[OPENING FILE "THE GROUNDED WORLD" INCIDENT REPORT]
??? is visible entering the room, missing half of it's left arm.
[EXPLORER "???" ENTERED THE ROOM, AWAITING ORDERS]
???: I finally arrived... At last, let's get going.
Locating Level.
Locating Level..
Locating Level...
Located. Entry Log [DISTORTED]
Data Log corrupted, unable to load. Error ID: #48000398800
???: Damn it.
Backup file loaded, credentials required.
???: (Sigh) Alright...
[Insert Credentials.]
[Close File.]
[Credentials accepted, welcome back.]
???: Let's see what we learned from this...
???: Perhaps people will finally learn more about this, and think twice.
??? proceeds to sit and visualize the file once more, with the information of the level being provided by the explorers.
Exploration of the Enigmatic level "THE GROUNDED WORLD". A team of prepared M.E.G. units manages to enter this level after following step-by-step given indications.
Max: Base, we appear to have entered the level.
Base: Good, move ahead, it's time to find out more about this level.
Phil: Base, camera appears non functional.
Base: Use the print-processer you arrived with to avoid this, and let Tom finish the remainers of the sketch.
The M.E.G. unit proceeds to move through the level, and gather more information. The file displays known information.
Print-Processer depiction of the zone near the appearing position, completed by Unit #4 "Tom" (art credit to eWKn on DeviantArt)
The Grounded World resembles a cave system with minimal external light source. This level is of unknown origin and date, although analysis show that everything in this level dates from over 5,000 years ago, some things even reaching 50,000 years ago. The underground appears to possess no maxinum volume, extending to a currently unknown size.
Max: Let's get going team. Remember; everything in this level is currently unknown to us, every step we take is like a step in a minefield, let's be careful.
Branden: I say we head this way, it seems like the largest area, probably less chance of losing ourselves?
Max: Could work, let's go.
The unit proceeds through the large area of the cave, traveling for 2 days, until they stumble upon 3 ways, each one leading to a different place. The unit proceeds to the left one, and continues for half a mile.
Sharlene: So... what do you guys do for fun?
Branden: I don't really know, i've been working as a top class meg unit for a while now, our mission is to document levels.
Sharlene: Seems fair, anything else that isn't documenting levels anyone?
Tom: Well my usual duty is helping wanderers in The Hub, but i do sometimes have my own breaks, which usually ends up in me being drunk at Level 6.1
Sharlene: Hahaha, fair aswell. Though i'll have to go with Branden's view, because it's true. Aside from a few breaks, we really haven't been living a normal life in a long time.
Phil: Hey guys, do you like, remember how you ended up in this place the first time?
Max: You can say that again. Well i think i first ended up here when i was working in the army...
Phil: Woah.
Max: I was going upstairs to report for duty, until all of a sudden, i find myself going through the floor, and waking up in that crazy mono-yellow maze.
Tom: I think we all ended up there the same way, by accidentally "noclipping" into places.
Max: Yeah but there's people that end in different ways. Do you remember Carl?
Tom: Yeah, that guy, very skilled and talented, definitely one out of the ordinary.
Max: Yes, he ended up in there by an elevator. I don't know what or how it happened, all i remember from his story is that the elevator opened up to that same place.
Branden: I've been here for a long time, but i can't quite recall how i entered here, i think i've noclipped on the side-walk to my way home-
Max: Guys. Get ready.
Max: We're onto something.
An underground city is visible on a roughly high path. The unit moves ahead and operates the Print-Processer
Max: Let's get through here, be careful to not fall, we clearly cannot see the end of this.
After walking through and getting to the front of the city, the team spots a Hound, appearing very scared.
Max: HOUND! Be alert units... wait...
Phil: Why isn't this Hound growling at us, or even being aggressive at all? Rather just scared?
Max: Something isn't right. Though this confirms that this level has entities in it.
Sharlene: Look inside the houses, there's Facelings! They're all scared aswell, what? Base are you hearing this?
Base: Yeah, it's crazy.
Branden: These entities seem harmless, also you guys see these huge things that have fire right? Did the entities keep it on, or it's been here as long as the rest of this level?
