The Last King Of Darkness
Chapter 381 - 267 Fire Hall_2

Chapter 381: Chapter 267 Fire Hall_2

"And our weekly expenses have already exceeded twenty million, and they are bound to climb significantly in the future. We absolutely cannot give up the Sun Crystal Vein."

Molly said, "We can reduce this expenditure."

Rod snorted, "Why should I reduce it?"

Molly chose not to say anything further.

Although this was highly unreasonable, she had already made up her mind that Rod’s will was her will.

So it was that Rod and the Royal City team reached a deadlock.

He had originally planned to wear the people down to create a fait accompli, then pay a small price, and the Royal City might just hold its nose and accept the situation.

But in the evening, Guardian Chucher sought him out alone.

Chucher had once been a teacher in a secret branch and participated in the Laisuo City campaign and the Abyss Giant Snake campaign, having met Rod several times before and held a good impression of him.

"Little Rod, this kind of brute force approach won’t work."

Chucher was a burly man, always bare-chested, revealing his robust muscles and abdominals.

He carried his weapons on his back—a giant hammer and a giant axe, both dull and unimpressive in appearance, but Rod knew that Chucher had used them to block a fleshy giant sword many times their size and had overpowered the Abyss Giant Snake in terms of strength.

"The Sun Crystal is the lifeblood of the Royal City, and it is absolutely impossible for it to be controlled by private individuals. That would give him the power to threaten the Royal City, and if his will differed from that of the Royal City, it would cause a rift within us."

Rod frowned, "How could that be? It’s just a resource."

Chucher revealed a smile.

His face, lined with scars, bunched together in a grimace, but his eyes were gentle.

"Little Rod, you have not yet become a High Rank Combatant; there are some things you don’t know. This concern is not unfounded; it has happened in history before," said Chucher.

Rod scratched the back of his head, finding it somewhat unbelievable.

Chucher continued, "You should know that aside from the First Level spiritual power upgrade ceremony, all others must use Sun Crystals."

"Imagine, everyone wants to improve their Spiritual Energy, but within the Royal City, there aren’t enough Sun Crystals. They need to wait for months or even years to get the Sun Crystals necessary for the ceremony. During that time, they cannot cultivate, cannot enhance their Spiritual Energy, and some might even experience various discomforts due to the long-term excess of Spiritual Energy above the limits of their Souls."

"What if, at that moment, there’s someone who can immediately provide you with Sun Crystals, and even guarantee you’ll have enough Sun Crystals in the future? What would you do?" he asked.

Rod fell silent.

His Spiritual Power Level had been upgraded in leaps, with only two ceremonies in total, and only once did he need Sun Crystals, so he had not truly felt this pain point.

However, he did wait a while for Sun Crystals because of an impending deployment during his second upgrade ceremony and was able to skip ahead in line.

If one had to progress from First Level incrementally, such an interminable wait would indeed be agonizing.

Thinking along those lines, if someone had control over this resource, then naturally, many people would gather around him. Over time, it was not impossible to garner enough power to splinter the Royal City.

But to just hand it over was equally unbearable to him.

Chucher laughed, "Think flexibly, Little Rod. You can set conditions, don’t forget that you’re a genius among geniuses. The Royal City has only ten rising stars each year, and you’ve already secured one of those spots. Someone with the potential to be a future pillar of humanity is highly valued by the Royal City. Moreover, the achievements you’ve created so far have far exceeded the limits of a newcomer. You are fully entitled to negotiate with the Royal City."

After a moment of silent contemplation, Rod asked, "What if I insist on not handing it over?"

Chucher’s expression turned grave, "Why do you think the Royal City specifically sent a Guardian to deal with this internal affair? High Rank Combatants are a very valuable force and do not have free time unless they are in a recovery or upgrade period."

Rod sighed, "Alright, I understand, Teacher Chucher."

Chucher gave his shoulder a reassuring pat.

"Don’t worry, Little Rod, things will be much better than you think. Remember one thing, ask the Royal City for what you need most, but don’t ask directly for money."

Rod was puzzled, "Why?" He was just thinking of asking for a billion silver coins for a start.

Leaning in close, Chucher whispered, "Because the Royal City is quite poor, too."

Rod almost burst into laughter; financial difficulties were understandable, but why whisper it like that?

Chucher added, "Tomorrow, be confident when you confront Elder Palos. I will be there to assist you. Believe me, he will compromise."

Rod felt grateful and sincerely responded, "Thank you, Teacher Chucher."

Chucher pounded his chest resoundingly, his laughter hearty.

"Don’t mention it, Little Rod. Even I couldn’t help but get fired up reading about your deeds. Leading a team of a hundred away from the Royal City, venturing deep into darkness, slashing through thickets, slaying monsters, igniting fires, reclaiming the land once belonging to mankind. In such a short time, you’ve built such a prosperous settlement."

"Trust me, there’s not a soul who isn’t stirred by your deeds, not a person who isn’t thrilled to see humanity standing tall on this land once more. We’ve been suppressed for far too long, tiptoeing with each step further, fearing to provoke unknown terrors and bring unimaginable calamities upon Troli."

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