SSS-Rank Evolving Monster: From Pest to Cosmic Devourer-Chapter 88: Half a million year’s of Lifespan

It took Ricky an entire day of continuous, focused absorption before the process was complete.

"God damn... it was worth it."

"Every fucking second of it..."

He muttered with genuine satisfaction, his voice echoing slightly off the silent dungeon walls. Before him lay the husk of what had once been a towering Shadowmire—now nothing more than an empty, collapsed shell. Its once-imposing form was hollow, drained, and lifeless, a mere remnant of the predator it had been.

Yet Ricky wasn’t looking at the corpse.

He was staring at the glowing blue window flickering before his eyes.

A grin tugged at the corners of his sharp mandibles, his antennae twitching in smug delight.

Still, as the initial euphoria settled, a thought crept into his mind.

It takes too long.

Absorbing lifespan one creature at a time, even with such a high-yield beast, had proven time-consuming. Far more than he liked. The desire to break through to Stage 3 began burning in his chest—an instinctive hunger for the next evolution, for an even more efficient and terrifying version of himself.

He wanted speed. Power. Efficiency.

His compound eyes glanced again at the glowing interface.

---

[Stage 2 Ravaging Beast, Rank 2]

[Name: Ricky Stormwind]

[Bloodline: Plague Fang Sovereign]

[Lifespan: 100,069 years]

[Evolution Progress: 91%]

[Spiritual Force: 19.5]

---

His eyes narrowed, pleased.

Over a hundred thousand years of lifespan now pulsed through his core like a roaring inferno. His evolution progress had climbed without him even noticing—91%—nearly touching the ceiling of Stage 2. Every fiber of his being vibrated with raw potential.

How long had it truly been since he first started evolving?

He could still remember the fragile thing he once was—a mere bloodsucker, thin as a whisper, no stronger than a breeze. A disposable speck in the eyes of the world.

But now?

Now he was death incarnate. The devourer of powers. The slayer of knights. The walking apocalypse.

"With this much lifespan... I should be able to form another spiritual seed, right?"

He muttered, his thoughts turning to the future.

Thanks to the Infinite Origin Constellation Root pulsing within him, he theoretically had the ability to create endless spiritual spaces. Infinite seeds, infinite growth.

But theory was one thing. Reality another.

After forming a second spiritual space, the process to create the third became exponentially harder. Resources were no longer just rare—they became absurd. Some cultivators never attempted a third, choosing instead to refine and master what they already had.

Ricky recalled Divine Researcher Saint Selene Veylor’s notes, her elegant script etched into his memory. She had written clearly: "Forming multiple spiritual spaces opposes the natural order. World consciousness will resist such defiance. Resource strain is inevitable."

The world itself fought back.

But as Ricky looked at the shimmering six-figure lifespan under his name, confidence surged within him.

Should be a walk in the park.

Or so he thought.

He sent a mental command, requesting the exact lifespan cost.

A new window popped up.

---

[Calculation completed.]

[Lifespan needed to form third spiritual space: 1,000,000 years]

---

"Holy fuck... why so much?!"

The sheer absurdity of the number left him stunned.

His wings buzzed in disbelief as a follow-up window appeared, almost apologetically.

---

[Host’s second spiritual space is weaker than the first and may collapse during the process. To prevent spiritual damage or internal collapse, a compensatory increase in lifespan is required.]

---

Understanding dawned immediately, his mind racing with possibility.

"Hmm... that’s true."

He could feel it even now—his second spiritual space was visibly smaller and less stable. It had been rushed, lacking the depth and density of his first.

So he asked the next question, his instincts sharper than ever.

Then how much to strengthen the second space to match the first?

The system complied.

---

[Request accepted. Calculating...]

[New cost: 100,009 years]

---

"This is somewhat reasonable..." Ricky murmured, nodding slowly.

A fair trade.

Far more manageable.

And more importantly, it aligned with his long-term goals.

Because Ricky Stormwind wasn’t done growing—not even close.

He was just getting started.

---

While Ricky contemplated his next steps, Guardian hovered a short distance behind him, poised like a loyal sentinel. Her expression remained indifferent—silent, composed, almost robotic.

But beneath that icy surface, her thoughts surged like crackling lightning.

Did he just absorb their life essence...?

The notion sent ripples through her ancient consciousness. Such a feat should have been impossible. Forbidden, even. And yet... she had witnessed it unfold before her eyes—an act that defied reason, logic, and everything her creator once taught.

A moment passed. She slowly shook her head.

No... he’s not ordinary. He’s the successor chosen by the creator. Someone like him... is meant to be different.

