Koschei

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Koschei (科西切)
Alias(es)	Black Snake; the immortal Black Snake; Duke Koschei
Species/Race	Fidia
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Ursus nobility; Lungmen underworld organization
Occupation/Role	Duke; political conspirator; intelligence broker; former underworld boss in Lungmen
Status	Active 67
First Appearance	Chapter 12

Appearance

Koschei presents himself as an elegant Ursus noble, usually wearing white and maintaining a restrained, courteous smile. His refined manner contrasts with the unnatural nature of his body and his openly malicious schemes. 12 17

• Gray-white or silver hair, described as chaotic and aged. 12 30
• Pointed Fidia ears and a snake-like appendage or presence behind him. 12
• Often clasps his hands or holds a wineglass while speaking. 12 30
• Can reform his flesh and clothing from black liquid or blood after being destroyed. 12

Personality

Koschei is patient, calculating, and highly transactional. He approaches alliances as mutual exploitation, offering information, resources, or social access while concealing his true objective behind civility and carefully chosen words. He prefers to observe events develop “on the board” rather than act impulsively. 19 30 38

He considers conflict, tragedy, and death useful instruments for social change. Although he claims to love all people, he regards ordinary lives as meaningful only when they contribute to a goal; the casualties caused by his schemes are, to him, material for his ideals. 15 34

Koschei also seeks to create an heir or puppet capable of continuing his ambitions. His interest is not in preserving innocence, but in shaping a person through conflict and tragedy into a suitable “Chosen One.” 15

Abilities & Skills

Immortality and Regeneration

Koschei survives otherwise fatal physical destruction by reconstructing himself from black fluid or blood.

• Reattached his bisected body as black liquid rewove flesh and damaged clothing. 12
• Reformed even after being filled with swords and blasted apart by shockwaves. 12
• Claims that fighting him to the death would not benefit either side. 12
• The full limits of his regeneration are unknown.

Manipulation and Political Engineering

Koschei engineers conflict by controlling information, incentives, and the actions of multiple factions.

• Arranged terms with an Ursus Rear Admiral to facilitate a violent suppression of Infected unrest. 14
• Fabricated and circulated a “prophecy,” then used the resulting panic to shape the Infected Uprising. 15
• Views large-scale conflict as necessary to drive civilization and produce meaningful stories. 15
• Exploited the Snow Demon incident as justification to weaken Ursus military power and destabilize the Empire’s political balance. 27

Intelligence Network

Koschei possesses extensive access to classified information and covert operatives.

• Used the Snake Scale to introduce supplies and weapons into a mine while bribing its guards. 15
• Provided Chlorine Sodium with confidential reports concerning unusual artifacts and possible protagonist-related phenomena. 19
• Obtained military deployment information and marked important Ursus mine sites for Chlorine Sodium. 15
• Arranged false identities, professional credentials, and access to Lungmen’s wealthy circles for “Doctor Ina.” 60

Underworld Influence

After returning to Lungmen, Koschei operates from a concealed but lavishly furnished safe house with suited subordinates.

• Describes himself as the former master of the local underworld operation. 38
• Uses criminal groups and Ursus mercenaries to pursue kidnapping and leverage-based schemes. 67
• Seeks information on Chen Hui Jie and contact with the Taiko Group heiress. 38

History

Koschei first approached Chlorine Sodium after she attacked him, calmly regenerating from the damage. Identifying Yelena as a tool Chlorine Sodium was cultivating, he proposed cooperation on the grounds that they were alike: powerful outsiders who treated people as assets rather than equals. 12

In his duchy, Koschei helped arrange the conditions for an Infected uprising. He covertly armed the Infected, manufactured an “artificial prophecy,” and manipulated the Ursus military into preparing a brutal response. The resulting violence served both as a political weapon and as an experiment in creating a tragedy-driven heir. 14 15

As the Snow Demon’s attacks destabilized Ursus, Koschei sought Yaga Glazunov’s assistance in locating it while privately using the crisis to undermine the military and old nobility. He maintained a pragmatic alliance with Chlorine Sodium, exchanging intelligence for her help in accelerating his plans. 17 19 27

Koschei later returned to Lungmen, where his presence alarmed Wei Yanwu. From the shadows, he resumed underworld operations, recruited mercenaries, and arranged for Chlorine Sodium to infiltrate the Taiko Group under the identity of Doctor Ina. 37 38 60 67

Relationships

• Chlorine Sodium / Doctor Ina — A mutually exploitative ally. Koschei supplies intelligence, identities, introductions, and opportunities; Chlorine Sodium provides force, information, and assistance with his schemes. Neither trusts the other. 12 19 30 38 60
• Yaga Glazunov — A fellow powerful Ursus figure. Koschei requests her help tracking the Snow Demon, while carefully steering events to benefit his own political plans. 17 20 34
• Yelena — Koschei recognizes that Chlorine Sodium is cultivating Yelena as a useful asset. His own desire to create a tragedy-shaped heir parallels Chlorine Sodium’s treatment of her. 12 15
• Wei Yanwu — A hostile former acquaintance. Wei recognizes Koschei as Black Snake and orders an investigation into his return to Lungmen. 51
• Ursus Rear Admiral — A co-conspirator in the planned suppression of the Infected uprising; Koschei outwardly agrees to the officer’s demands while pursuing a separate agenda. 18
• Unnamed granddaughter — A young Feline girl toward whom Koschei displays visible affection and protectiveness. 63
• Taiko Group heiress — A prospective target and bargaining chip in Koschei’s Lungmen scheme; he dispatches Ursus mercenaries to kidnap her. 67

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Alliance with Chlorine Sodium — Survives Chlorine Sodium’s attack and establishes a partnership based on their shared willingness to use others as tools. 12
• Artificial Prophecy and Infected Uprising — Orchestrates a false prophecy, covertly arms the Infected, and turns a planned suppression into a large-scale crisis. 14 15
• Snow Demon Crisis — Publicly investigates the Snow Demon with Yaga while covertly exploiting the military disaster to reshape Ursus politics. 17 20 27
• Lungmen Return — Re-establishes himself in Lungmen’s underworld, offers Chlorine Sodium access to powerful figures, and begins gathering information on Chen Hui Jie and the Taiko Group. 42 51 52
• Taiko Heiress Conspiracy — Uses Doctor Ina’s infiltration and mercenary assets to identify and target a likely Taiko heir for abduction. 60 67

Notable Quotes

“Because he was merely a curse, anyone could be Koschei.” 15

“The Empire is about to change.” 27

“Deciding on a move while contemplating the board is an art.” 25