ON THE WAY HOME AFTER BEING LATE FOR CURFEW: LEVEL OBSERVED WITHIN THE BACKROOMS, HENCEFORTH REFERENCED TO AS LEVEL 34 N. THE PRESENT ROTWATCHER ALONG WITH JJ HAS BEEN OBSERVED WITHIN THIS LEVEL FOLLOWING SUDDEN LOCATIONAL EXCHANGE AS THE TWO STARS IN PREVIOUS LEVEL APPEARED TO LOWER WITHIN THE SKY.
LEVEL POSSESSES A LAYERED STRUCTURE, RESEMBLING AN URBAN AREA WITH AN INFINITE LAYOUT. TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY LEVELS EMULATE A MUGGY ENVIRONMENT, REMINISCENT OF STANDARD JAPAN'S RAINY SEASONS. TEMPORAL FIXATION AT THE END OF A BRIGHT-CYCLE IS NOTED, WITH THE DARK SKY APPEARING TO BE COVERED BY THICK CLOUDS. VERY LITTLE LIGHTING IS PRESENT IN THIS LEVEL, WITH THE ONLY SOURCES BEING BRIGHT-STALKS, DISPENSER MACHINES, AND TRANSMISSION SPIRES INSTALLED AT REGULAR INTERVALS. MOST HOUSES AND OTHER FACILITIES REMAIN UNLIT, WITH RARE LIT INSTANCES LEADING TO DANGEROUS LEVELS.
DIFFERENT FORMS OF AUDIO CAN BE HEARD IN THE DISTANCE WITHIN THIS LEVEL. EXAMPLES INCLUDE TWO-WHEELED VEHICLES SPEEDING IN GROUPS, HORN PLAYING FROM STREET VENDORS, AND HOWLING FROM DOMESTIC BRIGHT-CANINES. SOURCES OF ANY TYPES OF AUDIO HAS BEEN OBSERVED, THOUGH TWO-WHEELED VEHICLES AND UNMANNED VENDORS ARE STRUCTURES THAT CAN BE FOUND WITHIN THIS LEVEL.
you know, it's weird how the spaces here keep doing that: having audio play without a visible source.
sometimes you can guess there's a hidden speaker if it's just music, but what about the more natural-sounding stuff, like animal noises or people chatting?
like, what is the point of putting on sounds like that, if things responsible for making those noises don't exactly exist here?
JJ IS OBSERVED TO INQUIRE OF AUDIO PHENOMENON PRESENT IN MANY BACKROOM LEVELS, SPECIFICALLY CONCERNING THOSE WITH NO VISIBLE SOURCE. DUE TO THEIR NATURE, FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PHENOMENON IS ASSUMED TO BE IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO THEIR INCORPOREAL NATURE. HOWEVER, IT IS NOTED BY THE PRESENT ROTWATCHER THAT AUDIO OFTEN CONTRIBUTES TO THEIR RESPECTIVE LEVEL'S EMULATION OF STRUCTURES ON THE BRIGHT STAGE. THIS EXPLANATION IS ACKNOWLEDGED BY JJ, AND THEY ARE OBSERVED TO MAKE NO FURTHER INQUIRIES, THOUGH THEY APPEAR TO STILL REMAIN DISCONTENT JUDGING BY THEIR FACIAL EXPRESSION.
CERTAIN AREAS OF OPEN SPACE ALONG THE ROADS ARE ENCLOSED BY RAILINGS OR FENCES. SIGNS AND NOTICES DETERRING ENTRANCE ARE POSTED ON THESE BARRIERS, ESPECIALLY NEAR WHAT APPEARS TO BE OPEN ENTRANCES. NO LIGHT SOURCES ARE OBSERVED IN THESE ENTRANCES, CREATING AN IMPOSING ATMOSPHERE. ENTRANCE INTO SPACE BEYOND THE BARRIERS, WHETHER THROUGH THE OPEN ENTRANCES OR THROUGH CLIMBING OVER THE BARRIERS, HAVE ALL LED TO DISAPPEARANCES.
there's a few backpacks around here. one of them even had a fresh pastry inside.
OTHER RESOURCES SUCH AS STATIONARY AND DRINKS HAVE BEEN OBSERVED WITHIN SCHOOLBAGS. IN ADDITION TO SCHOOLBAGS, OBJECTS SUCH AS BROKEN ALCOHOL BOTTLES ARE OBSERVED ON THE MIDDLE OF ROADS WITHIN THIS LEVEL, INCLUDING PUDDLES OF WHAT APPEAR TO BE ALCOHOLIC LIQUIDS.
