Level 11: "Concrete Jungle"

**Survival Difficulty: Class 2e - Environmental**

»⠀Safe

»⠀Stable

»⠀Devoid of Life

**Level 11** is the 12th level of the Backrooms.

## Description

**Level 11** is a sprawling, desolate cityscape of monolithic buildings and winding asphalt roads. The architectural design of the structures in **Level 11** varies moderately; buildings typically appear to follow the architectural style of the modern urban West, but explorations further into the level have shown instances of differing architectural styles. This alteration in design appears to be correlated to one's relative "entrance" point; the further one travels from where they initially enter the level, the more varied and disorderly its architecture seems to become. The architecture of **Level 11** is thought to be dynamic and ever-changing, influenced by both time and individual wanderer interaction.

The scattered cityscape of **Level 11** appears to have been haphazardly constructed and added to with no regard for aesthetic uniformity or habitability. Its infrastructure is largely unstable and non-Euclidean; it has been deemed impractical to properly map or navigate due to its inconsistent layout and geometry. Attempts to explore the level in a linear or direct fashion have all failed in some capacity on account of its confusing architecture; several explorers have noted a strange inability to map out portions of the city for any significant distance without becoming lost or disoriented. Strangely, despite its lack of life, hints of past human occupancy are scattered throughout **Level 11**, such as litter and graffiti. These discoveries have prompted questions amongst wanderers regarding the level's past, and while nothing has been concretely established, many theories have arisen.

Long, winding roads subdivide the masses of empty structures into dense, unclear sections. The traffic lights lining each street corner, if functional, frequently flip between red, yellow, and green, lacking any clear reason or pattern in their sequences and being seemingly pointless due to the overt lack of vehicles in the level. The roads themselves are often cracked and worn, with nonsensically-labeled street signs standing inanely at their junctions. The only sounds that can be heard are the eerie creaks and groans of the worn buildings exposed to the elements, mixing with the gentle sound of wind to create an uneasy atmosphere. Analysis of the level's infrastructure has revealed the use of shoddy materials and construction methods, leading to the steady degradation of the roads and buildings; in fact, the gaps between buildings are often less than a meter wide, creating an almost mazelike environment.

The unventilated interiors of the level's structures contain bizarre, often nonsensical layouts, twisting and winding into confusing corridors with odd, out-of-place furnishings. The interiors appear to follow no logical architectural pattern: staircases often end abruptly, doors frequently lead to flat walls behind them, and hallways tend to loop back to their origin, lead to dead ends, or extend on seemingly endlessly. Their labyrinthine designs are often difficult to navigate, causing confusion and disorientation in those who decide to venture into their senseless heights.

Those who have remained in **Level 11** for an extended period of time have commonly reported feeling a lingering sensation of being watched or followed; though these feelings are commonly interpreted as being psychosomatic in nature, the level has been described as having an almost intangible, ambient "pressure" emanating from within its core. Additional investigation into the level's climate has revealed significant amounts of pollutants in the air, such as carbon monoxide and various nitrogen oxides, contaminants that commonly result from vehicular and industrial activity. The presence of these pollutants is highly peculiar due to the barren nature of **Level 11**, but regardless of their origin, they have raised concerns about the safety of prolonged exposure to the level's air.

Further study of the level's properties has suggested the presence of differing gravitational and magnetic properties in certain areas, implying that it may have a non-uniform distribution of mass, or suggesting the existence of structures in the level with extremely high densities. This finding has increased speculation about the composition of the level; it is thought that the study of its effects on gravitational and magnetic fields may provide valuable insight into its laws of physics and challenge current understanding of such phenomena.

As I made my way deeper into the heart of the city, I was struck by the stark barrenness of my surroundings. The buildings were towering and imposing, casting long shadows over the empty roads below. The silence was palpable.

## Colonies and Outposts

**Level 11** appears to be entirely devoid of life. The majority of those who have explored the level and returned have described it as large enough to hold hundreds of thousands or even millions of residents; despite this, such reports also detail the complete lack of any apparent life within it. Even plant matter, such as grass and trees, remains in a dead or decomposed state, bereft of leaves or foliage. The exact cause of this phenomenon is unknown, in addition to how such plant matter initially grew to begin with. Strangely, experiments involving the manual introduction of foreign florae into the environment of **Level 11** have revealed that plants exhibit an inexplicably accelerated rate of decomposition, with all vegetation decomposing and withering within a matter of minutes, regardless of actual contact with the air.

## Entrances and Exits

### Entrances

* Following a dirt road for a prolonged period of time in Level 10 may eventually lead one to this level;
* More open areas of Level 84 may lead to this level;
* Certain office buildings in Level 851 may transport one to similar buildings in **Level 11**.

### Exits

* Certain alley streets may connect to a long dirt road, eventually leading to Level 10;
* Removing a manhole cover and descending downward will lead to Level 2;
* Entering exceedingly cramped areas of the level may transport one to Level 84;
* Noclipping through a 60s advertisement will bring one to Level 85;
* Roads with increasingly colder temperatures may lead to Level 101;
* Travelling down large, empty highways may lead to Level -69.

**Footnotes**

1. ↑ Most notably, the appearance of post-Soviet and Brutalist designs have been reported.
2. ↑ In some cases, despite the presence of exterior doors and windows, certain buildings have been found to be completely hollow on the inside, or conversely, completely solid, presenting an even greater mystery as to how or why such structures exist in the first place.
3. ↑ However, as this effect does not appear to apply to human life within the level, it has not been deemed a safety hazard.