Forests Don't Support Idle Goblins

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"And then you jumped into the spacetime rift?" Sharl raised an eyebrow; the lizardman lich's explanation did indeed make a lot of sense.

Sometimes, the more you forbid someone from doing something, the more they want to try it. For example, in the winter in the north, you tell your friends from the south not to lick iron pillars because their tongues will get stuck, but they just won't listen. Instead, they'll ask you, "I heard that iron pillars taste sweet in winter, is that true?"

"Back then, there were dozens of pursuers behind me. If I hadn't done this, I would have been reduced to ashes. If it were you, what would you have done?" Spencer smiled and glanced at the goblin.

"Then I will definitely jump."

Spencer nodded knowingly upon hearing Charles's reply.

"And then you traveled back 5000 years?"

"Well, that's true, but," Spencer tried to recall the situation, "I didn't immediately realize that I had crossed time. I thought I had just arrived in a new world or a new place."

"It was only when I saw some centaurs grazing that I realized I was safe for the time being." He spread his hands and continued, "After that, I traveled in that world until I entered a city and met some learned people, and then I understood my situation."

"So how did you get to the City of Pure White?" Charles asked curiously, stroking his chin.

"You mean Avalon?"

"Yes." Charles nodded. He was quite familiar with this name from his previous life. It was the famous "Faraway Ideal Land," known as the land of fairies, and of course, it also had the legend of "Apple Island." He just didn't expect that in this world, there was also a magnificent city called Avalon.

"Oh, that's interesting. I remember that experience very clearly to this day," Spencer grinned and chuckled a few times. "I heard that the capital of the Holy Kingdom was Avalon, and I wanted to see it for myself. At the time, I used my magical abilities to make a little money, so I went to a local carriage and horse trading guild. What were they called again...?"

As he spoke, the lizardman lich rubbed his temples, his eyes narrowing as he tried to recall.

"So you went straight to Avalon?" Seeing that the other person's memory was indeed problematic, Charles skipped over this part.

"Yes," Spencer nodded, "Of course, getting to Avalon isn't that easy, since it floats in the sky, but you can use a teleportation device to go directly to the square in the middle of the city."

"A teleportation device?" Charles frowned.

"Yes, it's something like a magic circle," the lizardman said, glancing at the goblin with a strange expression. "Anyone who stands on it will be instantly teleported into the sky."

"Doesn't anyone need to help operate it?" Charles asked, having initially thought it was the effect of the runeword "Gate," but it didn't seem to be.

"No need, just stand on it. And it's not just people, but also cargo wagons, travelers riding magical beasts, or giant magical puppets can be teleported directly."

"That sounds so convenient."

“That’s true,” Spencer nodded. “I even paid a guide to show me around Avalon, and looking back, it was an unforgettable experience.”

"So the magic circle you had Zunesha find was for Avalon?" Sharl turned to look at Zunesha, who was standing in the distance. He now knew the function of the magic circle.

Yes, that's right.

"But that city is from 5000 years ago, and so much time has passed now, what if...?"

The lizardman lich looked at the goblin who seemed hesitant to speak and said directly, "Could it have already crashed to the earth? I know what you mean, but I don't want to give up. After I was sent back into the time magic circle by those high-level mages, I returned to my own timeline. Since then, I have been collecting information about Avalon, but unfortunately, I haven't found anything. But this is still good news."

"Good news?" Charles was taken aback, but then he understood what the other person meant. "In other words, it may not have crashed. If Sky City had fallen to the ground, it would have created a lot of ruins and would definitely have been recorded as a major event."

“Yes,” Spencer gave Charles a deep look, clearly surprised by the goblin’s intelligence, “so I will not give up the search for it.”

"Now that you mention it, it does make sense," Charles murmured, stroking his chin. "A city that has been floating in the sky for 5000 years, but now it's nowhere to be seen..."

