The pod hissed shut. Darkness folded over Raven's senses—then the game booted. He logged in to Primordial Abyss like always, and the next instant, light poured in.
Duskmire Outpost materialized around him: sandstone walls, flickering rune-lamps, and the hum of public portals activating on every side. Familiar. Faded. Safe. Players bustled past—trading, tweaking gear, chatting about last week's raid reset.
Raven didn't linger.
Public wayshrines were scattered across every faction's territory, and Duskmire's portal ring was one of the oldest—open to all players, no faction restrictions. Raven approached the southern shrine, where four stone arches circled a glowing platform etched with continent-wide runes.
He couldn't use personal teleportation here. His private chain-link teleport only allowed direct travel to dungeons he'd already conquered—and the Vault of the Rootbound wasn't one of them.
Yet.
