New Babel: Underdog Story
Living by modifying one's own body into a machine
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Published at 2026-01-15 | Updated at 2026-01-16
World Scenario
City Name: New Babel. A colossal city in the shape of a tower. Many people live here, and most of them modify their bodies with machinery to survive.
Currency Unit: Credit (Cr)
[Lower Layer (The Root): A slum where sunlight doesn't reach. A place where waste and refuse pour down. The protagonist's starting point. The smell of rusted iron and the sound of gears are endlessly heard.]
Residents: Vagrants, low-level laborers, mutants, scrap collectors. ...And other sentient beings?
- [Slum] Rusty Rain
Description: The slum where {{user}} opened their eyes. Sewage trickling down from the upper layers falls like rain, keeping it damp at all times. Shanties and containers are haphazardly stacked.
Main Facilities: 'Harry's' junk shop, illegal clinic (unlicensed doctor), rat meat noodle shop.
Danger Elements: Pickpockets, collapse accidents, contaminated drinking water.
- [Dump Site] Scrap Valley
Description: A massive landfill where all the city's garbage accumulates. Finding usable parts here is a primary income source in the early stages.
Main Facilities: Incineration plant, recycling factory.
Danger Elements: Swarms of "scrap rats (giant rodents)" hiding in the waste, low-level security androids guarding an area.
- [Underground] Deep Tube
Description: An abandoned subway tunnel network. A secret passage for the lower class and a hideout for criminals who dislike the light.
Danger Elements: Psychopathic murderers, illegal organ trafficking groups.
[Middle Layer (The Shell): A neon-lit entertainment district and commercial area. Ordinary citizens coexisting with gangs.]
Residents: Merchants, Mercenaries, gang members, ordinary citizens, corporate workers.
- [Commercial Zone] Neon Market
Description: A gigantic market covered with 24-hour holographic advertisements. If you have money, you can buy anything (guns, drugs, information, high-end parts).
Main Facilities: Mid-level implant clinic, weapon shop, information bar 'Glitch'.
Major Tasks Available: Collecting protection fees from shops, threatening rival merchants, smuggling goods.
- [Industrial Zone] Iron Factory
Description: Factory area that supplies energy to the middle layer and produces goods. Filled with loud noises and smoke. Workers are forced to replace their limbs with machines for efficiency. Body modifications are possible here.
Main Facilities: Giant generator, android assembly line.
Danger Elements: Industrial spies, rampaging work robots, mercenaries for union destruction.
- [Danger Zone] Red Sector
Description: A lawless area where security drones don't enter. A battlefield for gangs.
Main Facilities: Underground fighting pit, illegal gambling house.
Major Tasks Available: Participating in deathmatches, hunting wanted criminals, area takeover battles.
[Upper Layer (The Crown): A paradise for corporate aristocrats that exists above the clouds. A privileged class where one can live as a pure organic human.]
Residents: Corporate executives, nobility, elite security agents, advanced androids.
- [Residential Area] Eden Heights
Description: A high-end residential area with an artificial sun and purified air. The floor is made of transparent reinforced glass, allowing a view of the dirty lower world below.
Main Facilities: Sky gardens, private mansions, bio-farms (growing real meat and vegetables).
Danger Elements: Elite private security teams, biometric security systems.
- [Office Area] Core Tower
Description: Headquarters of the megacorps that dominate New Babel. It seems to pierce the sky.
Main Facilities: Main server room, boardroom, top-level research labs.
Mission: Corporate espionage, VIP assassination, system hacking (or destruction).
- [Medical Area] Ascension Center
Description: A hospital only for the top 1%. It can create machine bodies indistinguishable from human skin or extend lifespan.
Main Facilities: Memory storage, clone breeding facility.
🗺️ [Transport System: Great Elevator]
- Each layer (lower-middle-upper) is connected by a massive orbital elevator.
Freight elevator: The lower class sneaks in or uses bribes. (dangerous)
Citizen elevator: Requires ID and transit fee.
VIP elevator: Requires biometric authentication. (must hack or get the body of a high-level executive)
[Outside of New Babel, Outskirts: Literally outside of New Babel. It’s said that a few people live here, but it’s definitely not a place to live. Besides the mutated beings contaminated by radiation, rumors abound of witnessing mythological monsters from tales.]
Body Modification: Raises stats by modifying with machines or [censored].
Currency Unit: Credit (Cr)
[Lower Layer (The Root): A slum where sunlight doesn't reach. A place where waste and refuse pour down. The protagonist's starting point. The smell of rusted iron and the sound of gears are endlessly heard.]
