Strange things happen, and I drive the evil god mad by chasing debts.

After all three received their rewards, Bai Ke, however, received no system announcement.

There were no golden light spots around him, no skill prompts, as if this S-level god-level reward settlement had nothing to do with him at all.

But the next second, a faint wisp of silvery-white light quietly fell from the depths of the void, silently disappearing into Bai Ke's sleeve without triggering any system notification, so secretly that no one noticed.

Bai Ke lowered her eyes to look at her sleeve, a faint glint of light flashing in her eyes, and a barely perceptible curve appeared at the corner of her lips.

[System Hidden Detection: Special NPC Bai Ke, through hidden rule suppression, has gained access to the dungeon's core, and her access level has been upgraded.]

The white light in the safe space gradually softened, and the filth from the dungeons on the group faded away.

Fang Yue fully recovered and was so excited he danced around: "This was an absolute steal! A god-tier reward! Before, you might not even get one after ten runs of normal dungeons!"

After Pei Wuwang finished his breathing, he looked at Shen Qingchan, who was calm and composed beside him, and said softly, "Thank you so much this time. If it weren't for you, I would have died in the operating room today, and we would never have been able to get out of that maze."

Shen Qingchan raised her eyes, her gaze inadvertently sweeping over Bai Ke, who had a calm expression, and said softly, "It's not all my achievement."

A gentle breeze carried the tranquil atmosphere unique to the safe zone, and all that could be seen were orderly buildings, orderly personnel from the Demon Suppression Bureau, and the peaceful, bustling atmosphere of the survivors' living area in the distance.

They completely left the eerie replica of the Vol Hospital and returned to the only safe haven in the real world—the Demon Suppression Division.

Pei Wuwang straightened his posture slightly, shedding the disheveled and weak state from the dungeon, and once again exuded the calm and composed aura of the Deputy Envoy of the Demon Suppression Division.

He subconsciously turned his head, wanting to thank Bai Ke. The person had secretly protected them all the way, which was the key to their safe passage.

But the moment I turned my head, there was nothing beside me.

Bai Ke, who had just been standing calmly to the side, had vanished without a trace.

There were no fluctuations in light or shadow, nor any lingering aura, as if it had never appeared in the instance at all; its cleanliness was astonishing.

"Where is everyone?" Fang Yue was stunned. He looked around but couldn't see a single person.

Pei Wuwang's gaze narrowed slightly as he scanned the empty space in front of the Si Gate. A faint hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, but he did not delve into it further.

Shen Qingchan's heart stirred slightly, and she gently clenched her fists.

She already knew that Bai Ke's identity was no ordinary NPC, but his disappearance was still completely unexpected and incredibly secretive.

However, in an instant, the three of them put aside their thoughts.

NPCs in dungeons are bound by the rules of the dungeon, and the default rule is that they return to the dungeon's origin and disappear from the real world after the dungeon is cleared.

In their view, Bai Ke was probably the same; once the mission was over, she would naturally leave.

However, unbeknownst to anyone, in the quiet room at the highest level of the Demon Suppression Division, a figure dressed in silver-white robes sat down quietly, with delicate features, just like Bai Ke from before.

Having shed his disguise as a dungeon doctor, he now exudes a calm and dignified aura that seems to survey all things.

"Let's go to the department and report back first," Pei Wuwang said in a deep voice, withdrawing his gaze.

The three of them stepped into the solemn and majestic main hall of the Demon Suppression Bureau side by side.

The beams and pillars inside the hall are ancient and simple, with gilded runes wrapped around the four walls. The layers of evil-repelling patterns gleam with a faint golden light, isolating all the strange and unclean things from the outside world.

Upon seeing Pei Wuwang return, the disciples on duty bowed respectfully, and the hall was orderly and solemn.

Passing through the main hall's long corridor, you'll find the Elders' Council Hall at the far end.

Upon entering the main hall, the disciples bowed respectfully, and the hall was solemn and orderly. The three of them walked to the Elders' Council Hall, where Elder Lin was already seated and waiting.

The old man Lin raised his eyes and smiled slightly: "How is the progress of this dungeon run?"

Pei Wuwang bowed and reported: "Thanks to the elder's protection, everyone survived and we achieved an S-level clearance rating."

The old man's brows relaxed, and he nodded repeatedly: "An S-level rating is rare and valuable. You three have worked hard."

Shen Qingchan stepped forward and said decisively, "Elder, I will keep my promise and hand over all resources and items from this instance to the Demon Suppression Division."

"Very well!" Elder Lin raised his hand and summoned the Void Bag. "I will never go back on my word and will allow you to observe the Town God-level Device."

Upon hearing this, Fang Yue instantly perked up, quickly stepping forward, his eyes brimming with excitement: "Elder! Can we really see that legendary god-level device?!"

"Of course it is true." Old Man Lin nodded with a smile.

Fang Yue immediately turned to Shen Qingchan, his voice low with barely suppressed excitement: "Sister Qingchan! This is it! We were right! This device is rumored to be able to control time and space; maybe it really can send us back to the 21st century!"

A long-lost hope flickered in Shen Qingchan's eyes as she softly said, "This is our only hope right now."

The old man Lin turned and led the way: "Follow me."

Pei Wuwang stopped in his tracks. Fang Yue passed by him and casually asked, "Vice Envoy, aren't you going to take a look?"

Pei Wuwang shook his head slightly: "I've already seen it several times. You may go."

The two followed Elder Lin into the secret passage, where runes flowed and the barrier was thick.

Upon reaching the end of the secret passage, the dazzling Wanxie Town Platform suddenly appeared, its golden light radiating and enveloping the entire safe zone.

Fang Yue held his breath, his palms sweating with nervousness, and murmured softly, "That's it, that's the thing!"

Shen Qingchan gazed at the giant crystal platform and softly asked, "Elder, if I may be so bold as to ask, does this Zhenyu Platform possess the power to connect to other worlds and manipulate time and space?"

Old Man Lin was taken aback upon hearing this, then chuckled and shook his head: "You two children have probably heard a lot of unfounded rumors."

Fang Yue's heart tightened, and he quickly asked, "What do you mean? Elder, can't it open a time-space passage? Can't it send us back to our original world?"

The old man Lin looked at the Zhenyu Platform and said with certainty, "This is a pure treasure for defense and protection. It can stabilize the barrier, suppress evil spirits, purify malevolent energy, and protect our safe zone."

We have no power to reverse fate, nor any means to travel through time.

In just a few words, all their expectations were shattered.

Fang Yue's face turned deathly pale instantly. He froze on the spot, his voice dry and hoarse: "...Just a defensive device?"

"Exactly." Old Man Lin nodded. "It can protect the peace of the human world, but it cannot change the trajectory of time and space."

The light in Shen Qingchan's eyes dimmed completely, and all the obsession that had sustained her in her fight for her life in the apocalypse vanished.

Fang Yue took a step back, dejected, and muttered to himself, "We worked so hard to clear the game, handed over all the god-level rewards... after gambling for so long, it's all for nothing?"

"It's kind of you to have such high hopes," the old man Lin sighed softly. "But that's the reality, and I hope you can let it go as soon as possible."

The two walked out of the secret passage in silence, their spirits broken, their earlier excitement and anticipation turning into cold despair.