The Ape Clan's Saint

Reward Three: One Quantum Backpack, capable of transferring items between the original world and mission worlds...

Quantum Backpack? Why did that sound so much like some shoddy knockoff product, like those "quantum shirts" and "quantum socks" that slapped "quantum" onto things to make them seem high-end?

Shen Feng frowned. Just as he was about to ask, all the rewards had been displayed, and another line appeared on his phone's screen:

"Would you like to make the game system portable?"

Shen Feng immediately tapped "Yes."

He had already found the phone interface far too troublesome. Though the modified phone had plenty of battery life and was fairly sturdy, if he ever lost the thing, he would most likely die in a mission world.

He wouldn't even be able to turn in the mission!

"Please select a portable form."

Four options appeared on the phone screen: wristband, collar, glasses, bow.

Shen Feng was speechless. He had thought it would turn directly into something like high-tech electronic skin implanted into his body. He had not expected such a low-end modification.

And what the hell was with the bow? Was there even a Doomsday World of Elementary School Detective Conan?

After thinking for a moment, Shen Feng chose the wristband.

Relatively speaking, a wristband was much more convenient and secure.

The moment he made his choice, the shabby little Mi phone began to hum. Then, before Shen Feng's eyes, the phone continuously stripped away its components and streamlined itself. Soon, it turned into a black wristband.

It was about the size of a fitness tracker and extremely lightweight.

Shen Feng raised his hand and put on the wristband. A beam of light shot from its display window, forming a holographic virtual interface in midair!

Displayed on the interface was the icon for "Real Doomsday Game"!

Shen Feng nodded. This at least looked somewhat like a high-tech device.

"Please select items to bring from the Stone Statue Doomsday World."

Another line appeared, this time urging him to choose what he wanted to take back.

He could choose four items in total, so long as they did not exceed the energy transmission limit.

Shen Feng immediately picked up the portable hard drive filled with virus research data.

This was a must.

Just then, the badly injured Golden Fur staggered in and sat before Shen Feng, its eyes full of anticipation.

Shen Feng could not help feeling warmth in his heart. Did you understand that line too?

The wolf pack was currently prowling through the corridor, tearing apart the dead apes and occasionally letting out savage barks.

Golden Fur was too badly injured. It needed treatment and rest, or it would be difficult for it to keep surviving in such a brutal environment.

Originally, Shen Feng had thought freedom would be better for it, but this stupid dog had chased him all the way here. He truly could not bear to disappoint it again.

Fine.

Shen Feng walked over and rubbed Golden Fur's head, indicating that the stupid dog would be his second selected item.

Then Shen Feng turned to look at the center of the laboratory, where the stone statue of the girl named Ji Jiuyun stood.

Now that he had obtained the laboratory's extensive virus research data, he could be certain that this girl was the inventor of the Pangu Virus and the final Stone Statue Disease vaccine—a genius medical scientist.

For some reason, Shen Feng vaguely felt that he should take this stone statue with him, even if only out of gratitude for what she had done.

Although he had already obtained the vaccine, he understood that research into Stone Statue Disease was far from over. It had not even truly gone deep enough.

There was still no definite conclusion as to what state those petrified humans were currently in.

Taking this stone statue with him could also provide a research specimen... though he wondered whether it carried any residual virus, and whether it could be disinfected.

As he thought about it, the game system displayed another line of small text:

"Mission-world items will undergo indiscriminate disinfection."

Looking at the statue's face, Shen Feng nodded slightly and pointed at it, indicating that it was his third selected item.

As for the fourth item...

He turned to Kuafu and said:

"I need gold. Lots of gold."

He was no saint. After risking his life on this trip, he at least needed to bring back something that could improve his life.

Even a savior had to eat, and he wanted delicacies from the mountains and seas!

Kuafu was stunned at first, then nodded and said:

"That's easy. We apes also like shiny things. Many gold bricks from the capital's banks were moved out by our kind to build nests...

And as far as I know, every core laboratory of the Epidemic Prevention Centers stores some gold ingots in case of emergencies."

As he spoke, he struggled to his feet and limped toward a corner of the laboratory. After pounding on it for a while, a safe emerged from inside.

When the safe was opened, it was packed full of various metal ingots, seemingly meant for experiments.

Among them was a large gold brick, a full five kilograms in weight, with scrape marks on its surface.

Shen Feng nodded and picked up the heavy gold brick. A line immediately appeared on the wristband's holographic display:

"Energy transmission threshold reached..."

Shen Feng could not help curling his lip. He had not expected to reach the threshold already. It looked like he could not take even a few more pounds.

He immediately said to Kuafu:

"Kuafu, I'll be leaving now. When I return to this world, I hope you'll have led the Ape Clan in preparing to accept my rule."

Kuafu nodded and gave a dark chuckle.

"Please rest assured, Mr. Shen. I also hope that Mr. Shen can find a way out for us apes as soon as possible."

He also understood that once the other party left, he might never return. But no matter the outcome, the intelligent apes needed this hope now, this ray of light!

Shen Feng nodded and said to the wristband, "Return."

A line appeared on the screen:

Performing dimensional-space disinfection and cleanup. Returning to the original Doomsday World.

Then Shen Feng's vision instantly went black, and everything seemed to turn into a wisp of weightless smoke...

Kuafu's eyes widened at once, filled with shock. He could barely believe what he was seeing.

A moment later, Shen Feng, Golden Fur, the stone statue of the girl, and the gold brick had all vanished without a trace.

"So that's how it is..." Kuafu muttered, looking somewhat dazed. He had clearly seen something that had utterly shocked him.

"Roar! Kuafu!" Urgent howls came from the other end of the corridor, accompanied by dense footsteps and running.

Without even turning his head, Kuafu saw Wuzhiqi and Longhair rush in, panting heavily. Only when they saw Kuafu sitting there did they finally let out long sighs of relief.

They had just returned from the wilderness to the ruins of the capital city when they heard gunfire from afar. They had also learned from several female apes that Kuafu had returned, and had immediately hurried over.

But the farther they went, the more alarmed they became. The entire way was littered with apes who had died horribly, all of them Stone Eye's subordinates.

They had even imagined Kuafu being killed and could hardly bear to think about it. Now, seeing that Kuafu was injured but not in mortal danger, they finally relaxed.

"Respected Kuafu, what exactly happened? You're injured?" Longhair asked cautiously.

As Kuafu continuously tossed an object in his hand into the air and caught it, he said calmly:

"Stone Eye wanted to kill me and become the leader of the Ape Clan. That human youth saved me. We misunderstood him.

Not only is he not one of the old humans, he is the savior of us apes, our dawn!

From today onward, we must revere that youth as a saint, call his name, pray for him day and night, and await his return!

He is our Shakyamuni, our Jesus Christ, our god!"

Wuzhiqi and Longhair were utterly shaken. They were both Kuafu's loyal supporters, yet they had never heard him say such things.

Wuzhiqi cautiously asked, "Kuafu, what is that youth... that saint's name? And what is that... that thing in your hand?"

Kuafu's expression turned solemn. He tossed the object in his hand again, caught it, and said, "This savior's name is Shen Feng. As for what's in my hand... it's my eyeball."

A wave of soreness came from every part of his body, followed by deep dizziness.

Shen Feng abruptly opened his eyes. The sky was dim—it was dawn—and he was lying on the bed in his rented apartment.

It was a quiet dawn, no different from any other.

Had everything before this been just a dream?

Shen Feng stared blankly at the ceiling. When he turned his head, however, a delicate young girl's pale face appeared before him. The stone statue was lying on its side beneath his blanket!