Level 41 is the 42nd demise of unfortunate reality.
An irradiated array reminiscent of Earth, filled with abandoned man-made structures cluttered for kilometers from each other. The sun shines rarely, usually being obstructed by polluted clouds. Most canals and rivers are dried up because of the lower sea level. The surface of Level 41 is suffering from high amounts of radiation, reaching approximately 5,000 mSv as an average dose. This dose is capable of killing half of the people exposed to it within a month.
The weather at Level 41 may be very dangerous, as it may form tornadoes, hurricanes, or acid rains. During these events, it is recommended to hide in buildings' basements. The temperature of Level 41 stays at the constant of chilly 0° Celsius. Strangely, this level is fully devoid of any lifeforms aside from microscopical ones, which makes the level entirely silent, with no sounds but the wind.
The grass is very dull, and the vegetation is poor. This makes Level 41 devoid of edible plant life as well. It is highly advised to search for safe exits once one enters Level 41. This level was discovered in 1974 by an unknown group of wanderers.
Abandoned cities of dystopian layouts and monochrome buildings may be encountered seamlessly within Level 41, featuring brutalist and post-soviet architecture. The buildings are empty and forsaken inside, usually filled with debris and broken furniture and having no heat, water, or electricity at all. Certain cities may imitate structures from The Frontrooms, e.g., the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, and many others. The cities' streets are rarely used for wanderers to travel through, as the rooftops are more efficient.
The roads of the cities are filled with wrecked cars, and the sidewalks are cracked and obstructed with piles of garbage and debris. Propaganda posters are stuck to the buildings' sides. The abundance of shops and stores is yet another feature of the streets. But they are all looted, containing rotten food and objects incapable of use.
The overall conditions of cities suggest that their citizens were suffering from protests, mafia, and tyrannical governments.
Most cities are connected by highways, reminiscent of Level -69. The highways don't have a particular pattern and may experience anomalies such as looping back to themselves or leading to nowhere. The road signs can be found normally, but they are usually too rusted to determine their meaning. The huge billboards can be found at the sides of the road; they usually show advertisements or propaganda, both in an unknown language. Highways are in absolutely pristine condition; however, cracks and other obstacles may be found.
The other structures may be encountered on the sides of highways, like occasional diners, gas stations, or simply farms. All of them contain nothing but debris and the remains of civilization. Wrecked cars, sometimes with useful items inside, may appear on the roads too, usually containing extreme amounts of rust, missing wheels or doors, or being burned down. The car plates contain number codes that don't match with any of The Frontrooms' car plate code formats.
The bridges are rare on Level 41's highways, usually being shattered. It should be noted that bridges can sometimes be in a state of construction, obstructed by scaffolding.
Many industrial objects such as factories or power plants are located on Level 41, with nearly all of them having fatal amounts of radiation near them. These objects emit a constant faint green glow of unknown origin. All industrial objects are known to be highly insecure due to long-forsaken nuclear equipment, that may combust or even explode on impact, causing large damage to wanderers, and level itself.
All of the roads and highways leading to these structures usually appear to be blocked by military checkpoints and outposts, containing a lot of old weapons and medicine. Sometimes roads are simply blocked by barricades or wrecked vehicles. It is also known that crashed aeroplanes are encountered more frequently near industrial objects, possibly suggesting that they emit some sort of aura, capable of making aircraft malfunction.
Certain stations were supposed to provide a constant power supply to the cities, according to the pylons and powerlines scattered throughout the level, but aren't functioning due to certain reasons.
Fields are the most common area within Level 41, featuring fields of wheat or barley, sometimes with haphazardly placed structures, e.g., barns, stables, watchtowers, broken windmills, cabins, etc. The fields are also known to take up most of Level 41's space. Rivers, lakes, and other water bodies are known to appear within this area, usually partially or fully dried or highly polluted. The crops in this area are mostly suitable for consumption despite being irradiated.
Bunkers appear haphazardly within the fields, containing the irradiated remains of people and sometimes thresholds to other levels. The remains of furniture and other objects are found randomly sinking in the fields' mud. The trees can sometimes be observed within the fields, having abnormally fast and effective growth.
The fields are surrounded by fences with barbed wire. Corpses of humans and animals can sometimes be found near those fences. Sometimes they can lead to Level 10 or Level 35 when crossed.
The Shore. The border of Level 41. The levels of water in the sea are lower, but the storms near them are still frequent. The salvaged, wrecked ships of different purposes can be found half-buried in the soil. The rust has taken over those old ships, which are in critical condition.
Baywalks can come across the shore, sometimes with coastal villages that are abandoned. The mountains can be seen in the distance from the shore but cannot be reached in any way. The seawater is cold, creating big waves that flush into the sand and rocks.
Entrances
- When entering reactor rooms of Level 3, one may be transferred to the industrial structures of Level 41.
- Swimming too far into Level 7, Level 400, or Level -6 may seamlessly lead a wanderer to the level's shore.
- Wandering too far into Level 10 or Level 35 may lead to an area obstructed by a chainlink fence with many radiation signs placed near it. If one ventures past this fence, they will end up here.
- Noclipping through a pile of concrete blocks in Level 238 sends one here.
- When leaving Level 11, Level 32, or Level 85, one may encounter a cluster of abandoned buildings. When entering them, the wanderer may be sent to one of Level 41's cities.
- When in Level 40, sleeping while watching any film about radiation will lead here.
- This level may be achieved through Station 154.
- Highways of Level -69, Level 50, and Level 91 can connect to the roads of Level 41. It should be noted that during this transition, the roads will become more broken and filled with wrecked cars. An abundance of radiation signs near these areas should also be noted.
Exits
- Venturing the way one came is the most simple option to leave Level 41, but the exits may disappear seamlessly, leaving one stranded in the waste.
- Certain buildings within the cities may be an entryway to Level 4, Level 16, Level 42, or Level 59, depending on the purpose of building. Office buildings lead to Level 4, any hospitals or asylums to Level 16, hotels lead to Level 42, while malls appear to contain an egress to Level 59.
- Bunkers may lead to Level 2, Level 6, Level 14, or Level 22.
- Following street signs that read "9.6FOG" for approximately twenty-five miles will lead to Level 9.6.
- Venturing deep into salvaged ships near the shore will lead to Level 17.
- Suffocating yourself in the ground with the intent of self-burial may make one wake up in one of Level 207's structures. Unrecommended, as the most usual places to wake up are the Paris catacombs or the Great Pyramids.