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"Mr. Yang Tao, there's an elevator ahead!"
Harry's excited voice rang out. Yang Tao looked at the elevator in the distance, its appearance out of place with the surrounding wall, and silently put away the pickaxe in his hand.
"We found the elevator to Level 4 so quickly?"
Under the effects of his Entity-attracting potion and cashew water, he had indeed encountered some Entities in the past two days, such as Clumps, Deathmoths, and Hounds.
However, he hadn't seen any Smilers, and he wondered if they had moved from Level 3.
Smiler currently wandering Level 4: Where is everyone?
"Let's go. We'll rest for a bit on Level 4. There aren't many Entities on Level 3, so it's time to check out a deeper level."
Without Entities as targets, Harry's magic combat effectiveness couldn't be tested at all.
Was he supposed to use 'Petrificus Totalus' on a wall?
That would be even worse than using it directly on Yang Tao; at least that might give him a 'Slowness' buff.
The two boarded the elevator.
The interior of this elevator was identical to the one Yang Tao had taken before, with no buttons, only an LED display showing red numbers.
As the elevator doors slowly closed.
"Mr. Yang Tao, where are we going?"
"Level 4... No, Level 5!"
Although the elevator doors hadn't opened, Yang Tao noticed a change outside through his mini-map. However, it wasn't the spacious office area of Level 4, but a bustling hotel.
As the elevator doors opened.
Yang Tao's words were confirmed.
Level 5: "Horror Hotel"
Unsafe
Stable
Few Entities
Level 5 is an almost infinite hotel complex with a multitude of rooms and halls. This level gives the impression of being built in the 1930s, with furniture dating back to the 15th century. There are three main areas that can be fully entered.
Harry looked at the unfamiliar surroundings, still finding it difficult to adapt to the peculiarities of the Backrooms. Just moments ago, they were in the noisy Power Plant, and in just a few seconds, they had arrived in an incredibly luxurious hotel.
The classical music playing in the background, along with the old-fashioned flooring and the meticulously maintained environment, all contributed to a deeply unsettling feeling.
However, this was for solo Wanderers. If one had companions, then this place would be the best spot to rest.
"Harry, be careful."
"There are quite a few Deathmoths here."
As he spoke, Yang Tao had already taken out his pickaxe from his backpack. In front of them was an endless corridor, with luxurious wooden doors lining both sides.
Entering the hallway, Yang Tao reached out and put the large vase placed nearby into his backpack.
"Decorative Vase"
"Value: 1 Energy Point"
"Only one? Well, one is better than none!"
"Harry, you're responsible for clearing any Deathmoths that appear. I'll earn some travel expenses."
After all, opening doors also costs Energy Points. It would be a huge loss if he didn't earn three to five thousand points after coming all this way.
"Understood, Mr. Yang Tao."
Yang Tao used both hands, one hand putting various usable materials into his backpack, and the other hand wielding his pickaxe to knock down decorations that couldn't be picked up.
"No Energy Points for paintings? Trash!"
"Copper statue? Take it back for smelting."
"The carpet isn't bad either..."
...
Inside a luxurious guest room.
Yang Tao enjoyed his homemade steak. With the Villagers, his logistical support had greatly improved; at least now he didn't have to eat bread every day for lunch.
He looked up at Harry, who was engrossed in a magic book.
"Eat more. You're still growing, otherwise, you won't be able to use the gift I gave you."
Upon hearing this, Harry finally put down his magic book.
"Mr. Yang Tao, did you hear voices coming from next door?"
"Voices?"
Yang Tao swallowed his steak in a few bites. He hadn't heard any voices and thought there might be an issue with the records for Level 5.
Level 5 is infamous for strange noises, such as party chatter from beyond the walls.
Some also report an unseen presence constantly watching them from the corners.
Reports on this level also mention people hearing incoherent whispers behind them, and when alone, they occasionally feel something tapping their shoulder. Sometimes, they even feel the eyes of old portraits on the walls watching them.
It seemed now that he was just somewhat special and unaffected by this.
He took out a bottle of Almond water from his backpack and placed it on the table in front of Harry, saying, "Drink this bottle of Almond water; it should help you."
"Tell me, where do you feel the sound is coming from?"
Harry pointed to the wall on the left and said with some hesitation, "It seems like there are voices all around, but the sound from this side is clearer."
"Good!"
Yang Tao walked to the wall, took out his pickaxe, and struck the wall.
Thump-thump...
"The sound seems to have disappeared..."
Disappeared? Even if it disappeared, I'm still digging this wall today.
Thump-thump...
Soon, the wall turned into blocks and flew into his body. Behind the wall was another guest room.
The guest room was empty, but the messy bed and leftover food on the table indicated that someone or something else had been active there.
"Could there be presences that the mini-map doesn't show?"
Yang Tao made a 2x2 opening in the wall and walked directly into the other guest room.
"Harry, how about now?"
"The sound has disappeared..."
Yang Tao frowned slightly. There were only two possibilities now: one was a simple mental interference, and the other was the existence of a truly special Entity.
However, he leaned more towards the first, as he felt that the Backrooms levels had their own 'consciousness'.
Perhaps this 'consciousness' had no subjective will; it mechanically maintained the stability and changes of the levels, and 'refreshed' the environment and resources.
Just like the guest room Yang Tao was currently in, even though there was no one inside, the level's consciousness still created the impression that someone lived there.
This was evident in the description of Level 5.
"Most doors in this area are locked, but some doors miraculously unlock over time. Some doors even randomly open and close."
This was like invisible 'guests' constantly checking in and out.
It's just that today, Level 5 encountered a trickster; it probably never expected that someone would hear voices... or even if they didn't hear voices, they would just break through the wall...
"Alright, Harry, you eat first. I'll clean up this room. If you hear any strange noises again, just let me know."
Harry obediently chewed his steak and drank Almond water, watching as Yang Tao cleared out everything in the guest room.
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