Vol 1 Chapter 5 – A Hacker’s First Job【Vol 1: The Hero Awakens】 

“Alright. Let’s go.”

I step forward, hard.

My life that started with an NTR ending wasn’t game over yet.

This is where it really begins.

The path to becoming the strongest—starts now, for real.

That said, reality check: I’m starving, my throat’s bone-dry, and on top of that, I’m at the absolute weakest state—Level 1.

First I need to set up the basics so I don’t die.

(《Sera Village》… east, about half a day on foot… no, with my current stats, is it a full day?)

Relying on my game knowledge, I use the sun’s position to figure out direction.

Luckily, this “Forest of Beginnings” is the game’s tutorial area. There shouldn’t be any truly vicious monsters.

The problem is that even the weakest monsters—goblins and slimes—are still a threat to me right now.

(Either way, avoiding combat is priority number one.)

I start moving through the forest—careful not to make noise, but with steady, certain steps.

My lucky break was finding a small stream along the way.

It doesn’t fill my stomach, but thirst is non-negotiable.

I scoop up the water again and again, soaking my dried-out throat.

How long did I walk?

By the time the sun started to dip and the forest turned orange, I finally saw smoke rising through gaps in the trees.

(That’s… cooking smoke from the village!)

Hope flickers, and my pace naturally picks up.

When I break out of the forest, a small settlement spreads out before me, surrounded by a rough wooden fence.

The first base I visited countless times in Arks Ende—《Sera Village》.

A peaceful scene, exactly like the game’s graphics.

Letting out a relieved breath, I head for the village entrance.

The moment I step inside, a few villagers glance my way with wary expressions.

Yeah, fair.

A stranger’s face—plus a young guy in a beat-up hoodie—walking out of the forest alone. Of course they’re going to be cautious.

(First: gather information, and secure some cash to live on for now.)

In the center of the village, there’s a small square and a bulletin board.

Same as the game.

A few requests from villagers—quests—are posted there.

“Let’s see… ‘Herb Gathering: 3 stalks of 《Moonlight Grass》 used as ingredients for a special remedy. Reward: 30 copper coins’… This one.”

I pick the simplest-looking quest—something even I can pull off right now.

The reward is 30 copper coins. Not much, but it should buy at least some black bread and water.

I peel the request off the board and head to the small shop right beside it—something like a combined store and guild reception desk.

“Excuse me. I want to take this request.”

“Hm? Yeah, gathering 《Moonlight Grass》. If you go deeper into the forest, there’s a patch where it grows. But monsters have been showing up lately, so watch yourself.”

The blunt, unfriendly old receptionist says it while giving me a long, obvious once-over.

A textbook mob NPC.

I thank him, step outside, and head back into the forest.

(The 《Moonlight Grass》 patch… if my game knowledge is right, it should be near the cave a little east of the village.)

Having knowledge is seriously reassuring.

I head to the destination without hesitation.

But reality wasn’t that kind.

“…There’s none.”

I reach the patch, but there isn’t a single stalk of 《Moonlight Grass》 growing there.

All that’s there is a common weed you can find anywhere—《Nightdew Grass》.

《Moonlight Grass》 is supposed to glow faintly after soaking up moonlight, but 《Nightdew Grass》 is just plain green.

(Damn it—did someone beat me to it…? No, if that were true, it wouldn’t make sense for the request to still be up.)

So this is what people mean by “the difference between games and reality.”

Or maybe I’m just that unlucky.

Either way, at this rate I fail the quest.

And if I don’t get the reward, I don’t even have an inn to stay at tonight.

(What do I do… look for another quest? No—sun’s going down. I won’t make it in time now.)

At a loss, I slump down right there.

In my hand are a few stalks of 《Nightdew Grass》 I picked by mistake.

Useless. Just weeds.

“…Wait.”

I picture my status screen.

And on it, that Unique Skill I’d decided was useless.

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【Unique Skill】

《Edit》

Allows fine adjustments to information contained within spell formulas.

