Baby Head was nothing short of horrifying. It scurried quickly across the top of the ruins, frequently turning its dead eyes to Owin. Four overly long legs sprouted from the center head, reaching high above before bending back to fine points that seemed to cling to the surface.

Baby Head’s nickname came from the main part of its body, which was nothing more than a large bald head. The features were smooth apart from the horrific fangs in the mouth and the blank, dead gray eyes.

“See? Baby Head,” Katalin said.

“I haven’t seen a baby, but I don’t think that’s how they look,” Owin said.

“I don’t know what to tell you. Everyone knows Baby Head.”

Ocean Mob

Ilthaman

Prazene Scout

Level 20

“Ilthaman,” Owin said.

Baby Head hissed at the mention of its name.

“I have to get up there to fight that thing and the snakes just for a treasure?”

“Yes,” Ernie said.

“That’s what we’re not paying you for,” Katalin said.

“That’s a confusing way to say that.” Ernie put his arm over Owin’s shoulder again. “Look. Baby Head is fast but it isn’t that dangerous.”

“Do horrors give a buff?”

“Don’t eat it!” Katalin smacked Owin in the back of the head. “How many times do I have to say this?”

“Apparently a few more,” Ernie said.

Owin shrugged Ernie’s arm off his shoulder. “I won’t eat anything.” He set the hammer down once again and took the trident from Katalin. “This shouldn’t take long.” Owin set off toward the ruins.

“Horrific damage can be a little . . . well, horrific,” Katalin said.

Few things made him stop so quickly. “What damage?”

“Prazene have a unique type of damage known as horrific,” Ernie said. “Think like cathkabel or demons using luminous or abyssal damage. I think the damage is where they got their nicknames.”

“I thought they were just ugly as shit,” Katalin said.

“Might be both things.” Ernie shrugged. “Just avoid getting hit. Horrific damage affects your mind.”

Owin slumped, leaning on the trident. “I was confident.”

“You’ll be fine,” Katalin said. “How much is that mind doing anyway? What are a few hallucinations going to do?”

Ernie chuckled and sat on the sand. He gestured to the ruins. “What are you waiting for?”

“What’s a hallucination?”

Katalin scratched her head. “I need to start assuming you don’t know anything. Um . . . it might be better if you just find out. I’m not sure how to explain this one without making you too scared to fight.” She sat beside Ernie. “Do you have the purple honeywort tonic?”

He pulled his backpack off and dug through until he found a small vial of purple liquid. “Right here.”

“See? You’ll be fine.” She smiled at Owin.

“You know I don’t know what that is, right?” He lifted the trident from the sand and adjusted his grip. Fighting with it was still awkward, and would be until someone showed him how to use it. Sanem would certainly know something about using a trident, but she wouldn’t be able to help until he got back to Atrevaar.

“Trust us,” Katalin said.

Owin watched Baby Head skitter across the ruins. It moved without the head bobbing despite crawling over holes or mounds of rubble. Its legs were a blur, carrying it back and forth over the small bridge connecting the two sections of ruined tower.

Etosai had been difficult because of his chitin armor. None of his attacks had been that dangerous or difficult to avoid. As soon as Owin cracked the shell, the rest of the fight was easy. In the Ocean Dungeon, there were chest guardians and wandering bosses. Which one was more difficult?

“How many people actually fight Baby Head?” Owin asked as he slowly approached the ruins.

“Hard to say. I assume most career heroes avoid it because a level 20 on floor 2 is strong. Heroes going for shards would definitely kill Baby Head. And with ease. Arkasti could’ve snapped his fingers and it would be dead.”

Owin nodded. Learning that wasn’t helpful at all. Arkasti was a much higher level than Owin. Everyone was a higher level than Owin. But his stats helped him be roughly equal to someone in the 30’s. At least, that’s what Sanem had said.

The tower looked like it had once stood hundreds of feet tall, though knowing the dungeons, it had never stood taller than the thirty feet that remained as ruins. Owin stopped short of the tower and waited for Baby Head to notice him.

The horror stopped scurrying near the edge and gazed down at Owin. Its gray eyes never blinked, staring straight at his wild purple hair.

“Hi,” Owin said.

The horror hissed and went right back to hurrying around the ruins.

“Okay.”

“Hurry it up! I don’t have all day!” Katalin yelled from her spot beside Ernie.

“You kind of do,” Ernie said quietly.

Just under a half hour. Few, if any, of Owin’s fights had lasted that long. A giant crab should have been more terrifying than the little spider-like baby head horror, but the gray eyes it kept turning toward Owin shook him.