BULLETIN BOARD: RARE STRUCTURE OBSERVED WITHIN THIS LEVEL. VARIOUS TYPES OF PAPERS COVER THIS BOARD, INCLUDING NOTEBOOK PAPERS, DOCUMENTS, AND POSTERS. NOTABLE EXAMPLES INCLUDE MISSING POSTERS FOR A DOMESTIC BRIGHT-CANINE DESIGNATED AS MIDORI, POSTERS WITH TEXT WARNING OF SUSPICIOUS ENTITIES AND DEPICTING A BLACK PICTOGRAM-LIKE ENTITY OBSERVING AN OUTDOOR RECREATION CENTER WHERE A FEMALE BRIGHT-CHILD IS WITHIN, AND PIECES OF PUBLICATION ANNOUNCING 'HANHAMA MEMORIAL FESTIVAL'.
some of these papers don't make sense. this one's all black, with nothing else besides a white hexagon.
and this one... this one just has the words 'i'm sorry' on it. and i think something wet touched it earlier...
oh? what's this?
JJ IS OBSERVED TO TAKE NOTICE OF A POSTED PAPER. NOTED INSTANCE IS SIMILAR TO 'SUSPICIOUS ENTITIES' POSTERS DESCRIBED EARLIER, WITH SIGNIFICANT DEVIATIONS FROM STANDARD INSTANCES. FOR EXAMPLE, THE BLACK PICTOGRAM FIGURE IS REPLACED BY A FIGURE SIMILAR IN BODY STRUCTURE TO AN AVERAGE MALE BRIGHT COUSIN, THOUGH FURTHER DETAILS ARE OBSCURED DUE TO THIS REPLACEMENT BEING BLOTTED OUT FULLY WITH INK. IN ADDITION, THE FEMALE BRIGHT-CHILD IS REPLACED WITH WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE ARCHITECT, WHO IS SITTING IN THE OUTDOOR AREA WITH THEIR HANDS ON THEIR FACE. TEXT IS COVERED BY BLACK MARKINGS, RENDERING THEM UNREADABLE.
the architect, again... is this paper trying to say something? that someone or something's stalking him?
could have to do with whoever pushed us over on that observation deck...
but honestly, what i'm wondering is this: why does the architect keep popping up in levels randomly?
not just through pictures like this, but also at that boat lake, by that hut. right before we crashed and ended up in the next level, even.
you recognized him back on the deck, right?
THE PRESENT ROTWATCHER IS OBSERVED TO CONFIRM JJ'S INQUIRY REGARDING ITS RECOGNITION OF THE ARCHITECT. IT HAS BEEN OBSERVED TO COME ACROSS THE ARCHITECT WITHIN MULTIPLE LEVELS PREVIOUSLY. ITS SECOND ENCOUNTER WITH THEM IS NOTED TO BE WHEN THE ROTWATCHER WAS INFORMED OF THE ARCHITECT'S CURRENT DESIGNATION.
OF PARTICULAR NOTE IS THAT THE PRESENT ROTWATCHER HAS OBSERVED A SIMILAR INSTANCE TO CURRENT SITUATION OF A PAPER DEPICTING THE ARCHITECT'S IMAGE, BACK IN LEVEL 240 N. IN SAID INSTANCE, IT HAD OBSERVED A HAND RESTING ON THE ARCHITECT'S SHOULDER, SUGGESTING THE PRESENCE OF A SECOND INDIVIDUAL IN RELATION TO THE ARCHITECT.
are you saying- do you think the hand you saw back in that level's maybe related to the background guy here?
NO CONCLUSIONS OF ANY CONFIDENCE MAY BE MADE REGARDING CORRELATION BETWEEN OBSERVED INSTANCES.
well, only thing we can do is go forth, then.
THE PRESENT ROTWATCHER AND JJ ARE OBSERVED TO RESUME EXPLORATION. FOLLOWING A PERIOD OF TRAVEL, THEY ARE OBSERVED TO DISCOVER AN APARTMENT BUILDING, A FACILITY RARELY SIGHTED WITHIN THIS LEVEL. AS ITS STAIRS FUNCTIONS AS AN ENTRYWAY, THE PRESENT ROTWATCHER AND JJ PLAN TO UTILIZE THE STRUCTURE TO UNDERGO LOCATIONAL EXCHANGE TO ANOTHER LEVEL.