I Was Mistaken as a Genius Mage in a Game

Maltiel’s direct subordinate, the high-ranking demon Samael.

His visit to the Enker Highlands wasn’t particularly significant.

Maltiel, the Grand Lord he served, had lost most of his mutant forces in a battle against the Sword Saint. As a result, Samael had been searching for suitable materials to replenish the unit when he heard rumors of a young dragon settling in the Enker Highlands. With little thought, he arrived to confirm the news and take the dragon for his own purposes.

And yet, in the dragon’s nest, he found the young mage his master had fought so desperately to kill.

‘If you see the white-haired mage, run. He’s not someone you can defeat. His talent is truly terrifying.’

Maltiel’s words, spoken the moment he returned to the cavern, echoed in Samael’s ears.

‘This is bad… really bad.’

And the monstrous white-haired mage wasn’t alone.

Not far away stood an elderly mage with an unsettlingly strong magical presence, accompanied by an elite infantry unit prepared to support them.

Samael, on the other hand, had brought no mutants with him. Fearing the Allied Nations would take notice if he moved with a large force, he had left them all behind in his nest.

"What… are you?"

Samael felt as though he had been struck by lightning out of nowhere.

He had to escape.

That was the only thought dominating his mind.

But even that was easier said than done.

Turning his back on a boy who had silenced a dragon in a single strike would surely mean his death.

"…D-Demon sighted! Seven hundred meters ahead! Unidentified entity! Judging by the wingspan, it’s estimated to be a high-ranking demon!"

"What?! Move! Protect General Bin! Form up in Formation Two!"

Not far away, the infantry unit sprang into action.

The sudden turn of misfortune tightened its grip around Samael’s throat.

***

‘What the hell is this now?’

I silently observed the high-ranking demon, Samael, who was glancing around with a panicked expression.

Though he tried to hide it, I could tell—I was just as bewildered.

If I remembered correctly, Samael was Maltiel’s direct subordinate. A monster, no less than level 70.

Though he wasn’t on the level of the Grand Lord, he was still immensely powerful.

Even if I decked myself out in high-level equipment, spell tomes, and accessories, challenging that monster was out of the question.

My instincts screamed at me—if I made the wrong move, I’d be dead before I could even react.

In this battlefield, the only one capable of fighting him was the former Magic Tower Master, the 8th-circle high mage, Alter Heindel.

I exhaled deeply, lowering my gaze slightly, wondering why misfortune always struck at the worst possible times.

At that moment, something flashed through my mind.

[Luck: 1]

…Yeah. I guess this is just my fate.

What utter garbage.

"Damn it, this situation just keeps getting worse."

Samael clenched his teeth and fidgeted anxiously, opening and closing his fingers repeatedly.

Why are you saying my line?

I lifted my head and carefully analyzed his shifting expression as he alternated glances between Alter and me.

His face was laced with disbelief and fear.

Fear?

He was afraid?

A monster beyond level 70—what could possibly be scaring him?

‘From his expression and demeanor, it doesn’t seem like he was expecting us to be here…’

I started working through the situation in my mind, convinced the answer lay within this strange encounter.

‘He’s acting extremely defensively. Among demons, my life should hold considerable value, yet his caution is unnatural. Last time, Maltiel, despite being a Grand Lord, charged at me fully prepared to die.’

I methodically unraveled this tangled mess of confusion.

Thanks to my [Composure] trait, my brain kept functioning even in this absurd situation.

‘…Could he think he can’t win against me?’

I couldn’t understand why, so I started retracing the assessments others had made about me.

A mage that a Grand Lord swore to kill, even at the cost of his own life.

A mage who fought toe-to-toe with said Grand Lord and survived intact—almost killing him in the process.

A mage talented enough for the Sword Saint to personally recruit into his party.

A mage so full of potential that the former Magic Tower Master had taken him on as a personal apprentice.

…Looking back on it, it was strange to think he wouldn’t fear me.

And to top it off, Samael had just witnessed me pinpoint a young dragon’s vital spot and kill it in a single strike.

