I Was Mistaken as a Genius Mage in a Game

The sun had risen high in the sky. In the brightened landscape, the devastation became even clearer. The scent of blood still lingered heavily in the air.

One by one, the soldiers who had taken a brief rest began to wake, among them the one-armed orc, Rex.

His wound had been cauterized to stop the bleeding. In a battlefield like this, where proper medical supplies were scarce, it was the only choice.

In total, only five soldiers had survived the previous battle.

The Sword Saint had stood watch throughout the night, ensuring that the soldiers could rest in peace. No fool had dared to challenge the man who was, in essence, a walking authority of the continent.

Rex and the soldiers gathered broken pieces of the shattered wagon to craft a crude cart, carefully placing their fallen comrades upon it.

Rex clenched his jaw as he pulled arrow after arrow from the crimson-stained body of Herion.

Then, quietly, he tore a strip from his own clothing and draped it over the poisoned, melted face of Balder.

Of the thirty soldiers, only five had survived, and even they were in no condition to fight.

An orc who had lost an arm, a soldier who had amputated his leg to stop the spread of poison, another covered in severe burns…

“You’ve all suffered grave injuries. Fighting as soldiers any longer will be difficult. I’ll speak to the higher-ups on your behalf. Your unit was the one that discovered traces of the Grand Lord, after all.”

The Sword Saint gently patted the shoulders of the grieving soldiers, who stood before the piled bodies of their comrades.

“…What are you saying?”

Rex spoke through gritted teeth, so tightly clenched that his fangs had cracked.

“The lives of these men rest upon our shoulders. If we retire now, what becomes of them? I won’t rest until the Grand Lord we faced yesterday is dead.”

Blood trickled from between Rex’s lips. His gaze remained fixed on the bodies of Balder and Herion, as though he might burst into tears at any moment.

More than twenty ghosts weighed upon the massive orc’s shoulders. His eyes burned with rage, and his trembling limbs betrayed his barely contained fury.

Rex seethed with frustration at his own weakness.

He had failed to protect the subordinates who trusted and followed him.

Even saving the white-haired boy had not been his doing—it was only thanks to the Sword Saint arriving at the perfect moment.

All he had done was barely scrape out a victory against a monstrous mutant, losing an arm in the process.

‘I am weak.’

Never had the truth of that statement felt so absolute.

‘…I am truly, pathetically weak.’

For five agonizing minutes, Rex drowned in the realization.

The fire of rage in his eyes dimmed, replaced by the crushing weight of his own incompetence.

The Sword Saint, seeing this, gave a small nod.

“Recognizing your weakness is the first step to becoming stronger.”

Slowly, he reached into his cloak and withdrew a short dagger, placing it atop the neatly arranged corpses.

“A dagger blessed by the Saintess. It will guide their souls to Astella.”

The ceremonial dagger bore a cross-shaped design.

Its blunted tip rendered it impractical as a weapon—it was purely symbolic.

“May Astella watch over them.”

***

Observing the scene, I bowed my head in silence along with the others, eyes lingering on the cross-shaped dagger resting atop the pristine white cloth.

I honestly didn’t fully understand everything that had happened in this chaotic battle.

But one thing was certain.

Since the moment my standoff with the Grand Lord had begun, not a single poisoned arrow or mutant attack had come my way.

It was likely because these soldiers had thrown themselves into battle, buying me the time I needed.

Had the Grand Lord’s mutants interfered in our duel, I would have undoubtedly met the same fate as them.

“……”

They could have abandoned me.

The moment they realized I was the Grand Lord’s target, they could have quickly decided to flee. Most of them would have survived.

They had no obligation to protect me.

To them, I was nothing more than a nameless vagabond mage who happened to share their wagon’s destination.

Yet, they had drawn their swords, raised their voices in defiance, and charged at the mutants.

Without a moment’s hesitation, these honorable soldiers had sacrificed themselves for a mage they didn’t even know.

They must have known that their courage would lead them to their deaths.

…A weighty, complex feeling settled heavily upon my shoulders.

People die, suffer, and change.

This is reality.

The stench rising from the cart of corpses was a relentless reminder of that truth.

