Forests Don't Support Idle Goblins

"Maintain formation, don't charge out," Charles shouted to his men as he directed the battle.

These zombie goblins attack without any strategy; they simply pounce and bite. However, after being blocked by their minions using shields and long branches, they are then stabbed down by spears.

"Boom!" A series of explosions rang out, knocking down a group of zombies, but they rolled over, got up, and charged forward again.

"The hand grenade fruit is useless against them," Nine Fingers said from the side.

"Attack the mushrooms on them, or cut their necks!" Charles shouted. Nine Fingers immediately cast Firebird spell, and three firebirds flew straight at a zombie goblin, hitting the red mushrooms with a "smack." The zombie goblin then took two steps forward and lay motionless on the ground.

"Hmm, you're quite clever." The druid glanced at the resisting goblins, somewhat surprised. "You even know how to use military formations; that's a pleasant surprise."

"Surprised?" Charles shouted, then shot another arrow at the other side. "Your kingdom's subjects are almost unable to move."

"What kind of subjects are they? At best, they're just my experimental subjects," the druid said casually, pulling out a crossbow bolt.

"Experimental materials?" Charles frowned, scanning the surrounding zombie goblins. Even after being stabbed, they would continue to attack, and many of them, even with their legs severed, would crawl on the ground and try to take a bite.

If his men hadn't mastered the basics of this formation, they would have been surrounded and killed by the horde of zombies.

"You sound a little angry," the druid said with a hint of mockery. "Aren't goblins perfect experimental subjects? The goblins outside can survive simply by sitting on the mycelial roots and absorbing nutrients. When I open the door, they'll automatically run in, eagerly begging me to become their experimental subjects."

"No goblin wants to be a test subject," Charles shouted, then threw a grenade fruit at the other party.

After the smoke cleared, the druid waved his hand and dusted off his robe. "They serve a greater purpose than being killed by adventurers, becoming experimental subjects."

"Is this how it works, like a walking corpse?" Charles stared at the other, knowing he had to deal with the mycelium behind him. He patted the astral hound beside him and pointed to the druid on the umbrella. "Rupus, jump over there and bite off his mycelium."

Lupus took a few steps forward, then with a whoosh, it turned into a point of light. A crack appeared behind the druid, and Lupus suddenly leaped out, opening its mouth to bite the thin mycelium.

Just when Charles thought victory was assured, with a "boom," the white throne on the umbrella exploded, and countless white mycelium shot out in all directions, looking just like a sea urchin.

Lupus was stung in several places by the mycelium, then it leaped back to Shire's side.

Charles immediately checked on the Celestial Hound's condition; its limbs were trembling, and it was clear that it was having some difficulty even standing.

"Go back to the Astral Plane immediately," Charles said. Agatha had told him that if Lupus was injured, it needed to be sent back to the Astral Plane immediately.

As the Celestial Hound disappeared, Sharl frowned as he stared at the composed druid on the parasol.

"Surprised?" The other person looked down at Xia Er. "This entire space is covered with mycelium, and all of this mycelium is under my control. Put down your weapons, and your fate will be the same as my experimental subjects."

"You're angry, goblin," he said, taking a few steps to the side and putting his hands behind his back. "It seems you don't understand why the goblin race can still exist."

"Humans are much stronger than monkeys, right? But did monkeys go extinct? No, because humans quickly realized that the dead only provide meat and fur, but the living have more value. That's why goblins can still exist—they're useful when they're alive."

"It's not that you're still alive and kicking, it's just that you don't want to kill me," the druid said contemptuously.

Charles squinted, staring intently at the druid on the canopy, pondering a countermeasure.

"Every race and every person has their own value." The druid didn't even glance at Sharl from beginning to end. "I learned this when I was a clergyman in the church. When the poor people knelt before me, kowtowing and begging the earth god to bless them, I only needed to pretend to pat them on the head, and they would be grateful."

"Just like those goblins outside, they try to rush in here every day, begging me to turn them into experimental subjects."

"They just want to die," Charles said through gritted teeth. "You're toying with them through the mycelium."

"Aren't the gods also toying with their believers? And," the druid scoffed, "what business is it of theirs if they're toying with them?"

With a "whoosh," a crossbow bolt pierced the druid's forehead. He reached out, pulled it off, and threw it to the ground.

"You don't have many zombies left," Charles said loudly. This formation might have problems dealing with experienced adventurers, but it was quite good at dealing with these zombie goblins who didn't have any special abilities.

"I greatly admire your subordinates, including you. I'm carefully studying you as high-quality material; you could even become a general in my future zombie goblin army," the druid said, raising his hands.

"Death Cloud Technique".

"Entwined by vines."

The druid cast two spells in quick succession. Charles, staring at the spreading yellow-green clouds in the air and the trembling white mycelium on the ground, shouted, "Contraction, Nine Fingers, use the reel!"

Nine Fingers immediately took out a magic scroll, and a dazzling light shone as the magic-suppressing barrier took effect, perfectly enveloping the shrinking goblin that was approaching.

