Legacy of the Tarot (Laoyon)

The adventurers checked their location on the Laoyon World Map, gifted by Chairman Aldric Voss of Veyne, before pressing forward into the cavern's depths. As the shadows swallowed them, Selva's voice echoed softly against the stone walls.

"One-Eyed Peak... No wonder why they're here, this place is more than just a lair for Eyegors," she began, glancing at the Map. "Legends say that long ago, a war between titanic beings raged across these lands. The battle was so fierce that it split this very mountain in two."

Leigh frowned slightly, intrigued. "Titanic beings?"

Selva nodded. "The Titans. A great Titan King ruled this land, but he was betrayed and blinded in battle. With nowhere else to go, he fled here with his kin—those who had lost their second eye in war. Over centuries, these exiled giants became what we now call the Eyegors. They adapted to the caves and the ravines, surviving off the land but losing their former glory. What was once a mighty civilization is now a fragmented collection of nomadic warbands."

Dominic crossed his arms. "So basically, this whole mountain is their fortress?"

Selva sighed. "More than that. The very rocks of One-Eyed Peak are said to hold remnants of Titan magic. Some scholars believe that's why the Eyegors are so strong. Their bodies absorb the lingering power of the Titans, making their skin nearly impervious to normal weapons."

Arden grinned, resting his hand on the Wyvern Blade. "Good thing I don't use normal weapons."

As they ventured deeper, the group came across a fork in the cavern path. From the left tunnel, a faint wind drifted, carrying the scent of damp earth and open air.

Leigh exhaled. "That path probably leads outside."

Arden studied the map. "Then we go right."

Trusting the map, the four took the right path, moving cautiously. A few minutes later, the tunnel opened into a clearing, revealing a narrow entrance leading down a flight of stone steps carved into the earth.

Arden smirked and took the lead. "I'll check it out first."

Descending swiftly, he barely had time to react as three massive figures lunged from the shadows.

"Ambush!" Selva gasped.

The creatures charged—towering Eyegors, each wielding rusted weapons that once belonged to fallen warriors. Before anyone could move, Arden's Wyvern Blade flashed through the dim light.

SLASH. SLASH. SLASH.

In a blink, the three Eyegors collapsed, their massive bodies thudding against the cavern floor.

"You can come down now," Arden called out casually, sheathing his sword.

Selva blinked in disbelief. "What the… You just—"

Dominic chuckled. "You'll get used to it."

Regaining their composure, they advanced north, following the cavern's natural incline. Then, in the distance, more shadows shifted. Five Eyegors emerged from the depths, larger and more armored than the previous ones.

Leading them was a hulking figure—twice as large, wielding a massive iron club adorned with ancient Titan runes.

Selva stiffened. "That's an Eyegor Elite!"

The Eyegors roared and charged.

Leigh drew Venya, stepping into a fluid stance as one of the Eyegors swung at her. She sidestepped, her blade flashing in a precise arc, severing its tendons before finishing it with a decisive strike.

Dominic flicked his Arcane Magnus, his golden eyes glowing. "Arcane Array."

Magical glyphs materialized beneath the feet of two Eyegors, binding them in chains of energy. He flicked his wrist, sending a bolt of raw mana into their chests, knocking them back.

Arden rushed the Eyegor Elite, his movements swift and lethal. The Wyvern Blade glowed with a crimson arc, and in one powerful vertical strike, he cleaved through the giant's club, sending the broken weapon flying.

The Elite roared, swinging its massive fist. Arden dodged, flipped over its arm, and in a final, devastating move, drove his sword through its skull.

The battle was over.

Meanwhile, Selva struggled against an Eyegor, her Knight Sword clashing against its brute force. She gritted her teeth, barely dodging a massive swing before locking blades with the giant, her boots digging into the cavern floor. The Eyegor snarled, attempting to overpower her, but she held firm, forcing its weapon aside.

Up on a small ledge, Arden, Dominic, and Leigh stood watching—arms crossed, their expressions eerily calm.

"Oh, she's getting cornered," Arden mused.

Dominic nodded. "She should feint left and aim for the ribs."

Leigh exhaled. "Or she could just stab it in the face and be done with it."

Selva barely spared them a glare before twisting her blade, sliding under the Eyegor's guard, and driving her sword deep into its ribs. With a final grunt of effort, she twisted the weapon, bringing the giant crashing to the ground.

Panting, she wiped sweat from her brow, gripping her sword tightly. "I barely handled one, and the three of you—"

Arden shrugged. "That's what we do."

