Level 217

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A recording clip found in Level 217.
After an exhausting day, I still haven't found where I belong. I collapsed on the ground, losing the direction of my life. When I came back to my senses, I had already reached this wonderful place——the atmosphere of the fragrant of flowers; the colorful plantations of the forest. The warm moonlight splashed on the surface of the grass, everything was so harmonious and peaceful, and I temporarily forgot all of my troubles. Suddenly, I saw some colorful glowing mushrooms, and I went near them. For some reason, I suddenly felt dizzy, and my strength left me. Maybe, I'm tired, I shall take a break and continue my journey tomorrow. 
Level 217 is the 218th level in the Backrooms.
==Description==
The Illuminated Pathways resembles an infinite dark forest pathway full of bioluminescent mushrooms and other glowing species of plants. The level also contains numeral species of entities or even different forms of any existing entities all through the Backrooms. The forest contains a patch of oak trees, pine trees, and other plantations. It is expanded infinitely, with mist shrouding its deep parts, making one lose their ability of vision and lose their direction once they go deeper into the forest. The main pathway is divided away from the forest by white wooden fences or abandoned walls of possibly existing architecture in the past. Moss could be found growing on the fences and the main pathway. Several plants and vegetables inhabit Level 217 that have been documented. Most of them look strange and compared to vegetation in The Frontrooms, taste less appetizing. This doesn't mean they aren't edible, these foliage can be used in lots of recipes and often replace normal variants, which will be discussed below. For example, Mutatoes and Subfusc Shrooms.
Mutatoes take the appearance of normal tomatoes, however, covered in green weed and are often filled with parasites. They're usually found in colder regions of the level, opposite of normal tomatoes which typically grow in warmer climates. It isn't recommended to eat these, as they are difficult to clean from viruses inside and are contagious, most likely due to the spores in the level caused by the mushrooms and the bugs which are native to the level, usually the main cause of infection in these fresh produce. However, with proper protection and advanced training, these Mutatoes can be turned into a delicacy and can be prepared in many ways, providing a salty and sour taste to the consumer. This can be done by removing the green weed and washing the Mutatoes in Almond Water, then you can dig in. Make sure to not use bare hands when trying to take the weeds off and when washing the Mutato, be sure to wear gloves. Otherwise, you risk getting infected with spores that are usually found in mushroom-located areas in Level 217.
On the other side, Subfusc Shrooms are similar to mushrooms, having the same appearances as one, but they have very different ways of functioning. Unlike normal mushrooms which typically grow in darker parts of forests, these mushrooms grow much faster in light and don't decompose dead animals or plants, essentially making them normal plants that can photosynthesis. These mushrooms are safe to eat, unlike Mutatoes and give a delicious earthy flavor, like mushrooms in The Frontrooms. They're usually smaller and they don't emit light hence why they're called Subfusc Shrooms, but they do use the light given to them to do photosynthesis. These mushrooms are also easy to cook and don't spread spores, unlike the mushrooms that emit spore condensation which are seen throughout the level.
The Subfusc Shrooms is also the main reason for the hazard of the level, which is commonly referred to as Spore Condensation by wanderers and the M.E.G corporation. Spore Condensation is a hazard that frequently occurs in the entire level. All subfusc mushrooms will spray out spores that appear as glowing light blue particles around the whole area in a wide range, shrouding the whole level with a thick fog of spores. The spores released through the mushrooms could paralyze one who is in direct contact, they function similarly to a muscle relaxant found in the Frontrooms. The only way discovered to avoid this is to wear protective clothes that cover all skin.
Spores from the mushrooms would infiltrate the nerve cells once in contact, rendering the victim completely immobile by severing the connection between the brain and nerves. The spores also trap their victims in illusions, while dissolving the victims and absorbing the dissolved substance as their nutrient through the soil. This caused numerous deaths of multiple wanderers and researchers from the M.E.G corporation. To avoid this hazard, entities in the level have evolved a layer of translucent skin covering their whole body that is immune to the spores time by time, and the next generations have also inherited their skin. The M.E.G corporation is trying to collect the translucent substance on dead entities and tried to investigate it to produce protective clothes to deal with this hazard. The plan is still in the design stage.
Light sources in the entire level are usually lanterns hung on wooden poles, but most spirits rely upon the bioluminescent mushrooms or the fireflies and use them as a guide to continue their journey. Precipitate does not fall in the level, and there is no wind. The level does not have a day-night cycle, with it staying in the nighttime indefinitely. The night sky consists of a palette of a mixture of dark colors and bluish-white or gray clouds. No stars could be observed with the unaided eye from the night sky. It is theorized that all stars existing in the level are within more than 10.000 light-years distance or stars don't exist in the level, but the exact reason could not be discovered. 
