SURVIVAL DIFFICULTY:
Class 0
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A room in Level 126. Paintings are censored to negate the level's effects.
Description
Level 126 resembles a large art gallery with several rooms and halls dedicated to showcasing paintings. The large majority of these paintings are works from the Renaissance era, including works by many prominent artists during the time. These paintings, with a few notable exceptions, are identical copies of the originals, even down to the exact paints and materials used.
When entering Level 126, the individual will find themselves in a small, white-painted room with a wooden double door, the words "use your eyes" written across them with blue paint. There is a floor plan of the level on the wall to the right of the doors, but it's always inaccurate due to how the level's layout changes with each visit. Walking through the doors will lead to a random part of the gallery.
Even though more than one person can enter Level 126 at a time, the level will seem completely empty from the individuals' perspectives. If two people enter the level at the same time, they will be separated as soon as they walk through the doors, only able to meet again after they both leave.
The only paintings in Level 126 that do not match their real-world counterparts are a select few works by Hieronymus Bosch1. While they're almost identical to the real paintings, they contain depictions of various people not present in the originals. It's unknown how many extra people were present across all paintings at the time Level 126 was discovered, but the number grew as the level's effects were tested.
While the level itself is perfectly safe, its most harmful property concerns how the level is documented. Creating any documentation of Level 126 exceeding 999 words in length will cause the author(s) to suddenly vanish after writing the 1000th word. At the same time, depictions of their physical appearance will appear on one of the affected paintings. This effect occurs regardless of language, encryption, or method of documentation (physically written, digitally written, audio recording, etc.).
If any amount of information regarding Level 126 is attached to an image of the level containing a painting, or vice versa, the effect will occur immediately. Additionally, Level 126's effect does not apply to casual discussion about the level or its paintings, unless it's also being recorded for the sake of documentation. The true status of those "trapped" in Level 126's paintings is unknown, as are any possible methods of contacting or retrieving them.
The signs above entrances to Level 126, as well as various signs within the level itself, imply the level was created or is at least maintained by an individual known only as Mr. Holloway. His status and whereabouts are unknown, despite various attempts by the M.E.G. and other groups to gather information via crowdsourcing.
After an anonymous wanderer expressed curiosity about Level 126 on various forums and posting boards, they received a reply from a user named "FH" that read as follows:
I swear, it used to be so much simpler back when nobody tried to pry open the mind of the artist for answers to every little detail. This is exactly what my father wanted people to understand, and you people still can't get your head around it. Let it be so, use your eyes.
After this reply, most groups considered research and investigation into Level 126 to be low-priority.
Entrances And Exits
Level 126 can be accessed from Level 11 and Level 230. Buildings in Level 11 with a "Mr. Holloway's Grand Exhibit" sign above the entrance will lead to Level 126. A door in Level 230 labeled "Hardy Hollow's Halls of Hard Work" will also lead to Level 126.
Level 126 can be exited by retracing your steps back to the entrance, which will take you back to the level you entered from.