NOVEL NEXT Chapter 15: Life is just a game
As he walked throughout the crossing paths of level 10, he has reached a point which was being cut off by a road, alongside this concrete road, he could see a canola field. He remembered that level, but not its number, perhaps he could check the wiki and see the number, but what if he didn't had the connection needed to access this information. Either way, it didn't prevent him from trying, as he began walking on the road underneath the sun, he opened his phone struggling to see much because of the light which somewhat made the light of the phone fade. He squat down and covered himself around the phone, so he can see what the number was, but the lack of wi-fi, prevented him from doing that. So he simply put it in the lower pockets of his pants and continued walking as the scenery slowly began to change in front of his eyes. It was beautiful, the transition of the layers that were put on top of each other to form that single infinite cloth that is reality.
He continued walking for hours and hours and he seemed to not have the need of water, food or sleep. Perhaps the process is stopped? Or slowed, when he was in the backrooms. "What could that even mean?..." He asked himself looking up to the clouds, he was unsure of why he knew things he never experienced or learnt. "Why do I continue asking myself the same stupid questions? It doesn't matter, if it happens, there is no need to question why, I just need to understand." He continued with his inner monolog as he looked back down and fell back from the clouds.
"Free access?" He rubbed his chin as he got an idea on how to use wi-fi wherever, could he try to create a universal technology, a piece connected by telekinetic means, But for this he needed more knowledge over the nature of this strange device. He still hasn't read the wiki, but this didn't prevent him from doing it later, he could always return to a level with wi-fi connection. "Perhaps a new rule or feature would be nice... A mark level, which would allow me to return to a level that is marked... Eh, it would be too easy for me if I can just return to any level... Let's limit it a little and make it into just three marks for a level of my choice... Yes, that sounds good." He said to himself as the world around him began to transition into level 11, maybe this level would be his first marked location? No, it's too early for such decisions. He Asked the backrooms to hand him a box of crayons from level 1, he was going to use it to write or draw a signature of his choice. "An eye maybe? No a portal... Eh... Hum?" He looked to his right as he walked alongside the road, there was a sticker with wi-fi written on it.
With that in mind, he pulled out his phone and began looking for the numbers as he navigated himself through the wiki to level 10 by using the exit conditions compared to what he did, he then looked into level 184 because it matched what he did and finally Level 11, as he read through the information he stumbled upon the name of Argos. And the headquarters... Those eyes, they were creeping him out, maybe he could make a better version out of it. But not yet...
As he looked into the entrances and exits, he saw so many connection, Not only that safe level to some degree, which meant, he could use his mark here. "Not yet." He said to himself as he closed his phone and began wandering around, perhaps find another exit? No he wasn't leaving, he knew what the exits were, so he was safe from leaving the level.
After wandering through those somewhat empty streets, he came across a cathedral, after a walk of a hour, it was the first exit that seemed fine by him, this place made him feel somewhat comfortable? Or it was just a delusion to lure him in, as he kept in mind level 11 as his first mark. He went to the gates of the cathedral before opening the gates open and marching in. His presence was ignored, as the moment he entered this endless cathedral, there were facelings performing some kind of song. It was cold, yet they stood there and performed. This created an image, how he could make the eyes of Argos, a better alternation. The singing was beautiful and so he closed the door behind himself as he sat on a bench and enjoyed it.
The picture in his mind became clear to him, once the performance was over, this was simply beautiful. Purity, of the blue eye. The portal idea was scrapped as he stood from the bench and headed to level 11, to put his mark on the place. With the box of crayons in his hand, he went to the nearest building with a flat wall on which he could draw, and got to work. He wasn't planning to just left a mark, he wanted to leave art.
Drawing it took him close to 3 hours of expressing every absolute detail, even making it look as if there were a reflection of the world which it was looking into. It was beautiful, he smiled as he took a few steps back and looked into his beautiful creation. The detail, the soul put into it. All of it was a truly delightful thing to look into. With this proper mark, he was hoping that no one would destroy it, he saw a few people passing by who looked at him weirdly. Perhaps thinking "Doesn't this guy has better things to do? Like try to survive."
If he was ever asked such thing he would probably laugh in their face and send them to level 0, just because.
As he finally stopped thinking about it, he now had a marked place where he could officially teleport, by his own rules. Even if he could have the easy way through the backrooms, he chose the journey, a journey full of walking... a lot of it. And joy.
He walked around the streets with a smile, he has done something meaningful for himself, he found joy in creating. Though there was not always a motive or inspiration. He just knew that now he had a reason to create his own joy, But in the meantime while he has no inspiration, he was going back to the frontrooms for another spoonful of entertainment.