Level 126: "These Weather Settings are Unrealistic"

Level 126 is the 127^th level of the Backrooms.

Description[]

Level 126 is primarily composed of a vast expanse of low-rise buildings interspersed with grasslands (except during “Tower”). The spacing between buildings is highly inconsistent: some structures are directly interconnected, forming narrow and winding passages, while others stand completely isolated within the grass, lacking any nearby constructions. The majority of these buildings are locked.

Most exterior walls are made of cement, concrete, or aged brick. Their surfaces are marred by extensive peeling paint and dark water stains. Cracks in the walls are consistently unnatural in appearance, often forming lines that are unnervingly straight or angles that contradict conventional structural logic. On certain corners, faded slogans or serial numbers can still be found, though their content is blurred and their typography distorted to the point that their original purpose can no longer be identified. Metal components—such as railings, drainage pipes, and doorknobs—are heavily oxidized; notably, the rust throughout the level exhibits an unnaturally uniform coloration.

The buildings’ windows are genuine architectural features rather than entities. Most remain fully intact within the walls, yet their glass surfaces are covered with fine scratches and a grayish-white haze that obstructs visibility from both the interior and exterior. Even a slight change in viewing angle can cause the furnishings visible through the glass to alter inconsistently. Broken windows are exceedingly rare; however, when a shattered window is encountered, exactly 48% of the glass material will remain, with no known exceptions to this rule.

Grasslands occupy the majority of the space between buildings, forming a continuous and seemingly boundless expanse. The grass is uniformly maintained at ankle height, with consistent density and a shade of green that remains eerily static. Upon closer inspection, individual blades of grass do exhibit minor differences in shape, but these variations are limited to specific angles and curves, lacking the randomness associated with natural growth. Patches of bare soil occasionally appear; however, their locations often change when observed again.

(Besides "Salor",) the sky gives the impression of being unusually close to the ground, almost resembling a solid barrier. This perception is grounded in reality: the sky at this level is positioned abnormally low, reaching no higher than 319 feet above the lowest point of the terrain.

Furthermore, the sky undergoes long-term behavioral fluctuations that influence the entire environment, including structural changes. Each distinct manifestation of these fluctuations is classified as a “State”. At present, eight such States have been identified, all of which occur in a non-cyclical manner.

State:[]

In this State, the sky manifests as a condition of "absence". This is not a vacuum caused by the disappearance of gases, but rather the sky itself ceases to exist. When looking upward, one's vision is not obstructed by any color, cloud layer, or light source, nor does it extend into infinity. Instead, visual perception simply ends at a certain height. There is no darkness, no void, and no "background" to speak of; there is simply nothing to perceive. However, photographic consistently depicts the sky’s original position as a near-zero saturation, deep black.

This non-existence does not cause immediate or intense discomfort. In most cases, observers fail to notice the anomaly at first because the absence itself lacks the contrast necessary for recognition. The roofs, walls, and grasslands visually end at a specific elevation; nothing extends above them, yet no illusion of "continuation" occurs. However, if an individual attempts to stare into this void for an extended period, they will spontaneously disintegrate into ash without realizing it.

During this State, the light lacks a traceable source. Although buildings and grass remain clearly visible with stable illumination, the light is not projected from above, and there are no shadows to indicate direction. The contrast between illuminated and shadowed surfaces is subtle, and edges lack natural gradients, causing the entire scene to appear flattened. Even when moving through the level, the lighting conditions remain static.

The absence of the sky does not affect the presence of air. One can still feel resistance and flow while breathing, and odors continue to permeate the spaces between structures. However, the air does not seem to require an "above" to contain it; it simply exists within the range of perceptible height, and anything beyond that range has no extension in any sense.

In addition, wanderers in this State are highly susceptible to hallucinations, which typically manifest as entities they have previously encountered. If a wanderer has never encountered an entity before, they simply vanish. The destination of these missing individuals remains unknown; however, bones and biological fragments believed to belong to them are occasionally found scattered randomly within the buildings of the level—a phenomenon attributed to the unique properties of this State.

This State will last for 1 hour, 1 minute, and 27 seconds, or 1 hour 54 minutes and 7 seconds.

In this State, the sky is composed of purple, indigo, blue, and yellow, resembling the artificial spectrum emitted by certain specialized grow lights. However, its existence is not merely a matter of illumination; it is a comprehensive State transition that simultaneously affects space, matter, and perception. The colors possess no inherent directionality or clear vertical layering. On the contrary, they coexist within the same field of vision in a manner that defies geometric logic, making it impossible for an observer to determine which color is "above" or "farther away".

