My apologies, but you aren't supposed to have this information. Rest assured, all shall be forgiven as long as you refrain from discussing our work again.
In fact, it's probably best you remove this article from your site if you value your autonomy. Here, I'll even help you out.
I trust that you'll do as you're told, yes? If I were you, I'd certainly hope so.
Yours Truly,
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Wow, that actually worked. Nice.
Ok listen. I don't have a lot of time, but I'm glad you guys made this article on me, gives me an outlet to spread the word. Someone's gotta know. My employers are talking about conducting some shady shit, not sure on all the deets but I think they might be making a move to claim territory. Be on your guard.
Btw if you wanna read the original article I archived it from when I first found it, heres that if you'd like just uhh ignore the file name.
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Entity 179 - "M"
Entity Number: 179Habitat - N/A
A sketch of M provided by Damian ███████
Description
Entity 179 (better known as "M"), while not reported to be hostile towards wanderers, should be treated with extreme caution. It has only been sighted once as of 06/28/████, however it is presumably capable of transporting itself and others between levels. For this reason, no specified level is to be considered its habitat until further research is conducted.
Behaviors
M communicates via telepathy, forcing the individual to think what it wishes to convey. M is capable of consuming one's emotions - particularly fear - for sustenance, which has the effect of calming the individual. Currently, no hostilities towards wanderers have been determined.
M's personality was noted to be aloof and professional in tone, with it stating that it would rather wanderers "not interfere with [its] work". Despite its tone, M was glad to talk to a wanderer, claiming it "doesn't get that opportunity too often". It hunts other entities for an unknown third-party, but who or what it works for is unknown. M has the capability to transport itself and others between different levels. The limits of these capabilities, if there are any, are unknown.
Biology
M's body is ashen and dry, with several bandages across its face. It has eight fleshy tube-like organs wrapping around its torso, starting from a large, dark cavity in the center of its chest. These tubes seemingly pulsate when it begins to feed off of emotions.
Its main weapon is its spear-like legs, which are long and sharp. It has a large, shadowy cape that begins where its shoulders should be. It is unknown if the cape is a part of its body or whether it is clothing of some kind. One of its most notable features is its eyepatch-like goggle, which wraps around its face and has a single lens that glows incredibly brightly, even in dark locations.
Discovery
M's first and currently only sighting was on level 59, when wanderer Damian ███████ (who requested to keep his surname private) reported it saving him from a Smiler, which was the entity it was hunting at the time. It then proceeded to have a conversation with Damian, in which all currently known details regarding the entity were gathered. When asked about who its employer was, it transported Damian to level 4.
Interview Log 06/28/████
The following is an interview between Officer Emilie Raines of the M.E.G's Trial Testers Division and Damian ███████, the man who first encountered M. It should be noted that the reliability of Damian's testimony is not concrete, as he has had a history of memory problems prior to the event in question.
Begin Log: 13:47
Interviewer: Officer Raines
Interviewee: Damian ███████
Raines: State your name for the record, please.
Damian: Uh, Damian?
Raines: Please describe the entity you have encountered.
(Damian stammers for a moment)
Damian: Uh… I-I have a sketch of it right here-
(Damian begins to pull out a sketch of Entity-179 before being interrupted by Raines)
Raines: My apologies. Allow me to clarify: please explain the entity's behavioral patterns - its general demeanor, any notable abilities that it has, any signs of hostility, et cetera.
Damian: Oh, ok. Got it. Uh… Here, l-lemme start from the beginning. I think I was in level… 57? 56? Which one's the one with the subway tunnels?
Raines: Level 59?
Damian: That's the one! Thank you. Back on topic, uh… I was being chased by one of those big smiley guys when all of a sudden it starts to make this weird hissy noise. Then it, like faded out or something. So naturally, I'm sitting there on the ground like "What the fuck just happened?" All I could see was this white circle.
Raines: Am I correct in assuming this white circle is the lens on its headgear?
Damian: Yup. So then it takes me back to one of the brighter parts of the Level and I got a good look at its face, which- y'know, obviously, it's right there on the table."
