I Was Mistaken as a Genius Mage in a Game

Beyond the horizon, the golden wheat fields of the Enker Highlands stretched endlessly. Bathed in the scorching sunlight, the wheat bowed their heads as if waiting for someone to harvest them, filling the vast plains completely.

No matter how far the carriage traveled, the scenery remained unchanged.

Wheat.

Wheat.

Wheat.

The wheat fields extended without end, and if not for the occasional windmill breaking the monotony, we might have thought we were trapped in an infinite loop.

There were no visible monsters in the vast wilderness.

This region had once been densely populated, which surely contributed to the extermination of nearby monsters. However, the biggest reason was likely the fact that a dragon had settled in this area.

"We’ll leave the horses here and proceed on foot."

In the presence of a dragon—the apex of all living creatures—horses might panic and break formation on their own.

If the horses scattered wildly into the wheat fields, the return journey would become exponentially more complicated and difficult.

It was best to tie them up at a safe distance before advancing.

...Yes, I understood that this was the best course of action.

"...How far do we need to walk before we can see the dragon?"

"If we maintain our usual marching speed, it should take about three hours!"

Three hours.

I had to endure a grueling march for a full three hours with this wretched body of mine.

I barely managed to swallow down the unreasonable request bubbling up inside me: ‘Can’t we at least bring the carriage a little closer?’

Unlike the soldiers ahead, I wasn't carrying heavy gear or clad in armor...

All I had was a fluttering robe, a wide-brimmed hat, and a slightly thick magic tome...

And yet.

"...Let’s rest for a bit. Just a little."

During the march,

"Hahh... Break! Let’s take a break!"

Again and again,

"Wow... I really can’t do this. I think I’m actually going to die."

Again and again, I collapsed onto the ground, inevitably slowing the soldiers’ advance.

What should have been a mere three-hour march turned into an arduous six-hour expedition, all thanks to the natural disaster known as ‘me.’

The march took so long that we ended up consuming the rations meant for after slaying the dragon or for the return trip. Some even peeled the wheat from the stalks and chewed on the grains for sustenance.

And then, at seven in the evening.

As the sun set and the wheat fields burned red in the twilight,

We finally laid eyes on the hardened scales and sharp fangs beyond the horizon.

The dragon had built a nest out of wheat—easily found in this area—and planks stolen from human homes. There, it lay asleep.

"Hahh... You’ve all done well making it this far. From here on, I’ll proceed alone."

I forced my trembling legs to move, slowly approaching the dragon’s nest.

From this point onward, I had to handle everything alone.

Artifacts were different from other items; they came with a binding effect.

Once a character acquired an artifact, they were bound to it for life.

Transferring it to another character was impossible. Even discarding it was not an option.

But what if, after slaying the dragon, some random soldier rummaging through the loot accidentally touched the hidden artifact among the treasure pile?

And what if the artifact bound itself to that soldier on contact?

That would be nothing short of a catastrophe.

No matter what, I absolutely had to secure this artifact from the young dragon of the Enker Highlands.

Was it an overpowered, game-breaking artifact?

No, not at all.

For an average mage, its performance was about a C-rank—at best, a B-rank. Nice to have, but not essential.

...For an average mage.

But for my ‘One Strike Mage’ build, which had no basic attacks, the artifact from this young dragon was the alpha and the omega.

A-rank? No, this was SSS-rank, EX-tier.

Twice before, I had left my AI-controlled allies to loot the treasure pile, only for one of them to unwittingly snatch up this artifact. Both times, I was forced to delete my character and start the game over from scratch.

...I couldn’t delete my character in real life. I shouldn’t. I mustn’t.

So I absolutely could not make the same mistake here.

"I’ll be back soon."

I turned back to the squad leader, whose face was filled with concern, offering a vague expression that suggested I understood his worries.

There was no benefit in revealing that the artifact was hidden among the gold and jewels.

After all, who knew how human nature might change when faced with a rare and valuable treasure?

It wasn’t that I didn’t trust them... It was just that if I didn’t get this artifact, I was seriously screwed.

***

The moment the squad leader locked eyes with the dragon, nesting silently in the tranquil wheat field, he felt an overwhelming fear unlike anything he had ever experienced.

Every nerve in his body screamed at him to run. His arms and legs trembled—it was the exact same feeling he had when he first encountered a demon in his childhood.

