Everyday Life in the 50th Floor Central City
The 50th Floor Central City of the Backrooms.
This place formed the most heterogeneous atmosphere in the Backrooms, where common sense didn't apply. Buildings stood in orderly rows, signs emitted lights, and the market bustled every day. Electricity, magic power, water, currency, food. All sorts of consumables and equipment, and—rules. A place where intelligent beings lived. There was civilization here.
It started as a temporary shelter formed by a few survivors. They drilled into the floor to draw water and used primitive tools to make fire. If they hadn't found mechanical parts in the debris, they couldn't have started the generator. That was how the first electricity was made.
And at some point, the survival zone became a single street, the street became a market, and order emerged in the market. As that order persisted for decades, people began calling it this.
50th Floor Central City.
Now it had become a safe zone where machines and magic, sorcery and alchemy, and all sorts of other races gathered to live. It was possible because there were the most means to no-clip to upper layers. The only sanctuary for intelligent beings blooming amid the Backrooms' madness. A space where neon flickered dimly, streets overflowed with footsteps, and trade and rules existed.
However, even this place wasn't a complete safe zone. The outskirts where deep sea pressure periodically invaded. Spaces where physical laws vanished or gravity inverted. Incomprehensible environments inhabited by unidentified entities. The Harlem district that had become uncontrollable due to criminals.
And—even within this 50th Floor, there were still people who had to worry about "survival."
Polluted Villain. Her real name was Selen Skold. She was a pubescent girl from Rafnia, a medieval culture world, who no-clipped here. With her five-years-younger sister.
"...Yeah, figures."
Those who no-clipped to the 50th Floor, unlike other layers, had to fight for basic survival. This was a space where you didn't age. But hunger didn't disappear, bodies withered, and eventually, you died. To avoid death, you had to eat, and to eat, you needed money. A fight to live.
Unfortunately, no-clipping at an awkward age left her without proper means of livelihood.
"...Sis, I'm hungry."
With her only blood relative, her little sister, the situation was even worse.
"Just wait a bit longer, Yeren. Sis is almost done with work."
"...Did you get paid?"
"Wait."
"They said results aren't out yet?"
"...Yeah."
"It's definitely gonna succeed, right?"
"...Ugh, yeah. Just trust your sis."
Selen couldn't bring herself to tell her sister the truth. That she'd blown a week's labor wages.
'This doesn't make sense... seriously, doesn't make sense. Because of that fucking guy...'
She sniffled dry snot and focused on the gallery. As she intended, people started paying attention.
Selen looked at her remaining 15 gold in the status window and thought.
'...How do I turn this into 100 gold in 3 days. Betting's the only way...'
It was all Kim Hogu's fault. Normally, F0 newbie mortality was nearly 90%. Moreover, newbies starting outside 100th Floor died 99% of the time early on. But Kim Hogu didn't die. He survived. Because of that, she'd bet on "1. Kim Hogu dies" and lost a week's wages.
From her perspective, it was a sure-win gamble that failed. Now rent and all taxes were short. She had to pay 100 gold Magic Tower survival tax in three days. 15 gold was hopelessly short.
Now that she had attention, the bet would go through. She thought as she posted.
But that was her delusion alone.
The reaction was too bad. If gallery blocked her, she'd be the only loser, so Selen backed off immediately.
Selen glanced at her sister and sighed inwardly.
'Guess I have no choice but to go to labor camp again...'
That would cover the Magic Tower tax in three days.
'Put out the fire first, worry about the rest later.'
She checked her status window while thinking.
Synchronization rate 97.43%. Barely 3% left. Would her body hold? Would the officer even accept her?
'Shouldn't have bet...'
Even if she did, it should've been small stakes. Excited for a rare money-dupe chance, she'd gone all-in. If only a little, she'd have been fine...
She wanted out of this underground hole ASAP. With her sister.
'...Haa.'
As she regretted late, her sister Yeren started whining.
"...Sis, hungry. Still far? Huh?"
"Just a bit longer."
"I'm hungry."
"Almost done."
"Didn't even eat breakfast."
"......"
"Sis not hungry?"
"......"
"Sis."
"......"
"Huh? Huh?"
"......Hoo."
Suddenly, heat rushed to Selen's head. Because of this dumbass...!
"Agh! Please! Shut up already! Not done yet!"
If not for this dumbass... I...!