He had seen firsthand that my reputation wasn’t mere exaggeration.

‘…No, this isn’t just about not being able to win. He’s convinced that even if he fought me at full strength, he wouldn’t be able to land a single hit. Otherwise, his reaction makes no sense.’

With that conclusion, I immediately formulated a plan and put it into action.

"…Do you really think you can escape?"

I flashed the same cocky smirk I had shown Maltiel and put on my best bluff.

Ha… damn it. I can’t believe I have to pull this act again.

"I only came to deal with a troublesome dragon, and yet, a great catch just fell right into my lap. You’re Samael, aren’t you?"

"How do you know my name…?"

Samael faltered in midair, his sharp-feathered wings momentarily faltering.

"How do I know? Well… is that really what matters right now?"

I maintained an indifferent, cold expression, poking at his nerves.

Samael kept his mouth shut, his face tense with unease.

As expected.

He was scared stiff.

A monster over level 70 was terrified of a level-1 mage with a flawed build.

…Perhaps I just found my way out of this ridiculous mess.

I turned my head slightly and gestured toward the approaching soldiers and Alter Heindel.

"Hold your positions. I’ll handle this."

They hesitated, shouting if I was sure.

"Ah, well. This isn’t much of a problem."

I waved them off casually, like I was just taking out the trash.

If they knew the truth, my bravado would seem downright pitiful. But at this moment, it was my only means of survival.

The soldiers, now stationary, quietly observed my exchange with Samael.

They marveled at my composure despite the sudden appearance of a demon.

"Are you going to keep flying up there and strain my neck, or are you coming down? I mean you no harm."

"How can I trust that?"

"If I wanted to kill you, you’d resist, right? And if you resist, I’d have no choice but to incinerate this entire area with lightning magic. This place supplies seventy percent of the continent’s wheat, after all. That would be a major loss for the continent… and humanity."

My heart pounded wildly, my mind threatened to go blank, but I had finally found a justification for not attacking him.

"It’s your choice. Fight and die, or retreat and live. If you choose the former… well, your kind will be short one high-ranking demon."

Right now, the key to control was mine.

I couldn’t afford to let go of it.

‘Should I just let him leave? No… that would be a waste.’

Smiling amiably and letting him escape could give Samael the wrong idea—‘Huh? Why is he letting me go so easily? Maybe he’s not as strong as I thought. Should I test him a little?’

If Samael decided to test me, he would quickly figure out that I wasn’t as powerful as I pretended to be…

And if that happened, I would undoubtedly end up dead at his hands.

"If you want to fight, then fight. Killing you would be quite the gain for me."

Suppressing my overwhelming urge to flee, I maintained an arrogant smirk.

So how could I make this high-ranking demon flee without questioning my strength?

…The answer I found was ‘extortion.’

Like a street thug, I had to shake down the high-ranking demon Samael.

I had to threaten him—demand something in exchange for sparing his life.

I wasn’t sure if a fledgling mage like me should even consider doing such a thing against a high-ranking demon…

‘But if I don’t, I’m dead… So, I have to do it. No choice.’

"Why don’t you come down and have a chat with me? Or should I just take your head off right now?"

Feigning impatience, I tilted my head side to side, as if stretching.

Thankfully, thanks to my [Composure] trait, my inner turmoil didn’t show on my face.

"…This situation is truly a mess."

With an expression twisted in humiliation, Samael grimaced before slowly descending onto the corpse of the dragon.

Demons were programmed to prioritize their race’s survival above all else.

Although they possessed emotions like shame, resentment, and pleasure, they considered such feelings trivial compared to the well-being of their kind.

Thus, for a high-ranking demon like Samael, bowing his head to humans was a disgrace—but a necessary one for the sake of his race.

If Samael were to die here, the 300 demons and thousands of mutants under his command would become useless husks, like wind-up toys with drained batteries.

"Given the location… I’d rather not fight here. But I can’t just pretend I didn’t see a high-ranking demon either."

"…State your demands."

"First, bring out a contract. You weren’t planning on handling this verbally, were you?"