All ambient gases are replaced by a mixture corresponding to these colors, including iodine, xenon hexafluoride, and other high-atomic-weight or noble gases that have yet to be fully identified. These substitutions render the atmosphere unbreathable, requiring the use of gas masks and oxygen tanks for survival. Unfortunately, such equipment is rare within the Backrooms.

Sound undergoes significant transformation in this environment. Due to changes in gas density and acoustic impedance, all sounds appear "thicker" and lack penetration. Speech loses its high-frequency components during transmission, causing words to sound muffled; even with clear articulation, details are difficult to discern. Non-verbal sounds, such as footsteps or the friction of objects, have their low-frequency components excessively amplified. This results in a persistent, low-pitched background hum that permeates the environment, the source of which cannot be localized.

Architectural structures appear significantly flatter in this environment. The three-dimensionality of walls and roofs is diminished, and the distinction between foreground and background relies primarily on scale rather than perspective. Certain linear structures may appear slightly curved to the eye, yet physical measurements confirm they maintain their original shape; this discrepancy exists purely on a perceptual level.

This State will last for 4 hour, 24 minute, and 47 seconds or 11 hour, 6 minute, and 30 seconds.

In this State, the sky abandons all abstract qualities, manifesting instead in an intensely concrete, almost tangible form. The once intangible upper space compresses and transforms into layers of overlapping, cloud-like structures. These clouds no longer float; instead, they sag downward as if weighed down by their own immense mass. They pile up and interweave into a dense, continuous mass that flows slowly but never falls.

The edges of these cloud layers stretch into irregular droplets, resembling high-viscosity fluids about to drip. These drooping structures occasionally descend to very low altitudes, skimming the ground or even hanging at the level of a wanderer's head or shoulders. The observed "viscosity" of these clouds is comparable to that of tar; any attempt to pass through, push aside, or enter the cloud layer encounters strong, uniform resistance. However, unlike tar, this viscous sky exhibits no associated thermal properties.

Occasionally, cloud layers will "engulf" buildings, but these structures are neither destroyed nor permanently vanished. Observations indicate that the buildings tend to reappear several miles away, with their new locations following no predictable pattern. They may appear isolated in the middle of a grassland or overlap with other buildings in a disjointed manner, violating the original layout. The transition process itself cannot be directly observed, as it seemingly occurs within an obscured spatial phase.

High-decibel noise occurs every 1 minute and 15 seconds, lasting for 12 seconds per burst. The volume of this noise ranges from a minimum of 225 dB to a maximum of 400 dB, with an average of 277 dB. This is undeniably lethal; even with comprehensive soundproofing and wave-shielding measures, the probability of fatality remains extremely high. Inanimate objects can be pulverized by these sound waves, although the original buildings at this level appear to remain completely unaffected.

This State will last for 3 hour, 15 minute, and 2 seconds or 8 hour, 7 minute, and 54 seconds.

In this State, the sky is no longer perceived as an "overhead" space; Actually, it transforms into a surface structure opposing the ground. The two are not perfectly parallel, but rather form an extremely minute, nearly imperceptible angle. While this slant is not obvious on a large scale, its effects accumulate over distance, eventually causing the sky and ground to make physical contact in certain areas. These contact points are not fixed; they shift slowly over time, leaving the entire space in a State of unstable yet persistent geometric distortion.

In areas where the sky and ground converge, the navigable space becomes extremely compressed, creating long, narrow, and low-slung transition zones. These spaces are often too small to accommodate a standing person, forcing travelers to crouch, crawl, or even lie flat on the ground to pass through. However, changing posture does not entirely prevent contact with the sky, as its surface in these locations often features irregular undulations that repeatedly brush against different parts of the body during movement.

The texture of the sky is consistently described as resembling sandpaper. This roughness does not arise from distinct granular particles but from a uniform, dense frictional resistance that creates a persistent pulling sensation on the skin. Even brief contact results in significant discomfort. Unlike ordinary rough surfaces, however, the sky does not merely cause abrasion; it actively leaves behind a part of itself—much like a burr.

These substances, known as "fragments", are typically not immediately detectable. However, once the attachment reaches a certain critical threshold, the wanderer will begin to unconsciously alter their walking direction. This change is neither sudden nor violent but occurs in an extremely natural, almost imperceptible manner.