"And there's another reason I can't refuse," Spencer added, seeing Charles muttering to himself, "Avalon is the only way to the Tower of Babel."

"The Tower of Babel?" Ciel murmured, but immediately stopped himself.

But Spencer immediately noticed the change in his expression. "You actually know about the Tower of Babel?"

"I... I just heard about it by chance," Charles waved his hand dismissively.

The meaning was already quite clear, but Charles didn't say anything. He simply gazed at the other person calmly, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Well, like I said before, everyone has their secrets." Spencer shrugged. "It's not surprising that you have a connection to the Holy Kingdom deep down, and that you know about the Tower of Babel."

As he spoke, he looked the goblin in front of him up again. "If I hadn't been able to tell from your words, I would have even suspected that you were a time traveler as well."

"Of course not," Charles smiled. "Since we're on the topic of magic circles, I'd like to discuss something with you."

"What is it?"

"I'm building my own city, and the location I've chosen is on the site of the abandoned City of Ten Thousand Races. I hope you can agree," Charles said, raising a thumb and pointing to the elephant lord in the distance. "Agree to let the elephant lord and his herd stay and help me. As for that magic circle, I'll help you find it in the forest."

"You?" Spencer smiled as he looked at the goblin.

"Yes," Charles nodded. "I will explore the entire Nightmare Forest from now on, and I will also recruit all the goblins into my tribe. One day, I will control the entire forest area. As long as that magic circle is in the Nightmare Forest, I can help you find it."

After saying that, he spread his hands slightly to indicate that he was not exaggerating. "And as you said, I have some potential connections with the Holy Kingdom, so it might be easier for me to find that magic circle and let you return to Avalon, or even see the Tower of Babel."

"It's not that simple," Spencer shook his head slightly. "You know the Tower of Babel is an ancient building, and it contains all the magical books."

"I know," Charles nodded confidently.

His confident attitude only piqued the lizardman lich's interest more. Spencer thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "I can do a divination for you to see what's going on."

"Divination?" Charles was taken aback, then stared at the skeletal lich before him. "Aren't you a wizard, a high-ranking necromancer?"

"Yes, I am indeed a lich," Spencer did not shy away from his lich title, "but it was out of necessity. I had to switch to necromancy and become a lich to have a chance to return to Avalon. Before that, I was an arcane mage."

"An arcane mage?" Charles frowned. The mage before him had deathly pale skin and a skeletal frame, with only a few bones covering his "sensitive areas." He seemed completely out of place the image of a refined arcane archmage. "Divination requires a crystal ball, doesn't it?"

"Strictly speaking, it is indeed necessary," Spencer nodded, but his tone was not particularly concerned. "But there are still some simple divination methods that can temporarily fill the gap."

As he spoke, he reached out his hand, flicked his finger, and a bone fragment on the ground immediately floated up and flew into his hand.

Immediately afterwards, with a "poof" sound, the fragment burst into flames, making a "crackling" sound.

Charles took a half step back, looking at the lizardman lich with some confusion. He didn't quite understand why they were burning bones, or what they were trying to do.

"Hmm, almost done." Spencer stared at the bone in his hand, even observing Charles through the flames. Soon he waved his hand, and the flames on the bone fragments went out. With a "crack," the fragments made a breaking sound.

"Let me see," the lizardman lich stared at the bone in his hand, muttering something under his breath. Finally, he looked up at Sharl. "The divination results are not bad."

"What was the result?"

"You will experience two ominous signs in the near future."

"Huh? Me?" Charles pointed to his face. "Two ominous signs?"

He looked at the cracked bone fragments on the other person's hand, not quite understanding how the other person could tell. "How did you figure that out?"

“Look, there are two huge cracks on this bone,” Spencer pointed to the bone. “This represents your situation in the near future.”

"What a charlatan!" Charles thought to himself, but kept his expression as calm as possible. "Um, I'd like to know, is all magic like this among you lizardmen?"