Max: Good question, it appears the fire is refreshed, knowing this place i can't define a date to the fire.
Tom: Base, we're sending the information, add the new information as the following.
Base: Copy.
levelData = Run(newInformation):Load;
Loaded Successfully.
Merging new data with previous reports.
Merging new data with previous reports..
Merged Successfully! Opening File.
Survival Difficulty: Pending
》Undetermined Safety
》Secure
》Seemingly Devoid of Hostile Entities
Description (Showing Update. Last Updated: 126 Days Ago.)
Print-Processer depiction of the first underground city found, with minimal touches by Unit #4 "Tom" (art credit to Ligia Scarlati on ArtStation)
Different underground structures similarly present in The Frontrooms can be found if one travels far enough. All entities in this level appear in a docile, yet scared mental state. The houses are built in a manner similar to old mountain villages, in which entities appear to "reside" inside of. All entities can be found here, even entities that are currently undocumented, or that were never seen before. In the houses one may occasionally find items they'd find in the other backrooms levels such as Almond Water, or sometimes more rare items like Super Almond Water instead.
The houses can have different anomalous properties, some even leading away from this level, which is one of the few known exits from this level. So far it was reported from wanderers in contact with M.E.G. base that ended up here that entering a black and blue sphere found inside the city can lead one to The Hub or Level 489, it is unknown if it leads to a different location, or these are the only exits, as the only two reports were different exits.
The team goes around, finding a place to stay for a while, a faceling brings them inside one of the buildings
Max: We'll stay here for a while, meanwhile do you know where we are?
The Faceling grabbed a piece of paper next to one of the tables inside the house, and a pencil inside a drawer, and started writing.
Max: What do you mean "HELL"?
The faceling writes "You wouldn't understand. It's too late."
The unit team sleeps for a few hours before leaving the city, gathering some random items for further analysis, along with some bottles of Almond Water.
After several weeks of travelling, the unit comes across 3 split ways.
Max: Load known info about this part.
lastSave=Load();
Upon coming across 3 ways, approximately a few days after traveling outside the mentioned city, one will come across a choice, where each one leads is unknown. Heading for the right leads to an ice cave, the other two ways are currently undocumented.
Max: Alright, let's divide.
Branden: But we're 5, who's going alone?
Max: Base, generate.
After a few seconds, the base generated a team division to settle the matter.
Base: Max and Tom will go to the ice cave. Phil and Sharlene are going together in one of the two caves. Branden you will go alone to the remaining option.
Branden: Oh come on! Alright fine.
The Base's connection is lost here. Until Max and Tom emerge into an underground ice biome, the other team still didn't regain connection.
Max: We emerged, get the Print-Processer, enough time to finish the drawing Tom?
Tom: I'll still take a few hours, despite the machine's majority of work.
A few minutes later, while Tom is completing the depiction generated by the machine.
Max: It's so cold here, i get it's an ice cave but how cold is it here? These suits are supposed to protect us from any sort of cold temperature.
Tom: Hey, is that... a dead person?
Max: Oh hell, might be a faceling... Let me check.
Max: ...No, it's a wanderer, they seem to have died due to the temperature of this place.
Max: Wait... Wasn't this that wanderer that got into the red hallway?
Tom: Didn't he... die there?
Max: Exactly, what's it doing here?
A few hours pass, Tom finished the drawing, and new information is being uploaded.
levelData = Run(newInformation):Load;
Loaded Successfully.
Description (Showing Update. Last Updated: 45 Days Ago.)
Print-Processer depiction of the ice biome of this level, completed by Unit #4 "Tom" (art credit to Max Devyataev on ArtStation)
The ice biome of this level appears to reach very low temperatures, reaching down to -112 °F(fahrenheit). This section of the level can be found by travelling for an indetermined amount of time, usually taking at least a month. Everything in this section seems to have more light than the rest of the level, reaching a more bright ambient. No sky is visible from the holes present in the ceiling, as it seems to just extend the cave into higher floors indefinitely. Majority of the wanderers that reach this point die due to the extremely low temperatures.