"..."

A dragon.

Yes, standing before them was the monstrous entity deemed the apex of all living creatures.

Though it had yet to reach adulthood, its sharp claws, massive wings, and enormous fangs were more than enough to instill immense intimidation in every soldier present.

Could they fight it?

Could they?

A fundamental question dominated my mind. Cold sweat dampened the leather clothing beneath my iron armor, and an untraceable itch tormented my entire body.

"You’ve all done well to make it this far. From here on, I’ll proceed alone."

It was then.

The voice of the white-haired boy echoed across the silent battlefield.

Even as he faced the dragon, he maintained his characteristic cold and indifferent expression, as if unfazed.

A mere boy, no older than sixteen or seventeen, moved his thin legs confidently toward the monster’s nest, showing not an ounce of fear.

Every soldier present, including the squad leader, could not help but feel ashamed.

Despite years of rigorous training under the banner of protecting the continent, they stood frozen in terror before the very beast that threatened its food supply.

Yet that frail-looking boy strode toward the dragon, while they stood paralyzed. What were they doing?

"W-We’ll help too!"

The squad leader’s trembling voice rang out.

"I’ll be back soon."

The white-haired boy simply responded with a faint smile, as if appreciating the squad leader’s courage.

At that moment, the sunset warmly embraced the boy’s face.

With those words, he resumed his steps.

The young dragon, which had been watching the group from its nest, slowly but surely lifted its head, locking its gaze on the approaching boy.

"It’s my first time seeing one in person."

The dragon bared its sharp fangs, as if warning the boy that any further movement would mean death.

Yet the boy, unconcerned by the threat, quietly opened his magic tome.

A deep, rumbling growl filled the silent plains, a sound so immense that even hearing it from a distance sent shivers down the soldiers’ spines.

Ignoring the warning, the boy took another step forward.

Whoosh—!

At that moment, a massive claw slashed through the air, aiming straight for the boy’s head. It was a lazy, dismissive swipe, as if shooing away a bothersome insect.

"Bloom."

That instant.

A bolt of lightning struck the grain-filled land, completely out of place in the warm hues of the sunset.

The crimson sky turned stark white, and the dragon’s outstretched forelimb vanished without a trace.

"…If the lightning spreads incorrectly, all this valuable wheat will burn."

Muttering under his breath, the boy closed his glowing blue magic tome and conjured a small electric sphere at his fingertips, pointing it at the dragon.

"Let’s finish this quickly."

The dragon’s eyes slowly widened.

It seemed its primitive brain could not process the sudden shift—when prey had suddenly become predator.

"…What a strange feeling."

Having activated Bloom and discharged all his stored mana into pure electricity, the boy murmured as he gazed at the white line extending before him.

From his fingertips, a brilliant arc traced a path straight to the dragon’s heart, as if guiding him to strike.

He instinctively understood.

Following this line would end the dragon’s life in a single blow.

Though it was a sensation he had never experienced before, the boy decided to trust his instincts.

He slowly raised his finger and fired the electric sphere along the guiding line.

Like light itself, the sphere pierced through the air at impossible speed, cutting through the dragon’s thick hide, muscles, and bones before shattering its heart.

A perfect strike to its vital point.

No one present could understand how a boy who had never faced a dragon before could so precisely target its weak spot.

Even the boy himself had only a vague idea, unable to explain the phenomenon to others.

"…Must’ve been a critical hit."

Unlike the grand, dramatic effects of critical hits in games, reality was starkly different.

A single strike that took a life could be eerily calm and silent.

Moments later, the dragon, its pupils unfocused, collapsed onto the earth. The ground trembled, and the surrounding wheat bent uniformly in the same direction.

Amidst the eerily silent wheat fields, the boy repeatedly clenched and unclenched his hand, as if trying to relive the sensation he had just felt.

"What… are you?"

It was then.

A voice, laced with shock and fear, echoed from above the boy’s head.

"…?"

Frowning in confusion at the unfamiliar voice, the boy looked up.

There, hovering in the sky, was a demon with crimson skin.

…A demon?

"…Why are you here?"

With an expression twisted in disbelief, the boy glared at the red-skinned demon flapping its wings above him.

The demon, equally bewildered, stared down at the boy, its face frozen in shock.

It was an uncomfortable and unexpected encounter.