Chapter 8 – The Job-Seeking Firefly (2)
Ruin pointed at an artifact.
【Contaminated – Totem of Concealment (Special-Grade)】 1,500pt
The moment he did, the listed cost of 1,500pt dropped to 50pt—and then something astonishing happened.
The totem, which resembled a voodoo doll, glowed briefly before shattering—revealing a Special-Grade artifact.
Yes. The light slowly faded, and at last, the special artifact, the Special-Grade item, revealed its—…
“…?”
What appeared before Ruin was… a potted plant.
“…??”
A plant?
Strange. Concealment totems were supposed to be wearable items, weren’t they?
It was disorienting. But then again, artifact types and forms were randomized.
“What matters is the effect, not the appearance.”
And despite the odd label “contaminated,” the power emanating from it was strong.
“It’s definitely Special-Grade.”
Yes, it felt like it—but still…
「What the hell is this?」
…That’s what I’d like to ask.
Why does this totem emit the energy of the Shadow God? No—more than that—
「WHAT IS THIS?!」
Why is the plant… talking?
「Disciple!」
And why is its voice exactly that of my nagging boss?
‘…Wait. Did the Shadow God become the totem?’
So he asked,
“What’s with this form?”
「Well, wouldn’t something compact be easier for you to take care of?」
…That’s not what I meant.
The plant stepped out of its pot on little stubby legs.
「Right as you selected the item, I felt myself getting sucked into something… but what’s with this naked form? Never seen this look before. Stylish, though. Am I some kind of plant-based monster?」
…Uh, no. You’re… you’re a ginseng.
「Oh. So like a god worshipped by humans?」
No, actually, humans usually boil you and drink you as tea…
Ruin massaged his temples, overwhelmed by the absurdity. He contemplated the situation seriously.
So his superior—the Shadow God—had somehow become an artifact.
And then it hit him.
“…Don’t tell me the ‘contaminated’ part… means it’s defective?”
「What did you say, punk?! Who are you calling defective?!」
Ruin didn’t know how this had happened, but there was one clue: a price tag—no, a little note—stuck to the flowerpot.
– Effect Guaranteed!
…Who the hell wrote this?
He didn’t know, but if it promised “guaranteed effect,” he had to test it.
Ruin grabbed the plant—no, the ginseng—by its root and lifted it upside down.
「What are you doing, you little—!」
“Go on. Discharge some power.”
「You brat! That’s insubordination!」
But despite the protest, the ginseng radiated power.
Flash!
Ruin quickly checked the cursed artifact that had belonged to the dead man earlier. Shockingly, the demonic energy was completely gone.
“Oh. The gamble paid off.”
So it really did block demonic energy? It must be a suppression effect typical of Special-Grade totems. Although the effect diminished with distance.
Ruin moved the cursed object around to roughly determine the range, then nodded.
“Hm. I’ll have to keep this thing close.”
The downside was having to carry it everywhere, but the suppression effect was undeniable. As long as he had it, he could safely use small bursts of his real power.
Seemed the low price came from usage limitations rather than any fault in the effect itself.
Still… why a ginseng?
“…Could it be because I absorbed Ruins Wayne, who specialized in therapeutics?”
Was this thing meant to be steeped and consumed?
Well, whatever. That wasn’t the important part.
“Are you having trouble using your powers?”
「Doesn’t feel like it.」
Hmm. So it’s more like the god has possessed the totem?
The more Ruin thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed.
A totem possessed by a god. Based on class alone, that’s probably beyond Special-Grade.
Sure enough, he was receiving racial buffs due to the god’s presence.
– Increased success rate for shadow-based abilities
– Shadow attribute enhancement: 【Aura Concealment (Stealth)】 strengthened
Normally, summoning the god would consume points (pt), but in this state, there was no point drain at all. It was essentially having the god summoned at all times.
‘…Wait. If that’s the case…’
“Give me some skills.”
「Are you seriously ordering me around like that?!」
But despite the grumbling, the Shadow God—no, the ginseng—released energy.
Ruin felt a powerful force course through him and looked at his hands.
His previously lost skills had returned. Interestingly, they’d changed.
【Citizen’s Sight】 became 【Shadow King’s Vision】
【One-Time Copy】 became 【Three-Minute Copy】
He’d have to test them to be sure, but they clearly felt stronger than before.
Why had this happened?
Ruin looked up at the ceiling and muttered:
“Hero… Did you cast some kind of buff over this entire place?”
It was a school, after all—a place of learning.
“Maybe there’s a training enhancement buff that boosts skill mastery?”
If so… jackpot.
That idiot Hero. He was unknowingly helping his mortal enemy.
But then—
「No! There’s not enough offerings! I’m not supposed to give you all this yet!」
Ruin’s eyes sparkled with grim determination. Still holding the ginseng by its root, he gave it a vigorous shake.
“Come now, noble patron deity. Time to hand over some items too.”
「Hey! That didn’t sound respectful at all—GAAH!」
* * *
The Headmaster’s Office – Haven
A butler reported to the headmaster .
“Professor Ruins Wayne has arrived.”
The headmaster remained silent.
“But… astonishingly, he came through the main gate.”
At that, the headmaster paused.
“The main gate?”
“Yes, sir.”
Haven’s front gate was special. None of the current professors had ever entered through it.
