My wife is an immortal black snake.

After making Paul wait a while, Yang Hao was also thinking about how to take revenge on that Mr. K's plan in the future.

He couldn't swallow this insult. Originally, he just wanted to live a peaceful life, maybe even enjoy being a city lord after marrying Margarita—although that plan had fallen through, that wasn't a reason for that Lord [K] to openly send people to hunt him down, was it?

Who exactly is this "K"? How dare he hunt down two innocent citizens, Margarita and me, without even a shred of evidence? Even if he's planning to go to Ursus to get married and live, does he deserve this?

He couldn't swallow this insult; he wished he could pry open that [K] man's skull and use it to make a dog food bowl for his future pets—but for now, it was just a thought. Although Yang Hao couldn't swallow this insult, he understood the principle of making choices based on the actual situation and showing some restraint.

But that doesn't mean Yang Hao can't plan ahead, right? And coincidentally, he just happened to find several resolutions that wouldn't alert anyone else. Even in Ursus, he could use these resolutions at any time to obtain some information about Lord K, and then use that information to plan his revenge later.

[Resolution: Investigate the immortals, codename K]

That Ms. K has ruined your future plans, and you can't swallow this anger. You've vowed to take cruel revenge on her one day, as cruelly as forcing an Italian to eat a pineapple pizza.

But before that, you need to find at least some clues.

Effect: Search for information related to Lord K for the next 365 days.

This is a long-term resolution that requires 20 political points to activate. Fortunately, however, this resolution won't cause any trouble for his future wife—Miss Koschche. If he had to choose, Yang Hao didn't want his personal affairs to affect future family harmony. Of course, there's the matter with Margarita...

...He felt his stomach cramping. He could already picture the chaotic scene of trying to explain things to Miss Koschitch once he arrived in Ursus.

“Besides…” he muttered to himself, Paul watching him respectfully from behind. The Serpent Scales, who had finished setting up the camp, were also watching him. After a while, they went about their respective plans: some went to stand guard, some went to scout the road ahead, and some went to rest.

Besides this resolution, Yang Hao also found something new in his "Puppet Stage".

That is--

【evolution】.

He discovered that after he temporarily took control of a city—his first territory in the [Puppet Stage]—his ability could [evolve].

Based on the description above, he needs approximately 5 days to evolve the [Puppet Stage]. During the evolution, he cannot use resolutions or policies, but everything else is irrelevant—he can still browse the map and check on Margarita's situation as usual, and he can still chat with Miss Koschche while waiting for events to occur. All he needs to do is wait for the [Puppet Stage] to complete its evolution.

【Evolution of the Puppet Stage: -----> Puppet Stage, Stage Night】

Enable the new import function: You can import some modules by consuming a large number of political points.

You can see more messages, you can view some of your spouse's stats, and you can create your own (cabinet) and (secret force).

Once the evolution is complete, you will be provided with a military factory located off-map. This factory can produce weapons but cannot be converted into a civilian factory.

After the evolution is complete, the general store outside the map will be reset, and Miss Elegy will offer you a wider selection of goods.

I want it now!

"...Sigh, let's begin now."

With nothing else to do lately, Yang Hao decided to evolve his abilities.

Then, in the next instant, everything went black before his eyes, and he fainted right in front of everyone.

Chapter 55

...

When the news of Yang Hao's coma reached Miss Koschke, she was stunned for a while before she recovered from the sudden anxiety and worry and calmly considered what had happened.

"Fainting due to excessive energy consumption? I've seen that in some special Originium Arts before." She murmured to herself, ordering Serpent Scales to take care of him and then moving him to a safer place. She realized that she seemed to be... worried about him.

It wasn't out of concern that "a very useful tool might die." The immortal black snake was worried that this special individual, whom she had finally found—one who could theoretically accompany her forever and be regarded as a "companion"—would actually meet with misfortune.

...But thinking about it carefully, it makes sense.

"Thinking back on it, I seem to have always seen him as an immortal like myself—a mortal who will become immortal sooner or later, yet remains fragile now. But I overlooked the fact that he is very fragile." Koschich sat on the edge of the bed, reflecting on some of his mistakes. "Hmph... Have I lived too long that I subconsciously treat those I admire as the same powerful individual? This is a lesson, Koschich."

During this long period of communication and gift exchange, although Koschie had also asked the Serpent Scales to keep an eye on Yang Hao's situation... as time went by, she gradually came to regard Yang Hao as a future immortal, someone as powerful as herself.

She overlooked the fact that Yang Hao's body was that of a fragile mortal. She also overlooked the fact that he hadn't even reached Ursus yet, and the dangers along the way could easily claim his life. She even forgot that he had been continuously activating that ability called [Puppet Stage] for far too long, an ability she had already confirmed had side effects.