“Young one, it’s time to move.”

The Sword Saint waited until I had finished my silent tribute before speaking in a quiet tone.

“You’re leaving?”

“Yes. There are matters I must attend to, so I won’t be able to accompany you to the capital. My apologies.”

“Thank you for escorting us, even briefly, despite your busy schedule.”

“Thank this one instead. Thanks to him, at least five lived.”

The Sword Saint grabbed my clothes and effortlessly lifted me into the air like a doll. My frail arms and legs dangled helplessly.

“...Thank you, Mage. I have one last request.”

Rex, his eyes red-rimmed, looked at me carefully before speaking.

“Please, survive. Live as long as possible so that our deaths are not in vain. Live long enough to push your talent to its very limits.”

The red hand gripping the handle of the cart trembled. His back bore the weight of emotions too complex to be put into mere words.

“We sacrificed our lives to protect a mage capable of turning the world upside down. So become that great mage, one we can proudly tell our fallen comrades about.”

“......”

I couldn’t bring myself to meet Rex’s tear-filled gaze.

I couldn’t bring myself to confess that I wasn’t the prodigy he imagined.

“...We should get going.”

Without waiting for my response, Rex bowed once more to the Sword Saint, then slowly began pulling the cart loaded with bodies toward the capital.

The cart rattled, making its way quietly and somberly through the ashen, blood-soaked forest.

I could only stare blankly as they disappeared down the road.

“......”

It was the first time I had seen human corpses so closely.

I had seen them when I first arrived in this world, but they hadn’t felt real then.

But now.

It was disturbing. Sickening. And even though I barely knew these people, a wave of sorrow churned within me.

Was I upset? Angry?

I couldn’t quite define the emotion. It was all so confusing.

“...Boy?”

I had entered the world of my favorite game, using magic in the unique build I had crafted.

When Bloom activated, I felt pure exhilaration. It was like experiencing an ultra-realistic VR simulation.

When Bloom’s effect wore off and I woke up in the barracks, I was surprised.

Because I could actually feel the pain of my broken arm.

Yet even then, I hadn’t fully accepted this as reality.

Maybe it was because everything around me perfectly matched the in-game models.

Somewhere deep down, I must have believed this was an illusion.

That if my character died, I would simply wake up in my cramped one-room apartment and resume my normal life.

But that naive, complacent assumption shattered the moment I saw the soldiers’ lifeless bodies with my own eyes.

The eyes of those who had given their lives to protect me still burned with an undying resolve.

Their stiff hands still clutched their shields and swords, and their necks remained tense with determination.

They had fought for me, standing against the mutants in a desperate battle for survival.

And in the end, they had died.

‘This is real.’

People die in an instant here.

They wield swords and thrust spears at monsters to protect one another in a cruel and merciless reality.

“...Boy, what is your name?”

If I hadn’t accepted this reality, I might have answered with ‘Han Bang,’ the ridiculous name I had chosen for my character.

After all, I had believed this world was just a game.

But not anymore.

This was reality. And the white-haired boy standing here was not a character—he was me.

“My surname is Kyung, and my name is Bin.”

Kyung Bin. I gave my real name to the Sword Saint. I wasn’t sure why, but it felt significant.

“Bin Kyung. Said in full, it sounds like the name of a noble.”

I had to survive in this world. A harsh, dangerous reality.

“Just call me Bin. That’s fine.”

I had to completely assimilate into this world.

Because with a careless and naive mindset, I wouldn’t survive.

***

Thirty years ago, this continent had been divided into four factions.

At the center was the vast empire built by humans. To the west, the elves had established their own realm, while the orcs ruled the east, and the dwarves resided in the northern mountains.

Despite frequent territorial disputes and trade conflicts, these factions had been forced to unite when the demons emerged, threatening the continent’s very existence. The rulers of each race ultimately merged their territories, forming the great Allied Kingdom.

After much debate, the rulers decided that humanity’s king would serve as emperor of the Allied Kingdom.

The elves queen was too proud and haughty, the dwarven king lacked seriousness, and the orc chieftain was uninterested in politics beyond military affairs.

