I Was Mistaken as a Genius Mage in a Game

“Hmm.”

A situation where curses almost slipped out. Yet, my mind remained calm. It was likely thanks to my [Calm] trait that I started with as a street urchin.

As soon as I met the head of the guards, Hans, I naturally started a conversation and gathered information. Even when I saw a tsunami of corpses, I didn’t change my expression and unleashed the power of [Bloom], all thanks to my [Calm] trait.

...Even though I thought this trait was broken in the game, using it for real felt even more overpowered.

“Status window?”

After organizing ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) my thoughts calmly, I tried calling out the name I had shouted the moment I was thrown into this world, hoping for some sign.

Naturally, no text appeared before my eyes.

I had killed several mutated monsters around level 10 and a low-level demon at level 15.

If I roughly calculated the experience points of the monsters I killed, I should have reached about level 13 by now.

However, nothing had changed in my body.

I didn’t feel any stronger as my level increased.

All I felt was a faint fatigue and the sharp pain from the fracture.

“Hmm...”

It might be better to think that there is no experience—no level-up system or status window in this world. No matter how many high-level monsters I killed, I didn’t feel any physical changes, and the status window didn’t appear either.

‘This is a big problem...’

No level-up system, no status window. That meant this world was no different from reality.

Unlike a game where you get stronger by killing more enemies, in this world, to get stronger, you’d have to suffer and train.

To become a great warrior, you’d have to devote time to exercise and swordsmanship. To strengthen your mana, you’d need to enter a magic tower and continue training.

‘Other people get help from goddesses, status windows, and... huh? They just catch monsters, become rich, level up, and become the strongest in the world...’

It would have been nice if those convenient features were implemented along with being sucked into the game world...

‘...Forget it. Why am I still thinking about things I can’t have?’

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to waste with such complaints.

The place I had fallen into was a world on the brink of destruction, where monsters and demons greeted you in every alley.

My priority right now was to get stronger so I could survive in this crazy world.

I didn’t need to dwell on why I got sucked into this world or why I had to endure these trials. It was better not to think about it too deeply.

Thinking about such things would only deepen my despair and anxiety.

This world was a harsh place where focusing on productive thoughts might be the only way to survive.

“Hmm...”

To find a way to get stronger, gathering information about my surroundings was the first step. Even though I had spent thousands of hours playing this game, I didn’t know much about Straders, the starting village for a street urchin.

This was because by the time the player could start controlling their character, the city had already been destroyed by demons.

So, despite having played this game for over 4000 hours, I had almost no information about this city.

I got up from the bed and left the barracks. I hoped I could meet Hans again and ask him some questions, like last time...

“The mage is awake.”

As I stepped out of the barracks, the officer who had been staring blankly at the sky in front of the injured soldiers quickly woke Hans, who had been resting against the outer wall of the city.

As soon as Hans regained his senses, he quickly removed his gauntlets, stood up with the sound of heavy armor clinking, and offered me his hand for a handshake.

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

“...I wasn’t able to properly thank you back then. Once again, thank you, Mage.”

“....”

In this world, mages were treated as nobles, even higher than that.

In an era where neighbors died daily and friends went missing, it was only natural that those who fought on the front lines, like knights and mages, held a higher social status than the nobles who only spoke empty words.

The words of the king may not save your life, but the spells spoken by a mage can save your life and burn demons to ash.

“If there’s anything you need or want, please feel free to ask. It would be shameful not to repay the benefactor who saved the city.”

Unlike when I first met him, Hans spoke politely.

It felt a little uncomfortable, but I didn’t bother to point it out.

Even though I could only use one spell, I was still a mage... and I had saved their lives, after all.

“Sorry, but if you have clothes, shoes, and water for a wash, that would be great.”

“Luckily, there are still some clean wells in the city. I’ll send someone to fetch the water. I’ll also prepare clothes and shoes for you.”

“Thank you.”

I threw off my ragged clothes and washed my skin, which was covered in dirt and dust, with clean water.

After finishing my shower, I stood in front of a cracked and dirty mirror and slowly examined my appearance.

White skin, a prominent nose, sapphire-colored eyes like paint on a white canvas, and hair that looked somewhere between silver and white—I was objectively and subjectively handsome.

The only flaw was the thin limbs from being a street urchin, along with the deep dark circles under my eyes, all thanks to my fantastically low Strength and Health stats.

Well, since I hadn’t invested much time in customizing my character, I just had to deal with it.

...If only I had spent a little more time on character creation.

“So, when will the reinforcements arrive?”

I asked Hans as I dried my wet hair in the sunlight peeking through the black clouds.

“They’ll be here in two days.”

“Are there any mages among the reinforcements?”

“Yes, the alliance promised to send mages of level 4 circle or higher.”

“I see.”

I silently placed my chin on my hand and processed my thoughts.

In the mage training route, the most dangerous and difficult section was right after the tutorial.

A human street urchin’s real journey begins when they escape Straders and head toward the capital.

As in most games, the early areas are full of level 1 monsters.

They constantly provoke players, saying “Come, kill me and farm experience and items so you can get used to the combat.” And most players would farm those monsters for items or experience, which was the way to go...

The problem was, in this world, there was no experience or level-up system.

No matter how many monsters I killed, I wouldn’t get any stronger. Sure, it would help with combat skills, but training at a proper magic tower would be far more efficient.

“Once the reinforcements arrive, they’ll confirm that the situation here is settled and immediately return to the capital, right?”

“...Well, yes, I suppose?”

Hans paused for a moment, as if unsure of the question, then answered.

“Then, may I stay here for the next two days? I also need to head to the capital, and it would be great if I could travel with their convoy.”

