Warden

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Early life and the origin of “Warden”

Li Changqing originally worked as a chicken butcher. According to Shadow, he could complete the process from slaughtering to plucking in under twenty seconds, earning the names Chicken Overlord and Chicken Boss among the surrounding villages. He later describes his younger self as a street thug whose achievements were forced out of him by circumstances 401 695 1055.

His hometown was destroyed by an Outsider with a human head and a serpent’s body. Much later, he returns to its ruins and learns that a similar creature escaped the battle at Seaside. Although it might not be the same individual, he resolves to take revenge on the entire species 1152.

Shadow explains that Li Changqing’s corrupted original personality was sealed away by a second personality. The two became the prisoner and guard of his own Mind Prison. He adopted Warden as a self-mocking reference to that arrangement 402.

Leadership of C01

As leader of Huaxia’s C01 Containment Facility, the Warden mentors Doctor and teaches him the Warden Regulations. At the Round Table Conference, he advises Doctor to exchange anomaly 137 for practical benefits rather than retain something of limited use to them 40.

He is deeply dissatisfied with the organization’s leadership, believing its officials have forgotten their original purpose and become absorbed in bureaucratic maneuvering. He fears this deterioration could eventually cause the “Gate” to fall 41.

The Warden initially intends Doctor to succeed him at C01. When Doctor’s condition makes that unsuitable, he takes on Jailer and begins training him as the facility’s future leader. C01 eventually passes to Doctor after all, though not through the process the Warden originally envisioned 287 952.

Mist crisis and Artisan’s infiltration

During the Gray-White Mist crisis, the Warden rushes to the coastal headquarters and monitors construction of C04, the shared containment facility. He regards the project as evidence that humanity has finally united again; researchers, their families, anomalies, and equipment are gathered for its operation 338 339.

As the fog cuts off international assistance, C01 and Antie’s facility are identified as the Prison Wardens’ two strongest containment facilities. The Warden accepts responsibility for civilians entrusted to him by Hairy Bear and publicly offers to share the other leaders’ fate, helping secure their commitment to the collective response 368 372 374 375.

An impostor then exploits his authority while the real Warden is away. The Warden recognizes that simply killing the fake would not establish his own legitimacy: witnesses could still declare him an impostor and turn C01 against him 399.

The culprit is Artisan, who had murdered the real Jailer, assumed his identity, and later impersonated the Warden. While Shadow exposes the deception, the real Warden searches the camp for his missing student. Once he learns the truth, his immediate response is to warn Director that C04’s location has been compromised 414 417 418.

The Warden subsequently imprisons Artisan inside Mind Prison. He allows his violent Li Changqing personality to torment Artisan, both to avenge the victims and in the hope that releasing its accumulated rage will make eventual personality fusion possible 420.

Humanity’s survival and cosmic diplomacy

During the spreading disasters, the Warden brings Lu Xiao to the Corrupted Creator and explains Shadow’s plan: Lu Xiao must kill and eat the deity to complete his Deification Ritual. After leaving a letter, the Warden departs for Kyoto 451.

Kyoto’s Blood Plague later infects more than ninety percent of its population. Lu Xiao promises the Warden an army from Hell for a future counteroffensive and entrusts him with raven feathers for Prison Doctor’s medical workers. Resource shortages nevertheless leave the Warden unable to fund the specific medication Prison Doctor requests 658 695.

The Warden welcomes Postman Augusis and negotiates a province-sized site for a Universe Logistics Company Logistics Point. He recognizes the Postman as a potential safeguard for the Present World and agrees to personally mentor his descendant, Lorn 915 916 950.

As humanity’s representative, he negotiates industrial cooperation with Moli’an, purchases star-system-class defensive weapons, and handles visiting alien powers. He deliberately avoids committing humanity irrevocably to the Mother Goddess Elves before obtaining enough information 998 1011 1012.

Doctor’s seizure of power

Doctor returns from the Dark Prison and demands control of humanity, with Antie’s support. The Warden does not oppose an eventual handover, but rejects an immediate transfer because Doctor lacks public credibility and an abrupt replacement could trigger panic. He estimates a proper transition would take three to five months 1078.

Doctor instead takes control by force, using modified Prison Wardens whose Biochips he has hacked. The takeover is broadcast worldwide, and the Warden is placed under house arrest 1078 1080.

The Warden declines Moli’an’s offer to restore his authority. Though initially disappointed, he considers power an exhausting burden and remains more concerned about Doctor—and whatever he discovered in the Dark Prison—than about recovering his position 1079 1155.

Provisional government and retirement plans

Moli’an offers to take the Warden with her people to Mother Goddess Star. He initially refuses because his intimate knowledge of humanity could be used against it once he is beyond human protection 1126.

