Description

Level 353 is an American-style single-family villa with a swimming pool of about 25 square meters as its main area. For unknown reasons, the time of this level has stopped at 4:30 p.m. The swimming pool's construction is opulent, with granite tiles and crystal-clear water with a nice pineapple aroma, and it is equipped with comprehensive safety facilities. Around the pool, there are two beach chairs and a round white table, as well as some tropical plants on its periphery.

A sign hangs on the fence surrounding the swimming pool and reads:

Clement's Public Private Swimming Pool!
Opening hours: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m

Pool rules:
1.No frolicking around.
2.The pool is not your toilet.
3.No diving!
4.Go home before 7:30.
5.No eating around the pool.
6.The pool is not open when Mr. Clement is engaged. No entrance without permission!
7.The pool is permanently closed.

Most of the content on the sign has been crossed out, and only one sentence has been added. The reason for this is unknown.

A corner of the swimming pool.

Wanderers can swim in the pool in Level 353, but some odd phenomena may take place, such as:

Hearing children playing and laughing.
The swimming ring in the pool suddenly moving and then stopping after 5 minutes.
Toys appearing out of nowhere and dropping into the pool.
The feeling of being touched by foreign objects.

Wanderers can encounter Clement, a male adult between 30 and 40, in this level. He is apathetic and does not accept any trade. Wanderers can communicate with him, but in most cases, Clement will not stay in touch with them for too long. When a wanderer inquires about Clement's family, for example, he will abruptly end the conversation and stop speaking to them.

The villa has two floors, and the stairs leading to the top floor are blocked. Most of the time, Clement won't let wanderers inside the villa; they can only hang out around the pool. Clement rarely allows wanderers to enter the first floor; however, they are not allowed to use any items there. The living room, kitchen, and dining room are the main rooms on the first floor. There are some boxes stacked with toys in the living room, which appear to have not been used for a while based on the amount of dust on them. Additionally, dolls and building blocks are strewn across the floor as well. On the tea table is a photo of Clement and a young girl, and the wall is covered in kid-drawn graffiti. If wanderers are lucky, they may find a newspaper on the sofa that is dated July 30, 2021, most of the contents in which become indistinct for unknown reasons, and only one news article can be found headlined: A 5-year-old girl was discovered dead in her swimming pool at home. Intentionally circled was one of the words, "The police finally judged that there was no chance of homicide." Along with the newspaper was a painting with the words "Father & I".

Interview

After several conversations, a volunteer who wished to remain anonymous eventually won Clement's trust. The first interview's transcript is provided below.

Interview #1024
Interviewer: Anonymous Volunteer
Interviewee: Clement

Clement: Are you going to interview me?

Volunteer: Yes. So let's get right into it.

Clement: Okay, what do you want to ask me?

Volunteer: Let's begin with a simple question. Why did you call this swimming pool a "public swimming pool" before?

Clement: We arrived in this town… about two months ago, with my daughter. I built this swimming pool to invite the kids in town to swim for free, which is why there is a sign of pool rules on the fence over there. I intended to make her happy and help her meet more friends, but… I closed it after she died.

Volunteer: Uh- Okay, noted. My next question is: Why is the top floor locked? What's inside?

Clement: Just… normal rooms. My bedroom, and my daughter's bedroom. I locked her bedroom after she died, because I'm afraid that memories will strike me when I see it, but… you see, the living room is full of reminders of my time with her. How can I get over it?

Clement: My daughter and I were the only ones left to rely on each other after my beloved wife passed away, but now…

[Clement sighs and shakes his head. ]

Volunteer: I'm sorry to hear that, and my final question is… how did your wife pass away?

[Clement raises his head and looks into the distance.]

Clement: It should've been a lovely afternoon.

Clement: I just picked up my wife from the hospital, along with my daughter, Elisa, and prepared to go home. But I have no idea why that fucking truck driver ran the red light! That truck suddenly struck us, my wife died at the scene, and Eliza lost her voice because of inflammation… Being stricken with grief, Eliza and I chose to move here. Unfortunately, this is my destiny.

Volunteer: I don’t know how to bring you comfort. But I’m sorry all this happened, I hope you can find happiness despite these unfortunate circumstances. Please pull yourself together!

Clement: Thanks. Elisa wouldn't have been home alone that day if I hadn't left unexpectedly…

Volunteer: Well, the interview is over. Sorry for bothering.

Interview Ends

+ View the surveillance footage on the side of a road in Level 353.

The second interview's transcript is provided below.

Interview #1025
Interviewer: Anonymous Volunteer
Interviewee: Clement

Clement: May I ask why you visit me again? Oh, thank you for your words of encouragement last time, I felt a little better after your visit.

Volunteer: …I have to show you this footage…

[The volunteer hands him his mobile phone and Clement starts to watch the footage.]

Clement: …How… how can things be like this!? Why?? God why would you treat me like this!

Volunteer: Please calm down…

Clement: God damn it God why are you playing with me, torturing me all the time?! Fuck these useless dogshit cops! Fuck these sons of fucking murderers! Why would you do this to me! Why would you do this!

[Clement violently throws everything next to him to the ground.]

Volunteer: …

[Clement procures a gun and heads out of the villa.]

Clement: They won’t get away with this…

Interview Ends

Level 353's time flow returned to normal after the second interview, but the water in the pool had turned scarlet, reeked of blood, and possibly contained a significant amount of human blood.

The following letter can now be found on the tea table in the living room:

To Wanderers Who Unexpectedly Came Here
Date: 12/31/2021

Hello, wanderers. Thank you for bringing the truth to light. I have let go of these painful things and stepped out of the grief that has always been disturbing me. Now let me introduce this place to you.

This is an ordinary villa with two floors; there are many supplies in the kitchen on the first floor, but I guess only Almond Water and candy are useful to you. It took me a lot of effort to get them! I opened the passage to the top floor. You can rest in it, but keep in mind not to mess up my daughter's stuff! I also reopened the swimming pool, if you still enjoy it.

Where am I? Uh, I have left. Where am I going? I don't know, either.

Just wish me luck!

A painting can be found in the bedroom on the top floor, which seems to have been painted by Clement, with the words "Daughter & I".