He pushed off the ground, kicking a whole cloud of sand into the air. He moved through the water easily and landed gently on the edge of the ruins. Even Owin was surprised his dexterity didn’t betray him. Baby Head and all the slithering snakes paused at the same time, turning to him the moment his toes touched stone.

“Oh.” Owin pivoted and held the trident up just as a small snake somehow launched itself from the rubble. It smacked against the trident, missing the point. Owin swung the weapon down, slamming the snake into the stone.

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0 Experience

Four more snakes slithered at the same time as Baby Head sprinted forward, its legs a blur across the rubble. The tower was split into two main halves, about equal size. A bridge connecting the two halves was in disrepair, barely standing on two broken arches. The horror crossed the bridge without difficulty, without even disturbing one of the loose stones.

Owin swung the trident the same as he did with the Thunderstrike Maul. It cut through the water and launched a snake off the tower, where it smashed into the hazy boundary wall. Blood splattered across the invisible barrier, which answered a lot of Owin’s unasked questions.

Baby Head launched itself at Owin faster than he could recover from his swing. Three more snakes all dove forward, latching onto his arms and legs with sharp fangs. Baby Head’s Legs wrapped around Owin, pulling his face close to the snarling, fang-filled mouth.

Gritty teeth scraped his cheeks, ripping through the bumpy, scarred skin. Health points dropped off until Owin grabbed the back of the head and tore the horror off his face. He threw it aside, right off the edge of the tower at the boundary wall. Snakes continued digging their fangs deeper into his skin, but they were quickly killed with swings of the trident.

Baby Head landed near the stairs and hissed at Katalin and Ernie. Its jaw had broken from the throw, leaving a steady stream of blood flowing into the water. Owin hopped off and landed between the alchemists and the horror.

“Are you okay?” Katalin asked.

“Yes,” Owin said.

Baby Head tilted its head as its gray eyes flashed. Owin readied the golden trident. The creature would charge him again. All he needed to do was impale it.

A yellow glow suddenly appeared in the staircase. Owin let his eyes drift from Baby Head for just a moment to watch as the top of a glowing mace emerged, climbing up the stairs. It was impossible. The doorways between floors were only accessible from one side. Nobody could go back through from the floor below.

A shaved head caused Owin’s breath to catch. Glowing yellow eyes glared as the mender climbed up the stairs from below.

Baby Head crashed into Owin, throwing him onto his back. The trident flew from his hand as he smashed into the sand. Owin immediately rolled backward and landed on his feet.

“Thanks for getting my dexterity up,” he said, turning to Katalin, who . . . wasn’t there.

Both alchemists were gone. In fact, everything was gone. Even his trident had vanished. He waved his arm through the air and stomped his foot.

“Do horrors have a teleport attack?” he asked himself quietly. The Ocean Dungeon had vanished. Owin was surrounded by stone walls and stood on plain dirt. Moving felt a little easier without being deep underwater. Baby Head and Nikoletta stood together nearby.

It didn’t matter where he was. Killing Nikoletta was the most important thing on his mind. Her glowing eyes followed every little movement Owin made. Baby Head hissed beside her.

Owin reached for a knife, only to find nothing in his belt. Even his bag was gone from his shoulder. He clenched his fists and smacked them together. A weapon wasn’t necessary. He could rip her to shreds on his own.

Baby Head and Nikoletta charged. The horror moved like a blur. Owin side-stepped and readied a fist for Nikoletta, but Baby Head’s long leg caught Owin’s neck and threw him right back at the ground. Sharp legs pierced Owin’s arms, pinning them to the dirt underneath.

Nikoletta hovered nearby, watching with her lifeless, emotionless eyes.

Baby Head moved to bite Owin, but its broken jaw hung limp, spilling blood and saliva across his face instead. Despite Katalin’s advice, Owin accidentally swallowed the horror’s blood.

It burned like fire the whole way down, ticking away health every second. Baby Head headbutted Owin. At first, it hurt and tossed Owin’s head back into the dirt. It also caused the horror to recoil.

The boss was faster than Owin, but he was stronger. He knew he was stronger. This is what he had been working toward. He grinned as Baby Head readied another headbutt. Owin swung his head up at the same time and smashed his forehead into the nose of Baby Head.

Blood dropped on Owin’s face like a bucket had been dumped. The legs pinning him to the ground remained, but wobbled as they were suddenly disconnected from the main body, which was nothing more than pulp. He pulled his arms up and ripped the legs out. They were sturdy enough to use as weapons, and sharp enough to do some damage to someone like Nikoletta.

She remained close by, staring at Owin.