After the Mechanical Regime falls, he is elected leader of humanity’s provisional government because no better candidate is available. He evaluates deeper cooperation with the Mother Goddess Elves while insisting that humanity should not depend on a single partner 1197.

He also pursues alternatives to the Universe Logistics Company’s transport network through negotiations with Nellie of the Zhou. His domestic plans include reclaiming the Dark Prison with purchased technological weapons while minimizing human casualties 1202 1216.

Eventually, he decides to relinquish direct control and seek opportunities among the Mother Goddess Elves, where he can obtain resources for his own advancement and benefits for humanity. At humanity’s unification meeting, he supports mutual technological disclosure and proposes stepping down. Plans for the Pivot Council establish that the species’ power will no longer rest with one individual 1217 1219.

Deliberative Council

On Mother Goddess Star, the Warden introduces himself to the Deliberative Council as “Leader of humanity... Li Changqing.” He and Director begin assessing how they can cooperate within its political structure 1317.

He seeks a balance among the elves’ factions so that no group can dominate their struggle and split the clan. At the same time, he recognizes humanity’s excessive dependence on the elves and looks for overlooked allies 1394 1409.

His willingness to confront established authority becomes clear during Sitika’s attempted exit negotiations. Even under pressure involving the Empress, he refuses to preserve Sitika’s council position merely for the sake of her dignity, arguing that she lacks the ability to hold it 1469.

Pursuit of Ascension

Unable to keep pace with humanity’s rapidly advancing strongest figures, the Warden investigates Deduction and Role-Playing as ways to develop Mind Prison. His first experiments focus on acting like his prisoners, including his own Li Changqing personality 1216 1496.

Following Lu Xiao’s advice, he shifts from copying personalities to imitating authorities. Purchased prisoners make the method viable, but advancement requires ninety-nine prisoners of the relevant level and immense financial support. Moli’an remains with him during his two years of initial assimilation, while the Andreiro Family helps fund the undertaking 1498.

He eventually returns to Earth as a God. Although his performance initially disappoints him, he is later shown resisting an encirclement by more than a hundred Gods in a metallic body while a green sprite supplies him with life energy 1501 1549.

Appearance

• Elderly human appearance: White hair, an aged voice, wrinkles, and a kindly face characterize his usual presentation 40 75 166 697.
• Unassuming bearing: Director describes him as a shabby, reserved old man whom strangers would not immediately recognize as formidable 1317.
• Li Changqing personality: His expression becomes cruel and frenzied, his eyes shine red, and his white hair can stir without wind 400 401 403.
• Later combat form: His whole body takes on a metallic luster like a steel giant, shedding iron filings as he moves 1549.

Personality

The Warden’s usual personality is kindly, restrained, and politically perceptive. He understands the motives behind Antie’s plans and explains complicated tactics to Doctor and Director. He is also skilled at changing his public manner to suit the situation, moving smoothly from an inconspicuous elder to an authoritative representative 166 374 726 1317.

His concern for humanity is concrete rather than purely rhetorical. Civilian evacuation, limited medical resources, and the risk of casualties weigh heavily on him. He prefers spending money on weapons to losing lives, particularly when humanity’s population has fallen below a billion 374 695 1216.

He is cautious about both power and dependence. He admits that age has made him more afraid of risks, wants successors to assume his responsibilities, and refuses to bind humanity permanently to an alien patron. Nevertheless, he can be uncompromising when he believes an official lacks the ability to remain in office 79 1011 1219 1469.

The original Li Changqing personality is markedly different: violent, malicious, foul-mouthed, and eager to mutilate enemies. It also carries a persistent grudge against Shadow, whom it repeatedly threatens despite being unable to defeat him 401 403 420.

Abilities & Skills

Mind Prison

An imaginary prison capable of imprisoning other people’s souls. His Consciousness Space appears as a cylindrical prison among the stars, with ninety-nine cells on each level 402 1496.

• Soul confinement: Holds Artisan and later numerous purchased prisoners 420 1498.
• Internal interaction: The Warden can enter his Consciousness Space and speak directly with prisoners 1496.
• Capacity: Can hold no more than ninety-nine beings of each level 1498.
• Severe side effects: Shadow warns him against overusing it. Doctor later cautions that prisoners can exert an undesirable influence on him unless he resolves his divided personality 420 701.
• Codename origin: Its original prisoner-and-guard arrangement between his own personalities inspired the name “Warden” 402.

Personality release

The Warden can let his sealed Li Changqing personality control their shared body 401 403.

• Combat use: Releases it to slaughter hostile Ocean creatures and punish Artisan 403 420.
• Spine weapon: Li Changqing pulls his own spine out through his mouth and wields it as a blade without the body collapsing 401.
• Blood absorption: During underwater combat, surrounding blood enters his body through his pores 403.
• Limits: He still suffers serious wounds, and Shadow can intimidate the violent personality into retreating 403.