Finishing my sentence, I kept my expression blank and tilted my head at him.

‘You have it, right? You have to have it. If you don’t, I’m screwed. Without it, negotiations break down, the situation collapses, and I die. Please tell me you have it.’

Samael clenched his lips before tearing open his skin and pulling out a yellow-green parchment hidden beneath it.

"A demon’s contract… As expected of a high-ranking demon."

Suppressing the cheer erupting in my mind, I feigned nonchalance, as if I had anticipated this all along.

A demon’s contract.

A special magical document that enforced the terms written upon it—violating it meant instant death.

High-ranking demons typically used these contracts to enslave intelligent beings too valuable to turn into mutants.

They used them to recruit high-ranking mages as researchers or skilled commanders as strategists.

But today, it would serve a different purpose.

This time, a human would be shaking down a demon.

‘Thank god he had it on him. Otherwise, this would’ve turned into a disaster.’

Among the layers of misfortune, this was the one stroke of luck I had.

"I’ll let you live. But in exchange, you’ll leave something of equal value behind. What do you say?"

Samael didn’t respond to my taunt. Instead, he bit his fingertip lightly with his sharp fangs, letting toxic blue blood trickle down.

He then dripped the blue liquid all over the yellow-green parchment.

The blood danced atop the paper, ready to morph into written words at any moment.

"…Enough chatter. State your terms."

Samael ground his teeth, glaring at me with a murderous gaze.

"Hmm, what would be appropriate…"

Feigning ease, I pressed my temple lightly with a hand crackling with static electricity.

…But despite my composed exterior, my insides felt like they were burning to ash.

The remaining duration of Bloom was roughly two minutes. Within that time, I had to negotiate a reasonable deal, finalize the contract, and get this monster out of here.

It couldn’t be too light—he’d grow suspicious.

But it couldn’t be too heavy either.

If I demanded something ridiculous like ‘Reveal the location of the Grand Lord,’ he’d rather fight and die than comply.

I needed the perfect balance. Too much or too little, and I was dead either way.

‘It has to be slightly less valuable than his life. That way, he’ll agree without resistance.’

Drawing out the negotiation would be disastrous.

If I spent too much time deliberating, Bloom would end, I’d lose consciousness, and everything would be over.

"I demand the complete withdrawal of all demons and mutants occupying the Akliptus Forest."

After a brief moment of contemplation, I made my decision.

The Akliptus Forest—a militarily strategic location, home to the dormant Lightning Spirit. Not only was it a vital tactical position, but it also held the potential to significantly boost my power.

Securing a stronghold and acquiring the Blessing of the Lightning Spirit—a perfect two-for-one deal.

"…Surrendering that territory so easily… Infuriating. Do you know how many mutants I created and lost to claim that region?"

"If you refuse, you can die here instead—along with all the demons and mutants under your command. While I may not be a Grand Lord, killing you would still be a major blow to your forces."

"…"

Samael clenched his fists and glared at me with murderous intent.

Wait, why was he reacting like this? Did I push too hard? Hey, sorry, let’s just finalize this—

"I accept."

Samael scowled like he had swallowed a rock and smeared more of his blood onto the contract.

"My terms: You will allow me to leave, and for the next three days, you will make no attempt to track me."

"Accepted."

I took out the quill I had been using for my studies in the carriage, pricked my finger with its tip, and pressed the blood onto the contract.

The parchment absorbed our blood before splitting into two, binding itself around our wrists like bracelets.

This bracelet would monitor us until the contract’s terms expired. If I so much as attempted to track him within the next 72 hours, it would activate and destroy my brain and heart instantly.

Of course, I had zero intention of tracking that monster.

Chasing a demon I couldn’t defeat was nothing short of suicide.

Whoosh!

The moment the contract latched onto us, Samael spread his wings and shot high into the sky.

Within moments, he had disappeared among the stars of the night sky.

Watching him go, I finally exhaled a deep sigh of relief.

"…Shit… Should’ve invested at least one more point in Luck."

I never wanted to go through something like this again.