Level 38

3
3

**Survival Difficulty: Class 3**
»⠀Unsafe
»⠀Unstable
»⠀Moderate Entity Count

**Level 38** is a finite, waterlocked town consisting of residential buildings, open plazas, and brick walkways. The level's structural design appears to be a mix between Mexican, Omani, and Turkmen architecture, with white, blocky structures sparsely coated in gold and silver. A notable aspect of **Level 38** that becomes obvious upon entry is its overpowering orange hue and pungent, rarefied smell, likely as a result of the level's poor air quality. The lack of a discernible day/night cycle is commonly attributed to the dense haze obscuring any incoming light.

Curiously, plant life can be found in long rock gardens bordering the path walks, as well as palm trees in their own separate gardens, although the majority of them are uprooted because of the level's extreme winds. With the absence of pollinators to pollinate the flora, the plants do not nor cannot produce any food for one to consume. How some of the plants are still able to persist the environmental factors remains unclear, though it is suggested that **Level 38** only recently has undergone the current environmental conditions.

Whilst this rarely occurs, the ground of **Level 38** is somewhat prone to collapsing and may do so if enough strenuous pressure is applied to it. Furthermore, these holes can turn into major sinkholes that patch several minutes later, which during the time the sinkholes are not patched, can lead one to fall to their demise. Besides the abundance of ground water, nothing noteworthy can be found underground.

The majority of the residential buildings are able to be accessed, as their doors or windows are usually unlocked. Inside the residential buildings, one will be met with a varying cramped, claustrophobic environment, with haphazardly placed furniture, objects and architectural design not considerate for appearance nor convenience. The objects on the floor especially act as a tripping or slipping hazard, which can be fatal. Additionally, the interiors of the buildings are not orange as opposed to the outdoors; howbeit, the same factors (I.E., the visibility, temperature, humidity and air quality) from outside is present here as well in a less severe extent. Whilst not in terrible condition, the infrastructure of the buildings is damaged in random areas, with dents, holes, cracks and ceilings dripping contaminated water being common.

The insides are poorly lit up by exposed light bulbs that may occasionally flicker. Touching the light bulbs, no matter if it is off or not, is unadvised, as it could potentially easily electrocute one. The interiors additionally give off a distinct smell, described to be a mixture of rotten fish and eggs. However, even though the smell grows stronger within kitchens and laundry rooms, a specific object or objects that is confidentially thought to emit the smell have not been discovered. The walls are plastered with a dried maroon substance, hypothesized to be the origin of the rotten fish-like smell. This has further led some to believe the substance is dried blood of an undetermined lifeform.

### The Ocean

Going in a certain direction within the town will have one encounter a mostly calm ocean devoid of life, stretching for indefinite length. Reaching this destination may take a while due to the repetitiveness of the town's structure and layout confusing explorers, and compasses failing to function properly in **Level 38**. The shores of **Level 38** are jagged rock beaches littered with plastic, leaking metallic hardware, and is coated in a thin layer of sand.

Unlike the rest of the level, the fog in the ocean remains the same density, with one incapable of seeing more than ~18 meters ahead of themselves. Arbitrarily placed rusting sailboats and rafts are a frequent sight upon the ocean, but one is unable to make use of these boats for transportation since the strong winds of **Level 38** can tear apart the sails, and no paddles are present onboard any of the boats.

The sea of **Level 38** is known to harbor some anomalous properties. Firstly, the depth of the ocean fluctuates uncommonly, meaning a wanderer may be able to stand on the seabed for one moment, and next suddenly sink below water levels as a consequence of the seabed being swung deeper. Moreover, this can occur without warning, and one is unable to tell when the depth of the ocean has shifted, as no signs, such as ripples in the water are apparent. Secondly, one might be able to spot various lights glowing behind the dense fog on the ocean. The color and brightness of the lights varies.

## Colonies & Outpost

Whilst wanderers are able to meet each other in **Level 38**, establishing colonies or outposts is infeasible due to **Level 38's** nature.

## Exits and Entrances

### Entrances

* Going through a gap glowing orange instead of white in Level 37.

### Exits

* There have been various instances of witnesses spotting dilapidated and run-down cargo carriers sailing through **Level 38's** ocean; managing to reach onboard any of these carriers will bring one to Level 17.