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

Seeing the two men's dejected expressions, Pei Wuwang immediately guessed the reason and comforted them, "I've said it before, the Zhenyu Platform is only capable of guarding; you shouldn't have too high hopes."

Fang Yue looked up at him, his voice filled with undisguised weariness: "Vice Envoy, you don't understand."

"Surviving is pointless for us; we want to go home."

Pei Wuwang was silent for a moment, then said gently, "This is already the only pure land in the world. It is a blessing to live a peaceful life here."

"But this isn't our world." Shen Qingchan's voice was calm, yet full of loneliness.

After realizing that the device could not take them away, the two stayed at the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Life in the Demon Suppression Division is peaceful and leisurely, without the horrors and crises of dungeons or the ever-present threat of death. It is a sanctuary that countless survivors dream of.

But for Shen Qingchan and Fang Yue, this place was just a comfortable but hopeless cage.

They no longer actively hone their skills or take on dungeon quests as they used to; instead, they just drift through each day aimlessly.

Waking up to see the morning light bathing the eaves of the palace, and watching the night swallow the palace lights, the days passed in a dull and numb monotony, day after day, in an endless cycle.

Pei Wuwang noticed their low spirits and often comforted them, saying that the Demon Suppression Division was the only pure land in the world, and that living peacefully was the greatest fortune.

But he had never experienced their deep attachment to their homeland, so he could not truly empathize with them. No matter how much he tried to persuade them, he could not untie the knot in their hearts.

Fang Yue was the one who suffered the most.

He refused to accept the ending of "never being able to go home," and his obsession grew more and more obsessive as he was disappointed day after day.

He traveled almost the entire safe zone of the Demon Suppression Division, from the main hall and elders' residences to the bustling survivor living area and shops along the streets, asking questions street by street and person by person.

He grabbed the disciple on duty and asked urgently, "Senior brother, have you really not heard the rumors about space-time rifts and passages to other worlds?"

The disciple shook his head helplessly: "I've never heard of that. In the apocalypse, the only goal is survival; how can there be any talk of a way home?"

He then stopped an elderly man with white hair on the street and earnestly asked, "Sir, you've been in the safe zone for so long, do you know of any ancient artifacts that can bridge the two worlds?"

The old man sighed and slowly shook his head: "Child, don't dream. No one can leave this world."

He even stopped ordinary survivors at a stall, repeatedly asking, "Have you ever heard of cases where someone traveled back in time? Does the Demon Suppression Division still have hidden treasures that haven't been revealed yet?"

Without exception, everyone answered no.

Day after day, from sunrise to sunset, from one end of the street to the other, the questions are asked repeatedly, only to be met with repeated disappointment.

Shen Qingchan always followed silently behind him, watching his stubborn and lonely back without saying a word.

Having witnessed the two of them in this state several times, Pei Wuwang once again advised them, "Your stubbornness will only trap you. Living peacefully is far more important than a futile journey."

Fang Yue gave a bitter laugh, full of resentment: "Living peacefully? Trapped in a strange post-apocalyptic world, never seeing family and friends again—what's the point of such 'peace'?"

Pei Wuwang was speechless, ultimately unable to empathize with the two's obsessions, and could only sigh helplessly.

"Stop wasting time." Pei Wuwang looked down at the two dejected people, his tone leaving no room for argument. "A new dungeon quest has been released."

Fang Yue didn't even look up, his voice lazy and dejected: "I'm not going. What's the point of going to a dungeon? We risk our lives to clear it, and there's no way back home. It's a complete waste of energy."

Shen Qingchan traced the patterns on the bluestone with her fingertips, her eyes filled with silence: "There's no need to take the risk."

Pei Wuwang lowered his eyes to look at the two of them, his brows furrowing slightly: "Do you think that by hiding and wallowing in despair, you can wait for your return?"

Fang Yue suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with resentful dejection: "What else can we do? Even the Demon Suppression Division's strongest divine-level device is useless. No matter how strong we are, no matter how many dungeons we clear, we can't go back!"

"Just because it's not there now doesn't mean it will never be." Pei Wuwang handed the mission jade token to the two of them. The surface of the jade token shimmered with a faint, eerie light. "This time it's a secret-level dungeon. The system indicates that the dungeon contains [Residual Rules of Time and Space]."

Upon hearing this, the two who had been listless instantly looked up.

Fang Yue's pupils contracted sharply, and he abruptly stood up: "What did you say? Residual rules of spacetime?"

A faint glimmer of light finally returned to Shen Qingchan's previously dim eyes as she stared intently at the jade pendant: "Really?"

Pei Wuwang nodded, his tone solemn: "The tasks assigned by the Demon Suppression Division are never empty promises."

Although it's just a fragment and might not be able to open a passage, it's the only clue in the instance so far that's linked to time, space, and another world.

As Pei Wuwang spoke, he was thinking about the thing he had searched through the library day and night to find.

He just wanted to cheer Shen Qingchan up.

Fang Yue, who had been feeling dejected for days, instantly shook off his dejection, clenched his fists tightly, and his voice trembled slightly: "So... there's a possibility of finding a way home?"

"The probability is unknown," Pei Wuwang said truthfully. "The hidden dungeon is far more dangerous than a regular A-level dungeon, with an extremely high mortality rate. You can choose not to go."

Before he could finish speaking, Fang Yue immediately blurted out, "Go! I'll go!"

He had long been fed up with this hopeless torment, and he would never let go of even the slightest chance.

Rather than being trapped in a safe zone and waiting to die numbly, he would rather die in a dungeon than continue living a muddled life.

Shen Qingchan glanced at it and said, "I'll go too."

"Have you thought this through?" Pei Wuwang looked at the two of them. "I won't be going this time. Someone needs to be stationed within the department."

Fang Yue replied without hesitation, "I've thought it through! When we had no leads, we resigned ourselves to our fate and became despondent, but now that we have leads, we can't give up!"

Shen Qingchan added calmly, "Waiting to die peacefully has never been our choice. Even a tiny fragment of spacetime is worth a try."

Pei Wuwang, seeing that the two were quickly recovering, nodded slightly: "Alright. I have already reported for you. The dungeon entrance will open at midnight tonight. You should rest and prepare for battle immediately."

Fang Yue clutched the warm mission jade token, the despair that had been building up in his heart for so long vanished, and his fighting spirit was rekindled: "Great! At least it's not completely hopeless!"

He turned to Shen Qingchan, his tone urgent and expectant: "Sister Shen, let's fight hard this time! If we can get the fragment of the spacetime rules, maybe we really can find our way back!"

"Mm." Shen Qingchan responded softly, her eyes regaining their determination. "This time, we'll try to capture all the hidden storylines."

The two turned and left, starting to gather dungeon supplies and adjust their status.

In the shadows of the courtyard eaves, a silver-white figure stood quietly.