⚠️ Content/Trigger Warning ⚠️
The following article/level contains content that may make some readers feel uneasy. If you cannot handle topics such as body horror or explicit depictions of illness, please move on to the next level.
SURVIVAL DIFFICULTY:
Class deadzone
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- Entity Infestation
Typical view of Level 463.
Level 463 is the 464th level of the Backrooms.
Description:
Level 463, also known as the "Concrete Wastes," is an arid outdoor area of currently indeterminate size. The Concrete Wastes are similar to naturally dry areas from the Frontrooms, such as deserts or tundra, with the exception being a lack of mineral substance beyond sun-bleached concrete, which has cracked and weathered over time, forming natural landscape features such as hills and crags. The Concrete Wastes have a unique, light gravity: approximately 40% that of Earth, similar to the gravity found on the surface of Mars.
There is no day/night cycle in the Concrete Wastes. The sun remains at a constant solar elevation of 50 degrees from the horizon. Concrete dust occasionally fills the sky, dulling the natural blue atmosphere of the level. The temperature of the level remains around 67°F (19°C).
No weather exists in Level 463 except for wind. No precipitation has ever been witnessed in the Concrete Wastes. Wind gusts vary in strength, though are occasionally strong enough to kick up clouds of concrete dust, similar to sandstorms. However, due to the decreased gravity of the level, these dust storms rarely cause damage to wanderers or structures.
Despite the presence of intense radiation, electronics are operational in the Concrete Wastes, although Wi-Fi and cellular signals are nonexistent. Short-range communication is recommended for trips across Level 463, with radio being the most preferred due to its reliability and compatibility with Entity 463-B. Compasses also function as intended, although the level's random entrances make them useless without prior knowledge of the level.
No liquid, food, or supplies can be found in the Concrete Wastes. Though several seemingly manmade structures can be found interspersed throughout the level, none have ever contained useful items for wanderers. The lack of supplies, presence of hostile entities, and danger of environmental radiation have rendered Level 463 inhospitable to organic life.
Due to the uninhabitable nature of Level 463, exploration missions have only confirmed up to 400 miles of traversable land in radius, centered around a radio tower.
Structures
Example of a unique structure in the Concrete Wastes.
Isolated structures are scattered throughout the Concrete Wastes. These structures are mostly comprised of houses, but also include buildings such as sheds, shacks, and unwalled shelters. Traces of fencing can occasionally be spotted near these structures. Most structures are spaced miles apart from one another, and the majority can be found on the level's lower elevations, especially in the flat valleys between the hills. The types of structures seen in Level 463 are reminiscent of those found in desert ranches in the Frontrooms.
All of the structures found in the Concrete Wastes are derelict and unkempt. Many buildings are partially collapsed, are missing walls, and have been eroded by wind and dust over time. The insides of the structures are in a similar state, and many are filled with accumulated concrete dust. No supplies or useful items can be found inside them, except an occasional piece of tattered furniture. Instances of Entity 463-A can periodically be found inside buildings.
Despite Level 463's environment consisting solely of concrete, the structures found on the level are built out of unique materials, including metal, wood, brick, and other minerals. The source for these materials is unknown, although the intense weathering of these buildings suggests that these alternate materials may have been available to residents of Level 463 long in the past.
The structures in the Concrete Wastes act as both the entrances and exits to the level. The structure any person or party enters the level from is randomly selected from all of the buildings present in Level 463. The exit of the level is likewise random, meaning that exit structures are often dozens of miles away from the level's entrances. As a result, navigation to the level's exit before succumbing to radiation sickness or hostile entities is almost impossible without the help of Entity 463-B, who can only be contacted via radio.
The Radio Tower
The radio station at the center of the Concrete Wastes.
A unique structure within the Concrete Wastes is a radio station, which sits at the approximate center of the level. The station is complete, with a metal tower and concrete broadcasting room. Similar to the other structures in Level 463, the building and tower have suffered erosion, though its location at the peak of a hill has saved it from the amount of damage that other similar structures have sustained.
Inside the broadcasting room is a small microphone setup on top of a metal table, which is bolted to the floor. Wires run from the setup into the walls, where they exit the building and connect with the metal tower outside, as well as to a generator positioned by the legs of the tower. The tower and generator are fenced off, with no entry point.
Several carvings can be found on the inside of the broadcasting room that are etched into the concrete. One large phrase spans across a wall: "CALL OUT TO BE TAKEN TO ALMA". The number "1160," which refers to the frequency that the tower broadcasts at, is written below this statement. "<— PRESS" is carved into another wall behind the microphone setup, with the arrow pointing directly to the ON/OFF switch of the setup.
