Just Extra

After about an hour of waiting, the situation below grew quiet.

The cultivators who had been fighting the monsters were almost all killed.

Of course, many monsters had also fallen, but plenty of human lives were lost as well.

Yet none of the people watching from above made a move.

Why would they? If the lowly local magic cultivators could fight and die in their place, there was no reason for them to waste effort killing these monsters themselves.

In the sky, more than twenty air boats and ships hovered.

Among them, three stood out the most — ships belonging to the Medure family, the Redit family, and the Almond family.

These three gave off an undeniable aura of authority, like rulers looking down upon commoners.

The Almond family's main element was earth, while the Redit family specialized in water.

Of course, these families had members with other elemental affinities as well, but those two were their strongest foundations.

The three ships were easily recognizable:

the Redit family's ship glowed with a cool blue light,

the Medure family's ship blazed with a deep red glow,

and the Almond family's ship shone with a steady brown aura.

Suddenly, someone from the Redit family's ship shouted across the air,

"Alex! What is your plan here? Just because this spatial cave was born in your ruling area doesn't mean it belongs to you!"

Alex's voice was calm, yet sharp as a blade.

"Oh? You really think you can bark at me in my own territory? Do you not see that I allowed your family to even step foot here, Raveesh?"

The words were cold, and they struck like a whip.

Raveesh always like that, wherever he saw medure family people always trying to make problems.

Raveesh's face flushed with anger, but when he thought about it, he realized Alex was right.

This was indeed the Medure family's jurisdiction.

If he pushed too far, he might not leave safely.

Known for his foul temper, Raveesh surprisingly chose to stay silent this time.

Alex's gaze shifted between Raveesh and Amar of the Almond family.

"This spatial cave isn't too dangerous," he said evenly.

"I don't believe there is any legacy or inheritance here above the Fourth Essence Core level.

So I propose we send the younger generation inside to explore. What do you both think?"

Amar stroked his chin before replying calmly,

"Indeed, that might be the better choice.

It's good to let the younger ones gain experience.

They already know the world is dangerous, but until they truly face it, they don't understand.

If there are monsters inside the cave, then let them struggle and learn.

That way, they will realize they are not invincible."

Raveesh finally nodded in agreement.

The decision was made — the younger generation would be sent into the dungeon.

Of course, all two of them knew this had already been Alex's plan from the beginning.

If this spatial cave were truly powerful, it would not have appeared this small, nor would the destruction around it be so limited.

Alex turned away from the other two family heads and faced the children standing neatly on the deck of the Medure family's ship.

His gaze swept across them, sharp yet calm, before stopping on two figures in particular.

The first was Kaelen Medure, a boy of fifteen.

He had fiery red hair, faintly glowing under the sunlight, and his eyes carried the spark of Flame Essence.

Though still young, his control over fire was already impressive — his flames burned hotter and sharper than most cultivators twice his age.

He was known for his direct, fierce nature, the type who charged first and asked questions later.

Beside him stood Selira Medure, a girl of fourteen, her black hair tied neatly behind her.

Unlike Kaelen, she was calm and reserved.

Her body carried the cool flow of Bloodfire Essence, a rare fusion of flame and vitality that gave her both strong recovery and the ability to ignite her blood for bursts of power.

She had a sharp mind, often analyzing battles before stepping in, making her the opposite of Kaelen's reckless nature.

Alex's expression softened slightly as he looked at the two.

"Kaelen. Selira. Among these children, you two stand at the front.

From today on, you are the faces of the Medure family's future."

His voice dropped lower, heavy with warning.

"Remember this — always be wary of the Redit and Almond family's children.

There may be assassins hidden among them.

Do not be careless. Even heirs have been killed this way in the past."

The two nodded firmly, determination flashing in their eyes.

Alex gave a final glance, his eyes lingering on the children a moment longer. His expression, calm on the surface, carried the weight of responsibility. These were not just ordinary juniors; each of them carried the name of a great family, and their every step inside the cave could decide future rivalries, alliances, and even lives.

Raising his hand, Alex made a slight gesture. Immediately, the great ship of the Medure family shuddered softly as the formation lines beneath it flared with light. Around them, the other two powerful ships of the Redit and Almond families also responded, shifting slightly in the air as though an unspoken agreement had passed among the leaders. The rest of the air boats and smaller vessels quickly moved aside, opening a wide, clear path through the crowded sky.

Below, the spatial cave loomed like a wound in the earth. It was almost one hundred and fifty meters wide, its edges jagged and unstable, and the darkness inside seemed to swallow even the light of the sun. From within, faint growls echoed, as if unseen beasts were waiting just beyond the veil. The surrounding land bore the marks of chaos—collapsed houses, broken walls, and bloodied ground where countless lower cultivators had already died fighting the monsters that escaped earlier.

The younger generation stood ready at the edge of the ship's deck. Their faces carried different expressions—nervousness, excitement, ambition, and fear. Some gripped their weapons so tightly their knuckles turned white, while others forced themselves to smile as if to hide their trembling hearts.

"Go," Alex's voice cut through the air, calm yet commanding.

The formation arrays on the ships pulsed once, and glowing bridges of light stretched out, leading directly toward the trembling mouth of the cave. One by one, the juniors leaped from the safety of their family ships. Their robes fluttered, spirit energy surged, and they descended in arcs of light, their figures growing smaller as they approached the black, gaping entrance.

From above, the three great ships hovered in silence, their red, blue, and brown banners casting long shadows across the battlefield. To the countless cultivators still gathered on the ground, watching from afar, the sight of the heirs of the great families stepping into the unknown was both awe-inspiring and chilling.

The shimmering veil of the spatial cave rippled like water as the first group entered. Their bodies disappeared instantly, swallowed by darkness of the dungeon. One after another, the younger generation followed, until the last of them was gone.

After the last of the noble heirs vanished into the spatial cave, the battlefield below grew restless. The ordinary cultivators—rogue wanderers, mercenaries, and juniors from smaller clans—had been waiting for this moment. None of the great families had stopped them, but none had invited them either. It was an unspoken rule: when the powerful finished, the rest could fight over the scraps.

Shouts broke out among the crowd as dozens of figures pushed forward. Some leapt into the air with flying swords, others dashed across the broken earth with lightness techniques. The stench of blood still clung to the ground where monsters had been slain earlier, but their eyes glowed with greed and desperation.

"The spatial cave won't stay open forever!" someone cried.

"If the big family can go, so can we!" another voice echoed.

Their movements were messy compared to the disciplined descent of the family juniors. Weapons clattered, robes flapped wildly, and small groups broke apart as rivals shoved past each other. A few cultivators clashed mid-air, blades sparking, unwilling to let their enemies enter first.

The glowing bridges left by the great ships flickered faintly, already fading. The locals rushed before they vanished completely, hurling themselves toward the cave's black veil. One after another, they disappeared inside—some shouting war cries, others whispering prayers, many with fear etched into their faces.

From above, the powerful families did not intervene. To them, these people were nothing more than ants rushing into the fire. If fortune favored them, they might stumble upon a minor treasure or clear out some of the beasts. If not… their corpses would pave the way for the true contenders.

The rippling mouth of the cave swallowed more and more figures until the ground below was nearly empty. Only a handful of cautious cultivators lingered outside, waiting to see who would survive before daring to risk their own lives.