Chapter 132: The Angel Statue

The exploration ahead would surely involve stronger enemies. Xu Feng had Li Jin provide cover while he took out all the Three-Star Beast Crystals and Attribute Gems, beginning to absorb their energy.

Half an hour later, Xu Feng was full of energy, radiating a sharp aura. Soon, that aura withdrew into him like a sword sliding back into its sheath. Only his two shining eyes remained bright.

“Perception only needs five or six more points to reach Three-Star level. I just need one more Perception Gem,” Xu Feng thought to himself.

“Your strength improved quite a bit,” Li Jin laughed.

“Not bad. Still a little short of Three-Star Peak though. Continue?” Xu Feng glanced at the spiral staircase leading to the second floor and asked.

“Yeah. Hope we can reach Four Stars quickly,” Li Jin replied with confidence.

Reaching Three-Star required 120 points, but Four Stars demanded 300.

The Death Fortress was definitely more dangerous than this. Further up, they might encounter Three-Star Lord Rank monsters.

After all, the Flood Dragon in Black Water Lake was a Three-Star Lord. Dragon-type monsters were naturally fiercer than others. That one had been beaten to near death, only for a human to finish it off. So the Death Fortress must have at least one Three-Star Lord inside.

“Wait for me on the first floor for a bit. I’ll go invisible and scout ahead.”

Li Jin lacked many skills a Thief should have, but his invisibility was practiced to perfection. When hidden, he was extremely hard to detect. Even Xu Feng, staring hard, could only see faint distortions in the light.

Moving invisibly slowed Li Jin down considerably. He crept up the stairs towards the second floor. The second floor was more dangerous but promised greater rewards. Risk brings reward; hesitation brings hunger. In the apocalypse, survival meant seizing every opportunity. To Li Jin, the Death Fortress was a massive opportunity worth risking death for.

Xu Feng walked towards the angel statue in the center of the hall.

He always felt this statue stood oddly in the Death Fortress lobby. He wanted to inspect it closely.

The angel statue stood over three meters tall. Xu Feng had to look up to take in its full appearance.

“So exquisitely carved. Almost alive. Even the expression on its face is perfect. This must be a masterwork by a great sculptor,” Xu Feng marveled.

After the apocalypse, various life professions emerged, Carvers included. They started with no combat abilities, but later developed strange and unpredictable powers.

Xu Feng had heard a story once. A Carver spent months sculpting the statue of an enemy. Then he used a spell to destroy it. That enemy, for no clear reason, was grievously wounded. Healing Potions did nothing. Eventually, they died a miserable death.

This was similar to voodoo or witchcraft from before the apocalypse—attack methods hard to guard against.

Xu Feng’s eyes were filled with admiration. He couldn’t help reaching out to touch the angel statue. It felt smooth beneath his fingers, even a little warm—not cold and hard like a normal statue.

“Brave adventurer, Yasell of the Shirin Race, beseeches your aid!” A gentle voice echoed directly within Xu Feng’s mind.

[System: Alien race, the Shirin Race, offers you a rescue task. Accept?]

The Shirin Race?

Xu Feng paused. The Shirin Race was one of the few alien species friendly to Earth. In his past life, they were also known as the Angel Race.

This race was said to have once visited Earth in ancient times but left for some reason. Yet they left behind legends, and Earth’s Western religions were greatly influenced by them.

“Could this statue actually be a living member of the Shirin Race?” Xu Feng thought with alarm.

“How can I help you?” Xu Feng asked softly.

At the same time, he mentally accepted the system-given task.

The system didn’t mention any reward for completing the rescue quest, but Xu Feng had a good guess.

“Brave adventurer, I need you to go to the second floor of this castle filled with death energy. Kill the master of this fortress, Baron Sara. Only by killing him can my curse be broken,” Yasell’s gentle voice continued in Xu Feng’s mind.

“Baron Sara? This fortress’s master?” Xu Feng’s heart skipped a beat. This aligned perfectly with his own goal here. The problem was, Baron Sara’s strength exceeded what Xu Feng could handle now.

“May I ask… what rank is Baron Sara?” Xu Feng inquired.

“Three-Star Lord Rank.”

Just as he’d thought. In his past life, this same Baron Sara had fought the Black Water Lake Flood Dragon to a stalemate. The Flood Dragon finally killed Baron Sara but suffered such severe wounds it died too.

Then Earth’s Will claimed the prize, absorbing two alien territories: the Blackwater Swamp and the Death Fortress. Both became part of Earth.

“Three-Star Lord Rank… Fine. Worst case, I exhaust all the gear in my Storage Ring summoning something powerful enough to finish it,” Xu Feng vowed fiercely.

His Storage Ring held heaps of Gold Grade equipment, even some Dark Gold Grade pieces—but all only Three-Star. Such gear could at most attract beings of Three-Star Strength. His previous two summons were pure luck: one curious about Earth, the other desperately needing the spinal part for a War Golem Beast. He couldn’t count on getting lucky every time.

Still, after a moment’s hesitation, Xu Feng agreed to Yasell’s request.

Fortune favors the bold. Completing this mission would significantly boost his strength. He’d have a better chance defending the Village of Sacrifice in the coming war.

Sun, the Hall Master of Thunder Martial Hall, had already informed Xu Feng clearly. Thunder Martial Hall planned to declare war on the Village of Sacrifice. The delay must be due to preparations. Once war began, it would live up to the hall’s name—Thunder striking swiftly and decisively.

Relying solely on a Three-Star Lord Rank Flood Dragon as a Guardian Beast wasn’t enough to guarantee victory.

“Rest assured, Yasell. I will kill Baron Sara for you,” Xu Feng declared.

“Thank you, brave adventurer. Please accept my blessing. It will assist you in the battles ahead.”

A beam of white light descended on Xu Feng. Instantly, all weariness vanished. His mental state felt incredibly refreshed, as if he’d just woken from perfect sleep. His body felt restored to peak condition.

Simultaneously, his Status Bar displayed a new effect: [Angel’s Blessing].

[Angel’s Blessing: Health Points +1000. Health Point recovery speed increased by 30%. Energy recovery speed increased by 20%. Passively endure three fatal blows! Effect duration: 3 hours.]