Dominic smirked. "Told you we'd be fine."

Leigh flicked her sword, letting the blood drip off before sheathing it. "Let's loot and move on. There's more waiting for us ahead."

Arden crouched down, inspecting the remains. His sharp gaze caught the glint of a heavy set of armor, still radiating a faint energy from the fallen warlord. Titan's Warplate—a piece forged from ancient titan steel, built to withstand devastating blows.

Beside it lay a Giantbone War Axe, a weapon so massive that only someone with immense strength could wield it properly. The blade, made from reinforced bone, still held traces of power from the Eyegor's fallen ancestors.

Dominic, ever the treasure hunter, reached out and retrieved an Obsidian Crown from the creature's head. The dark metal gleamed ominously under the cavern's dim light, a relic of the Eyegors' long-forgotten rule.

Leigh lifted a Bloodied Titan Cloak, its fabric thick with the weight of battles fought over countless years. The deep stains on it weren't just from war—it was a testament to the Eyegor Elite's violent legacy.

Selva pulled a Colossal Fang Necklace from the Eyegor's neck, the massive fangs strung together from ancient beasts it had slain. The presence of the relic alone radiated a primal aura, making it clear this was no ordinary piece of jewelry.

At the very center of the loot lay the Eyegor Warlord's Crest—a legendary symbol of dominance among the one-eyed giants. Embedded in a hardened piece of obsidian, it pulsed with faint traces of the Eyegor's lingering will.

Leigh, as usual, claimed the gold and anything that sparkled, while Arden seized the weapons. Dominic, with a satisfied grin, pocketed the magic-infused items, knowing their value would be far greater than they appeared.

As they gathered their spoils, Arden swung his new Giantbone War Axe over his shoulder and smirked. "Not bad. Let's see what else this mountain has for us."

With their hard-earned loot in hand, they pressed further into One-Eyed Peak, the path ahead promising even greater challenges.

They reached a dead end, the cavern narrowing into a tight space where a single wooden ladder descended into the unknown. Arden took a cautious step forward, his senses sharp. Something stirred below, its presence heavy and oppressive. Without hesitation, he leaped down, his figure vanishing into the darkness.

Dominic, ever composed, extended a hand toward Leigh and Selva. "Ladies first." He smirked as he helped them down one by one.

As soon as Selva's boots hit the cavern floor, she froze. A towering figure loomed ahead; its hulking form barely illuminated by the eerie glow of the cavern walls. The sheer presence of the beast sent a chill down her spine.

"That's an Eyegor Warlord," she whispered in disbelief.

A beast of legend. Larger than the Eyegor Elite, its thick, stone-like skin bore the scars of countless battles. Its armor was crude yet formidable, massive slabs of iron strapped across its chest and shoulders, jagged and dented from years of war. The warlord's lone, gleaming eye burned with primal intelligence, its grotesque grin revealing fangs the size of a man's arm.

A massive Titanbone Greataxe rested in its grip, the sheer weight of it causing cracks in the ground as it moved.

Arden stood before the monstrous giant, his Wyvern Blade gleaming under the dim cavern light, his stance casual yet ready.

Leigh tapped Selva on the shoulder, her voice calm but firm. "Don't be scared. We're still here, remember?"

Dominic added with a smirk, "Instead of letting that thing scare the hell out of you, watch Arden. He's a warrior like you. You might learn something."

Selva took a deep breath, steadying herself. Her fingers gripped her sword tightly as she forced herself to focus—not on her fear, but on Arden.

What she saw was mesmerizing.

Arden moved like water, smooth yet unpredictable. The Eyegor Warlord swung its colossal axe, the sheer force of it sending tremors through the cavern, but Arden weaved between the strikes with effortless grace.

Selva's eyes widened. He wasn't just dodging—he was controlling the fight.

Arden's every motion was calculated. A sidestep here, a twist of the wrist there, the blade of his Wyvern Blade never staying still. He danced between the warlord's strikes, his movements an intricate balance between offense and defense, power and precision.

Selva could feel it in her core—the seamless blend of footwork and swordplay, the precise timing of each strike. His blade was an extension of himself, his body shifting fluidly between attack and evasion.

"That's Pangamot," Leigh murmured beside her. "A martial art perfected in the mountains of Balamban."

Selva could only stare in awe. This wasn't brute strength. This was mastery.

The warlord roared, bringing its axe down in a crushing blow that could have split a house in half. But Arden was already gone, his blade tracing an arc through the air as he slashed across the warlord's exposed side, cutting deep.

The creature staggered, its massive frame swaying under the precise, relentless onslaught.