If the accumulation reaches a more advanced stage, the effect shifts from "guidance" to "compulsion". The body's ability to adjust autonomously is gradually diminished; the range of joint motion decreases, and muscle contractions experience delays. Eventually, the individual is confined to areas where the sky and ground are in close proximity. Death inevitably results from a combination of restricted respiration, hypoxia, neurological dysfunction, and continuous mechanical compression.

Upon the confirmed death of an individual, the sky’s surface undergoes a brief structural change: the fragments attached to the corpse rapidly fuse back into the sky. If no further anomalies occur, the area becomes a smooth transition zone where the sky and ground have resealed, as if no life had ever existed there. If an individual remains alive when the State ends but still carries fragments on their body, the fragments will not disappear. They will persist until the individual dies and their corpse is present during an occurrence of this State; only then will the fragments be reclaimed.

This State will last for 7 hour, 36 minute, and 36 seconds, or 14 hour 8 minutes and 6 seconds.

In this State, all ground surfaces are removed and replaced by the sky. The sky takes on a distinct green hue; however, these gases are simply tinted air rather than a different substance. Visibility is significantly reduced during this phase, although it remains uncertain whether this is an anomalous phenomenon or an explainable physical/chemical occurrence.

The architecture of the level undergoes a radical change. The buildings evolve, developing skyscraper-like structures at their bases that extend infinitely downward. These new formations typically appear in shades of blue, with some in gray. However, due to the aforementioned visibility issues and their extreme positioning, they are difficult or impossible to perceive with the naked eye. The interiors of these structures are believed to consist of endless clusters of office cubicles, each containing a water cooler; however, this remains a working theory, as available data is not infinite.

Wanderers who were already present in Level 126 but were not inside a building during the previous State will fall into an endless abyss upon transition. The resulting gravitational acceleration eventually causes death by asphyxiation. Due to the unique properties of this State, recovering these wanderers' remains is impossible.

If an individual enters this level via noclip while this State is active, the outcome is highly counterintuitive: they will most likely begin falling immediately upon entry instead of appearing inside a building. The frequency of this occurrence is exceptionally high; in fact, there are only two recorded instances of a wanderer successfully noclipping into a building during this State.

This State will last for 17 hour, 45 minute, and 11 seconds or 18 hour 6 minutes and 45 seconds.

Hint: Once this State ends, if the object remains below the original horizon, it will be entirely replaced without a trace.

In this State, the sky is observed to be composed of a vast network of suspended electrical wires. These wires are not randomly distributed, they intersect in a highly orderly fashion, forming countless near-perfect cruciform structures. Each wire remains under absolute tension, exhibiting no sagging, bending, or deformation attributable to gravity. Their mode of existence more closely resembles line segments fixed within spatial coordinates than physical conductors attached to external supports.

The intersecting wires divide the sky into a large number of regular or semi-regular segments. Within each region enclosed by the wires, the “sky” appears consistent with conventional physical and sensory logic: color, brightness, cloud movement, and light variation closely match a wanderer’s intuitive understanding of a normal sky. However, these segments do not share a unified temporal State, nor are they temporally continuous with one another.

Prolonged observation reveals that time within these segments is not entirely static. Clouds drift, light shifts, and shadows move across the terrain within each area, but the rate of temporal progression differs between segments. In some grids, time flows so slowly as to be nearly imperceptible; in others, it advances at an accelerated rate, allowing a single patch of sky to complete an entire day–night cycle within a brief interval. These variations remain strictly confined to their respective regions and never cross the boundaries defined by the wires.

It is critical to note that the temporal rate within each segment is susceptible to external influence. The introduction of energy, matter, or even sustained observation may function as a source of temporal interference. Because the wires and the segmented sky are structurally and functionally inseparable, such interference propagates to the wire network as well.

When a wanderer remains beneath the wires for an extended duration, their circadian rhythms, motor behavior, and cognitive processing gradually develop a State of weak synchronization with the temporal conditions of a particular sky segment. Once this synchronization reaches a critical threshold, the human body is identified by the wire grid as a viable conductor.

Electrical discharge from the wires manifests in a non-traditional manner. Rather than traveling along the visible wires, the current traverses space directly, forming brief yet stable electrical arcs between wire intersections and the affected wanderer. These arcs lack the intense heat and luminous intensity associated with conventional electrical discharges, instead appearing as nearly transparent, spatially distorted structures. Due to the extremely high voltage involved, such discharges result in near-instantaneous fatality.

This State will last for 3 hour, 2 minute, and 5 seconds or 5 hour, 14 minute, and 24 seconds.

