The stairs were made of limestone and appeared to be older than anything else we’d seen so far. The center of each step was worn smooth and grooved, the way stone gets when a few thousand feet have crossed it. Our descent brought a change in the air; the flowery smell was replaced with the hearty scent of burning cedar. I felt that familiar feeling of walking under an air curtain and found myself back in the same main room as I had seen in the tutorial space.
There were a few differences this time. The fire was lit in the hearth now. It roared and crackled along. Above it was a screen displaying information.
Floor 1: The Hallowed Reach
Time to Sweeping: 6 Days 22 hours 31 minutes
Shard 4 of 10
Population: 4371