Warden

Deep within the Old World.

Even deeper than the "Transfer Station" reached after an Open Source Diseased completed the path and passed through the gate—a narrow, cellular region almost adjacent to the Focus of Infection Center.

The biological walls that formed this place had existed for who knew how many years. A kind of primitive, unfiltered "silver fluid," also known as Original Gene Fluid, constantly seeped from their surfaces.

This silver fluid, whose essence had not been filtered by the Transfer Station, was extremely unstable and even highly toxic. Sixty percent of the ancient gene fragments within it were aggressive and destructive toward the Sick One. It contained countless incomplete, mutated genes, and once they combined with a normal genetic sequence, they could cause a series of "collapses" in the individual.

If a Sick One preparing to undergo Silver Turbidity touched such silver fluid, most would undergo a Root Mutation. Only a very small number would break through normally. Most would either die outright or degenerate into some kind of malformed variant, a failed product, or even become an Ancient Protein Sculpture and turn into part of the Old World.

However,

In this narrow region piled high with untreated silver fluid, a bald man whose physique was clearly larger than an ordinary person was immersed within it. His pupils, deep as black gemstones, seemed capable of seeing through everything.

Only these incomplete ancient genes could barely inflict internal damage on his body, allowing him to experience this rare and precious sensation of internal pain.

His head was pierced by numerous battered saw blades, buried deep in his skull.

His arms were spread wide, resting against the banks as though he were soaking in a hot spring.

Behind him, eleven enormous chains resembling Butcher's Hook were deeply embedded in different places.