Granted, current professors.
The Hero, the Headmaster, and the board chair had passed through that gate. That required a level of luck few in the world possessed.
That’s why this piqued the headmaster’s interest.
“He really entered through that gate?”
“Yes. And reportedly, the gatekeeper opened it for him very respectfully.”
“…Ha.”
The headmaster let out a disbelieving laugh. Not even he had been greeted that politely. He’d won the gatekeeper’s game, sure—but had still been sneered at as a “rookie.”
“How fascinating. That means he’s the real deal.”
“Yes. Whether he’s friend or foe.”
“If foe… that would put him on par with the Firefly.”
“…Excuse me?”
Or perhaps… he was the Firefly himself.
The headmaster’s eyes narrowed sharply.
That Firefly.
The “Crimson Firefly” was too powerful—and dangerously charismatic.
In some ways, more threatening than even the Demon Emperor.
“Isn't the Firefly already said to be dead…?”
The headmaster said nothing. Instead, he stood from his chair.
“I need to see this new hire for myself.”
“Pardon? You, Headmaster, will meet him personally? A new hire?”
“Well, if it’s true he passed through the front gate, he could be the first to ever earn the gatekeeper’s tribute. That’s worth checking.”
At that, the Headmaster looked toward the framed photo of the Hero hanging on the wall—the very person who had built Haven in ‘this’ place.
“He told me… we must recruit the Crimson Firefly. And if we can’t—”
The letter in the Headmaster's hand went up in flames.
“Kill him.”
* * *
Haven was abuzz with chatter.
A man had entered from the main gate and was now walking across the courtyard.
“Who’s that?”
“Never seen him before.”
“Is he a new professor?”
“What? At this time of year?”
“Didn’t they fire a few people recently?”
“Ohh, right.”
From the second-floor terrace to the lecture hall corridors, students’ attention was glued to the man they called “the gentleman.”
“He’s tall. A model?”
“If he’s a professor, he’s probably one of the chairman’s picks, right?”
His every step looked like a runway strut—but the man in question was quietly boiling with rage.
‘Chairman, you bastard. I’m going to wring your neck.’
Ruin nearly dropped his cover as a spy, the anger was so strong.
And it was all because of the Hero.
‘What the hell did that punk do to my house?!’
As a deliveryman, he’d entered through the back. He hadn’t seen the front until now, but stepping inside had made him doubt his own eyes.
His once-grand and stately monastery-like estate, reflecting his refined tastes, had been turned into a tacky, gaudy palace.
‘My elegant mansion… reduced to this gaudy mess?!’
But what made him angrier—
– Citizens and soldiers! Unite to exterminate Firefly!
– Tear the filthy Firefly limb from limb!
– Rip off Firefly’s wings, comrades! Glory awaits!
‘At this rate, they should pay me security deposit and rent.’
Damn squatters.
And that wasn’t even all.
The mountain Ruin cherished had been stripped bare. The minimalist beauty of his lake had been drowned in hundreds of Hero statues.
And his painstakingly sculpted art pieces? Smashed—replaced with a Hero Memorial Museum.
Even the legendary Firefly felt his blood pressure spike.
‘I swear, I’m not letting this go.’
How should he deal with that narcissist?
But beyond the anger—Ruin had to wonder:
‘Why are they so obsessed with Firefly?’
Then, from the flowerpot in his hand, the ginseng let out a sigh.
「You seriously don’t know? You think Pride would've survived so many crises if not for you?」
‘Don’t read my thoughts.’
「You took my elixir. Consider this payback. Anyway, the Demon Emperor only likes you for a reason, y’know?」
‘Likes me? Is that why he wants to turn me into a preserved Firefly?’
Sure, it was frustrating—but Union wouldn’t have gone this far unless they considered him a real threat.
And Pride had other famous enemies besides him.
‘There are more dangerous ones out there.’
Why him? Especially when Haven’s personnel were all high-ranking Union elites.
‘Why are they all so fixated on some lowly grunt like me?’
「Grunt? With your skills? Please. What kind of grunt humiliates Union for decades straight?」
Well, what mattered now wasn’t the Union—but the headmaster who’d be his interviewer.
‘The Headmaster of Haven.’
A Union executive and the witch feared by every soldier in Pride. She had no mercy for demons—truly a grim reaper in their eyes.
Thankfully, the ginseng was doing its job. The sparrows didn’t recognize Ruin as a demon.
In fact, they didn’t even seem to perceive his existence at all.
‘I’ll just keep the plant hidden in my bag during the interview.’
「Wait, what? Hide me? You embarrassed of me?! Want me to show them my power?!」
‘Exactly why.’
Ruin stuffed the ginseng, who was trying to climb out, back into the pot. If it wandered around, it might get captured by a botany professor as a lab specimen.
Anyway, now that he’d passed the sparrows—the worst part—there shouldn’t be any more obstacles to the interview.
Because—
‘The headmaster’s office, where the interview is held, is a room I used to use.’
He knew the layout and tricks inside. So his footsteps toward the interview room were light.
Sure, he was carrying a suspicious-looking flowerpot—but he wasn’t expecting to run into the headmaster in the hallway.
The room itself was the destination. Once inside, victory was his.
But then—
“Are you perhaps… Firefly?”
