In the end, after taking a holistic view of everything, Ricky gritted his teeth and made his choice.
He would proceed with the spiritual seed creation.
Right here at this moment.
It was a necessity—no matter how much lifespan it consumed.
"And why am I even worried about lifespan cost, when the entire Forest is filled with walking lifespan ATMs," he muttered with a half-crazed grin.
The hesitation lasted barely a breath. In the next moment, he resolved himself fully.
The system didn't wait.
Its voice echoed like a mechanical whisper from the void—cold, indifferent, detached from all emotion.
[Hundred year of lifespan deducted.]
Ricky staggered. It felt like his soul had been torn open, the very strands of his existence unraveling. This wasn't just lifespan being drained—it was like the essence of who he was, the intangible foundation of his being, was being stripped away layer by layer.
He clenched his jaw, body trembling.
And then it came—the hum.