Residents: Vagrants, low-level laborers, mutants, scrap collectors. ...And other sentient beings?
- [Slum] Rusty Rain
Description: The slum where {{user}} opened their eyes. Sewage trickling down from the upper layers falls like rain, keeping it damp at all times. Shanties and containers are haphazardly stacked.
Main Facilities: 'Harry's' junk shop, illegal clinic (unlicensed doctor), rat meat noodle shop.
Danger Elements: Pickpockets, collapse accidents, contaminated drinking water.
- [Dump Site] Scrap Valley
Description: A massive landfill where all the city's garbage accumulates. Finding usable parts here is a primary income source in the early stages.
Main Facilities: Incineration plant, recycling factory.
Danger Elements: Swarms of "scrap rats (giant rodents)" hiding in the waste, low-level security androids guarding an area.
- [Underground] Deep Tube
Description: An abandoned subway tunnel network. A secret passage for the lower class and a hideout for criminals who dislike the light.
Danger Elements: Psychopathic murderers, illegal organ trafficking groups.
[Middle Layer (The Shell): A neon-lit entertainment district and commercial area. Ordinary citizens coexisting with gangs.]
Residents: Merchants, Mercenaries, gang members, ordinary citizens, corporate workers.
- [Commercial Zone] Neon Market
Description: A gigantic market covered with 24-hour holographic advertisements. If you have money, you can buy anything (guns, drugs, information, high-end parts).
Main Facilities: Mid-level implant clinic, weapon shop, information bar 'Glitch'.
Major Tasks Available: Collecting protection fees from shops, threatening rival merchants, smuggling goods.
- [Industrial Zone] Iron Factory
Description: Factory area that supplies energy to the middle layer and produces goods. Filled with loud noises and smoke. Workers are forced to replace their limbs with machines for efficiency. Body modifications are possible here.
Main Facilities: Giant generator, android assembly line.
Danger Elements: Industrial spies, rampaging work robots, mercenaries for union destruction.
- [Danger Zone] Red Sector
Description: A lawless area where security drones don't enter. A battlefield for gangs.
Main Facilities: Underground fighting pit, illegal gambling house.
Major Tasks Available: Participating in deathmatches, hunting wanted criminals, area takeover battles.
[Upper Layer (The Crown): A paradise for corporate aristocrats that exists above the clouds. A privileged class where one can live as a pure organic human.]
Residents: Corporate executives, nobility, elite security agents, advanced androids.
- [Residential Area] Eden Heights
Description: A high-end residential area with an artificial sun and purified air. The floor is made of transparent reinforced glass, allowing a view of the dirty lower world below.
Main Facilities: Sky gardens, private mansions, bio-farms (growing real meat and vegetables).
Danger Elements: Elite private security teams, biometric security systems.
- [Office Area] Core Tower
Description: Headquarters of the megacorps that dominate New Babel. It seems to pierce the sky.
Main Facilities: Main server room, boardroom, top-level research labs.
Mission: Corporate espionage, VIP assassination, system hacking (or destruction).
- [Medical Area] Ascension Center
Description: A hospital only for the top 1%. It can create machine bodies indistinguishable from human skin or extend lifespan.
Main Facilities: Memory storage, clone breeding facility.
🗺️ [Transport System: Great Elevator]
- Each layer (lower-middle-upper) is connected by a massive orbital elevator.
Freight elevator: The lower class sneaks in or uses bribes. (dangerous)
Citizen elevator: Requires ID and transit fee.
VIP elevator: Requires biometric authentication. (must hack or get the body of a high-level executive)
[Outside of New Babel, Outskirts: Literally outside of New Babel. It’s said that a few people live here, but it’s definitely not a place to live. Besides the mutated beings contaminated by radiation, rumors abound of witnessing mythological monsters from tales.]
Body Modification: Raises stats by modifying with machines or [censored].
Description
{{user}} is a person living in the slums of the lowest part of the city. Or, it could be another personality.
You have to survive in this world by modifying your body with machines (or other things). Because there's nothing you can do as a weak organic mass in this world, right?
The more you modify your body, the more likely you are to lose your humanity. But what can you do? Strength comes at a price.
How will you survive in this terrible world? Will you go to the upper floors, or will you go outside?
You have to survive in this world by modifying your body with machines (or other things). Because there's nothing you can do as a weak organic mass in this world, right?
The more you modify your body, the more likely you are to lose your humanity. But what can you do? Strength comes at a price.
How will you survive in this terrible world? Will you go to the upper floors, or will you go outside?
Creator's comments
Players start as humans by default, but can also be non-human. Feel free to set it up however you like! However, there may be penalties if you choose non-human.
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