If one wanders deep enough through the pathway, one will find a clear river that breaks off the main path. The sound of the flowing waters is said to relax and calm down one's mind. To get to the other side, wanderers could only cross through using the bridge built. Numeral species of aquatic animals could be found here due to the deepness of the river. The starting point of the waters is a big waterfall, and its ending point remains unknown as the water flows into the deep parts of the mist-shrouded forests. It is theorized that the entire water source is an infinite loop itself, where the waters that fall through the end will return to the starting waterfall of the river. Water from the river is safe to consume and it contains a large amount of nutrients which equals 15 bottles of Almond Water. It also acts as a good fertilizer for the plants on the entire level. The river was documented in the Backrooms' database and was named as "The Illuminate River" by the first person who discovered the river, presumably the first person who left the recording clip on the level.
Entrances of underground cave systems could be found in the midnight zones of the river that resemble interconnected spaces of granite that contain stalagmite, stalactite, species of underground plants, and unique minerals that glow in the dark. The minerals have translucent outer shells of crystals and a mixture of Rainbow Dew and Neon Water inside. Pools of condensed water from the soil of the land could also be found inside the underground cave system. Numeral marine life could be found near the riverbed, such as variants of anemones, corals, seaweed, and other fishes. The whole riverbed is usually illuminated by a purplish light released from the bioluminescent marine life.
The most common sea creatures in the rivers are called Luminescent Fishes, which are the fish or sea animals one would expect to encounter in the rivers of Level 217. They have the appearance of an anglerfish, but they don't act like anglerfish. They usually live near the rivers and not deep into underwater caverns, and they are a threat to wanderers, often biting them to gain food. However, they do have the size of an anglerfish and they're usually easy to kill and capture. These fish are common and to capture one, something sharp like makeshift wooden spears and knives should do the trick. Luminescent Fish 's meat is soft and tender, often being used in dishes such as sushi or sashimi, and can be used as an effective nutrition source (mainly Vitamin A). It is believed that this entity has some close relationship to The Thing on Level 7, but this is just an illusion.
Anemones in the level are named Phosphorescent Anemones by the M.E.G corporation, which is a common sea creature to be found in riverbeds and the bottom of the ocean. The species usually exists 40 meters below sea level or lower. Although there are 14,000 known variations of bioluminescent anemone, it is assumed to be more variations in the depths of the unexplored ocean. There are plenty of varying characteristics among them, including but not limited to size and color. The common characteristic of all anemones is that they all emit a light-bluish glow and the brightness scales with the location of the anemone. In deeper oceans, the anemones found are glowing dimmer since the supply of chemicals in the deep ocean is not as abundant. 
The anemones have long tentacles sticking out from the central component of their body, which contains vital organs. After dissection, a small brain-like structure could be found inside a double membrane-bond nervous complex inside its body, which is considered the part that makes the anemones react to stimuli. The tentacles of the anemones are aggressive and venomous, any direct contact with the tentacles will cause one to be stung and be intoxicated. The toxicity of the venom scales by the sea level the species of anemone is from, the deeper in the ocean, the more toxic they are. Some of the toxins are fatal and can at least cause severe injury, while others are not as deadly but can bring long-term injuries and severe pain. It is strongly advised against touching an anemone. 
Many species of insects from The Frontrooms can be seen here including flies, worms, and butterflies with Death Moths being the exception. It is estimated that the level has over 400 billion creatures, with over 6 million lifeforms in it, most of them are uninvestigated due to the hazard of the level. Also, some of the mushrooms emit chemicals that may cause hallucinations and cause one to make false reports about animals, making it harder to confirm actual species.
==Colonies and Outposts==
Due to a lack of general incentive, its possible isolating properties, and the fact that its terrain does not allow for permanent settlements, only 1 outpost was successfully established within Level 217. The level's immense size and multiple hazards that reside in the level also do not entice many long-term inhabitants to attempt the creation of permanent housing, and community building would prove difficult due to its strange auditory properties. However, there are still those who are willing to try.
===The Illuminated Fireflies===
*A group of 23 members.
*Friendly to others and are willing to trade.
*Owns medical supplies and protective clothes that could avoid contact with the hazard in the level.
*Owns weaponry, clothing and other daily supplies.
*Formed by researchers, wanderers and scientists.
*Most of the members are male, with male members being 75% and female members being 25%.
*Its official symbol is shaped as a firefly that is assumed to be one of the firefly species in the level. However, fireflies in the level are blue.
==Entrances and Exits</span">==
===Entrances=== 
*Fall into a snow quicksand in Level 276.
===Exits===
*Noclipping through the riverbed will lead one to Level 763.
*Noclipping through the ground will lead one to Level 808.
Category:Cluster I
Category:Levels
Category:Unconfirmed Levels
Category:Dangerous
Category:Neutral