In addition, I wasn’t an ordinary mage.

I could only use magic once a day, and after using it, I lost consciousness. It wasn’t safe for someone like me to go out alone in a place filled with low-level monsters.

Think about it—if the Bloom skill wore off and I collapsed in the street, what would happen if a stray dog came along and bit my neck?

“I’ll speak with them. After all, you saved our city. Surely, this much is the least I can do.”

Hans smiled widely and promised.

Hmm.

It seemed like I had just bypassed one of the most dangerous sections of training for mage cultivation.

Three days passed without incident.

The residents and the guards, who had barely escaped the threat of the demons, slowly began rebuilding the outer walls of the city.

The city, which had been consumed by despair and madness, hadn't fully returned to normal, but at least there was a glimmer of hope in the people's eyes.

The madmen who had been screaming at the top of their lungs had quieted, and the corpses that had been scattered carelessly across the streets had disappeared.

Just before the sunlight was swallowed by the dark clouds, reinforcements appeared on the horizon.

"The son of Verzak, Rex, is here."

Leading the reinforcements was Rex Belzark, a barbarian hero from the orc race. He was a skilled and well-known character who played a significant role in the middle of the game.

‘So, the reinforcements scheduled to arrive at Straders were him.’

I couldn’t help but let out a low whistle as I stared at the enormous, three-meter-tall orc covered in muscles.

The imposing presence was far more overwhelming in person than it ever appeared on the game screen.

“I heard the situation was urgent, so I rushed out, but it seems like the battlefield is calm,” Rex said.

"Actually, the truth is..."

Hans, the captain of the guards, began briefly explaining the situation as he stood next to the giant orc, who looked like he could crush a human skull with ease.

"If what you're saying is true, this kid must be an unbelievable genius mage," the mage in the bright red robe, who had been quietly listening beside Rex, said, casting a slightly skeptical glance at me.

"As Captain Hans said, he defeated all those mutated monsters and demons in one strike. That means this boy must be a 7th-circle or higher mage. If he’s already reached that level at such a young age, there should definitely be rumors about him in the academic circles..."

"What do you think, my friend?" Rex asked, turning his gaze toward the empty space next to him.

"The pulse, the heartbeat—everything's normal. I couldn't find any evidence that he’s lying," came the chilling, almost slithering voice, as if it was twisting around my neck.

Hans jumped back in surprise, and when he turned, a masked thief had appeared beside him, having deactivated their stealth skill.

The man, fully covered in black, gave his report and then, as if his part was done, quietly returned to the wagon.

"...An unprecedented genius is here," the red-robed mage said, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at me. "A talent like this—Tokers with the Devil’s abilities only reached the 6th-circle by age 21. This boy is—he is—"

"We can't let such a talent be wasted here. He must be immediately brought to the Electric Magic Tower for systematic training!" the mage urged, his voice filled with awe.

While they continued to talk, I stayed silent.

From the flow of the conversation, it seemed like the discussion would turn in my favor whether I spoke or not.

Having experienced all the conversations, choices, and endings in the game, I could sense from the atmosphere whether a conversation would benefit me or not.

...It would have been nice if this ability existed in the real world, but, well, since this is my reality now, I supposed it didn’t matter.

There was no need to swim against the current. Wherever the water flowed, that would be my destination.

It was a bit uncomfortable that they were mistaking me for an "unprecedented genius grand mage," but once I reached the capital and formally entered the magic tower, it would be fine. I didn't need to correct their misunderstanding.

"Well then, we’ll head back to the capital. Straders seems safe enough now," Rex said, his voice firm.

Though I didn't speak a word, the discussion moved quickly in the planned direction.

Rex, the unnamed thief, and the red-robed mage decided to turn the wagon around and head back to the capital. Since the demons had been dealt with, there was no reason for them to stay in Straders.

I tried to climb into the mage-specialized wagon, designed for special units like mages.

Was it because of my strength being at 1? Climbing onto the high wagon was no easy task.

But, seriously, could it be that I was so weak that I couldn’t even get onto a wagon with a slightly high step?

"My name is Herion! Please take care of me!"

Just as I was about to feel pathetic about my strength, a slender hand reached out to me.

I grabbed her hand.

Herion pulled me up into the wagon as if I was just a piece of cargo, slightly surprised at how easily I was lifted.

"Well, how about some snacks? Come sit beside me," she said, offering me a chocolate the size of a bite from under her robe.

Then, as soon as we arrived at the capital, she suggested that I come with her to her magic tower.

New novel 𝓬hapters are published on ƒreewebɳovel.com.

She mentioned that her tower master had good connections with the electric magic tower masters and could help me with their network.

...It wasn’t a bad offer, but since I thought they’d figure out my true identity eventually, I couldn’t bring myself to shamelessly say, “Then, I’ll take you up on that offer.”

Herion looked at me as if I were some unprecedented genius, the greatest talent ever, but... that’s not who I am.

“Heh heh.”

All I could do was laugh like an old man, 80 years old, in front of Herion.

“Did you teach yourself so far? Where did you get your magic books? Do you have any mages you admire or any magic you’ve always wanted to learn?” she asked, her questions coming one after another.

“Heh heh, not really...”

While I was having this meaningless conversation with Herion, the masked thief had disappeared without a trace.

Rex, being so massive, was riding an orc-specific mount, a Komodo, at the front of the convoy, leading the reinforcements.

‘Things are really going smoothly.’

They say that if you do good deeds, everything comes back to you.

I couldn’t help but feel warm inside, thinking that all this was because I hadn’t abandoned the tutorial city and had fought against the demons.

...And that warm feeling quickly turned cold, covered in the stench of blood and flesh, by midday.