Just as her thoughts began to settle, Ricky’s voice echoed through the bond between them. It wasn’t loud, yet it cut straight into her mind like a cold blade.

"Take me to the next dungeon."

Without hesitation, she bowed slightly and activated the transfer.

The ancient hall around them shimmered—fading like mist. Reality twisted for a heartbeat.

Then Ricky found himself high above a lush rainforest.

Thick green foliage stretched endlessly below, glistening with rain. The air was soaked with the heavy scent of damp earth and moss. Steam coiled from beneath the canopy like spirits rising from the jungle floor. The ambiance was quiet, yet tense—nature watching him, wary and still.

Down below, a beast ambled through the underbrush. It resembled a monstrous blend of rhinoceros and hippopotamus, with plated skin and tusks that glistened like wet stone.

Guardian’s voice rang out behind him, calm and curious.

"These creatures possess unusually high regenerative abilities. My creator used them frequently to study advanced cell division and tissue reformation."

Ricky offered a nod, his wings buzzing softly before he dove down, a blur in the air.

The creature noticed him mid-dive. Its instincts flared. It bellowed, launching upward in a surge of brute force, mud and leaves scattering beneath its massive frame.

But it was too slow.

Ricky’s form blurred again. His thick, barbed proboscis pierced straight into the beast’s hide—sinking deep with unsettling ease.

The monster froze mid-roar, its body convulsing as essence drained out of it like a river rushing into an endless void.

Above, Guardian floated silently, her gaze locked onto the scene with unblinking interest. Every twitch, every flow of energy—she watched it all. She wanted to understand him. To unravel the mechanics behind this impossible absorption.

And so it continued.

Dungeon after dungeon. Beast after beast.

Each one fell—each more powerful than the last. And with every creature drained, Ricky’s lifespan surged.

By the end of the third day, a visible aura of oppressive darkness swirled faintly around him—an aftereffect of the hundreds of thousands of years of stolen vitality.

Lifespan: 401,326 years.

Just as Guardian prepared to transport him to the next challenge, she paused.

Her tone shifted, the usual monotony replaced with a quiet gravity.

"Master... the next dungeon houses a unique prisoner. You must be cautious."

Ricky turned, antennae flicking in mild irritation.

"Unique? How so?"

"He is the last surviving member of his race."

Her words carried weight—a certain respect and forewarning.

Ricky frowned, displeased.

"Only one prisoner...?"

He had been hoping for a jackpot to push him past the half-million mark. To have it end with a single target was... underwhelming.

Just how much lifespan can one creature even give...?

Still, he said nothing.

He simply stared into the horizon, where the next dungeon awaited like a secret yet to be cracked.

....

As Ricky was still deep in thought, the world around him shifted again.

Space twisted, bending with a hum too deep for mortal ears. In the blink of an eye, he found himself standing within what could only be described as a glowing cage.

Towering metallic rods—each thicker than a tree trunk—rose around him, forming a dome-like prison. They shimmered with an unnatural luster, forged from materials he couldn’t even begin to identify. Strange, ancient runes pulsed along their lengths, etched in a language that felt older than time itself. Each rune carried a power that made the air shimmer, as if reality itself strained to contain whatever was within.

And at the center of this divine prison...

A man stood.

Or rather, a giant.

Hundreds of meters tall, his body was carved from what looked like flesh and cosmic stone, exuding a weight that twisted gravity around him. His form radiated raw, untamed power—primordial, absolute, and eternal.

He wasn’t even moving. In fact, Ricky was certain the man wasn’t looking at him. Yet despite that, his presence alone was suffocating.

The pressure was indescribable.

It wasn’t just spiritual—it was existential. As if the very concept of "Ricky" was being crushed into nonexistence.

His legs buckled.

His wings twitched violently.

The space around him groaned as though it might collapse.

Just as he felt his spiritual field tremble to the brink of shattering, the weight vanished—dispersing like mist before a breeze.

A voice rang out in his mind, calm and composed.

"He is the last member of the Primordial Eternal True Origin Race."

It was the Guardian spirit.

Ricky’s eyes narrowed, his antennae twitching sharply in confusion.

Primordial... Eternal... True Origin Race?

He tilted his head, expression filled with disbelief.

This was the first time he had ever heard of such a race. And yet, just hearing the name alone sent chills through his spiritual field. It sounded like something ripped straight from the dawn of the universe—something that shouldn’t still exist.

He gazed back at the giant once more, this time more warily.

Something about the way the cage hummed... the way the world bent around this prisoner... made it clear.

This wasn’t just a creature.

This was a remnant of an ancient truth the world had tried—and failed—to bury.

Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m