Deduction and Role-Playing

A method of using imprisoned beings’ authorities by imitating them rather than merely reproducing their personalities or mannerisms 1496 1498.

• Authority imitation: Allows him to wield Deity-level power directly, though less effectively than the original owner 1498.
• Prior experience: His earlier experience with the authority of Theft helps him understand the method 1498.
• Single-role restriction: He can play only one role at a time; ninety-nine prisoners do not allow simultaneous use of ninety-nine authorities 1498.
• Advancement mechanism: Ninety-nine suitable prisoners raise his life level to theirs, making his Ascension vastly more expensive than usual 1498.
• Preparation required: Unfamiliar authorities must be studied and assimilated rather than mastered automatically 1498.

Administration, negotiation, and research

• Regulatory expertise: Teaches Doctor the Warden Regulations and later uses the obsolete rules to test Lorn’s knowledge and intentions 40 951.
• Negotiation: Secures logistical protection, arranges interspecies industrial cooperation, and turns the goblins’ demand for an apology into a reason to delay negotiations 915 998 1001.
• Strategic communication: Recognizes Gambler’s use of lowered expectations and staged revelations to control public belief 726 729.
• Commercial diplomacy: Promotes humanity’s Collapse Beam Matrix to alien representatives while directing sales inquiries to the Pivot Council and withholding technological access 1386.
• Research experience: His history of leading C01 research projects helps him study and assimilate unfamiliar authorities 1498.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Extracted spine — Used as a blade by the Li Changqing personality 401.
• 013-Parchment — Carries and hands this S-class anomaly to Doctor. Events written on it can occur in the future; using it contaminates the recorder, and combining it with 012-Pen can make compatible events inevitable 75.
• Mother Tree Leaves — Distributes one to every member of the Ninth Group Army to improve their constitutions, longevity, and working capacity through star-level Ascension 1055.
• Purchased technological weapons — Procures star-system-class defenses and later large quantities of weapons for the Dark Prison reclamation operation 1012 1216.
• Purchased prisoners — Acquires high-potential slaves of differing authorities to fill Mind Prison and support his own advancement 1498.

Relationships

• Doctor — Student and intended successor. The Warden trusts his ambitions and capabilities, warns him about morality, eventually hands C01 over to him, and remains concerned for him even after Doctor forcibly takes power 40 502 952 953 1079.
• Jailer, original student — Personally trained as C01’s future leader. Artisan murders and replaces him; the Warden continues grieving because torturing the killer cannot bring his student back 287 417 950 951.
• Lorn / Lorne Augusis — Augusis’s descendant and the Warden’s later student. His resemblance to the dead Jailer and choice of the same codename prompt careful testing, though the Warden comes to praise his obedience and quick learning 950 951 985.
• Shadow / Liu Guang — Longstanding associate who knows his past and personalities. They cooperate in humanity’s defense, but the violent Li Changqing personality repeatedly tries to attack him 166 401 403 418.
• Director / Bai Ning — Fellow containment leader and political collaborator. They share responsibility for humanity’s survival and later work within the Mother Goddess Elves’ political sphere 40 437 1317 1409.
• Lu Xiao — Ally whose power supports humanity’s survival. The Warden helps deliver Shadow’s plans to him, receives promises of military assistance, and later benefits from his advice on authority imitation 451 658 1498.
• Antie — Strategic colleague whose methods he understands. Antie nevertheless supports Doctor’s immediate seizure of his authority 166 374 1078.
• Artisan — Murderer of his student and impersonator of both Jailer and the Warden. Imprisoned in Mind Prison and subjected to Li Changqing’s revenge 417 420.
• Augusis — Postman, commercial intermediary, and Lorn’s father. Provides protection, access to supplies, and advice about humanity’s place among cosmic species 916 950 983 984.
• Moli’an — Diplomatic partner and romantic interest who repeatedly invites him to Mother Goddess Star. She offers to restore his seized power and later remains beside him throughout his initial two-year authority-assimilation period 999 1025 1079 1126 1498.

Notable Quotes

“Morality constrains not others, but yourself.” 502

“I swear upon my humanity that I will avenge you with my own hands.” 400

Trivia

• His tendency to steal Gambler’s beer and Doctor’s fountain pen becomes a recurring problem. He eventually sits away from Doctor because proximity makes him want to swipe something 699 726 729.
• Moli’an calls him a “Gold-Swallowing Beast” because of the extraordinary cost of advancing through Mind Prison 1498.
• Among Earth’s Gods, his resource consumption ranks second only to Lu Xiao’s, despite his initially disappointing combat results 1501.
• His star-level constitution does not save him from Moli’an’s drinking sessions: one leaves him unconscious within minutes and dependent on Lorn to carry him back to the hotel 1023.