The three youths continued to venture deeper, consuming the distance step by step within the cave.
The mouth of the cave, which had previously refracted the remaining sunlight, was now left behind, leaving a pitch-black darkness that felt almost tangible. The air around them grew increasingly cold, damp, and stuffy, carrying the scent of moss and wet earth that had been trapped for thousands of years.
In the silence broken only by the sound of their own footsteps, there was absolutely nothing they could see with the naked eye. Everything was in total darkness.
However, Kaydan did not let them walk blind. He used his fine dust and sand, which continuously moved and spread far ahead, crawling along the stone walls, seeping into the uneven floor, and hovering in the air like an invisible radar.
Just how deep is this cave? Kaydan wondered inwardly, his forehead creasing amidst his intense concentration. So far, my sand has not shown any signs of an end to this place, yet the path keeps plunging endlessly downward.
Time slowly crept by. It was unknown how long they had been walking down the winding passage in that thick darkness. Their goal was singular: to find out if there was an altar, a secret room, or any signs of life inside the cave before leveling it to the ground.
Yet, the further Kaydan's sand scanned, the clearer his conclusion became. There were no signs of life, nor were there any man-made structures.
His footsteps finally slowed down, then came to a complete halt.
"We have reached the end of this cave's main passage." Kaydan whispered, his voice echoing softly against the stone walls, announcing their position. "My sand has spread out until it hit dead ends in every direction. This place is merely a massive dead-end cavity. Not a single sign of life is detected here."
Hearing such a convincing report, Alvein immediately stopped his steps, naturally followed by Calverd.
"In that case, there's no reason for us to linger here. Let us destroy this place right now!" Alvein said in a calm yet utterly firm tone.
Along with his words, Alvein canceled the invisible magic that had been cloaking the three of them all this time. Since there was no one there, they no longer needed the disguise.
"I will use my light elemental magic to destroy the supporting pillars and the ceiling of this cave from the inside." Alvein continued, laying out his plan briefly and clearly.
"Just do it, Alvein!" Calverd replied, agreeing without hesitation. The indigo-haired youth was already prepared. "I will use my telekinesis to make Kaydan's body and mine levitate as lightly as cotton. That way, you can pull us out of the collapsing rubble at full speed."
Alvein smiled faintly at Calverd's readiness. The youth had truly learned a valuable lesson from their previous flight practice.
Then, the fairy raised his right hand upward and focused his mana.
In an instant, a solid orb of light the size of an adult's head was created and hovered right above them. The blindingly bright golden light instantly drove away the thick darkness and illuminated the entire cave, which turned out to be incredibly vast and filled with sharp stalactites at the top.
Kaydan's and Calverd's eyes narrowed for a moment, adapting to the sudden change in light.
Alvein turned his head, looking straight at Calverd, who was to his right. "Calverd, use your telekinesis now and hold onto me immediately!"
Understanding the tactical instruction from his husband's fourth spouse, Calverd did not waste a single second. He activated his transparent elemental magic, enveloping his own body and Kaydan's simultaneously with telekinesis magic. The burden of gravity was instantly lifted from their shoulders.
The two youths' bodies immediately levitated a few centimeters in the air with perfect stability. At the same time, Alvein flapped his pair of transparent wings, lifting his own body until he was parallel with them.
Calverd's left hand tightly gripped Kaydan's right hand, while his right hand firmly grasped Alvein's left hand.
The human chain was perfectly connected.
After turning around and ensuring his two family members were ready and holding on tightly, Alvein's facial expression turned utterly serious.
His eyes stared toward the cave ceiling.
Zing! Zing! Zing! Zing!
A barrage of solid, searingly hot light beams shot out like deadly laser blasts from within the golden orb. The consecutive attacks controlled by Alvein moved in a targeted manner, striking the cave ceiling with absolute precision.
Boom! Boom! Crack!
The deafening sound of explosions, followed by the crashing of giant rocks cracking and breaking, instantly shook the cave. The vibrations felt utterly terrifying, and the sound was so loud it was ear-splitting.
Whoosh!
The moment the cave roof began to crack and collapse, Alvein immediately flapped his wings and flew at full speed toward the exit passage. He pulled Calverd, who kept a tight grip on his hand, and Kaydan, who trailed behind.
Their bodies shot forward as fast as an arrow released from its bow. Behind them, the golden orb of light kept following Alvein while continuously firing deadly lasers at the ceiling all along the passage they traversed.
Giant rocks, stalactites, and earthen debris from the ceiling kept falling one after another, crashing heavily onto the cave floor and swallowing the empty space just a few meters behind their flight path. The wave of destruction chased them from behind.
Thanks to the bright orb of light flying above them, Alvein could navigate and see the path ahead of him crystal clear.
The tremors grew stronger. The air inside the passage was increasingly forced outward by the rubble behind them, creating a strong gust of wind that actually accelerated the fairy's flying speed.
And in the final seconds before the mouth of the cave was completely sealed by the falling rocks...
Whoosh...
The three youths dashed out, piercing through the late afternoon forest air. They landed smoothly on safe ground, a few meters away from the cave's mouth.
Thud! Crash! Ruummbleee...
Right as their feet touched the ground, the cave collapsed completely from within. The ground surface around the cave area immediately shook violently and caved in, creating a massive depression that swallowed the entire cave structure without a trace.
A thick cloud of dust briefly billowed high into the air, but was quickly swept clean by Alvein using a gust of his wind elemental magic, restoring the silence of the forest to its original state.
The three youths stood side by side, catching their breath while gazing at the sunken and tightly sealed expanse of earth before them. The traces of the cave had been permanently erased.
"Phew..." Alvein exhaled softly, dusting off his clothes, then smiled in relief. "Finally... our mission in this southern forest is fully complete."
The fairy turned to look at Kaydan and Calverd. "Come on, let us return to the capital and gather with the others!"
"Okay!" Kaydan and Calverd answered in unison, their tones implying the same sense of relief.
Their incredibly solid teamwork today had truly made the bond of brotherhood between them even stronger.
And then, Alvein channeled his mana once again, activating his invisible magic. He reached out and held Kaydan and Calverd's hands once more, making the figures of the three youths fade and disappear entirely from the sight of the wild.
With far more relaxed steps and tranquil hearts, the three of them walked side by side, leaving the dense forest behind, embarking on the journey back to their warm home in the capital.