Due to a combination of factors, her future husband has now fallen into a coma and his life hangs in the balance. Fortunately, Snake Scales has confirmed that he simply overexerted himself and is barely hanging on—it's not too late to mend things now.

“I need to rethink his future plans,” Miss Kosiché muttered to herself, turning to look at the table in the room. There was a note covered in writing, the words all more or less related to arrangements after Yang Hao’s arrival—a kind of Kosiché memo, though she didn’t need it, Yang Hao certainly would. “I’ve given him far too much work. Governance work is far more demanding than ordinary mental work.”

Miss Koschei's original plan for Yang Hao was to work about six hours a day after he settled down—this even included weekends. This was because, if Miss Koschei's considerations were correct, her territory would become more stable after Yang Hao officially began helping. A stable territory wouldn't require as much time for maintenance efforts in the future, naturally meaning fewer working hours.

...However, that's the reality of governing. It's different from a regular office job like a company executive. The pressure of governing is much greater, and you have to think about much more. Naturally, for ordinary people, it also means greater fatigue and a heavier mental burden.

Therefore, Miss Kosiché did not assign Yang Hao more than six hours of work in her plan. She reserved the bulk of the work, nearly 10 hours, for herself: he only needed to help out when necessary.

...She had initially thought that a six-hour workday would be a good fit for his schedule. But now it seemed...no, it wouldn't work. If this continued, he would collapse first.

"...It seems the plan to grant you immortality needs to be moved up." Miss Kosichä got up from the bed and muttered to herself as she walked towards her desk. "If you can't become an immortal soon, it will be a huge loss for me. And for Ursus as well."

But how could she make him immortal? Miss Koschke frowned. Although she had lived for a long time, turning a short-lived species into an immortal one... was something she had never heard of before.

...Never mind. Let's adjust his work plan first.

She sighed, crossed out Yang Hao's six hours of work, and assigned him a new two-hour workday—as Miss Kosiché had said, he only needed to help her on some key issues.

Miss Koschke got busy. Meanwhile, Yang Hao, who was in a coma, also came into contact with the same being he had encountered before.

...

"Oh dear, isn't this the customer from last time?"

In a daze, Yang Hao's consciousness arrived at a place he had once set foot in: the general store outside the map.

Amidst the teasing laughter of the shop owner—a woman—his drowsy consciousness gradually returned. He looked around in surprise at his surroundings, and then, seeing the blue light filtering through the dusty window not far away, he remembered that he must have fainted in the wasteland.

"This is..."

"This is the general store where you once entered and took the blood of the first vampire. Now you are wandering this place that does not exist in the material world with your own consciousness, and now you are qualified to know its name. The House of Lament."

"...The House of Elegy? You are...Miss Elegy?"

A strange name. Yang Hao immediately realized that the general store owner in front of him, still shrouded in black mist, must be Miss Elegy.

...He had many questions he wanted to ask. For example, why his consciousness was here, what the store offered...and another important one was—

Is that vial of vampire blood, as I suspected, subject to some special, unmentioned limitations?

Yang Hao asked all his questions, and Miss Elegy, shrouded in black mist, gave an affirmative answer.

first question.

"Your abilities are evolving, so you have been granted the opportunity to enter the House of Lament once. However, since there is no suitable place around you, the House of Lament will forcibly drag your consciousness here—provided, of course, that your safety is ensured."

second question.

"Now the shop offers more. The Sword in the Stone with its mysterious powers, the ability to transform into the blood of the first werewolves, and the secret to immortality you've always dreamed of—but they all have various limitations, and you'll have to be lucky enough to wait for them to arrive."

The third question.

"Oh? You actually guessed it? That's right, that vial of the first vampire's blood does indeed have significant side effects. It will transform you into a vampire, but also into an inferior blood demon—a blood demon that dies in the light, and you must drink blood to maintain your sanity. What? [It stops vampires from drinking blood?] Heh, that's only an effect you get when you're a [vampire]. And if you are a vampire, drinking that blood will gradually transform you into a true vampire."

Do you have any further questions?

Lost in thought because of Miss Elegy's three answers, Yang Hao, without thinking, asked his fourth crucial question in response to her polite inquiry—a question he had just thought of.

Chapter 56

Yang Hao's fourth question was simple: if he entered the House of Elegy but didn't take anything from it, would the time interval between his next visit be shorter?

Miss Elegy was prepared for this. She answered Yang Hao's last question with a smile, her voice as clear as a wind chime:

"Of course, if you don't buy anything this time, then the interval between your next visit to the House of Lamentation will be shortened to three days. Until you take an item."

“I understand... Well then—let me see the nearest items.”

