Level 10 Field of Wheat

**Survival Difficulty: Class 1**

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**Level 10** is the 11th level of the Backrooms.

An image of Level 10.

## Description

**Level 10** is an expansive pasture of wheat and barley fields stretching endlessly in all directions, divided into plots by lines of trees and shrubbery. The climate of the level never appears to shift from an overcast, leaden sky, with brief and infrequent spells of light rain and fog. The dreary atmosphere of **Level 10**, coupled with its unchanging state of daylight, makes it somewhat difficult to keep track of time, with only the occasional gust of wind among the crops to break up the uniformity.

Due to its abundant resources and lack of immediate hazards, **Level 10** has been deemed a prime candidate for Backrooms settlement. The level's vast surplus of wheat and barley appears to be safe to consume, according to reports from those who have explored it. However, further investigation is pending to better understand the nutritional properties of these resources and determine their suitability as a reliable food source.

   A lake in Level 10.
Bodies of water are present throughout **Level 10** below one consistent elevation, which likely occurs due to the level's soil possessing slight hydrophobic properties, preventing the irrigation of water into the ground. The water from these pits has been deemed safe for human consumption, although its taste has been reported to have an earthy undertone. Upon inspection, it appears to be free of algae and other organisms, only containing various microbes and types of benign fungi. The water is believed to be highly oxygenated, which likely contributes to its clear, seemingly uncontaminated appearance.
A diverse range of structures may be found intermittently in **Level 10**, such as small wooden sheds and outbuildings, as well as larger barns and stables. These structures appear to be largely empty on the inside, aside from often housing certain useful resources, namely wood and nails. These resources, along with the structural elements of the buildings themselves, may be of interest for various purposes such as construction. While the potential for establishing permanent settlements in **Level 10** appears promising, further analysis is needed before a final decision can be reached.

Back home, I had a game I always used to play on my own. I would lay out an apple core or something like that out on my doorstep, and I would come back and watch it for hours on end each day until it was completely unrecognizable. Often, the shape of them would stain the concrete step, and so over the years it became browned with those shapes. I remember looking at that and thinking it was crazy that I could have such an effect on something as strong as concrete. I felt like the ruler of the world!

Barley and trees in Level 10.

The lines of shrubbery that separate the pastures of **Level 10** into plots are of varying species and do not appear to have any unusual properties, aside from the fact that they do not seem to outgrow one another; rather, they consistently remain at the same height. The trees in particular are of average hardness and can be used as a source of wood, although it has proven more practical to obtain wood from the empty structures throughout the level. Further investigation of the plants may yield additional insights into their potential uses and characteristics, as well as insights into the general ecology of **Level 10**.
Dirt paths are often present throughout **Level 10**, distinguished by two strips of tire tracks separated by a strip of grass, suggesting that the paths are frequently used by vehicles such as cars or tractors. However, despite this evidence of regular usage, no such vehicles have ever been observed on **Level 10**. These dirt tracks do not appear to regrow, and in addition, attempts to cultivate plants on these roads have resulted in failure, with sown seeds failing to germinate. Additionally, it has been observed that following these roads for a prolonged distance can often lead one to Level 11.

When me, my Mum, my Dad, and my dog first clipped into Level 1 while out on a picnic, we were shocked. We had no idea what to do, but my Mum — God bless her — kept it together and led us out. Having lived on our own wee farm all our lives, all we wanted was a quiet place to stay. The closest we had gotten was Level 4, but the dog couldn't stand the sound of the rain. We immediately regretted moving farther onwards, going through 5, 6, and 8 which we hated. But once we got to **Level 10**... we had a feeling that it was all worth it.

## Entities

The worms of Level 10.

There are very few unique entities in **Level 10**, with the exception of the small, wormlike entities that inhabit the soil beneath the surface. These worms have been observed through the use of shovels to dig into the soil, which has been found to be only one meter deep before giving way to the mass of worms writhing in the darkness below. It is currently unknown how far down the worms extend or where they originate, and further exploration beneath the one-meter depth has been deemed infeasible due to logistic and safety concerns.

Proceed with caution when excavating the soil in **Level 10**, as it has been observed that digging a hole deeper than one meter may result in the rapid emergence of worms from the soil. This can present a number of hazards, including the potential for slipping or falling injuries, damage to clothing, and even the risk of physical harm from worms attempting to burrow into the skin. If one wishes to collect them for any purpose, it is recommended to limit excavation to small holes rather than deep trenches in order to minimize risk.

I'll never forget the smell of wheat grain I smelled as we laid ourselves down on the wet soil floor... I saw worms come up, but I didn't pay them any mind. I was glad to finally be out of the caves, and to be somewhere familiar enough to me. Mum and Dad found a barn, somebody might've built it or it could've just been there — but it was our new home. It really felt like everything was going to be alright.

## Colonies and Outposts

Despite the fact that **Level 10** is generally seen as a transitory location due to its relative ease of exit, there is reason to believe that it may be possible to sustain oneself there long-term. Plans to establish an outpost in the level are currently in progress, with the aim of conducting a comprehensive analysis of the possibilities of long-term occupation.

A few days into living in the Level, when Mum had installed a new wooden doorstep, I decided I would play my little watching-things-decompose game. I grabbed off a piece of wheat, and placed it down to watch it rot. I was quite unsettled to see that it never decomposed one bit. I saw one of the worms come up, start eating it, and then turn right around. I thought about how much of it I had eaten, and I realised that I was feeling kinda weaker than usual.

## Entrances and Exits

### Entrances

* Walkways in Level 9 that lead to grass fields may lead one to this level.
* In certain streets on Level 11, you can find a back road that leads to **Level 10**.

### Exits

* Finding a road and following it for a prolonged period may eventually lead one to Level 11.
* Crossing a border separating this level and Level 35 will lead one there.
* Swimming into a lake can lead one to a number of aquatic levels; research into which levels exactly are accessible is underway.

After that, something happened to my Mum and Dad one night while I was asleep. They were making porridge. I woke up to the smoke of burnt porridge, and my Mum and Dad on the ground. I didn't think twice about getting out of there. I took the dog, and we went straight out for the lake. From then on I knew that life in the Backrooms would be even more complicated than I thought.

<<‏‏‎ ‎Level 9‏‏‎ ‎| Level 10 |‏‏‎ ‎Level 11‏‏‎ ‎>>