Something thumped against his head. He turned, legs raised, and was smacked from the other side. He spun back around, finding nothing.

“What?” He took a step back, only to be smacked again.

Nikoletta took a step toward him, causing Owin to refocus. He wouldn’t go down without getting his revenge for Artivan. Owin leapt at Nikoletta and stabbed with the legs, but passed right through and crashed onto the ground. He hit the ground, bounced, and rolled without control.

Before he could stand up, something shoved him back onto the ground. A glass vial was forced between his teeth and something sour poured into his mouth.

Pain stung the back of Owin’s brain as his surroundings melted. The stone walls dripped, revealing the boundary walls and the Ocean Dungeon. The dirt bubbled and boiled away at his feet, revealing the sand and the stairs down.

Ernie stood over him, holding the glass vial. Katalin crouched beside him and smacked him on the head again.

“When we’re trying to help you, don’t try to stab us,” she said.

Ernie pulled the vial back and put a stopper on.

“I tried to stab you?” Owin asked.

“You kind of just jumped past us, but you were trying to stab something,” Ernie said.

“I saw the hero that tried to kill me. One of them that killed Artivan.” Owin scanned the area, ensuring Nikoletta really wasn’t nearby.

“Purple honeywort tonic neutralizes horrific damage.” Ernie helped Owin to his feet. “The hallucinations should be gone.”

Owin took another glance at the stairs, which glowed with yellow light. “Are you sure?”

Ernie nodded.

“Get back up there and get your treasure,” Katalin gently shoved Owin toward the ruined tower.

Owin steadied himself and checked the stairs again. The glow had vanished, leaving the staircase covered in shadows. He hopped up and drifted through the water, landing gently, though unsteadily on the tower. A chest was nestled between stacks of broken bricks on the edge, near the corner where the two boundary walls met. It opened from the slightest touch, revealing a small gnarled stick inside.

Journeyman Level Wand

Spells: Arcane Blast, Magma Mine

4/4 uses remaining for today

Note: Use of wand without charges will result in health drain

Note: Arcane Blast requires a verbal command

Owin picked up the wand and turned it over in front of his eyes. It was a good replacement for the wand he had lost against Graliel. It looked like two wands twisted together, covered in bumps and knots.

“Anything good?” Katalin shouted.

Owin hurried back to the ledge and held it out. “A new wand.”

“Perfect for a wizard!”

Ernie snorted. Katalin punched him in the arm.

“Sorry,” Ernie said. “A great thing for a mighty wizard.”

Owin smiled. He hopped off and landed beside the alchemists. “Do you know what Arcane Blast is?”

“I’ve heard of it, but I don’t know.” Ernie shrugged. “Wizard spells aren’t really my specialty.”

“Yeah, sorry,” Katalin said. “Try it out on the next floor if you get the chance.”

Ernie leaned in close, looking at the wand. “Does it only have the one spell?”

“No. It also has Magma Mine, but I think I know what that one does.”

Ernie scooted closer to Owin and got uncomfortably close. Owin leaned back, but Ernie grabbed his shoulder and held him still.

“What are you doing?” Owin asked.

“Checking your pupils. Making sure the horrific damage has fully passed through your system.”

Owin opened his eyes wider.

“That’s not helping.” He turned to Katalin. “Why are his eyes so damn weird?”

“I don’t know, Ern. Is it maybe because he’s a goblin?”

Ernie rolled his eyes and checked Owin’s again. “It seems fine. Do you see anything weird?”

“Would I know?”

“I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking.” Ernie gently shoved Owin away. “We’re assuming everything is back to normal.”

Own nodded slowly. He checked the dark stairs again. “Just to make sure, nobody saw a bald woman with a glowing mace, right?”

“Uh, no,” Katalin said. “I think I would remember that. It was just Baby Head and the snakes.”

“Okay.” Owin sighed. Despite the adrenaline and anger that had pumped through him, there was a sense of relief in knowing he would have the chance to kill her.

That would have to wait. And maybe, if he was lucky, Siora would be there too. He wouldn’t kill them quickly. They needed to suffer.

“We have a bit. It’s a good time to eat and rest,” Katalin said. She pulled her backpack off and frowned as she remembered it was destroyed.

“I don’t need to eat or rest,” Owin said.

“Oh, so you just eat shit because you’re insane?” Katalin asked.

Owin nodded.

“Alright.”

Ernie pulled a wrapped package of some food from his bag and handed it to Katalin. “We’re going to take a rest. You do what you need to—”

Owin fell to his knees and vomited blood into the water. A massive chunk of his health bar vanished as his vision became red, even as he tried to pull his face away from the cloud.

Health 5/140