I Was Mistaken as a Genius Mage in a Game

I woke up to the sound of the wounded groaning, staring at the ceiling of the barracks.

This was already the second time today I had opened my eyes under an unfamiliar ceiling. No, the first time had been under an unfamiliar sky, so was this actually the first time waking up under an unfamiliar ceiling?

As I regained consciousness, a dull pain radiated from my left wrist, drawing a faint groan from my lips. Instinctively, I shifted my gaze to the source of the pain, and there, I saw my wrist secured with a splint.

A large, bluish bruise swelled beyond the edges of the splint, suggesting that the bone had likely fractured.

This was strange.

From what I remembered, the battle against the demons had ended easily, leaving no opportunity for me to sustain such an injury.

Just where had I broken my bone? As the question lingered, a single possibility flashed through my mind.

'Could it have happened when I fell?'

I had come out unscathed from battles against level 30 and 40 monsters, yet I managed to break a bone just by collapsing onto the ground?

[Strength: 1]

[Endurance: 1]

My grotesquely unbalanced stat window, with everything funneled into magic power, flickered before my eyes.

Regret surfaced for a fleeting moment—'I should've distributed my stats more carefully'—but it vanished just as quickly.

Honestly, who in their right mind would create a character while seriously considering the possibility of getting transported into the game?

If such a person existed, they wouldn't be a mage in the game but rather a patient in a mental hospital.

"Haah, what the hell is even happening."

When I first woke up in this world, I was in complete panic.

A city reduced to ashes, the stench of decay permeating the air, sewage and rats overflowing from the gutters.

"……"

Lying on the uncomfortable cot in the barracks, I slowly sorted through everything that had happened.

I had been transported into the game world.

My stats, aside from magic power, were all stuck at 1, making me as fragile as a glass cannon.

The only skill I could use was [Bloom], and even that was restricted to once per day.

Worse yet, I had already recklessly used [Bloom] today, unable to resist my hipster urge to 'do something no one else has ever done.'

"Hmm."

A situation that naturally invited a string of curses. Yet, my mind remained calm—likely thanks to the [Composure] trait I had acquired from starting as a vagabond.

It was probably also why I had smoothly extracted information from Captain Hans upon meeting him, and why I had unleashed the power of [Bloom] without so much as flinching at the tsunami of corpses.

……Even back when I played the game, I had thought this trait was completely broken, but now that I was experiencing it firsthand, it felt even more overpowered.

"Status window?"

After calmly analyzing my situation, I tried calling out the same term I had desperately shouted the moment I was thrown into this world.

As expected, no text appeared before my eyes.

A level 1 character had taken down hundreds of level 10 mutants and, albeit a lower-ranked one, even a level 15 demon.

Even with a rough estimation of the experience points, I should've reached at least level 13 by now.

Yet, nothing had changed in my body.

I felt no sensation of growth that usually came with leveling up—only lingering fatigue and the sharp pain of a fracture.

"Hmm……."

It was probably safe to assume that this world didn't operate on game-like mechanics such as experience points or leveling up.

Despite defeating high-level monsters, I had experienced no physical enhancement, and the status window remained nonexistent.

'……This is bad.'

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

Unlike in a game, where slaying enemies naturally made a character stronger, in reality, one could only improve through relentless training and effort.

To become a skilled warrior, I'd need to dedicate time to physical training and swordsmanship. To enhance my magic, I’d have to enter a magic tower and engage in ceaseless study.

'Other people who get sucked into game worlds always have some goddess guiding them, a status window helping them out… Hell, they kill a few monsters and become rich, level up to become the strongest in the world… They get it all.'

If I had to be dragged into a game world, couldn’t it at least come with those convenient features?

'……Whatever. No point dwelling on what I can’t have.'

Unfortunately, I didn’t have the luxury of wasting time lamenting my circumstances.

This world was on the brink of destruction, infested with crazed demons and monsters lurking around every corner.

The most pressing issue was figuring out how to survive and grow stronger in this hellhole.

Why had I been dragged into this world? Why was I forced to endure such trials?—It was best not to dwell on those questions too much.

Thinking about it wouldn't change anything. If anything, it would only deepen my sense of despair and anxiety.

This was a world where I needed to focus solely on practical survival if I wanted to make it through.

"Hmm……."

To find a way to grow stronger, gathering information was my top priority. Even after spending thousands of hours on this game, I knew little about the vagabond's starting town, Strathus.