Wanderers that have died before were found in here, how this happened is currently unknown. This biome connects to many other underground biomes of this level, which one can access if they make it out of here alive.
Max: How do we get out of here?
Tom: Let's travel far maybe we'll get out.
Max: We'd die due to how cold it is here!
Tom: Chill. Oh wait, heh.
Max gave an annoyed glance.
Tom: Anyways, base do you receive us? We'll try to go to the nearest exit, probably up that big snow path thingy.
Base: Alright, be careful.
They proceed to move on, and exit to another part of the ice cave, eventually meeting the rest of the team again.
Max: You guys? I thought we split.
Sharlene: Same, but apparently the other two caves bring to the ice section aswell.
An earthquake begins, making the floor collapse into several slides.
Max: BE CAREFUL EVERYONE, WE'RE SLIDING DOWN, BASE WE'RE SLIDING DOWN INTO AN UNKNOWN LOCATION!
Phil: OH HELL-
The team struggles to get a grip and keeps sliding down, with several obstacles blocking the way. Branden slides away from the first spike obstacle but lands on Phil, which then both of them spin around until eventually splitting again, after this Max hits his head and faints for half of the remainder
Sharlene: Oh you've gotta be kidding me now i've gotta make sure he hits nothing!
Sharlene attempts to move Max around to make him dodge obstacles, but accidentally sends him at Phil
Phil: Can you guys stop THROWING YOURSELF AT ME- wait did he faint?
Sharlene: Yes, sorry, help me keep him in line.
After a while, Max wakes up and they continue sliding down dodging every obstacle, which seems to be getting easier the more they go. Several paths of slide eventually fade the level into a darker section, and the slide ends approximately after 10 minutes of sliding down and seemingly at random.
Sharlene: Ah, it's finally over. Wait
Tom: That was kind of fun not gonna lie! I'd do it again, what about you guys?
Sharlene: Guys look-
Max: Was gone for a while but yeah it was decent-
Sharlene: GUYS!
Max: WHAT?!-Oh, oh my god...
In the distance, the cave opens up to a whole giant underground plains biome, with a small town visible in it
Max: Tom.
Tom: Yeah?
Max: Get the processer.
Survival Difficulty: Class 1
》Safe
》Enviromental Events
》Devoid of Hostile Entities
Print-Processer depiction of the underground plains from the side position at a high altitude, given enough time and hours to make a well detailed depiction. Cameras slightly work at this point, which helped the Print-Processer to elaborate a highly realistic image with the help of Unit #4 "Tom" (art credit to Shaun Kelly on ArtStation)
Another biome of this level is a giant underground open space that extends for kilometers in lenght and a few hundred meters in height. In here one may find several lakes made out of regular water that is safe to ingest, rarely with fish living inside, aswell completely safe to ingest as the fishes are very similar to the ones found in The Frontrooms, however do not require feeding, nor they make the water they live inside of dirty.
There are a few underground plains inside the level, and all can be easily reached. Most of the time one will find towns inside these biomes and will be populated by Facelings and wanderers.
Tom: Alright now that's amazing. Let's see if there's anyone inside the village.
Max: Hey i think i see a faceling... Hey! Hello??
Wanderer: Huh? Hi guys, you look cool, need anything?
The entire team: WHAT?!
Wanderer: What?
Max: I thought there were no alive wanderers in this level...
Wanderer: Well guess what, there are.
Max: Is there someone at the lead of this place we can talk to?
Wanderer: No sorry, everyone here lives individually.
Max: It's fine, alright let's get going team.
The team builds a small shack and resides in there for a while, meanwhile asking entities why they're so scared, yet get no answer. Tom goes to sleep after hard work with Max the whole day.
Making it this far ain't easy task y'know. You should ask yourself how long you think you can go on, fooled by your own illusions, hidden from a truth of delusion.
WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP
Tom: AAAHHHHH!
Max: What?! What's happening, hey hey are you alright? Speak to me.
Tom: I'm good, I'm good. Was just uhh... Practicing.
Max: Practicing...screaming?
Tom: Mhm!
