Level 268

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You dreadfully feel the claustrophobia gradually culminate.
As you wander through the grand complex, of size immeasurably great.
You look at your phone, it has lost the ability to communicate.
A place of bewildering perplexity that depletes sanity; welcome to Level 268.
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Level 268 is designated as the 269th level of the Backrooms.
==⨠ Description==
Level 268, colloquially referred to as Brutally Cramped or Concrete Claustrophobia, is a claustrophobic level that instills feelings of dread, isolation, and, as the name suggests, claustrophobia. The level resembles an expansive complex of narrow hallways, often akin to the off-limits staff areas of large buildings. The average temperature of the level is 0.85°C (33.53°F), putting wanderers at risk of hypothermia, and some wet surfaces can be dangerously slippery. Fluorescent lights illuminate the halls of Level 268, emitting an irritating buzzing noise. The level exhibits variations throughout its expanse; one area may be in pristine condition, while another may be in disrepair. Scents range from being inodorous in some places to malodorous in others. Illumination may be lacking in certain areas, and others can pose critical hazards.
The level posits an unconventional and perplexing layout, bewildering many wanderers. The layout presents inconsistency throughout the level. The complexity of the level gives the impression of non-Euclidean geometry, but actual non-Euclidean geometry is non-existent in Level 268. Wanderers usually have temporarily weakened cognitive capabilities due to the complexity of traversing the level.
Level 268's architecture largely resembles the Brutalist architectural movement in the Frontrooms, hence its name. Super-reinforced concrete comprises the walls of the level, having near-indestructible properties comparable to diamonds. Some walls can either be smooth or bricky. Most halls have doors connecting them with other spaces. Doors can be heavy and made of pure iron, while some are composed of glass. Some doors are immovable, unopenable, or uncloseable. Objects and furniture such as closets, lockers, trash bags, cardboard boxes, destroyed electronics, piles of rubbish, and rarely, beneficial items like Almond Water appear throughout the level.
Level 268 possesses a thick and slightly toxic atmosphere. The atmosphere is 25% denser than Terra of the Frontrooms's sea level atmospheric pressure. Combined with the rancid odor, most wanderers experience mild headaches and coughing symptoms but are not critically ill. Miasmic mist fills the air, carrying a unique strain of the Hydrolitis Plague able to transmit via water vapor. Inhaling the miasmic water vapor is not hazardous to most wanderers, but lingering in a miasma-contaminated room for 10 minutes may cause severe symptoms. The water vapor can condense on surfaces, increasing the risk of Hydrolitis Plague upon contact. The hydrosphere of Level 268 posits various abnormalities, such as the aforementioned unique strain of Hydrolitis Plague. Several surfaces within the level are hydrophobic, mainly the rare items scattered throughout the level.
Fluorescent lights are the primary illumination for Level 268. Most fluorescent lights nonsensically scatter throughout the ceiling and walls, with no distinct layout. Unlike the irritably loud buzzing of lights on Level 0, lights emanate little to no noise, creating an eerie atmosphere and allowing for the further culmination of claustrophobia, scopophobia, and autophobia for individuals. The nonsensicality of the lights also applies to their appearance, sporting unconventional designs. Switches activate most lights on Level 268; most are in disrepair and could cause electrical harm on contact. Rarely, one may come across electrical panels providing power in a half-kilometer radius. The electrical panels are flimsy; slight mishandling can cut all electricity in the panel's sphere of influence. If a panel malfunctions, it will reactivate after 8 minutes, usually with permanent damage such as the occasional flickering of lights.
Unlike other levels of the Backrooms, interlevel communication with paraphernalia such as mobile phones and walkie-talkies is impossible in Level 268. The level is devoid of WiFi signals to connect mobile phones, and the only possible communication is with walkie-talkies with other wanderers at the level. Many theories have been postulated about why this is the case, and all are futile. The most widely accepted hypothesis for the transmission anomaly is that the walls within the level null out WiFI signals. This anomaly has hindered proper exploration of the level and the establishment of permanent settlements within the level.
Pipes of varying appearances and functions slither the ceilings of Level 268. Most pipes are dilapidated and are unable to serve their intended purpose. Functional pipes have the Hydrolitis Plague miasma flowing in them. The miasmic air will also be more potent and denser in the pipes. Therefore, it is highly unadvised to break open the pipes, as fatal consequences are highly likely. The pipes have extremely low temperatures, averaging at -18°C (-0.4°F). Rarely, one may come across green pipes containing Almond Water. Almond Water pipes lay closer to the ground, have a drinking spout, and their temperature averages at regular room temperature.
