Many of the rewards from his previous missions had been opportunities to enter mission worlds. Shen Feng hadn’t really used them, so he had accumulated quite a few.
’It’s time.’
The moment Shen Feng finished speaking, a gate of light appeared in the void before him. It shimmered brilliantly, flickering in and out of existence.
It was a Wormhole.
Without a shred of hesitation, Shen Feng walked directly through the Wormhole with his backpack on.
Immediately, the pull of Earth’s gravity weighed him down. Sunlight and a warm, gentle breeze washed over his face, carrying the scent of fresh grass and soil.
Shen Feng looked up to find himself in a stretch of urban ruins. The surrounding concrete was riddled with cracks, from which resilient weeds sprouted, some even dotted with small flowers.
Areas that had once been flowerbeds and groves were now overgrown with tall weeds and other vining plants. The surfaces of the ruined buildings were also draped in vines, giving them a desolate and dilapidated appearance.
On the roads and scattered among the ruins stood silent stone statues, all frozen in the poses they held in their final moments.
Some of the statues were already covered in climbing plants—morning glories, ivy, and even some small blooming flowers.
A wave of familiarity washed over him.
Shen Feng couldn’t help but crack a small smile.
’It’s been a while.’
He was back in the world of the Stone Statue Apocalypse.
The first time he’d come here for the Stone Statue Apocalypse mission, he had been utterly terrified. He was like a cornered animal, just trying to survive in the ruins.
But now, returning here felt more like visiting a familiar place for a vacation.
His wristband suddenly vibrated, and a line of text flashed across it:
"Player has traversed the spatial gate and entered the Stone Statue Apocalypse mission world. Based on current individual energy levels, you may remain in the Stone Statue Apocalypse mission world for ten days. Exceeding this time limit will result in corporeal energy collapse."
Shen Feng raised an eyebrow. ’Ten days, huh... That’s pretty generous of them.’
But he didn’t need to stay in the Stone Statue Apocalypse that long. Three days, at most, would be more than enough.
Just as he was thinking, the dull thud of hooves sounded in the distance. A Knight rounded a corner of the ruined city street, galloping toward him. Astride the horse was none other than a Brain Ape.
Upon seeing Shen Feng from a distance, the Brain Ape immediately took a rifle from its back, aimed at him from the saddle, and shouted:
"A human!? Who are you!?"
The warhorse thundered over, pulling up short in front of Shen Feng.
By then, the Brain Ape had finally gotten a clear look at Shen Feng’s face. It gasped in astonishment and said in a trembling voice:
"You’re... the Saint! The Saint of the Ape Race!"
The rifle in its hand immediately lowered. It then dismounted, respectfully approached Shen Feng, and knelt on one knee. With its head bowed and one hand raised high above its head in a reverent salute, it cried out:
"Savior!"
This Brain Ape was one of Kuafu’s trusted subordinates. It had participated in the previous mission to Shen Feng’s home world to hunt the Purifiers. Having personally witnessed a world where human civilization was still perfectly intact, the shock had been immeasurable, and it had long since come to regard Shen Feng as a god-like being.
And now, the god it had thought of day and night had suddenly appeared right before its eyes. How could it not be shocked?
Its heart pounded with anxiety, terrified that its earlier shout had displeased the Savior, which could in turn affect the Savior’s attitude toward its entire race.
Having been by Kuafu’s side for so long, it naturally understood that this Savior held the very survival and continuation of the entire Brain Ape Race in his hands—he decided their fate.
Shen Feng raised a hand and touched the Brain Ape’s palm, saying:
"What’s your name?"
The Brain Ape immediately answered:
"My name is Long Teeth."
Shen Feng nodded.
"Good. Long Teeth, take me to Kuafu."
Long Teeth dared not show the slightest delay. He immediately led his horse over for Shen Feng to mount, then respectfully seated himself behind the Savior.
Shen Feng grasped the reins and nodded slightly. ’This Long Teeth is quick on the uptake.’
He then flicked the reins, charging forward under Long Teeth’s guidance.
This area was the ruins of the Capital City, the main encampment of the Brain Apes. After galloping through just two city blocks, Shen Feng arrived at a bustling, noisy district.
Here, hundreds of Brain Apes were chattering and frolicking, much like a marketplace.
Hearing the horse’s hooves, the Brain Apes paused, startled. But the moment they saw Shen Feng on horseback, every single one of them immediately and respectfully bowed their heads, raising a hand high above in salute.
Shen Feng called out loudly:
"Rise! Have Kuafu come out to see me!"
Seeing this, Jingwei’s voice immediately rang out in Shen Feng’s mind:
"Tsk, tsk. I never knew you were a king of monkeys, Xiaofeng. Judging by their actions and expressions, these Brain Apes genuinely worship you. It’s probably all thanks to that Kuafu’s brainwashing."
Shen Feng nodded, pulling his horse to a halt in the middle of the street. He looked toward a tall building at the end of the road.
The faint, playful shouts of young apes could be heard from within the building. It was clearly much cleaner than the surrounding dilapidated ruins and showed many more signs of life. It was obviously the Brain Apes’ main base.
Hearing Shen Feng’s command, the Brain Apes straightened up and also looked toward the tall building, letting out low, hooting calls.
Soon, a sturdy, dark figure vaulted out of a third-floor window of the building. Grabbing various protrusions on the window frame and wall, he swung down, landed lightly on the ground, and approached Shen Feng. He knelt on one knee and said in a deep, excited voice:
"Welcome, Savior!"
This Brain Ape was powerfully built and wore a black eyepatch over one eye. He was none other than the leader of the Brain Ape Race, Kuafu.
At that moment, Kuafu was overcome with excitement.
Ever since Shen Feng had last summoned him to another world to eliminate those wicked humans, he had not received a single command from him, not even a communication.
Although he understood that as the Savior of humanity, Shen Feng was unlikely to go back on his word to the humble Brain Ape Race—and it hadn’t been that long—Kuafu still felt extremely anxious.
After all, the very continuation of the Brain Ape Race was at stake. He couldn’t afford a moment of complacency.
In his eyes, commands from the Savior were a good thing for the Brain Ape Race. Even if it meant sacrificing some of his kin, it was proof that the Savior needed them, and that there was still hope their agreement would be fulfilled.
And now, Shen Feng had personally returned to this world to summon him. This was more than enough to prove that the time to demonstrate the Brain Ape Race’s value had come once again!
Looking at the powerfully built Brain Ape before him, whose intelligence was almost unsettling, Shen Feng said slowly:
"Rise. I have to trouble you with something again."
Kuafu immediately replied:
"Rest assured, the Brain Ape Race awaits your command... even if it means sacrificing our lives."
Shen Feng gave a slight smile and said,
"Don’t be nervous. This time, it’s just a small matter... I need you to take me to the intercontinental ballistic missile launch base in the suburbs of Yanjing. Don’t tell me you don’t know where that is. As the sage of the Brain Ape Race, you should have some knowledge of the most powerful weapons of the bygone human era."
Kuafu’s expression tightened. He looked up at Shen Feng and asked slowly,
"Respected Savior, may I ask where you intend to launch those terrible weapons?"
Shen Feng said, his face devoid of expression:
"America, Western Europe, East Japan, Australia... any place where large numbers of stone statues are gathered."