Tomb of Garth

The forest was eerily quiet as William and his small group approached the ancient structure. The trees here were taller, their gnarled branches twisting like skeletal fingers against the pale sky.

William had heard about a place from the villagers. One story, however, was particularly noteworthy: the story of Garth, one of the Four Heavenly Kings who had served the Demon King centuries ago.

After losing to the heroes of mankind, the great Demon commander Garth had been buried in a tomb not far from the village. According to the villagers, his resting place was filled with treasures and guarded by ancient magic.

William had also read about him in historical books. Garth was also known as the Demon of Berserk. He was the Demon King's strongest general, in terms of physical strength, he alone killed millions of people a thousand years ago and it was said that he also killed angels from heaven and surpassed the hero of Mankind in terms of row strength. And just by defeating him, two members of the hero party also died.

William also knew that Garth's grave was in the Great Forest, but he did not know where it was. He had heard a lot about Garth's grave while he was an adventurer. Because it was a point of interest to many adventurers, specially for tomb raiders, different parties tried to find it at different times, but no one was ever successful.

When William heard about it from the villagers, he decided to investigate. He selected a few of the strongest people from the village. Total seven people—himself, Limir, Gurr, Lily, a spear-wielding demon named Kael, a female archer named Sira, and a mage named Nara—and his Demonic Dog.

The tomb was a massive, pyramid-shaped structure. Vines snaked up its sides, and the entrance was framed by two broken statues of demon warriors, their faces worn smooth by centuries of wind and rain. The ground around the tomb was littered with skeletons—some humans, some demons. The scattered remains were grim evidence that many had come here before—and failed.

Limir said "This is it. The Tomb of Garth. Our ancestors said it's filled with traps and guardians. Most who enter never return."

William nodded, his eyes scanning the structure. The System had already provided him with some information:

[Location: Tomb of Garth – Status: Sealed // Threats: Guardian Golems (Tier 3), Cursed Traps (Active)]

He had come prepared. Slung over his shoulder was a musket, one of the weapons they had scavenged from the invaders. He also carried several pouches of gunpowder and a few crude grenades he had fashioned. The demons with him were armed as well: Limir with a short sword, Gurr with a massive war hammer, Lily with daggers, Kael with a spear, Sira with her bow, and Nara with a staff carved from blackwood.

"Master, can we return from here victoriously?" Lily asked, her voice trembling slightly. She was young, her pearlescent horns still cracked from the attack on the village.

William placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sure. Don't worry. I have a plan."

William sent his IMP first to enter the tomb.

♦♦♦

The entrance to the tomb was a gaping maw of darkness, the air inside cold and heavy. William lit a torch, the flame casting flickering shadows on the walls. The interior was a labyrinth of narrow corridors and crumbling staircases.

The group moved cautiously, their footsteps echoing in the silence. William's eyes darted to the System notifications that occasionally flickered in his vision:

[Trap Detected: Pressure Plate – Disarmed.]

[Trap Detected: Poison Dart Mechanism – Disarmed.]

The Imp's scouting had paid off. It had disabled several traps before they could trigger, but William knew there would be more.

They reached a large chamber. The floor was littered with bones, and at the far end stood a massive stone door, its surface covered in intricate carvings.

"This is it," Limir whispered. "The inner sanctum."

As they approached the door, the ground beneath them began to tremble. The bones rattled, and from the shadows emerged three towering figures: Guardian Golems.

The golems were made of black stone, their bodies etched with glowing runes. Their eyes burned with a malevolent light as they turned toward the intruders.

[Enemy Encountered: Guardian Golem (Tier 3) x3.]

"Get ready!" William barked, raising his musket.

The golems charged, their heavy footsteps shaking the chamber.

William fired, the musket ball striking one golem in the chest and shattering a chunk of its stone body. The creature staggered but kept coming.

The reason William used the musket here was to save his energy so he could fight later.

"Kael, Sira, focus on the left one! Nara, support them! Gurr, with me!" William shouted.

Gurr roared, swinging his war hammer at the nearest golem. The impact sent cracks spiderwebbing across its torso, but the Golem retaliated with a crushing blow that sent Gurr flying.

William tossed a few gunpowder pouchs at the golem's feet after lit it with the torch. Explosion. And when the smoke cleared, the golem was in pieces.

[Enemy Defeated: Guardian Golem. EXP +150.]

The other two golems were still standing, but Kael and Sira had managed to weaken one. Nara chanted, her staff glowing as she summoned a bolt of dark energy that struck the golem, shattering it.

The last golem lunged at William, but the Demonic Dog and Imp intercepted it. William seized the opportunity, driving a dagger into the golem's glowing core. The runes flickered, and the golem collapsed.

[Enemy Defeated: Guardian Golem x2. EXP +300.]

With the golems destroyed, the group approached the stone door.

"Stand back," William said, placing a small explosive charge at the base of the door. He lit the fuse and moved away as the explosion tore the door apart.

Inside was a vast chamber, its walls lined with treasures: gold, weapons, and artefacts. At the centre stood a massive sarcophagus, its lid carved in the likeness of Garth.

William stepped forward.

As he reached the sarcophagus, the System flickered:

[Quest Updated: Explore the Tomb of Garth.

Objective: Retrieve Garth's Relic.

Reward: 1000 EXP. Unlock Legacy of the Four Heavenly Kings.]

William pushed the lid aside, revealing Garth's remains. Clutched in the skeleton's hands was a blackened sword, its blade etched with runes that pulsed faintly with dark energy.

William reached for the sword, and as his fingers closed around the hilt, a surge of power coursed through him.

[Item Acquired: Garth's Blade (Legendary).

Effect: +20% Attack Power. Passive: Demonic Wrath (Increases damage against human enemies by 30%).]

Then suddenly, the ground began to shake again.

[Boss Encountered: Tomb's Wraith (Tier 4).]