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==⨠ Entities==
Level 268 is home to a diverse range of entities, with most being inhumanely vile. Smilers, both male and female Death Moths, Clumps, Hounds, Skin-Stealers, Capgras, Standers, Anethikas, Spines, Needlelimbs, Jantlers, and Lighters populate the claustrophobic complex. Two entities, the Hydrolitis Plague and the Windows are also present within Level 268, although they alter slightly as opposed to their conventional counterparts.
===▻ Hydrolitis Plague - Osiris Strain===
Variant HP12202, commonly inferred as the Osiris Strain, is a strain of the Hydrolitis Plague unique to Level 268. The Osiris Strain transmits only via thick water vapor in a humid environment. The strain can thrive in smaller bodies of water, such as tiny puddles, surface condensation mainly on walls, or thick mist. Its stages of infection differ from the regular Hydrolitis Plague. 
Biologists know little about the Osiris Strain. Only symptoms, transmitting mediums, and microscopic appearance are confirmed. Its origins and infection stages are not 100% factual, and there are no methods of fully curing this strain. Some information presented below may be misinformation, given that current knowledge about the strain connects via illogical hypotheses.
The symptoms of the strain are the same as those of the regular variant. Immediately after infection, one generally remains asymptomatic for a fortnight. The strain does not transmit through humans or entities. The three stages of both variants are nearly identical; the Osiris Strain kills its victims slower, the three stages last longer, and at the second half of the third stage, all pain receptors of the victim shut down, so victims perish painlessly.
Biologists from different Backrooms groups, including the Backroom Colonists and the Entity Research Committee, are researching this peculiar strain of the Hydrolitis Plague, gathering new information, and developing ways to combat it. Most research on the strain is sluggish due to poor manpower, resources, and higher priorities. Currently, one must visit the level with protective gear, masks, and take proper precautions to avoid infection of the Osiris Strain.
===▻ The Windows of Level 268===
Window entities spread throughout the vast complex of Level 268. They can take many different forms and sizes. The entity will display a solid concrete wall on the other side. The windows show no signs of hostility, even after intense brute force. While the entity shows no hostility, wanderers still sense fear and dread from being near them since they believe that there are certain qualities Window entities emanate that differentiate them from non-anomalous windows. Window entities are only hostile towards the Osiris Strain, as they mostly have built-in filters to combat the virus. When near a Window entity, many wanderers report hallucinations such as halls closing in slowly or fake hostile entity noises, the former being more frequent.
==⨠ Colonies and Outposts==
Although not absolutely impossible, the anomalous parameters of Level 268 render it nearly impossible to establish a permanent settlement. Most groups, such as the Major Explorer Group and the Party Crashers, deem establishing a settlement unprofitable and unnecessary.
==⨠ Addendum==
Recovered Log - 12/02/2002
On May 16, 2002, this lost note of presumably a now deceased wanderer reported her experience traversing Level 268.
==⨠ Ingress and Egress==
===▻ Ingress===
*Slight upwards inclinations in Level 567 might leads wanderers to Level 268;
*Entering a door situated in a claustrophobic hallway in Level 1 and Level 3 might lead one here;
*Entering a claustrophobic passage in Level 102 will lead wanderers here;
*Noclipping in a claustrophobic hallway in either Level 193 or Level 290 will lead one here;
*Noclipping through any entrances of any ruins in Level 267 will lead one here;
*A wormhole in Level 223 might lead one here;
*In Level 2, traversing deep enough within corridors that are purely painted white sends one here;
*Toying with hospital equipment on either Level 14 or Level 16 might send one here;
*Touching a concrete-like substance on Level -188 will lead one here;
*Noclipping into a wall in Level -888's mirrored state will send one here.
===▻ Egress===
*Entering a seldom large space might send one to different levels based on its appearance.
**If it resembles a parking space, it leads to Level 22;
**If it resembles a warehouse, it leads to Level 20;
**If it resembles a factory, it leads to Level 23;
**If it resembles a sports facility such as a basketball court, it may lead to Level 176 or Level 898;
**If it has no architectural consistency whatsoever, cannot be discerned as any spaces mentioned above, it most likely leads to Level 1 or Level 1.1;
*Did you know that consistently questioning anomalous parameters about the level over and over again until your sanity depletes might send you to Level 47?
*Entering a rare door with a sign on it with the English word "Next" etched on it, leads to Level 269;
*Descending a rare staircase sends one to either Level 914, an indoor space in Level 67, or Level 423;
*Entering an orange door sends one to either Level 38 or Level 38.1.
*Noclipping into a puddle of motor oil sends one to Level 220.
Category:Levels
Category:Frigid
Category:Unconfirmed Levels
Category:Cluster I
Category:Dangerous