(Damian laughs awkwardly)
Raines: With all due respect, sir, this doesn't exactly tell us anything about how it acts-
Damian: Hold on, I'm getting to that part. Ok, so… how do I describe this…
(Damian pauses for a moment before continuing)
Damian: Ok so, it kinda like… forced me to think "Are you alright?" Which confused me at the time because I had no idea why I was thinkin' that, y'know? So I ask if it's a good guy, and I think "As long as you don't interfere with my work, I will not bring you harm." So at that point, I'm like, REALLY freaked out, since I'm thinkin' things that I didn't really make the decision to think, before the weird little flesh things comin' out of its chest started to beat like a heart. It gets a bit foggy after that, but after they stopped I was totally calm…
Raines: This is its ability to "consume fear" that you described, I presume?
Damian: Correct. So after I calm down, I realize "hey wait a second, are you talking to me through my mind?" To which I think "yes" in response. So I guess this thing can… like… force you to think what it wants to say? I dunno, that's how I took it.
Raines: That's quite interesting. Did you attempt further communication?
Damian: Bet your ass I did! Pardon the language, uh… ok! Actually, now that I think about it, I think it tried talking to me first. My memory's not exactly the best, never has been, but I think it said something like "You're lucky I needed a Smiler, you need to be more careful" or something like that. So I apologize, and ask who it is. Apparently, this thing's memory is as bad as mine, since it couldn't even remember its own name! Well, it couldn't remember the whole thing, only that it started with an M. Said it used to be like us, but then it found something way deeper than where we were at the time that turned it into what it is now.
Raines: Could you tell what the item was?
Damian: Uh… I think it said it was the goggle? I dunno, that part's a bit blurry. Sorry.
Raines: And you said this "item" turned it into the entity you saw?
Damian: Yeah, but it said it didn't really consider itself human, whatever that means.
Raines: I see. Please continue.
Damian: Uh, ok. So! I asked it how it was able to kill the smiley guy, and apparently it's able to see where exactly to stab the guys with its goggle eye thingy. I thought that was badass, so I told it so. Then it like, laughed, and said something like "I haven't spoken with a drifter in so long, this is refreshing," something along those lines. So, we chatted for a bit, just basic "what's your favorite food, which Golden Girl was the funniest", before I realize - hey wait a sec, it NEEDED a smiley thing? What did it need the thing for?
Raines: Funnily enough, that was my next question. A source of food, I assume?
Damian: Actually, it didn't even eat the smiley. Apparently it's a bounty hunter for some big guy it called its "boss" or something. But when I questioned it on who that guy was, it just said "don't worry about it, you don't know what you'd be getting into" before flicking its cape at me! After that, it gets SUPER foggy, but somehow I ended up on Level 4? I dunno, I'm still kinda trying to process that last part!
(Damian laughs)
Raines: So it hunts other entities for some unknown bigger picture? That sounds like it could be of concern. Very well, thank you for the information.
Damian: You bet! Thanks for hearin' me out. Hope all that info helps you guys at least somewhat.
Raines: I'm sure it will.
Summary: Officer Raines reported xyr findings to M.E.G. Headquarters. After a brief debate on how to handle the issue of M's employer, It has been concluded that further research is to be conducted on Entity-179 to determine its true intentions, and whether humans would fall under its potential bounties. As for Damian, he is currently residing peacefully in Level 4.
End Log: 17:59
Do's and Dont's
Do:- Be polite.
- Remain cautious.
Don't:
- Interfere with its work.
- Ask who its employer is.
Mmm, actually don't it's weirdly dehumanizing. Also, it takes itself WAY too seriously. You can have a format but ease up on the professional tone a bit, guys. Makes things more interesting. Here I'll demonstrate I'll just write my own thing. I'm sure no one's done that before.
My signature
Entity Number - 179
Residence - The Back Market
NOTE: DON'T MAKE AN ARTICLE ON THE BACK MARKET THEY WILL SEE THAT
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Bio
Name: M
Occupation: Back Market Agent
Favorite Tea: Mango, iced
Description:
Tall and shadowy with one glowing white eye magnified by a lens. I will be wearing a cape that looks like really flowy hair, that's how I get around these parts. Really sharp legs for puncturing. The chest has eight flesh tubes that pulse when I take fear for sustenance (trust me it's not as weird as it sounds).
My Loot
Over the course of my time lost to time, I have acquired a myriad of different gizmos, three of which I will now proceed to brag about:
- The Mantle - A cloak woven from a shadowy hairlike material. It lets me travel to any level, period. Added bonus is that it gives me a kind of contextual incorporeality — whenever something hits the cloak first, it passes straight through me.