A magic-suppressing barrier—explore fantasy novel genres, there's bound to be one that suits you. Once torn open, it temporarily shields the user from magical fields, creating an area that temporarily isolates magical effects, but the effect is short-lived.

The Death Cloud spell and mycelium had no effect on the goblins inside the barrier for the time being, but some zombies still rushed over.

"Nine Fingers, ensure the barrier remains effective," Sharl commanded loudly. Then he looked at the druid, "You say this is your kingdom, but you established it by stealing the power of the Mother Tree."

"Yes, I extracted the power of the Mother Tree. The Mother Tree of the Treant race possesses immense power, and this is also an experiment." The druid extended a hand and clenched his fist. "Once I obtain all of her power, I can advance and spread the mycelium completely. As long as I stand on the mycelium, no attack can kill me."

"You are killing and destroying," Charles shouted.

"That is their value."

With a "whoosh," the magic-suppressing barrier activated again, keeping the death clouds and vines outside.

"Goblin, you've got quite a lot of gadgets," the druid said with a laugh. "How many more scrolls do you have? And don't think I don't know what you're thinking."

The vines rolled on the ground, forcing Broken Tooth out of the shadows. Charles immediately ordered his men to come closer. He had indeed been thinking of having Broken Tooth find a way to get close and cut the connecting mycelium from behind.

"I can sense the presence of any creature standing on mycelium," the druid said with a look of disdain.

"I still have plenty of scrolls," Charles said, pulling out a magic-suppressing scroll and handing it to Nine Fingers. "But what about you? How big can your Mushroom Kingdom be?"

After he finished speaking, he gave an order, and his men threw blazing glue in all directions. In the blink of an eye, an explosion was heard, followed by a raging fire.

Charles hadn't initially planned to use the Fiery Glue in this confined space, but now he had no choice but to take the risk.

"Stop! That's the result of my experiment!" the druid roared, then jumped off the parachute. The white mycelium on the ground quickly enveloped him, layer upon layer, until he became a mycelium giant over 3 meters tall, with the druid's face only showing on the giant's chest.

"Here's what you wanted, goblins." The druid roared, and the mycelium giant raised its arm, sweeping it across with a "whoosh," sending all the goblins within the magic-suppressing area flying.

Charles had to immediately lie on the ground to dodge the attack, but the magic-suppressing barrier also lost its effect, and he felt that his body seemed a little heavy and sore.

"How dare you ruin the results of the Forest King's experiment!" The druid manipulated the giant, raising his arm high, about to smash it down on Sharl. "I'll skin you alive!"

"No, you are not the King of the Forest." A young voice rang out behind the druid. "The races of the forest would never destroy this place."

Upon hearing the voice, Charles's eyes widened in shock, and he immediately took out two rolls from his bag.

"The forest will treat every kind person kindly, and it will also punish the wicked." The little fairy Shanxiao raised the wooden sword in her hand high and slashed hard at the thin mycelium behind the giant.

His eyes were filled with anger and focus, completely disregarding the enormous size difference between himself and the giant, as he fearlessly and recklessly slashed down.

With a "crack," the mycelium snapped off as if it had been struck on the Achilles' heel.

"Maggots!" the druid roared. The mycelium giant turned around and slapped the little goblin away, but then, due to the breakage of the mycelium, the white mycelium wrapped around the giant's body also began to rapidly collapse and fall to the ground.

"Shansio!" Charles shouted, watching as the little fairy was sent flying far away. He didn't know if she was still alive, but now was the best time to attack.

"Maggots," the druid continued cursing, manipulating magic to quickly re-establish the symbiotic bond.

But Charles wouldn't give him another chance. He picked up the longsword that Red Eyes had just dropped after being knocked away and tore off two scrolls in succession.

"Acceleration spell".

"Apply oil to the soles of your feet."

These are all standard rolls that Mind Flayer "gifted" to him before.

At this moment, Charles felt a surge of power within him, his legs trembling slightly. He suddenly raised his sword and rushed forward, his speed so fast that even his own shadow could not keep up.

However, just as he was about to reach the druid, he felt a sharp pain in his chest and was shocked to discover that several white thorns made of twisted mycelium had pierced his heart from behind.

Charles coughed up a mouthful of blood, feeling as if all his strength was about to be drained away.

With a "whoosh," the mycelium was pulled out, causing him to stumble.

"Goblin, I've said it before, in this space, I am the king." The druid laughed arrogantly.

"Hmph," Charles staggered a couple of steps, still feeling the effects of the magic scroll.

Then, he looked up and smiled.

The next instant, "thud," Sharl pierced the druid's heart with his sword.

"Goblin, how dare you..." The druid stared in shock at the longsword embedded in his chest, unable to believe that the other party was so fast. The noble man had actually been stabbed in the heart by the experimental material he had chosen. His mycelium was almost connected.

The goblin in front of him had no injuries on his chest. If it weren't for the holes in his clothes and the blood, he would have looked as if he had never been hurt.

"I am the damn king of the forest," Charles said through gritted teeth, enunciating each word clearly.

Then he forcefully pulled out the Shamrakh black sword and chopped off the other man's head with one stroke.