Turning the equipment on will activate the generator outside of the building. Any message broadcast through the tower will summon Entity 463-B to the radio station, who will then guide visitors to Level 463's exit. However, instances of Entity 463-A that are close enough to hear the generator may also be attracted to the tower. Closing the door and hiding in the broadcasting room until Entity 463-B arrives is the safest option. Despite utilization of the radio station still resulting in significant casualties from attracting Entity 463-A, the radio tower remains the single most important structure in the Concrete Wastes for any visitor's survival. Wanderers who fail to utilize the radio tower will almost always succumb to radiation sickness or hostile entities due to being unable to find the random exit of the level.
Radiation
Level 463 is plagued by a currently unidentified radiation. The radiation has a sterilizing effect, able to kill microorganisms within several hours of exposure. As a result, dead matter does not decompose on Level 463. Sentient multicellular organisms, especially ones with organic composition such as flesh and blood, are also affected by this radiation over time. Living organisms subjected to the radiation of Level 463 will experience a rapid onset of physical mutations, much more dire than typical particle radiation from the Frontrooms, and is the reason for the level's Deadzone designation. This effect, dubbed "Concrete Rot," has been observed in both human and nonhuman entities. Entities on other levels of the Backrooms have been observed fleeing from entrances to Level 463, likely due to the radiation's ability to affect all life.
The effects of Concrete Rot have been observed as follows on humans:
| Time Spent on Level 463 | Concrete Rot Symptoms |
|---|---|
| 0 - 1 hour | No noticeable effects. |
| 1 - 24 hours | Person will begin to feel unwell. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, headache, mild irritation in joints and on skin, and muscle soreness. Symptoms increase in intensity over time. |
| 24 - 72 hours | After a full 24 hours spent on Level 463, symptoms drastically decrease in severity. After 3 days, symptoms have dropped off completely. |
| 3 days - 1 week | No symptoms are experienced. One week is the maximum amount of time a person can safely spend on Level 463 without permanent damage from radiation sickness. |
| 1 - 2 weeks | Social capabilities begin to degrade. Person will begin to reject plant-based or synthetic foods. Even when fed regularly, person will complain about still feeling hungry. Use of intelligible language is lost by the end of 2 weeks. |
| 2 - 3 weeks | Hunger begins to become unbearable, no matter how much food is consumed. Person will refuse to eat anything except meat. Further social capabilities are lost, including the ability to interpret or demonstrate body language. At this point, the person will become increasingly irritable, and panic from loss of cognitive abilities begins giving way to aggression. Skin and eyes begin yellowing from liver failure. |
| 3 - 4 weeks | Communication with sapient individuals is nearly impossible. Person will lose social desires completely. Physical mutations begin during this time, including budding of new limbs, loss of hair, boils that give way to new eyes, bursting of blood vessels within sclera, skin turning green and coarse, degradation of existing extremities, and expansions of the digestive system to make way for both a larger mouth and more mouths, including growth of new teeth. |
| 4 - 5 weeks | Physical mutations continue. Drive for food is now the only encompassing thought. |
| 5+ weeks | Person is fully mutated beyond the point of recognizability and is now considered an instance of Entity 463-A. |
Almond Water has been tested against the effects of the radiation present on Level 463 to no avail. Neither dousing oneself in nor consuming Almond Water can negate the effects caused by the radiation.
Research is ongoing to determine the nature and cause of Level 463's radiation. However, current hypotheses include some sort of disaster that wiped out the former population of the level along with all plant and animal life. Evidence for this theory includes the scattered structures found throughout the Concrete Wastes being made of non-concrete materials like wood, suggesting that lumber was available at some point in time before the buildings began weathering.
Leaving Level 463 after the point in which psychological symptoms of Concrete Rot begin to manifest will not stop Concrete Rot from progressing. After one week in Level 463, organisms are considered irreversibly irradiated and will proceed through the transformation into an instance of Entity 463-A, even if outside of the level.
Despite the severe radiation threat, M.E.G. researchers have discovered that leaving Level 463 before one week will not result in permanent damage to any persons, and recovery from radiation exposure is possible, allowing those who have spent less than one week on the level to return. However, the presence of hostile entities has deterred consistent research and exploration efforts, and many refuse to return after one week of exposure. The Concrete Wastes remain mostly unexplored as a result.
Bases, Outposts and Communities:
Due to the uninhabitable nature of Level 463, there are no known bases, outposts, or communities on this level.
Entities:
Image taken of an instance of Entity 463-A.