Max: Oookay? Anyways get ready, we're moving, we believe we have found an enemy.
Tom: Oh?
A smiler is seen attacking the village. However, instead of darkness, it's made out of red smoke.
Branden: HEY, GET BACK HERE!
The Smiler runs away.
Max: AFTER HIM, GO!
A chase outside the town starts,
Max: Dodge whatever they throw!
The Smiler starts to throw random objects, even huge rocks.
Max: AH! AVOID IT!
Tom: Where is it going?
Max: It's going nowhere that's where it's going!
The Smiler enters a cave on the side of the wall.
Max: DEAD END, IT'S DONE! LET'S GET THEM!
Max: Wait...
Sharlene: Oh no.
The exit gets blocked, and it's a room full of red smilers.
You shouldn't be here... You're...
Max: Who are you?
[INCOMPRENSIBLE]
Max: We?
Doom them, it's their fate. They shouldn't be given a second chance. And YOU, shouldn't interfere.
Now, BEGONE.
Max: AH!-
Another earthquake is heard, both the red smilers and the unit is alert.
Max: Huh? What's happening?
The cave entrance shatters, revealing different wanderers and entities.
Max: YOU GUYS?
Wanderer: They're Red Smilers, they always purge this place and kill everyone in it, but after you guys came through, everyone felt more secure.
Wanderer: We got a message from the other village you guys were at, from that female faceling. She told to her friends about you, you were so brave, it inspired them.
Wanderer: Shortly after they decided to send a letter about you, and only then we realized they were talking about the same people. I haven't seen courage down here, not even from myself, since we came in here.
Wanderer: This is a second chance type of place. There's an unknown chance that we end up here if we die.
Tom: Oh-
Wanderer: And so we were afraid, why were we afraid? Because of them! (the wanderer points at the red smilers) Unlike normal smilers they're smarter, work in group and a lot more, we survived them a few times by hiding, but now we won't hide anymore!
Wanderer: And it's thanks to you guys... For giving us courage and helping us in the meantime you were at the village.
Sharlene: Heh... thank you.
Base: Would you look at that.
Tom: Wish my mother could have heard this-
ENOUGH! Do you even know what's going to happen now?
More red smilers come through, closing the cave entrance from further.
Branden: Uh oh.
Phil: Well, time to fight.
A battle ensues between the entities and wanderers of this level against the red smilers of this level. Meanwhile the M.E.G. units attempt to find possible exits.
Tom: THERE MUST BE A WAY OUT OF THIS LEVEL!
Wanderer: THERE IS, BUT WE NEED TO GET OUT FIRST!
Tom: IF THERE WAS ONE, WHY DIDN'T YOU GET OUT IN THE FIRST PLACE?
Wanderer: DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME THE FIRST TIME? WE WERE ALL AFRAID THEY'D FIND US-
Max: Go. I'll hold them off.
Tom and Wanderer: WHAT?!
Sharlene: ARE YOU CRAZY?! YOU'LL DIE-
Max: So be it. If this is the only way to save the team.
Branden: Don't be a dumbass this isn't a movie! Let's fight.
Max: Start going meanwhile, i said i'll hold them.
A second of silence between everyone
Tom: Alright, let's do this!
The entities and wanderers work their way out of the cave, to get out of the cave.
Max: I'LL BLAST YOU ALL OFF!
Tom: LET'S GO, DON'T STOP NOW!
Sharlene: WE'RE OUT, WE'RE OUT!
Max notices the red smilers nearly making it
Tom: MAX WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
Max: GIVING YOU TIME-AAAAAAAHHHH
Max gets brutally assaulted, while the others get out of the level through the guided exit from the wanderer.
[DATA CORRUPTED, FILE ENDS HERE DUE TO $$%%%$$£££$$]
[End of Backup File]
???: Damn it, the data ends here. The file's last backup was here.
???: Well... I hope people know what i'm talking about. This is what this level truly is.
???: Those damn Smilers... The Red Smilers... They'll purge that place every once in a while...
???: Wanderers can't come here on purpose thinking they'll be safe... They worked as a team, this is unlikely to happen again.
