That one-eyed thing suddenly zoomed over and grabbed me, then slammed me hard against the wall.
The second I hit the wall, I felt like I was falling. Big time.
It was a cut-out!
Turns out, this one-eyed dude was actually a transporter!
Jiu had clued me in about transporters. They'd randomly snatch a wanderer and shove them into the nearest wall. Then, one of two things would happen:
Either the wanderer would bite the dust on the spot, or they'd plunge into a void and end up in some level that might or might not be safe.
When the falling sensation finally stopped, everything around me changed.
I looked up and saw yellowed wallpaper, a soggy carpet, and a flickering fluorescent light above me.
I pushed myself up from the damp floor and couldn't help but chuckle. Back to Level 0, huh?
But being in Level 0 meant I could cut out to Level 1.
To do that, I needed to find a special wall.
I quickly got my bearings and stood up, trying to remember what I knew about Level 0.
There weren't many entities here, and the only real threat I'd encountered before was this monster called "Bacteria."
The pistol Jiu gave me still had a box of bullets left, enough to fill two mags, so I wasn't too worried about Bacteria at the moment.
I checked my backpack. Still had over ten bottles of almond water, a bag of royal rations, and some compressed biscuits. Enough to keep me going while I explored Level 0.
I slung my backpack on and started to venture deeper into Level 0.
At this point, my backpack should've been pretty heavy with all that almond water, but it felt like nothing. Weird, right?
I only realized this later in Level 9, and it made me appreciate the Backrooms' quirks and my own luck.
I wandered aimlessly, touching every wall I saw, hoping to cut out.
After a while, I noticed something odd about the carpet in front of me.
It looked the same as the others, but something about it felt off. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it just felt different.
I decided to step on it, and bam! My body went right through the carpet and I fell.
The fall lasted just a second, and I was cut out to a new level.
I cursed myself: What was I thinking, stepping on it like that? If I'd ended up in a level with a danger rating of five, no one would've even found my body.
I got up and started to check out my surroundings.
It looked like a cave, with rough rock walls all around. I thought I heard water behind me.
Could there be a river in here?
Curious, I turned around, and what I saw shocked me.
Behind me was a small hot spring, filled with dozens of naked guys soaking in it. And they were all staring right at me.
The scene I saw when I first arrived.
I didn't get what was going on, but I quickly waved awkwardly and said, "Uh, you guys are really living it up, huh? A hot spring in the Backrooms..."
One of them looked at me deadpan and asked, "Wanna join us?"
I quickly shook my head, "No, no. I just accidentally cut in here. I'll be leaving soon. No need to join you..." The guy nodded and said, "Don't sweat it. This is Level 27, the Rock Spring Body. It's a wanderer's paradise. No entities here, and the hot springs can actually help with some ailments and fatigue. If you wanna leave, see that waterfall over there?" He pointed in a direction.
I saw a waterfall on my right, just like he said.
"There's a ladder there. Climb up it and into that tunnel, and you'll be back where you cut out," the man added.
I thanked him quickly and headed in the direction he pointed. Sure enough, I found a ladder right under a tunnel.
Just then, I noticed a few tents near the ladder with "M.E.G." printed on them.
Looks like M.E.G. had people stationed here too.
I thought to myself and then started climbing the ladder.
For some reason, being in this narrow cave made me feel really uneasy, like I was being squeezed. Even though the guy called this place a wanderer's paradise, I couldn't shake this weird repulsion I felt.
As I was about to enter the tunnel to cut out, I felt like I was finally escaping...
After crawling a bit in the tunnel, I felt that familiar falling sensation again, and the scenery around me changed.
A second later, I felt the dampness again. I'd only been away from Level 0 for a few minutes, but I was back.
Weirdly, returning to Level 0 felt like coming home...
After exploring Level 0 for a while, I finally found a wall that looked a bit special.
I tapped on it gently, and that falling feeling hit me again.
Luckily, nothing weird happened this time. When the falling stopped, I looked up and found myself in a huge warehouse.
I stepped onto the solid concrete floor and felt a bit of relief.
After all that wandering, I was finally back in Level 1. I wondered how Jiu was doing.
As I thought about it, I put on my backpack and turned on a flashlight to look around for other wanderers.
I turned on the flashlight because I was worried the lights above might suddenly go out and attract entities.
In Level 1, running into one entity was manageable, but if I met two or more, I'd be in trouble.
Better safe than sorry, so I kept the flashlight on.
After walking around for a bit, I finally spotted the huge black base of M.E.G.
They had two massive searchlights on the gate, so you could see the bright lights from a distance, making it easy to spot.
When I got to the M.E.G. base, the surroundings were just like I remembered, with tents everywhere.
These were all wanderers who didn't have enough almond water to trade for B.N.T.G. or M.E.G. residency. They set up shelters around M.E.G. to get some protection.
One of the main reasons I wanted to come to Level 1 was to find a place where I could live peacefully.
To get residency in M.E.G.'s shelters, you had to pay a certain amount of almond water or join M.E.G.
Obviously, I didn't have that much almond water, so joining M.E.G. was my only option.
Before coming, I'd already planned out how I'd survive in the Backrooms:
First, join M.E.G. and explore different levels, gathering supplies. Once I had enough to trade for permanent residency in Level 1, I'd leave M.E.G. and settle there. I'd heard that in Level 1, M.E.G. and B.N.T.G. had set up a small settlement for wanderers, with some basic infrastructure, like a little town.
Of course, besides that, there was another big reason I wanted to join M.E.G. I still had this tiny hope that I might find a way out of the Backrooms. Sometimes I imagined that after joining M.E.G., going on one expedition after another, I might accidentally stumble on a way back to the Front Room...
But that's probably just wishful thinking, and I don't even really believe it myself. Right now, my main goal is just to survive in the Backrooms.
While I was lost in thought, an M.E.G. member walked up to me and asked, "Wanderer, we noticed you've been standing at the M.E.G. base entrance for a while. Is there something we can help you with?"
Only then did I realize I'd been so caught up in my thoughts that I'd forgotten I was standing at the entrance. I quickly replied, "Yes, I do need help."
"How do I join M.E.G.?"