She scrambled up the dirt embankment, poking her head out of the root-cave to look at the horizon.
In the far distance, a towering, impenetrable wall of dark, swirling, toxic purple fog was visibly advancing, swallowing the petrified trees of the Whispering Woods, moving inward at an alarming, erratic pace.
"What is that?" Zechuan asked, popping his head out beside hers, blinking sleepily, his raven hair a complete, tangled mess.
"That is my masterpiece, and currently, my greatest regret," Ji'an grumbled, hauling herself out of the hole. "Listen closely; I'll only tell this to you just once. I designed this map. The realm is separated into three concentric circular sections. The Outer Layer is where we are right now; it is the spawn zone. It's mostly environmental hazards, standard beasts, and early-game PvP skirmishes."
She pointed her spatula toward the shrinking horizon.