"Of course!"

Guided by Miss Elegy, Yang Hao arrived at the shelf he had visited before, which had clearly changed. She began to introduce the items on it.

"This is the Heart of the Tree Man. If you use it, you will become an immortal being rooted in trees—literally. You will become a tree, and naturally, your mind will become a tree, and your body will be especially afraid of fire."

...A prop with extremely negative effects, which Yang Hao has no use for.

"This is the thirteenth chime—a special little bell. When you ring it thirteen times, it will cause the rats in the area to evolve at an unbelievable speed, eventually becoming rat-men... What? Are you kidding me? It only has the ability to evolve rats; those rat-men are beyond your control. And only you can use this item."

This is also a highly controversial prop with extremely negative effects, as it turns a group of rats into uncontrollable roaming robbers in their own home—even if used in an enemy country, they would still have to run off to such a dangerous place... so Yang Hao has no use for it.

He figured that the fact that this row of shelves was full of these strange and awful items meant he wanted to go to a "higher-class" place.

Miss Elegy smiled and granted his request. They then looked at something more advanced, but with even greater side effects.

“The Psionic Star Cabinet will open up a route on the planet—a route whose coordinates will be visible to people outside the Milky Way.”

"The heads of fallen prophets—well, I think a corrupt empire might like them, but only if you can find them across millions of light-years."

"Body modification parts? Of course, that can also make your body immortal. But only the body will be immortal; what about the soul? The spirit? Heh, please think about it for yourself."

...In general, there's nothing particularly useful.

Yang Hao was somewhat disappointed: Was this all the abundant goods offered by the House of Elegy were?

To this, Miss Elegy simply gave a mysterious smile: although Yang Hao had no idea how he could tell she was smiling.

"plz follow me."

Guided by Miss Elegy, they didn't linger on the first floor. She led Yang Hao to the second floor—a colorless, spherical room.

Two new items were displayed there. Yang Hao realized that these were the so-called "more abundant" items.

As before, Miss Elegy introduced their existence in a voice as clear as a wind chime.

"You're short on political points? Then use this Soulless Controller. As long as you have Soulless users under your name, each Soulless user will provide you with 1 political point, every single day—don't you like that?"

"...I still have some reservations about those without souls. What about this one?"

Soulless beings were something Yang Hao could not accept. He wouldn't allow his subordinates to become those kinds of machines! So he directly rejected the first item.

Now, let's look at the second item. He turned his head to look at something displayed on another shelf: a strangely twisted glass bottle.

"The Diviner's Bottle—Use your future to know another person's future. Losing your future will not kill you, but it will also leave no trace. Interested?"

"No."

Losing the future, forever stuck in the present, never dying, and everything—soul, consciousness, spirit, body—will never change—is there anything worse than this? Yang Hao sighed. This new product is indeed powerful, but why does it all hit his weak points? Why are they all things he hates?

Since there's nothing I like... I'll come back in three days, or even later.

"If I don't find what I want, can I go back?"

"of course can."

Then came a wave of dizziness.

After his consciousness plummeted from a great height to the ground, shattering into pieces, Yang Hao finally opened his eyes in a daze and found himself lying in a tent. Outside the tent, it seemed to be the dead of night.

...... ......

Yang Hao felt he had never been so awake. He felt as if he had slept for a long time, so he thought of getting up, moving around a bit, and then coming back.

And just after he got up, the snake scales outside the tent suddenly said:

"My lord, you're awake?"

"Ah, yes. Paul, how long have I been asleep?"

It's Paul. Yang Hao shook his head, thinking that waking up to find himself next to someone whose name he knew made him feel a little better.

"About 6 hours. I have already reported your condition to Lord Kosiché."

"You told her? Uh... it's your duty. But to be honest, I wanted to tell her myself..."

"Lord Kosiché hopes that you will wait a while after arriving at the western border of Ursus, until another [Serpent Scale] arrives, before we go to the duchy together."

...So, did my fainting spell worry her? Yang Hao sighed. After a moment, he abandoned the idea of ​​getting up and going for a walk, and lay back down on his blanket, wrapping it tightly around him.

"I need to rest for a while."

Yes. We will protect your safety.

Yang Hao closed his eyes, intending to rest until sunrise before setting off again.

Meanwhile, after receiving news from Snake Scales that Yang Hao had woken up safely, Miss Koschke also stopped her impulsive work and prepared to go back to rest.

Chapter 57 2.18

......

The next day, as the group continued its slow march toward the western border of Ursus, Yang Hao was dismayed to discover that Miss Kosichä, disregarding his advice, had sent yet another Serpent Scale unit—accompanied by an auxiliary squad to look after him.

"I'm not that delicate..."