- Weakpoint Glass - This one took some effort. The lens is made from rhinestones, bismuth, and glass from those spooky window shmucks, the frame is made of silicon chromium and aluminum, and the straps are made from a combo of leather and silk from those stupid spiders in the cave level. What did I get for all of that? A funky little steampunk goggle-monocle thing that shows me exactly where to strike to kill something. Kinda worth it.
- Void Sash - This thing was a gift from one of the tycoons, it's basically just a pocket dimension belt with a kickass name. Also, it has a calming effect apparently which is surprisingly hard to notice actually.
If you see me, do not interact just let me do my job.
My Job
I work as an agent for the Back Market, which means I basically go out and hunt entities for higher beings known as the Tycoons. Sometimes they'll want a pet Deathmoth, other times they think a Clump would make a cute scarf, it's really up to them. The bottom line is — they are POWERFUL. Too powerful for any of you to confront them. DO NOT TRY IT. Besides, they basically closed off every entrance to the original level, so unless you have something like my Mantle there's literally no way to enter anyways.
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back_market1.chb
View from my apartment window. Sorry about the quality, this place has some ABSURD cognitohazards.
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About the Back Market (as a place)
The Back Market itself is a modestly-sized city in the middle of a barren, infinite desert. Every single wall is riddled with cognitohazards which pretty much destroy anything that takes a picture even near it unless you save it as a CognitoHazardBlocker (.chb) file (which only I know how to do, I coded the dang file type). The sky is always this putrid hue of crimson, and the clouds rain rhinestones instead of anything useful. Worst part? There's always sand blowing in your face if you don't have eyewear on. I mean, I do but think about the little guy every now and then.
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back_market2.chb
Picture of the Back Market sun. This was taken a solid 2 miles away from town but the image is still low quality because it's so bright it only loaded as a .chb, like look it's even shining above the CLOUDS
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The sun is very bright, but honestly? It doesn't really heat up the place a ton, temperature usually sticks around ~24°C. It still hurts to look at, it's a SUN, but instead of just burning your eyes after looking at it for too long, it'll do that faster but also slowly fill you with a dread akin to the feeling of being watched until you stop looking. Arguably worse, since that sticks with you in the Back Market. This place is cutthroat cranked up to 143. Chances are, if you feel like you're being watched, you are.
The tycoons have this little code between themselves that they're not allowed to break. The code has three main points:
- No tycoon can outright kill the agent of another tycoon, and must hire someone else to do it/put up a bounty and hope someone claims it
- No tycoon can claim absolute power over the others, doing so is grounds for the others to gang up on them
- All tycoons have agreed to an alliance should a force powerful enough to threaten the existence of the Back Market make an appearance
Everyone is out to get everyone around here. No one here is ever TRULY safe. Hell, that picture I took of the sun probably already tipped five guys off that I'm up to something and I CHECKED that no one was around. The tycoons treat every single thing like a toy — a game, a plaything, whatever you wanna call it. And the worst part? They're powerful enough to enforce that fact. Not just socially powerful, either — powerful in that they could wipe us all from existence with a snap of their fingers. We live in fear every day of our lives that one of them's gonna snap, on top of having to defend ourselves from assassins and bounty hunters at the same time.
Sooo yeah, having that fear amplified is probably not the best idea.
That's all I've got on the Back Market, aside from the tycoons. But I'm not gonna reveal ANYTHING about them because I don't trust you guys to not try something, plus if they do find this that would remove the like 0.00000000000001% chance of them letting me live, so just leave us be. Trust me, you don't know what you're dealing with. Just. Stay on guard, I'll figure out something. I think. Lots at stake here, would be a shame if y'all got hurt in the process. Also, as a reminder, DO NOT MAKE ANY ARTICLE RELATED TO THE BACK MARKET. THEY WILL FIND IT NO MATTER HOW MANY PASSCODES OR FIREWALLS YOU PUT UP. THEY ARE TOO POWERFUL TO BE PISSING OFF LIKE THAT. DO NOT DO IT OR THEY WILL FIND ME OUT AND EVERYTHING WILL GO KAPUT.
Stay safe out there.
(Also I didn't link any of the articles because I didn't want the tycoons tracking peoples' browser histories back here and finding me out soz)
Written by GhostlyGlyphs
Data stolen by The Collector
Rewritten by M
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