"What, you don't believe me?" Spencer waved the bone in his hand.

"It's not that I don't believe it," Charles quickly waved his hand. After all, the other party was a convert of Elephant Lord, but to be honest, he really didn't believe in this person's strength.

Perhaps this lich was just lucky, or for some other reason, there are differences in strength between liches.

"There aren't many arcane mages among the lizardmen; on the contrary, those in power practice more mind magic." Spencer sighed, tossing the bone in his hand. With a "thud," the bone landed directly on the pile of bones.

"Oh, okay." Charles nodded, indicating that he understood, but his perfunctory attitude made Spencer shake his head.

"Don't underestimate the Lizardman Kingdom." Spencer held up a finger in front of Charles. "They are not weaklings; on the contrary, they are very powerful."

This piqued Charles's interest, but he didn't say anything, only showing an expression of listening attentively.

"The lizardman kingdom has existed in the abyss for thousands of years. The harsh environment there has forged their indomitable spirit and bloodthirsty, brutal nature." Spencer pointed to the two bone fragments still floating nearby. "Although they dislike, and even hate, mages, they have developed their martial prowess to the extreme."

"I'd like to hear the details." Charles nodded.

"They have sharp weapons, bone clubs bound with sharp obsidian fragments that can easily slice through flesh, and they are tall and fight-loving," Spencer glanced at Charles, "For them, if a dispute arises, they will go to the tribunal to determine right and wrong."

"What is a tribunal? A court?"

"It's an octagon," Spencer shook his finger. "Only the one who wins the duel is right."

"I've heard of this custom; many races have it, like the minotaurs," Charles said immediately.

“No, it’s different,” Spencer smiled. “The minotaurs also fight, but if one side loses, the fight ends immediately. But the lizardmen are different; the winner of a duel must be the one who kills the opponent.”

"Does it have to be killed?" Ciel frowned. This sounded a bit bloody. If you accidentally bumped into someone while walking, and that person immediately dragged you to the octagon for a duel and wanted to kill you, just because you bumped into them, that wouldn't make sense.

"Yes, if no one is killed, the final result is that both sides will be sentenced to death," Spencer said calmly. "And their army sometimes doesn't need supplies or logistics, let alone prisoners."

"This..." Charles pursed his lips, immediately understanding what it meant. They'd probably all been eaten. "That does sound a bit cruel. Why?"

"They also raise a large number of lizards, all kinds, some that run on the ground and some that fly in the air."

"I also keep some lizards," Charles smiled, "petrifying lizards, though not many."

"I know that kind of creature," Spencer said, ignoring Charles's words, "but it's nothing compared to the creatures of the Lizardman Kingdom."

As he spoke, he waved his hand again, and several bone fragments on the ground floated up, forming a somewhat familiar pattern in front of Charles.

"This looks," Charles stared at the bone puzzle, "very much like a dinosaur, a Tyrannosaurus Rex?"

"Dinosaur?" Spencer pondered the word. "It's quite fitting, except that people call it a Tyrannosaurus Rex."

"This thing looks alright." Charles turned to look at the elephant behind him. Compared to the Tyrannosaurus Rex, the elephant was obviously much larger.

"This thing is ten meters tall and over twenty meters long," Spencer chuckled. "And more importantly, there are quite a few of these creatures."

"Then..." Ciel frowned, watching the bone puzzle in front of him move constantly, like a miniature Tyrannosaurus Rex wagging its tail and roaring in front of him. "That's really powerful. How did they do it?"

“It’s very simple,” Spencer said calmly. “They used the blood of the Behemoth.”

"A Behemoth?"

"Yes, it's what you all call Behemoth."

"Mythical creatures?" Sharl's pupils contracted, surprised that the Lizardman Kingdom had already begun conducting biological experiments.

"Yes, and there's more news, which isn't good news for you, or for the world." Spencer looked at the somewhat shocked Charles and said slowly:

"They've always wanted to return to the material plane."