"One: resources—jin cores, fire-spirit medium... Two: information—on evolution, on the outside world... Three: backing—your whole group joins a large organization."

Shen Cong laid out three options.

The fire cloud state of a Firestarter fragment was a hugely important secret. By his own standards, there was no ceiling on its price. If he could tap the energy locked inside a Firestarter fragment, no cost would be too high.

Li Heng went back and talked it over with the others for a good long while.

In fact, Shen Cong could hear every word they said. They argued back and forth over the three choices—resources, knowledge about evolution, or a place in a major power. In the end they came to an agreement. They would take none of the three. They still wanted Shen Cong to take the throne as king of their tribe and stand against the Twin Kings of Taiyuan and the Sword King.

The Three-King Tribes had begun as human survivors who banded together as one. But months of nonstop killing had left grudges too deep to settle. They also didn't trust the big powers outside. They were afraid Shen Cong would just walk away, and then the other Firestarter Spirits would butcher them again.

"So, my lord, please take the throne as our king and protect us. We are yours to command," Li Heng said in a low voice.

"Please take the throne as our king, my lord."

"Please take the throne as our king, my lord."

They didn't even know Shen Cong's name, yet they wanted Shen Cong as their great king. It was easy to guess how sincere that was. Shen Cong had zero interest in being king. Secretly, he was also wary that they were trying to flatter him to death. Still, since they had turned down all three options, Shen Cong decided to change the terms of the trade.

"Here's the deal. I'll step in and hunt down the Twin Kings of Taiyuan and the Sword King, those two animals. Consider that my payment." Hunting Firestarter Spirits was already his set policy, so this killed…