After all, by the time players took control of their characters, this city had already been destroyed by demons.

So, despite having played for 4,000 hours, I knew almost nothing about it.

I got up from the cot and stepped out of the barracks. If possible, I needed to find Hans and ask him more questions, just like last time…

"The mage has awakened."

Standing in front of the barracks where the wounded rested, the lieutenant stared blankly at the sky. The moment he saw me step out, he hurried to wake Hans, who had been dozing off against the city wall.

As soon as Hans came to his senses, he clanked in his heavy armor as he stood up, hastily removed his gauntlet, and extended his hand for a handshake.

"…I wasn’t able to properly thank you back then. Once again, I sincerely appreciate it, Mage."

"……"

In this world, mages were treated as beings above even nobles.

It was an age where neighbors died by the day, and friends vanished without a trace. Naturally, warriors and mages who fought on the battlefield carried higher social status than nobles who merely spoke empty words.

A ruler’s decrees wouldn’t save your life, but a mage’s spell could incinerate demons and keep you alive.

"If there is anything you need or desire, please do not hesitate to ask. It would be shameful not to repay the savior of our city."

Hans, unlike when we first met, spoke with utmost respect.

It felt slightly uncomfortable, but I saw no need to correct his behavior.

Even if I could only cast a single spell, I was still a mage. More importantly, I had saved their lives.

"I’d appreciate a change of clothes, some shoes, and water for washing."

"Fortunately, there are still some uncontaminated wells in the city. I’ll have water fetched for you immediately, and I’ll prepare some clothes and shoes as well."

"Thank you."

I discarded my tattered rags and cleansed my dust-covered body with the clean water provided.

After finishing my bath, I stood before a cracked and grimy mirror, slowly assessing my appearance.

With pale skin, a sharp nose, sapphire-colored eyes that gleamed like paint on a blank canvas, and hair somewhere between silver and white—I was, objectively and subjectively, quite handsome.

If there were any flaws, they would be my vagabond origins and the unfortunate combination of Strength 1 and Endurance 1, resulting in thin limbs and deep dark circles under my eyes.

Well, I hadn’t spent much time customizing my character at creation, so this was something I just had to live with.

……Had I known, I would’ve spent a little more time on customization.

"By the way, when will the reinforcements arrive?"

Drying my wet hair under the faint sunlight breaking through the black clouds, I turned to Hans.

"In two days."

"Will there be mages among them?"

"Yes, the central headquarters promised to send a mage of at least the 4th Circle."

"I see."

I quietly rested my chin on my hand, organizing my thoughts.

The most dangerous and grueling phase in the One Strike Mage build was right after the initial tutorial.

The true journey of a human vagabond character began with escaping from Strathus and making the perilous trek toward the capital.

Like most games, the early zones were filled with level 1 mobs.

These creatures constantly harassed players as if urging them to farm experience and loot, making combat a tutorial in itself. Most players would kill as many as possible to stockpile items and experience before progressing further.

However, the problem was that this world had no experience or level-up system.

No matter how many monsters I killed, I wouldn’t grow stronger. While combat experience was valuable, properly training at a magic tower would be far more efficient.

"Once the reinforcements confirm that the situation here is stabilized, they will return to the capital, correct?"

"…Well, yes? I believe so?"

Hans hesitated momentarily before giving his answer.

"Then, may I stay here for two more days? I also need to head to the capital, so it would be ideal if I could travel with them by carriage."

Additionally, I wasn’t just any ordinary mage.

Being a One Strike Mage meant I could only cast magic once per day, and the moment I used my spell, I would lose consciousness. Wandering alone through monster-infested roads was a death sentence.

Think about it—what if [Bloom] wore off, and I collapsed on the roadside, only for a stray wild dog to sink its teeth into my neck?

"I will make the arrangements. You saved our city; allowing you this much is the least we can do."

Hans responded with a bright smile, watching me dry my hair under the sunlight.

Hmm.

It seemed I had managed to bypass the most dangerous phase of One Strike Mage progression with an ingenious shortcut.

***

Three days passed without incident.

The citizens and guards, having barely escaped the threat of the demons, slowly began rebuilding the city walls.

Though the madness-fueled despair that had gripped the city wasn’t entirely gone, at least there was now a faint glimmer of hope in people’s eyes.

The madmen who had once screamed hysterically had fallen silent, and the corpses that littered the streets had disappeared.

