The Swarming

## **Description:**

Nestled within the enigmatic confines of the Backrooms, Level -49 presents an ominous tableau that is both eerily familiar and terrifyingly hostile. This level manifests as a seemingly ordinary farm road, flanked by a fenced pasture on one side and a foreboding forest on the other. Yet, the true nature of this level, cloaked in a veil of mystery and peril, lies hidden within its hostile and insidious inhabitants.

### **A Sinister Façade: The Illusion of Normalcy**

At first glance, Level -49 masquerades as a tranquil scene, its appearance reminiscent of a rustic countryside setting. The farm road, weathered by time, stretches before the wanderer, inviting them to explore the rustic charm that the level seems to exude. However, appearances are indeed deceiving, for within this facade lies a relentless and deadly force that transcends the boundaries of the familiar.

### **The Wrathful Swarm: An Unrelenting Horde**

The heart of Level -49 is consumed by an all-consuming terror—an immense swarm of mosquitoes that pervades every inch of the environment. Unlike their Frontrooms counterparts, these mosquitoes exhibit an unparalleled aggression. Upon entering the level, wanderers are instantaneously targeted, with the ferocious insects swarming and attacking within the span of a mere 1 to 5 seconds. Each bite injects a potent venom that triggers a dramatic rise in body temperature.

### **A Grim Transition: From Bite to Coma**

The effect of the mosquito bites is swift and ominous. The bitten wanderer's body temperature spikes dramatically, while an unsettling lethargy takes hold. Within 30 seconds to a minute after the first bite, the victim succumbs to a deep coma, falling into a state of unconsciousness from which there is no return. It is in this moment that the true horrors of Level -49 unveil themselves.

### **An Unwanted Transformation: From Human to Mosquito**

The comatose wanderer becomes a grotesque puppet in the macabre theater of Level -49. Their body undergoes a horrifying transformation as their very essence is shattered and reassembled. Biomass is converted with sinister precision into a horde of 39,000 to 60,000 black mosquitoes—this number dependent on the individual's height and weight. The newly born mosquitoes join the relentless swarm, their purpose forever altered as they become part of an aimless dance within the level's cursed expanse.

### **The Drone's Gaze: A Glimpse into Desolation**

What little is known about Level -49 has been gleaned from the records of an unfortunate wanderer who took the daring step of venturing into the level with a remote-controlled drone. Through the drone's lenses, the process of its owner's fate was captured in haunting detail. From the initial bite to the eventual collapse and disintegration into the mosquito swarm, the drone's perspective reveals the grim and inescapable reality of this level.

### **Entrances: Threads of Fate**

There are two known pathways that lead to the ominous clutches of Level -49:

* A farm road within Level 120 is marked by a stop sign bearing the haunting word "SWARM" instead of the expected "STOP." This road serves as a gateway to the treacherous road within Level -49.
* In an exceptional twist of fate, venturing deeply into Level -23 can unexpectedly transport wanderers to the pasture of Level -49, offering them an unintended and harrowing connection between dimensions.

### **Exits: Unseen Horizons**

Exiting Level -49 is shrouded in mystery and uncertainty, primarily due to the exceptionally brief lifespan of wanderers within its grasp. With the onset of the relentless mosquito assault and the subsequent transformation into the swarm, survival is an impossibility. Nonetheless, speculation exists that uncharted exits to other levels might exist beyond the veil of death that consumes those who step into the Whispering Emptiness.