Selva clenched her fists. The realization hit her like a spark to dry tinder—this was the missing piece.

She had always relied on power, brute force, and sheer will. But Arden's style was different. It was efficiency, refinement, a method of fighting that made full use of speed, control, and precision.

She closed her eyes briefly, letting that knowledge settle, letting it change something within her.

She understood now.

Arden twisted mid-air, flipping over the warlord's final desperate strike. He landed behind it, his Wyvern Blade flashing with deadly precision. A single, final slash—clean and decisive—severed the warlord's spine.

The beast let out a low, guttural groan before collapsing with a thunderous crash.

Silence.

Selva's heart pounded in her chest. And then, she felt it—a rush of energy surging through her.

A breakthrough.

Her body trembled, her Agos surging like a tidal wave, her very being reaching toward something greater.

Lunok Realm—Foundation Stage.

The power flowed, not just through her veins but through her very soul. It was like a door had opened, revealing an entirely new level of strength, of understanding.

She gasped. Not just Foundation Stage—she had already reached Peak Stage in an instant.

Leigh, Dominic, and Arden turned to her, sensing the shift in her presence.

Dominic grinned. "Looks like someone had an awakening."

Arden wiped the blood from his blade, giving her a nod. "Not bad, Knight."

Selva exhaled, a small smirk forming on her lips as she tightened her grip on her sword.

"I think I'm ready for more."

Dominic rubbed his hands together like an excited child, his golden eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Now for the loot."

Arden smirked, sheathing his Wyvern Blade. "You really have your priorities straight."

Leigh sighed but couldn't hide the amused glint in her eyes. "Fine, let's see what we've got."

The massive body of the Eyegor Warlord lay sprawled across the cavern floor, the stone beneath it cracked from the sheer weight of its fall. Dominic wasted no time, placing a hand over its chest and pulsing his magic. A faint golden glow shimmered before several items materialized.

Titan's Warplate, forged from titansteel, said to withstand dragonfire. Giantbone War Axe, a massive weapon carved from an ancient beast's bones. Obsidian Crown, an artifact once worn by warlords, infused with dark enchantments. Bloodied Titan Cloak, a tattered relic of countless battles. Colossal Fang Necklace, crafted from primeval fangs, enhancing the wearer's strength. Eyegor Warlord's Crest, a legendary insignia of dominance.

Leigh picked up the Crest, nodding. "This will sell for a fortune."

Arden tested the weight of the axe before shrugging. "Too heavy for me. Maybe a collector will want it."

Selva, still riding the high of her breakthrough, eyed the Titan's Warplate. "I think I'll take this."

Dominic, grinning, grabbed the Obsidian Crown, holding it like a sacred relic. "Mine. No one fight me for it." He admired the faint runes on the dark metal. "This has enchantments… definitely something fun."

Arden smirked. "You're not planning to call yourself King Dominic, are you?"

Dominic placed the crown on his head and threw his arms wide. "Bow before me, peasants!"

Leigh flicked his forehead. "Cut it out."

Laughing, Dominic rubbed his head. "Alright, let's pack up. This mountain isn't going to clear itself."

Then, he frowned, kicking the warlord's arm. "Wait… where's the gold?"

Arden crossed his arms. "Shouldn't a boss like this be loaded?"

Leigh tapped her chin. "Maybe Eyegor Warlords don't carry gold? Or…" Her eyes locked onto a massive stone throne, half-buried in rubble.

Selva sighed. "Great. That probably means…"

Dominic was already moving. He placed both hands on the ground and pulsed his magic. The air shimmered as gold coins, gemstones, and old treasure chests materialized beneath the throne, spilling out in a small heap.

Arden whistled. "Now that's more like it."

Dominic's eyes sparkled. "I was starting to think this guy fought for free."

Leigh inspected the treasure. "At least ten thousand gold coins, maybe more with the gems."

Selva smirked. "I take it back. This guy wasn't a warlord, he was a dragon in disguise."

Dominic quickly divided the loot. Leigh took charge of the gold, Arden pocketed a few gemstones, and Selva nodded at the newfound wealth. Dominic, of course, was the happiest, letting the gold slip through his fingers like sand.

"Beautiful. Just beautiful."

Leigh rolled her eyes. "Let's move. I'd rather not meet something worse while we're celebrating."

Arden cracked his neck. "Agreed. Let's see what else One-Eyed Peak is hiding."

With their spirits high and their pockets full, the group pressed onward, deeper into the domain of the Eyegors, ready for whatever lay ahead.