The Hungering Mutants
Description
Mutants are hostile, sentient entities exclusive to the Concrete Wastes, and are former living organisms that have undergone the effects of exposure to Level 463's radiation. Instances of Entity 463-A are victims that have endured the Concrete Rot to its final stage and have fully transformed into an inhuman creature.
Their appearances vary from specimen to specimen, but the consistent characteristics include coarse green and yellow skin, lines of red eyes, extended mouths lined with spade-like teeth, and an excessive amount of asymmetrical limbs. The torsos of Entity 463-A also vary in size and composure, with many having bent or twisted spines, leading to an almost slug or snake-like appearance. Sizes of mutants can range from approximately three feet to twelve feet in length. Larger mutants, or "well-fed mutants," are rarer, with the median size of mutants being about seven feet in length.
The strength of a mutant scales with their size; a three foot mutant has strength similar to a medium sized dog, a six foot mutant has above average human strength, and a twelve foot mutant is able to easily knock down brick walls. Despite having large mouths, the bite strength of mutants isn't high, though their teeth are able to shred flesh easily once any grip has been established.
Mutants are difficult to kill due to their varying anatomies, as the brain and organs of mutants are generally in different spots, and the amount of limbs each entity possesses limits the ability to demobilize them. Blunt objects are capable of stunning mutants, although their recovery period is short enough to warrant avoiding confrontations altogether.
M.E.G. researchers were able to harvest a small limb from a mutant, which they removed from Level 463 to study. When experimenting with the green flesh of the limb, they found that the flesh had photosynthetic properties, similar to that of a plant. The process by which the radiation of Level 463 can cause an organism to develop photosynthetic abilities is still being researched. The photosynthetic ability of the mutants has been thought to explain their ability to constantly move and roam, even when in the absence of food for long periods of time.
Behavior
Instances of Entity 463-A are extremely hostile towards living organisms, and will begin chase immediately upon detecting one. These entities have been shown to be solely food motivated and hunt constantly. Mutants can be temporarily distracted with meat, but no other foods can divert the attention of a mutant. Mutants have been observed fighting each other over food, but have never been seen outright killing one another, even during squabbles.
Mutants are often slow, due to each of their limbs varying in size and shape, causing improper balance and lack of footing. Idle mutants move slowly across the Concrete Wastes by ambling or limping, with some resorting to crawling, and have not been observed to have any rest periods. Mutants that have become alerted to the presence of a living person or entity will move faster to pursue their target, with some having demonstrated the ability to sprint or even pounce. Each instance of Entity 463-A is unique, and while some may move inefficiently, others are equipped with dangerously strong limbs. Furthermore, despite most mutants moving slowly due to their asymmetrical limbs, fleeing wanderers often stumble and fall due to the decreased gravity of Level 463, leaving themselves open to becoming overrun by the persistent entities.
The senses of a mutant include any sense available on a person: sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch. Though it is currently unknown how sharp each of these senses are on a mutant, observations have found that smell seems to be the least effective of them, with hearing as the most vital. Mutants are often drawn towards noise, and commotion from one mutant finding a wanderer will alert other nearby mutants, drawing a dangerous pack. Mutants seem to detect motion more than standalone objects, as remaining still within a mutant's sight when at a safe distance has been proven to allow one to avoid detection.
While research on Level 463, including its entities, has been limited due to its uninhabitable nature, Entity 463-A has been observed to regenerate lost limbs, as well as grow entirely new limbs, after feeding. Mutants are also theorized to grow larger through feeding, leading to larger mutants being referred to as "well-fed," although growth through simply aging has also been considered. Regardless, the food-driven nature of Level 463's mutants points towards an innate desire for the creatures to grow stronger, likely as a way to outcompete each other for resources.
Entrances And Exits:
Entrances
Entrances to Level 463 take the form of doorless, concrete doorframes, and can be found on any level whose design mimics industrial areas, such as maintenance tunnels, factories, or bunkers. Stepping through these doorframes will bring the person or party into Level 463, outside of a random structure.
Exits
Attempting to return to the person or party's original level is not possible by going back through the doorframe of the structure they arrived in. Any person or group that arrives in Level 463 together must find another structure that contains their specific exit doorframe. The exits lead to other random levels that meet the entrance requirements for the doorframes (i.e. a level with an industrial appearance), very rarely being the level that was entered from.
Due to the one week time constraint caused by the level's radiation and the presence of hostile entities, finding the radio tower atop the hill at the center of Level 463 is recommended, as Entity 463-B can be summoned to this location to guide visitors to their exit.
