What was surprising wasn’t just that.
「Did you copy the President’s magic too?」
‘Why would I ever copy something like that?’
That’s what he said, but it’s not like “Special-Class Hero” is some kid’s nickname. If he just started copying without a plan, he’d be caught red-handed in no time.
「Really? Then why is it stored in your body? Looks like you could use it if you decoded it.」
Stored?
「Yeah, and if you use it, you might be able to take back your house too.」
But Ruin tilted his head in confusion, as if he didn’t understand what was going on.
What kind of phenomenon is this?
‘If I had to guess, it’s probably from recently swallowing “Ruins Wayne”…’
He needed to confirm what was going on.
Ruin immediately activated his ability—thanks to the Hero, it had evolved.
【Shadow King’s Sight】 (Innate Racial Skill)
It allowed him to see all information about any target—their abilities, traits, physiology, structure, composition, everything—for the purpose of copying.
Before its evolution, when it was 【Villager’s Sight】, he could only use it on targets equal or lower than himself. Now it worked on everyone.
And when he used it to examine Wayne’s traits, the results were unexpected.
【God’s Right Hand】
【Innate Annoyance】
【Obsessive Compulsion】
【Kill Everyone But Me】
【Impenetrable Pride】
【Selfishly Enjoyable Obsession】
【Incomprehensible Genius】
‘Traits’ reflected a person’s personality. Depending on the trait, a person might gain a unique blessing or a magic spell.
But the problem was—
‘…Is this a trait window or a minefield?’
They were all catastrophically terrible traits—each one worth gasping over.
Still, there was at least one usable thing. Just one.
【God’s Right Hand】
Seals all harm directed at me.
‘Seals it?’
Ruin looked at his arm. Now that he thought about it, there were two unfamiliar markings etched into his wrist.
‘What’s this?’
When Ruin touched one of them, something astonishing happened.
Flash!
A new field of vision opened in his mind like a blueprint unrolling—a technique revealed itself.
‘Activating Shadow race trait.’
Simply put, it was like touching a ship in a port and having its blueprints unfold in his head. Copying was only possible once you knew the target’s information.
Thanks to that, Ruin could naturally grasp classified info or avoid traps.
And this spell now unfolding in his head was the same. Normally, magic formulas were encrypted like patented blueprints—but to Ruin?
‘This is the President’s ability.’
Because of his job, Ruin was used to disarming traps, and he immediately recognized what kind of spell it was.
Roughly, it was fire magic—at this scale, it was likely the spell that burned demons.
It was odd that such a powerful thing remained in his body, but Ruin quickly understood.
【God’s Right Hand】
Seals all harm directed at me.
Seals all harm.
‘Since the President’s spell is harmful to “me,” it got sealed.’
In short, the execution flame had been sealed into his arm.
‘If I could actually use it, that would be incredible.’
It’s the President’s spell—it must be top-tier magic.
That’s why Ruin’s eyes narrowed.
‘Then what about the other one?’
If this one was Special-Class, what kind of insane thing was sealed in the other?
Just as Ruin, barely hiding his eagerness, touched the second marking—
‘……?!’
Ruin felt a jolt—like falling from the 10th floor.
‘Damn it. It’s a trap.’
「Child!」
The voice of the Shadow God grew distant. He tasted blood in his mouth.
Only then did he realize what the second sealed spell was.
‘The Curse of Misfortune.’
A power no one had been able to identify or decode.
There was a reason he made a contract with the Demon King. Even the Demon King could only partially suppress the curse—it was that high-level.
Ruin quickly let go. The Shadow God was in a panic.
「…Child! Are you alright? Huh?」
“I’m fine.”
「You had me worried.」
Heh, even if he’s his only god, at least he’s worried…
「Who else is going to offer me tributes if you die?」
Ruin reached to drop the ginseng back in the toilet.
「AAACK! I’m joking! I’m joking! I’m your boss, you brat!」
Who cares. Die.
Anyway, to summarize: the President’s magic and the Curse of Misfortune were sealed.
‘The Curse of Misfortune was considered harm to Wayne, so it got sealed.’
Since “Infuse Misfortune” brought bad luck to both him and others, it made sense.
But if the part that hits him was now sealed?
Ruin’s eyes gleamed.
‘That means I can use my misfortune ability more often now, doesn’t it?’
Which means… he could even take on the Hero’s insane luck stat!
Whatever Ruin was thinking, the ginseng god added a snarky comment.
「Hmph, fight the Hero all you want, but if you keep using other gods’ powers like this, I’m excommunicating you! Got it?」
But Ruin didn’t even hear him—he was too deep in thought.
