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Old World
The Gentleman of the End
Biodata
| Feature | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Old World |
| Alias(es) | Focus of Infection 172 |
| Species/Race | Living diseased world; a planetary-scale organism and the source of afflictions 172 436 |
| Status | Existing, but its rules were sealed after an ancient invasion war; it continues to infect and assimilate other worlds through passages 436 |
| First Appearance | Chapter 129 |
Background / History
Origin and former order
The Old World is a living world whose deepest core contains the Primal Affliction Master, the primal entity from which all afflictions originate. Its inhabitants are described as microorganisms and pathogen carriers within an immense organic structure grown, mutated, and exacerbated by this being. 436
The Evil Sun was once a stabilizing organ of the Old World. Its heat enabled diseases to develop rapidly yet within controllable limits, supporting the rise of major Source Plague Zones such as Cancer-Palace, the Abyssal Skin Factory, and the Vibrio Sea. 874
Ancient invasion and sealing
During an ancient war, external forces attacked the Old World. Although the invaders achieved victory, they could not destroy it completely; instead, they sealed its rules and left the planet pierced by a Greatsword. 436
The loss of the Evil Sun after the war allowed darkness and malignant mutations to spread throughout the world, producing regions such as the Extreme Dark Zone. 561
Infection of the human world
The Old World approached the human world, adhered to it like a tumor, and created passages through which it transmitted afflictions. The Gentleman Organization concluded that all diseases in its world originate directly or indirectly from this contact. 172
“It wasn't that we fell ill, but that illness sought us out.”
— Founder of the Gentleman Organization 172
Environment
The Old World is depicted as a diseased planet oozing pus and festering matter, with tentacles extending through space. A Greatsword remains embedded in its body. 172
- Its outermost surface is inhabited by weaker but highly diverse Diseased; it is also the layer most likely to produce new varieties of affliction. 261
- Explorers entering through a passage encountered a gray desert beneath a cloudless gray sky, dominated by a pitch-black sun pierced by a Greatsword. 171 174
- The world contains deep layers, neutral cities, Source Plague Zones, artificial abysses, transfer routes, and sealed regions. 261 459
- Neutral cities can be exceptionally dangerous; unofficial survival-rate lists exist for some of them. 261
Society and Source Plague Zones
The Old World's principal powers are the Source Plague Zones, whose recognized members gain access to their respective affliction systems and associated privileges. Most Diseased seek certification from one of these zones. 261
There are no universal laws or recognized individual rights in the Old World. Its Diseased reproduce rapidly, and population stability is maintained through a harsh, lawless environment rather than civil governance. 261
Rather than following conventional theology, most Diseased place their faith in the Source Plague Zones associated with their afflictions. 580
| Location / Faction | Role |
|---|---|
| Abyssal Skin Factory | The “Oldest Factory,” the source of skin and the Old World's foremost processing complex. It mass-produces skin and processes flesh, bone, and nerve products for other powers. Visitors must sign Soul Contracts forbidding disclosure of its interior. 396 459 |
| Cancer-Palace | Considered the Old World's largest Source Plague Zone and among the least affected by the world's restrictions. 250 |
| Original Tomb | Domain of the Dead and the site associated with the Old World's first complete death, which introduced the concept of Death to the world. 363 |
| Monastery of Suffering | Functions as a prison for the Old World and dispatches monks to contain malignant pathogens and dangerous mutations. 396 561 |
| Duke's Guild | A major neutral mercantile power led by Duke Garryson, operating extensive trade, auctions, and special transactions across the Old World. 396 427 |
| Black Roundworm Company | A transfer organization whose tunnels and railways historically converged on the Skin Factory. 459 |
Passages and Cross-World Contact
Passages connect the human world and the Old World. They are found within Gray Zones, becoming more numerous and larger in deeper zones; some are vast enough to be considered abysses. 129
- Human explorers entering the Old World are subject to strict time limits, as prolonged exposure is dangerous. 171 216
- Gentleman's Attire consumes its stored Skin Content after crossing over, reducing its protective reserve. 171
- The organization has lost many teams during Old World expeditions; only two of six dispatched teams returned with Relics during one recorded period. 402
- Passages are the mechanism by which the Old World spreads afflictions and gradually assimilates infected worlds. 172 436
Affliction and Advancement System
| Designation | Process and significance |
|---|---|
| Open Source | Establishing a direct connection to the Primal Affliction Master through one's own affliction. 436 |
| Pathway | A route suited to an individual's affliction; Diseased seek a corresponding Door and transfer station to move closer to the world's center. 868 |
| Silver Circle | A higher stage reached through Silver Turbidity and arrangement; recognized individuals are considered true Diseased, or Old Day Diseased, by the world's will. 868 |
| Qualification | The right to ascend steps leading toward the Focus of Infection's core and receive the final Origin Gene. 868 |
| Plague Lord | An existence whose affliction has been developed through Origin Gene expression, granting limited influence over the Old World's rules. 868 |
Connections
- Human World — The Old World parasitically attached itself to the human planet and introduced the afflictions responsible for the Diseased Era. 172
- Gentleman Organization — The organization relies on Skin as humanity's means of surviving the Gray Zone, while investigating and resisting the Old World's infection. 172 255
- Primal Affliction Master — The Old World's deepest primal entity; all afflictions and Pathways ultimately lead toward it. 436
- Evil Sun — A former stabilizing component of the Old World whose fall destabilized its diseases and expanded darkness across the planet. 561 874