It slammed its front claws into the ground, creating a shockwave that sent all three flying backward. Sylus hit a molten rock outcropping hard, groaning as he struggled to get back to his feet. Cyrus rolled to a stop near the edge of a glowing lava pool, his blade flickering as he steadied himself.

Jesua, now visibly sweating from the effort of maintaining her magic in such extreme conditions, rose slowly, her eyes narrowing. "It’s getting desperate. Stay sharp."

The trio regrouped, forming a loose triangle around the dragon. Each of them was battered and burned, but their resolve remained unbroken as the massive creature snarled, preparing its next assault.