Just as the sunlight began to vanish behind the black clouds, the reinforcements finally emerged beyond the horizon.

"I am Rex, son of Berzak."

The leader of the reinforcements was Rex Berzak. He was an orc barbarian hero, a named character of the allied forces who became prominent in the mid-game.

‘So he was the reinforcement assigned to Strathus.’

I couldn’t help but marvel at the sight of the three-meter-tall orc, whose entire body was covered in muscle.

Seeing him in person was an entirely different experience compared to viewing him through a game screen.

“I hurried here upon hearing the urgency of the situation, yet the battlefield seems eerily quiet.”

“Well, actually….”

Captain Hans began explaining what had happened to the enormous orc, whose hands looked like they could crush a human’s head as easily as a cake.

“If what you’re saying is true, then this boy is an absurdly gifted mage.”

The mage wearing a crimson robe, who had been silently listening beside Rex, cast a skeptical glance at me after hearing Hans’s account.

“If what the captain says is correct, then slaying all those demons and mutants in a single blow means this young man must be at least a 7th-circle high mage. If someone this young had reached such a level, it would have already caused a stir in the academic world….”

“What do you think?”

Rex spoke while looking at the air beside Hans.

“Pulse and heartbeat are normal. No signs of deception.”

A cold, whispering voice slithered through the air, wrapping around Hans like a serpent.

Startled, Hans recoiled, only for a masked rogue to reveal himself, deactivating his stealth skill.

Dressed entirely in black, the rogue silently retreated toward the carriage, his role seemingly complete.

“An unprecedented genius indeed. Even the prodigious Tokker only reached the 6th circle at the age of twenty-one….”

The crimson-robed mage widened their eyes in disbelief, staring at me.

“We cannot afford to let such talent waste away here. He must be taken to the Arcane Thunder Tower immediately for systematic training!”

While they continued their discussion, I… simply remained silent.

Judging by the flow of the conversation, things were naturally progressing in my favor without me needing to intervene.

Having seen every conversation, choice, and ending in the game, I had developed a knack for recognizing whether a dialogue would benefit or harm me.

…If only I had this skill in real life. Well, I suppose this was real life now.

There was no need to swim against the current. Wherever the water led, I would go.

I felt a bit uneasy about being mistaken for some ‘unprecedented prodigy mage,’ but once I reached the capital and officially entered the magic tower, our paths would diverge. I saw no reason to correct their misconception.

“…Then we shall return to the capital. Strathus seems secure enough.”

Despite my silence, the conversation flowed seamlessly.

Rex, the masked rogue, and the crimson-robed mage decided to turn their carriage toward the capital, as there was no longer any reason for them to remain in Strathus now that the demons were vanquished.

I attempted to climb onto the carriage designed for special combat classes like mages.

With Strength at 1, even getting onto a high step was a challenge for me.

But seriously, was my strength so low that I couldn’t even board a slightly elevated carriage?

“My name is Herion! Nice to meet you!”

Just as I was beginning to feel exasperated by my lack of physical power, a slender hand reached out toward me.

I took her hand.

Herion effortlessly pulled me into the carriage, almost as if I were a sack of potatoes.

She seemed slightly surprised at how little resistance I offered.

“…Would you like some snacks? Come sit next to me.”

Herion pulled out a bite-sized piece of chocolate from within her robe and handed it to me.

Then, she immediately suggested that I head straight to her magic tower once we reached the capital.

She claimed her tower master was well-acquainted with the masters of the Arcane Thunder Tower and that she could introduce me.

…It wasn’t a bad offer, but knowing that she would eventually discover the truth about me made it difficult to accept it outright.

Herion viewed me as an unprecedented genius—perhaps even the greatest talent in history… but that was far from reality.

“Heh.”

All I could do was let out a dry chuckle, like an old man.

“Did you learn magic on your own? Where did you find your spell books? Do you have a mage you admire, or a spell you’ve always wanted to master?”

“Heh, well… not really….”

While Herion and I exchanged fruitless conversation, the masked rogue had already disappeared without a trace.

Rex, due to his massive size, rode a special mount exclusive to orcs, a Komodo, leading the reinforcement troops at the front of the formation.

‘Things are falling into place surprisingly well.’

They say good deeds come back to you.

Thinking that all of this was a reward for choosing to stand my ground and fight the demons instead of abandoning the tutorial city filled me with a certain warmth.

…And that warmth lasted less than half a day before it was completely swallowed by the stench of blood and torn flesh.