The staging ground just outside the roaring green vortex was a hive of high-level activity. Several elite mercenary bands and vanguard parties had already gathered, their weapons gleaming under the unnatural emerald lightning cracking across the sky. The atmosphere was thick with competitive tension, everyone sizing up the potential rival raiders.
Near the front of the portal line, a heavily armored vanguard trio was running through their final equipment checks.
"At least this time it's green," one of the mages muttered, adjusting his mana-infused robes. "The last time a rift opened up nearby, it was absolute carnage. The infamous Yunjaar Plain is nothing but a barren wasteland now."
"Hey, look on the bright side. If we survive, it'll be a nice boost of EXP, if I dare say so myself," a nearby knight chuckled, leaning heavily on his broadsword.
