I think I agree with the sentiment that the cyclops just needed a "warning shot" mechanic of some kind so you can learn what the swing does, rather than giving him indicators.

I like to meme aurum vale a lot when I get it, but it's an important tutorial dungeon not unlike cutter's cry in how it forces you to pay attention to a lot of things. It prepares you for harder content down the line because you get a bit of practice with mechanics you hadn't seen before, or saw in only limited capacity.

I don't really think it should be hard for the sake of hard; in fact, I think Aurum is a really easy dungeon once you've got the hang of it. The challenge presented here had a very real point, and while the swing being a one-hit KO from the get-go might've been a bit of a misstep, it's still preferable to this change, I think.