Moreover, the human empire occupied the central lands and boasted a population far exceeding that of all the other races combined, making its military strength overwhelmingly superior.

Thus, the capital of the Allied Kingdom, Esterdam, was established.

At its heart stood an enormous castle covering a total area of 120 square kilometers.

...A castle spanning 120 square kilometers.

Not the area including its outer walls—just the castle itself.

For reference, the entire Gangnam District in Seoul is only 40 square kilometers, yet this castle was three times that size.

I remember reading this in the game’s lore book and scoffing. ‘They’re just making stuff up at this point.’ ‘Does the developer even understand how big 120 square kilometers is?’

I laughed, thinking, ‘This must’ve been written by a humanities major who has no grasp of scale.’

And yet.

That insane castle.

Was now standing right before my eyes.

‘...What the hell is this?’

It didn’t look like a building—it looked like an entire mountain range.

The castle walls alone were so massive that they could easily surpass the height of most mountains. The front gate was large enough for a dragon to pass through without issue.

And in less than two minutes after parting ways with Rex, the Sword Saint and I arrived at the entrance of this insane fortress.

How did we cover a distance that normally took three days and nights by carriage in under two minutes?

…The Sword Saint simply carried me and ran.

Fast.

Through the air.

…Really, really fast.

When I asked him why we were running through the sky, his response was, “If I run on the ground, I might accidentally hurt deer or trees.”

My question had actually been, “How the hell can a human run through the air without using magic?”

But apparently, to him, the sky was just another surface to run on.

Maybe expecting common sense from a monster capable of single-handedly altering the course of a war was my mistake.

“Welcome back, sir!”

“Who is the person you’ve brought with you?”

As the Sword Saint lightly vaulted over the castle walls and landed at the massive gate, the royal guards greeted him with booming voices. Despite a man literally dropping from the sky, they didn’t even flinch.

This was probably a regular occurrence for them.

“This boy is my guest. I want to introduce him to the representatives of each race immediately. Can you convene a meeting? If you tell them it’s at my request, they’ll agree right away. Besides, I need to report on the Grand Lord.”

“…Excuse me? Right now?”

The guards frowned, as if they had misheard.

“If you tell the Emperor that I’ve found a potential party member, the meeting will be called instantly.”

“…What?!”

…?

I scowled at the Sword Saint, who was nonchalantly spewing insanity.

What the hell did he just say?

The event where the player becomes the Sword Saint’s party member only unlocks at level 90 or higher. It’s an endgame event, right before the final battle against the Demon King and the demons.

Why the hell is it triggering for a level 1 nobody like me?

“I-I will report this immediately!”

One of the guards glanced between me and the Sword Saint before scrambling through the gate in a panic.

Meanwhile, I could only stare blankly at the Sword Saint’s face.

Everything was happening too fast for my brain to process.

“It may be overwhelming, but I truly believe you have the greatest magical potential in history. I am certain of it.”

Overwhelming.

Overwhelming, you lunatic.

And you’re not even a mage! How the hell can you be sure of that?

“The Grand Lord you fought—Maltiel—is one of the strongest among Grand Lords. Even 7th-circle mages wouldn’t last five minutes against him. And yet, you held your own against him? And you’re saying you’re not even 7th-circle, but only 4th?”

“……”

“Just imagine it. What will happen when you reach the 5th circle? And as your training continues, when you break past the 7th, the 8th, and reach the 9th? You’re still young—who knows? You might even be the first to break the barrier of the 10th circle.”

Hmm.

Yeah. I’d be able to use Bloom in an absolutely broken way.

For five minutes, I’d be ridiculously strong.

For five minutes.

“…You lunatic.”

My brain had short-circuited slightly, and I accidentally blurted out my thoughts.

“If you still doubt yourself, then just trust my judgment. I have an impeccable eye for talent.”

And this madman had the audacity to smile and pat my shoulder, as if he hadn’t just heard me curse at him.

“You crazy bastard.”

I downgraded him from “lunatic” to “crazy bastard,” then pressed my temples with both hands and let out a deep sigh.

…Maybe I should stop thinking altogether.

My brain simply wasn’t equipped to handle this level of insanity.