In this State, the overhead expanse ceases to be a navigable, measurable, or occupiable space. The area formerly defined as the "sky" has been entirely supplanted by a realist painting. This painting does not exist through coverage, projection, or attachment, nor does it display any traces of artificial intervention. Instead, it directly occupies the structural position of the sky, causing the firmament to degenerate into a purely visual output rather than a spatial entity.

Regardless of an observer's location within Level 126 or their angle of observation, the painting extends infinitely toward the horizon. There are no identifiable boundaries, seams, or frames; its termination point remains unrecognizable under all observation conditions. Even when verified through multi-point synchronous observation or long-distance comparison, the image remains perfectly consistent, showing no parallax or deviation regardless of distance, time, or angle.

Save for the visible brushstrokes discernible under high magnification, the painted sky meets all visual criteria for a natural environment: cloud structures, light direction, atmospheric perspective, and color temperature are indistinguishable from a conventional sky. However, the internal changes within the image lack continuity. The rearrangement of clouds, the transition of light, and the switching of weather patterns occur only as "completed results". The processes behind these changes cannot be observed, calculated, or traced back, leaving the image in a state of high fidelity that is eerily devoid of the passage of time.

Periodically, large sections of the painting will fall away. The areas left behind do not reveal any "rear structure," nor do they manifest as darkness, voids, or any other state that could be interpreted as an absence of sky. Instead, the missing region is replaced by a new segment of sky imagery within an interval typically shorter than the human sensory threshold.

Notably, these falling events themselves lack a continuous process. Observation records show that the painting does not crack, peel, or plummet under the influence of gravity; its state simply "jumps" between "complete" and "absent". All attempts to capture the transition—using high-speed photography, time-slice recording, or real-time sensors—yield only two stable results with no intermediate states. Despite this lack of visual process, the physical impact of these events is real and devastating; the death toll from being crushed by these "falling" segments is consistently high, often claiming dozens of lives at once.

Please note: Wanderers subjected to prolonged exposure in this state gradually lose their ability to judge the "authenticity" of the sky. Even if they cognitively understand it is a painting, their senses involuntarily accept it as a natural sky. This cognitive dissonance creates a fleeting, deceptive sense of security when looking upward, as if the world—at least visually—remains intact. This false stability often diminishes a wanderer's alertness to other environmental anomalies, significantly increasing the risk of fatality.

This State will last for 47 minute, and 58 seconds or 2 hour, 7 minute, and 46 seconds.

In this State, the sky exhibits an "extreme normalcy" that contradicts the fundamental logic of this level. The usual low-hanging, oppressive sense of a barrier vanishes, replaced by a deep, pure, and spectrally accurate azure. However, this sky features a complete sun—a phenomenon absent in all other States.

This sun does not follow the laws of natural celestial bodies. It does not rise from the horizon nor set; instead, it is as if it were nailed to a single point in the spatial coordinate system, remaining perpetually at the zenith of high noon. Regardless of how many miles a wanderer travels horizontally across the architecture and grasslands, the sun's angle relative to their line of sight remains at an absolute 90 degrees. Consequently, on every inch of Level 126, the shadows of objects manifest as extremely short, vertically downward black dots. This visual characteristic makes the entire environment feel perceptually flat, as if all buildings are being directly "pressed" into the grass.

For the first fifteen minutes of this State, the ambient temperature remains stable at 24°C. However, after the fifteen-minute mark, the temperature begins to rise at a constant rate of 4°C to 6°C every three minutes. Due to the total lack of atmospheric circulation or wind in this phase, thermal energy accumulates directly on solid surfaces.

As time progresses, shadows transform into a semi-liquid substance. In the shadowed regions beneath most buildings, the spatial dimensions collapse after 51 or 58 minutes into the State. In the case of shadows cast by living beings, they begin to peel away from their owners, eventually acting entirely independently of the body’s movements (for example, while a wanderer is kneeling in prayer, their shadow may attempt to strangle them).

This State will last for 2 hour, 48 minute, and 4 seconds or 21 hour, 0 minute, and 16 seconds.

There is no transition period between this state and the other seven.

Entities[]

No entities have been documented within the level.

Outposts and Colonies[]

No entities have been outposts or colonies within the level.

Entrances[]

"Help! The sky is... extremely customizable!"

Attempting to fly any machine at any altitude across all levels gives you a chance to land on this level, unless there is no exit.
Noclipping, perhaps you will reach Level 126.

Exits[]

While in the "Blank" State, using a rifle to end your life has an maybe 3–7% chance of causing a respawn in Level 127, just maybe, the actual probability is necessarily lower.

Author: DavidD4307
Rewriter: A4f7