‘Definitely worth researching.’
The ginseng grumbled at the unbothered Ruin.
“Can’t you hear me? If you choose the unlucky side, I’ll sulk! And then you won’t be able to offer tribute to the great me anymore!”
“……”
“I mean I won’t be able to boss you around anymore!”
Wouldn’t that be a good thing?
…What on earth did that face of his interpret that as?
“…Y-You’re not seriously going to choose the unlucky side, right, minion?”
Ruin placed the ginseng deity on top of the toilet and walked out of the bathroom. The door shut mercilessly behind him, and the ginseng deity’s face turned pale.
“Minion! I won’t excommunicate you! Don’t abandon me!”
The ginseng had a look like the world had ended.
“To think you’d abandon a racial god in the bathroom…”
‘I told you I forgot.’
“You ‘forgot’ for thirty minutes?! And forget the other gods—use my power! Why won’t you use me!?”
‘I am using you.’
“Then why don’t you use me more! You just barely scrape by every time! I mean, it’s impressive that you survive like that, but still! Why!”
Why, you ask? Maybe because instead of just granting power, you keep rambling on about granting immortality or whatever. I already feel like a grad student being worked to death by their advisor.
‘Why would I sign up to be exploited for life.’
Besides—
‘That jealous bastard of a god sometimes hands out more when he’s sulking anyway.’
At this rate, I can take on the hero’s insane luck stat.
‘Then I can take that bastard’s personal property, too!’
Ruin’s golden eyes glinted ominously.
The only thing bothering him was…
Ruin tugged up his sleeve. A symbol sealing a malevolent power was etched on his wrist.
What was interesting was that it resembled the keeping magic symbol used by Union mages.
Keeping magic let you store spells ahead of time and cast them without incantations. But he had only ever seen one Union mage who engraved it directly onto their own body.
‘And wouldn’t you know, the tattoo’s in the exact same spot.’
Which only made this ability all the more unusual.
‘Why the hell did the real Ruins Wayne look like that with a power like this?’
He had the ability to seal all malice and harm done towards him.
‘Honestly, out of everything I’ve ever consumed, this one’s probably the most useful.’
“If you’re saying that, isn’t he hero-tier?”
Well, whatever the reason he couldn’t use it properly, I’ll look into it later.
‘The important thing is, I need to secure the professor’s office as soon as possible.’
That’s the only way to use the entrance in the research building to get to the vault!
Just as Ruin was heading toward the administrative office to request a research lab, he overheard some assistants talking.
“Did you say Ruins Wayne?”
Sounded like they were talking about him.
“That self-defense professor got taken down? Seriously?”
“Probably got caught off guard. But why were Professor Charlie and the others throwing a fit during someone else’s interview?”
“Beats me. The whole place flipped out when the newbie came through the front gate. I think it’s about that?”
The front gate, huh. Now that he thought about it, the professors had seemed awfully tense about that. Was there a specific reason?
“They probably think he’s gunning for their positions. Faculty evaluations are coming up, right?”
Fair enough. Colleagues at work are just rival promotion candidates in disguise.
“Huh? Wasn’t Professor Wayne just hired to teach general ed courses? They just needed an excuse to appoint someone from House Wayne, right?”
Oh dear. So Ruins Wayne had big dreams, but this is what was going on behind the scenes? What a sad state of affairs.
But hey, general ed professor or not, I don’t care. All I need is that severance package and I’m out of—
“Right. And isn’t that course about to get cut anyway? Doesn’t even have a research office, does he?”
At that, Ruin let out a rare internal scream.
‘They’re not giving me a research office?! Why not!’
That’s the whole reason I’ve been playing this miserable act! Are they insane?!
“He’s just a part-time substitute, right?”
Damn it! If he’s a temporary hire, that might explain it!
‘No—doesn’t matter.’
Haven’s a school on a mountaintop. According to what I’ve found, even temporary employees can use the “residential rooms”…
“Oh right, but remember? That spy who snuck in a while ago planted mines in the temporary staff dorms, so they’re off-limits now.”
Fucking Pride bastard! I’ll kill him!
“But hey, didn’t that professor pass through the main gate? He should’ve gotten the toll fee as promised, right? That’s worth a full professor’s decade of salary.”
“Yeah. He didn’t get an office, but I heard he’s still being treated pretty well—because of that gate thing.”
“Oh? Then maybe he lucked out. Full-time professors have it rough.”
“Right? If it were me, I’d totally take the money and stick to part time work. Professor Wayne hit the jackpot.”
No! I want the full-time position—even if it’s rough, just give me the office already!