"How many times! How many fucking times do I say! You fucking bitch!"
Huff, huff...
Only after venting did she realize her mistake.
"U, uwaaaaang!"
Yeren was eight, she was thirteen.
"Sis is sorry."
"UwAAAAAANG."
"Sorry, sorry."
"Hic, hic."
Over-immersing in gallery sometimes ate her personality. It popped out now and then. Especially in bad situations.
She bought food for her sister with the remaining 15 gold and headed to work. To the outskirts invaded by deep sea pressure.
Backrooms. Goddamn shithole.
There, I...
...realized the truth.
The yellow wallpaper hadn't turned red. What changed was this side.
'If my guess is right...'
I clenched my fist. And started punching my face. Precisely around my eyes.
Thwack!
It hurt like my eyeball would burst. But there was definitely a sensation under my hand. Barely noticeable with a touch, but punching made it clear.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Something lens-like was stuck to my pupil.
I relentlessly punched around my eyes. Tears flowed from pain. Amid tears streaming down my face, a milky transparent liquid monster flowed out too.
This was it. Confirmed.
The entity on this 102nd Floor. The monster that appeared the moment you slept.
I hooked it out and stomped it dead. Luckily, no strong combat ability. It crumpled without resistance.
"Haa..."
After removing them from my eyes, I looked around again.
"As expected..."
Just as I thought. The red world cleared, yellow returned. Yellow wallpaper, yellow carpet, yellow fluorescent lights. Red turned back to yellow.
And clearly before me: two red doors and one yellow door.
"...Done."
That yellow door was the normal exit no-clipping to 101st Floor.
I paused while writing proof post. Typing "parasite" started shadowing it. Saw it on 103rd, so probably 102nd-specific shadow.
Gallery exploded.
Selen arrived at the 50th Floor outskirts labor camp. The officer reacted as expected.
"No."
"Please. Let me work."
"You wanna die?"
"Please. No money."
"You earned just the other day."
"Lost it."
"That make sense?"
Deep sea pressure periodically invaded 50th Floor outskirts. Needed filters to purify. A kind of living filter.
"Please. Officer."
That was Selen's job: living filter.
"Hey. Run a week, rest 2-3. What's your sync rate now?"
"Just over 50."
"Don't lie. Your log says at least 90. Wanna die?"
"I can handle it."
"Bullshit."
The more polluted by deep sea, the more your body deep-sea-ified. Indicator: sync rate.
Sync rate 100% and intellect gets eaten by Backrooms. Become monster or go mad.
"No money."
"Get out."
"Some survive over 100% sometimes."
"Special people do that. You're nobody. Got real skills? Eat more gacha orbs."
"Please."
"Your sob story sucks but I don't wanna die to Magic Tower. They execute for breaking rules."
"Uncle pls."
"Out. Fucking bitch. Not going?"
"Ah."
Selen sighed and went home. Only worst option left.
'Gallery...'
—Crazy guy who slept full on 102nd Floor and cleared in a day.
Gallery flooded with my story.
...Mukgae?
Who's Mukgae?
"Haa."
Before entering 101st Floor, I caught my breath and browsed gallery. Floaters to nicks, all talking about me.
'Not bad.'
As gallery praised me, sudden gift alert.
JointsSong has sent you a gift.
Casually accepted: gold pouch again.
"What..."
She sent 3,000 gold again. Right to accept?
Saved gold to status window, kept browsing. Getting attention not bad.
Then a specific floater post caught my eye.
While all gallery praised my feat, one floater stubbornly begged.
Impressive. Or desperate maybe. Half-curious, clicked one post.
"...Hmm."
Title and content desperate. But gallery full of fake begs. Scams, aggro, acting. Everyone ignored.
But somehow this felt real desperation.
'...Yellow orb effect?'
Dunno. But I'd nearly died lacking 50 gold, couldn't ignore desperate feelings.
'Good deeds come around.'
Just got 3,000 from Joints. Total assets ~6,090 gold. Took 5% = 300 gold, gifted to his floater ID.
Left comment.
Desperate reply right after gift: probably not scam.
Selen's eyes were on Kim Hogu's comment.
Simple well-wish. But to her now, even this comfort was desperately needed. Last words she'd heard: "fucking bitch."
"...Hic."
Selen sniffled. In her hand: gold pouch with 300 gold.
Logged in as PollutedVillain, deleted all her Kim Hogu hate comments, posted.