Description:

Level 996 is a large urban area imitating an extension of the Kowloon Walled City in the Frontrooms.

Level 996 is considered a Zenith, term coined from the wanderer's appellation of Level 998, designating a level that is far from The Hub and usually is or leads into an End. Its location is difficult to precisely estimate, as odds of entering Level 996 from known entrances are very low. The current shortest estimated route is at a distance of at least 85 levels from The Hub.

The entirety of Level 996 is slanted at an angle exceeding 70 degrees from the horizontal axis. Because of this, travel in this level is often referred to as the "Ascent".

While Level 996 is extremely similar to the Kowloon Walled City in the Frontrooms, there are notable differences:

Whilst some parts of Kowloon were found within Level 996, most locations did not exist in the original city.
The area of Level 996 is currently unbounded, with the only known measurement being a horizontal width of three kilometers or about two miles (the Kowloon Walled City had a total area of two and a half hectares or six and a half acres).
It's not your home.
There is a near complete lack of furnishing and resources within Level 996.
Ambient light levels are that of a nautical twilight (this occurs in the Frontrooms when the sun is six to twelve degrees under the horizon.)
While open doors may be safe to cross, opening new doors has led wanderers to disappear. It is therefore unadvised to attempt this…?
Buildings in Level 996 extend far further vertically than in the original Kowloon Walled City. It is unknown how they resist the near perpendicular gravity.

Objects and Entities:

Here are the documented types of object and entities on Level 996. Because of its distance from the early levels, entities present here are presumed unique to this level.

Lightbulbs

Lightbulbs are the most common object within Level 996. They take the form of any artificial lighting, however, they will cast a light around them. Regular lights in Level 996 are lights part of the level's architecture and can be identified by their lack of emitted light. While Lightbulbs are also attached to the level structure, their emission of light distinguishes them from regular lights.

Note that light sources brought from outside Level 996 can still produce light, but they do not seem to cause the appearance of Carrier Shadows.

Carrier Shadows

Carrier Shadows appear when a wanderer casts a shadow inside of Level 996. The wanderer's true shadow will then become a Carrier Shadow and take the Shadow's silhouette. Once this occurs, the wanderer will clip through the Shadow and reappear at one of the entrances of Level 996.
Each silhouette is different, leading wanderers to believe multiple Shadows exist, however their population size is unknown. It is unconfirmed if they possess sentience. You knew him.

Memory Wisps

Memory Wisps are intangible beings, similar in appearance to the phenomenon of will o' the wisps. When in close proximity with Memory Wisps, they may cause wanderers to experience memory-related events, such as strong nostalgia or déja vu. Not much is known about them due to their short lifespan.

Bases, Outposts and Communities

No wanderer bases have been established in Level 996. Few wanderers have ever set foot in this level, and resources are deemed too sparse to sustain permanent settling.

The Ascent

Despite the lack of outposts, several wanderers have attempted to find the end of Level 996. It was found that the level occupies a width of only three kilometers or about two miles parallel to the slant, but the length of it is still unknown. Here is a quick summary of must-know notes regarding the ascent of the level:

Be wary of Lightbulbs and closed doors.
Come prepared. Bring sustenance, first aid, and anything that may help your ascent.
Look out for watchpoints made by previous wanderers, they will guide your climb.

Here is the recorded list of watchpoints:

Watchpoint A

Upon the roof of a large building with pharmacy signage, a small tent with Almond Water and food rations can be found.

Watchpoint B

A large 10m x 10m shelter constructed from discarded sheet metal. Most notes were recovered from this watchpoint, along with several abandoned pieces of equipment including flashlights and rope. Sustenance can also be found here.

Watchpoint C

A completely empty area within Level 996. Binoculars and large quantities of food have been left here, along with a discarded sleeping bag. Torn apart notes have been found near the watchpoint, along with several blood stains. As Carrier Shadows are non-violent, it is recommended to be on the lookout for unknown entities around this watchpoint.

Watchpoint D

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Just don't come. - Paul

So far, most wanderers have been unable to come across Watchpoint D (setting aside the settlement that first established it) as mysterious circumstances have always prevented progress past this point.

Its very existence is therefore purely hypothetical, but the M.E.G. has deemed it to contain potentially useful information.

Entrances And Exits:

Entrances

Multiple places can possibly link to Level 996, such as:

Level 36, despite the reported absence of an airport within Level 996. It has not been found which gates could lead to Level 996, as the wanderer in question had passed out from exhaustion upon arrival.
Level 176, after having entered from Level 444. Finding an area similar to a storage backhouse will lead into a building within Level 996.
Level 165, immediately after exiting Level 666. This is currently presumed to only be possible using the Mountain King Ritual. Finding a polluted pond of water can provide an entrance through a sewer system in Level 996. This is not recommended, as Carrier Shadows may then bring you inside a locked manhole, possibly drowning you.
Level 282. Passing out under specific conditions may bring you into Level 996, but this was an isolated case.

Entrance into Level 996 is seemingly random. However, the following patterns have been found to increase odds of entering it:

Distance from The Hub.
Path use, going through the same levels as a wanderer has already gone through may reduce odds.
Accessibility, dangerous or hard to navigate levels usually lead more often to Level 996.
Memory, as levels related heavily to memory or nostalgic phenomena are often direct gateways to Level 996.

Exits

The most reliable way to come back is to go back from the entrance you used. It is suspected that there is an exit at the upper bound of Level 996 (if there is one), but this was unconfirmed…?

Please. _{Even by himself, he's not safe.}

Recovered Logs

On June 5th, 20██, You don't need to know. M.E.G. Operatives Paul H. and Evelyn T. were sent to explore Level 996. These logs were recovered 411 days following the beginning of said expeditions.

Audiovisual recordings were found on Paul H.'s phone and transferred into the database shortly before his disappearance. Written notes were also found within Paul's backpack. No traces of Paul or Evelyn have been found since.

+ Recovered audiovisual data : MOV_2841