??? groans in pain.
???: (Cough), well, it appears my time here is up...
???: This is the last message if you receive this, base...
???: I've helped you the necessary to document the level...
???: This is my final word, base.
Max: Goodbye.
[View Complete Level.]
[Close File.]
Survival Difficulty: Class 4
》Unsafe
》Enviromental Events
》Occasional Lethal Entities
Description
The Grounded World resembles an alternate reality constructed like a cave system with minimal external light source. This level is of unknown origin and date, although analysis show that everything in this level dates from over 5,000 years ago, some things even reaching 50,000 years ago. The underground appears to possess no maxinum volume, extending to a currently unknown size. All life inside this level is the entities and the people that died throughout the backrooms, although not all of them end up here, since there's only a small chance to end up here after dying.
Different underground structures similarly present in The Frontrooms can be found if one travels far enough. All entities in this level appear in a docile, yet scared mental state. The houses are built in a manner similar to old mountain villages, in which entities appear to "reside" inside of. All entities can be found here, even entities that are currently undocumented, or that were never seen before. In the houses one may occasionally find items they'd find in the other backrooms levels such as Almond Water, or sometimes more rare items like Super Almond Water instead.
The houses can have different anomalous properties, some even leading away from this level, which is one of the few known exits from this level. So far it was reported from wanderers in contact with M.E.G. base that ended up here that entering a black and blue sphere found inside the city can lead one to The Hub or Level 489, it is unknown if it leads to a different location, or these are the only exits, as the only two reports were different exits.
Upon coming across 3 ways, approximately a few days after traveling outside the mentioned city, one will come across a choice, where each one leads is unknown. Heading for the right leads to an ice cave, the other two ways are currently undocumented, though all bring to the same place if specific paths are taken.
The ice biome of this level appears to reach very low temperatures, reaching down to -112 °F(fahrenheit). This section of the level can be found by travelling for an indetermined amount of time, usually taking at least a month. Everything in this section seems to have more light than the rest of the level, reaching a more bright ambient.
No sky is visible from the holes present in the ceiling, as it seems to just extend the cave into higher floors indefinitely. Majority of the wanderers that reach this point die due to the extremely low temperatures. This biome connects to many other underground biomes of this level, which one can access if they make it out of here alive.
Another biome of this level is a giant underground open space that extends for kilometers in lenght and a few hundred meters in height. In here one may find several lakes made out of regular water that is safe to ingest, rarely with fish living inside, aswell completely safe to ingest as the fishes are very similar to the ones found in The Frontrooms, however do not require feeding, nor they make the water they live inside of dirty.
There are a few underground plains inside the level, and all can be easily reached. Most of the time one will find towns inside these biomes and will be populated by Facelings and wanderers. There may be more biomes, but they're currently undocumented.
Colonies and Outposts
Several towns populated by wanderers and entities exist inside the level. The amount is currently unknown.
Entities
ALL Entities can be found in this level, although their behaviour differs a lot from their normal nature, plus a level unique entity identified as the following:
Red Smilers
Smilers that variate from the originals, a red smoke that replaces the original "darkness" body, slight color variants of teeth and eyes that may occasionally happen according to which smiler is seen, and an intelligence far superior than that of a smiler or regular human. They never travel alone, and they're always in large groups. They seem to have a sort of knowledge about equipment used by the M.E.G., since they seem to know how to counter every type of defense and offense that is normally used against a regular smiler, such as Smiler Spray. They seem to be slightly weaker to light than normal Smilers, which would explain why so far they've only been found here. Further investigation is required to aknowledge if they can be found in other dark levels, such as Level 6.
So far no Entity or Wanderer ever survived an encounter with these entities, aside from the report above. Given the information we have, this entity classifies as Class 6 or above.
Entrances and Exits
Entrances
So many.
Exits
So little.
Credit
This level was made by DRSDRS, any level made by DRSDRS is listed in the profile's about, in "Levels i created".
Creator Note: This level is a mix of a mystery level, to draw the reader in into thinking their own finale or stories, and to get the reader to experience what it's like to document an unknown/enigmatic level of the backrooms.