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(Fine adjustments… to spell formula information…)

Up until now, I’d assumed it was just some boring skill—like fixing typos in a magic circle.

Totally worthless in combat.

But what if—

What if every substance in this world is defined by some kind of “information”?

(Wouldn’t an herb’s medicinal components count as a kind of “information,” too…?)

It’s a ridiculous idea.

But it’s worth trying.

Even if it fails, I don’t have anything to lose.

I focus my attention on the 《Nightdew Grass》 in front of me.

And then, vaguely, something like information that makes up the plant comes into view inside my head.

――――――――――――――――――――

【Name】Nightdew Grass

【Category】Common Plant

【Medicinal Properties】Trace sedative effect. Ornamental use.

――――――――――――――――――――

(I can see it…! Is this this world’s “source code”…!?)

A spine-crawling thrill hits me—like a hacker finding a system vulnerability.

I activate 【Edit】 and try to intervene in that information.

(Change the 【Name】 to 《Moonlight Grass》… no, that’s just cosmetic. I’ll get caught.)

What matters is the medicinal property.

According to my game knowledge, 《Moonlight Grass》 has “powerful healing acceleration.”

(《Nightdew Grass》’s 【Medicinal Properties】… I’ll rewrite the definition of “trace sedative effect”…!)

I manipulate the commands in my head, picturing my fingertips tapping a keyboard.

【Medicinal Properties】: “Trace sedative effect” → “Powerful healing acceleration”

I picture hitting the Enter key, locking the change in.

And then, the 《Nightdew Grass》 in front of me begins to glow faintly.

A fantastical radiance, like it’s bathing in moonlight.

This is unmistakably the hallmark of 《Moonlight Grass》.

I cautiously open the rewritten herb’s info window again.

――――――――――――――――――――

【Name】Moonlight Grass (Originally: Nightdew Grass)

【Category】Medicinal Plant

【Medicinal Properties】Powerful healing acceleration. Material for special remedies.

――――――――――――――――――――

“…I did it.”

My voice trembles.

This is insane.

Calling it “too plain” is a joke.

This is power that rewrites the rules of the world itself—power on the level of a god.

(This isn’t fixing typos… this is hacking…!)

I can’t contain my excitement. Using the same method, I 【Edit】 three stalks of 《Nightdew Grass》 into 《Moonlight Grass》.

Appearance, medicinal effect—perfect. Exactly the quest item.

I rush back to the village and shove the goods at the guild receptionist.

“Alright, the requested item. I’ll check it.”

He picks up the 《Moonlight Grass》 and peers through an appraisal loupe with practiced ease.

My heart starts pounding with a nasty, heavy rhythm.

(Please… don’t notice…!)

“…Hm. No problem. That’s definitely 《Moonlight Grass》. Here’s the reward—30 copper coins. Take it.”

Just like that, the quest is cleared.

I accept the copper coins and squeeze them in my trembling hand.

This was the first money I earned in this world—with my own power.

(Yes…!)

This isn’t just clearing a quest.

I outplayed this world’s rules.

In a hopeless situation, I just got my one-of-a-kind weapon—the key to carving open the path to the strongest.

With the money I earned, I buy black bread and water, and spend the night at the cheapest inn.

On the hard bed, I think about what comes next.

Level up. Train with sword and magic.

That part’s obvious.

But it’s not just that.

(This 【Edit】 skill… if I master it, it’s going to turn into something ridiculous.)

I could rewrite a spell formula and nullify magic, or weaken an enemy’s skill.

Or maybe I can even rewrite the performance of weapons and armor.

The possibilities are endless.

(I can become the strongest…!)

The despair of being betrayed by Misaki, the unfairness of being thrown into another world—none of that matters right now.

All that matters is the limitless possibility spreading out in front of me, making my heart leap.

“First, I need to get some real gear.”

For that, I need money.

To get money, I need to clear quests.

With the satisfaction of landing my first job as a hacker, I drift off to sleep—

my chest swelling at the thought of the real survival life that starts tomorrow.