LEVEL 678
THREAT INDEX
CLASS 3
Exit: 3/5
Difficult to Exit
Environment: 4/5
Extreme Environmental Risk
Entities: 2/5
Some Hostile Presence
> Description < []
Level 678, also known as Infinite Ducts, appears to be a series of air conditioning ducts with no dead ends. Some ducts are full and irregular, while others are circular, triangular, or have other shapes.
The Infinite Ducts appear to have non-Euclidean geometry, with some exhibiting peculiarities. Apparently, some have dented walls, and due to the vastness of level 678, it is unlikely that a wanderer will encounter anyone else roaming the level.
Some parts of the level appear to be so full of dust that it is impossible to walk because of the dust covering everything, so, due to the non-Euclidean nature of the level, it ends up creating shortcuts and other routes. Some ducts seem to go up or down. The ducts seem to shrink, grow, or become very narrow.
Level 678 was created after a separation; it used to be Level 2.84, so it retains some aspects of that level. To date, it is not known what caused the separation of level 678. Some parts of the level appear to be quite dangerous, with some ducts compressing so much that they tear through the walls that make up the level, creating a hole that apparently leads to an air duct room.
The room, commonly called the Duct Base, appears to be a room with several intertwined ducts, contains a lot of dust, and some ducts seem to have an end. It is possible to see several fans in this room, and a light coming from them seems to have no source, but leads to another room. It is possible to see a lamp on the ceiling that looks new and modern, even though the room looks like a duct room from the 1970s.
At this level, sounds of banging are often heard from the ducts, as well as sounds similar to something crawling through them. There have even been reports of pathways closing behind people, as though the ducts were moving around. Additionally, the ducts could also change the color of their walls, appear more rusty, and feel damp and sweltering.
> Colonies & Outposts < []
Due to the nature of level 678, it is not possible to establish bases, outposts, or colonies.
> Addenda < []
I was on Level 2, and I ended up entering a common air duct on Level 2.
At first, I thought it was an exit from Level 2, and... It really is!
Good. Apparently, this level is a series of endless ducts; it's very hot due to the high energy. It seems that some ducts are triangular, others pentagonal, or completely circular. Some also have a lot of accumulated dust. This pen will probably melt at some point, so some parts may be a little blurred, but I don't think it will interfere too much.
Well, but what I really want to write about is a crazy theory of mine.
Well. This theory can explain the crumpled parts of the air ducts.
Due to the heat produced by the high amount of energy, there ends up being a spike because of some intervention, and due to the heat spike, which is caused by large amounts of molecules moving at high speed, they end up coming together and getting faster, creating these spikes that cause a lot of dust. This dust ends up accumulating and putting weight on the steel of the duct, which ends up being dented; that's why we see some dents in the walls that make up the ducts.
Or it could also be an entity that pursues the wanderer at such a high speed that if there is a curve and the wanderer turns and runs around that curve, the Crawlers end up hitting with such force that they dent the walls of the duct.
- Barney Swelmond, 01/09/1939
I have been in these ducts for a while now, and I'm just not sure what to do anymore. They feel infinite—it is like being in endless suffering. It is all damp here, and it is also really hot. It's suffocating being here, and the only way to endure it is to crawl through these ducts. I did hear sounds, so I know there must be something else that has been crawling around here, too.
I had just come from Level 154. I was looking through some places in that level and went inside some of the ducts, and now look—I am here. I'm reasonably certain that this is a level of some sort, perhaps a sub-level of Level 2 or Level 3, or maybe a completely new level. I just have to keep crawling through here.
Time's gone by, and the sounds keep intensifying. I yelled for help—maybe someone else is stuck here and could help. But now I'm not sure; there’s been no answer. All I hear is it getting closer... Somehow, it’s coming toward me. I can only hope it's someone coming to help me escape.
I JUST CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE. I can't keep crawling through this crap. What if I just gave up and waited to die?
A couple of hours ago, I saw it. I saw someone, but it wasn’t a person. It was a THING, and ever since, I have been seeing it sort of lurking, peeking at me from the end of a duct or the corner of my eye. I am scared, and I don’t want to keep moving forward. I feel like it changes shape. Sometimes it has eyes, sometimes it has no eyes but has an elongated neck. I don’t even know what the fuck it is anymore.
I’ve come to terms with it. I don’t believe I’m going to escape from here. There it is at the end of the duct, glaring into my eyes, and it won’t go away. Just like always, it’s right there, completely unmoving, acting as if it is not participating in anything. I’m freaking out. I’m so fatigued, I’m going to keep crawling toward it. The more I move toward it, the less I am able to see it. Now it feels as if I can’t see him anymore.
Hold on… I just felt something behind my ankle…
- Jane Doe, 3/07/2001
> Entities < []
Crawlers, scientifically known as Rastejiantus Anormius. Have wrinkled gray skin, red eyes, and deformed mouths, with no visible nose or pupils. On their chests, they have red stripes that originate from the heart, although no audible heartbeat can be detected. They have extremely elongated arms and hands with pointed fingers, and they walk with heavy steps. Their feet are strange, with six-pointed toes and reduced size, seeming to merge with the ground. Crawlers' feet have evolved to allow movement in confined spaces, making them agile in claustrophobic environments.
Crawlers attack humans through psychological disturbances, including hallucinations, whispers, and disturbances. However, the most lethal effect is the change in heart rate, which causes blood clotting and eventually the death of the wanderer.
Crawlers are believed to be the result of an infection caused by a Hound attack on a previously infected and treated wanderer. The wanderer's immune system collapsed after a second attack, leading to unsuccessful experiments by XONE.
Crawlers have a wild and unique nature. After spotting a wanderer, it advances and crawls at a speed close to that of a cheetah. After getting close, it stands still and forces the wanderer to watch. Little is known about the nature of Crawlers, but it is believed that they are a creation of the levels themselves, so that there is no safe place for wanderers to hide.
It’s more common to find Crawlers in tighter spaces, typically crawling through the ducts. It is not really understood how they do this, yet when they see a victim, they can suddenly disappear and then reappear somewhere else in the level; they can appear in front of or behind the victim. They employ this as a means to psychologically attack their target.
Clumps live in some parts of the level, but they are very difficult to find. If someone finds them, the wanderer needs to cut through, as they block some parts of the level, requiring shortcuts. Since the level never has dead ends, there may be other shortcuts.
> Entrances & Exits < []
Entrances []
- Entering a duct on Level 2 will lead here.
- If you enter some ducts on a level and start crawling, you can reach here.
- Entering a duct on Level 154 will lead here.
- Breaking into an air duct on Level 33 will lead here.
- Finding a metal trapdoor on Level 543 will lead here.
Exits []
- If the ducts start to get cold, continuing to walk on them will lead to any frigid level.
- Neon-colored ducts will lead to Level 514.
- Rarely, circular ducts lead to Level 2.
- Noclip in one of the ducts leads to Level 1
- Finding a discarded book and writing “40-40-40-40-40” in it will lead to Level 40.