Vol 1 Chapter 8 – Rewriting Resistance (Hard) into Resistance (Easy)【Vol 1: The Hero Awakens】 

(I can win…!)

I quietly let my fighting spirit burn.

This is a battle to fulfill the very first vow I made in this world.

I will protect her—straightforward, earnest her.

That’s what this fight is for.

There’s no way I’m allowed to lose.

“GRAAAHHH!!”

The Orc Leader swung its massive club around like it was swatting away annoying bugs.

The students bravely rushed in with slashes, but their blades were stopped cold by thick fat, dealing no real damage at all.

“Damn it, it’s tough!”

“The blade won’t go through!”

The students’ panicked voices rang out.

Of course.

The Orc Leader was what you’d call a mid-boss in game terms—not something you beat with half-baked attack power.

“Everyone, get back! I’ll handle this!”

Master Glen reset his grip on the greatsword and stepped forward.

His back looked reliable… but to me, with my original-story knowledge, it only looked like a step toward ruin.

(No—Master can’t win alone. Just like the original story, he’ll protect Lilia… no, because I’m here, there are more people to protect, which could make the future even worse.)

I immediately moved up beside him.

“Master, I’m fighting too.”

“Don’t be stupid! With your skill—!”

“It’s not skill. It’s knowledge. I know how to kill it.”

At the seriousness in my eyes, Master Glen lost his words for a moment.

There’s no time to hesitate. I pressed him.

“I’ll give the instructions. Master, move exactly how I tell you. …Will you trust me?”

“…………”

He looked back and forth between my face and the rampaging Orc Leader, then finally nodded like he’d made up his mind.

“…Fine. Kid, I’ll trust you. What do we do?!”

“Thank you! First, I’ll pull its attention onto me! While it’s distracted, Master, aim for the back of its left knee!”

Without waiting for his reply, I sprang out to the Orc Leader’s front.

Then, so no one would notice, I focused my mind.

(【Edit】 skill, activate…!)

The Orc Leader’s information flooded into my head.

――――――――――――――――――――

【Name】Orc Leader

【Type】Demi-human (Boss)

【Skills】Physical Resistance (Medium), Rapid Regeneration (Minor), etc…

――――――――――――――――――――

(There it is…! So monsters are defined by “information,” too!)

Just like with the herbs.

I’m hacking the very laws of this world itself.

(First, 【Physical Resistance (Medium)】… I’m rewriting that definition!)

In my head, I hammered out the command.

【Skill】: Physical Resistance (Medium) → Physical Resistance (Weak)

It was only the tiniest rewrite.

But the effect was massive.

Now Master’s—and Lilia’s—swords would actually work.

“Hey, you pig bastard! Over here!”

I snatched up a rock from the ground and chucked it at the Orc Leader’s face.

Tap.

The rock hit with a pathetic little sound.

It probably did zero damage, but it was more than enough to build aggro.

“Grrrr…!”

Its bloodshot eyes locked onto me.

Target locked.

(Good, it took the bait!)

“Master, now!”

The moment I shouted, Master Glen blasted past from behind me like a gust of wind.

The Orc Leader’s attention was completely on me.

From the blind spot of that huge body, Master’s greatsword flashed.

“RAAAHHHH!”

Shhk!!!

A wet, meaty sound—nothing like before.

Master’s strike carved deep into the back of the Orc Leader’s left knee.

“GUGYAAAAH?!”

With a shriek, the Orc Leader dropped to one knee.

Shock and pain twisted across its face.

“W-What…?! That impact just now…!”

Even Master himself looked the most stunned.

(Good. The resistance rewrite is working…!)

But we’re not done.

The Orc Leader isn’t going down from this.

Green steam rose from the wound, and it started sealing shut right before our eyes.

Skill: 【Rapid Regeneration (Minor)】.

Just like the game knowledge said.

(This is what grinds us down…! Then I’ll 【Edit】 this, too!)

Once again, I вмешed into the world’s source code.

――――――――――――――――――――

【Skill】

《Rapid Regeneration (Minor)》

Effect: Regenerates minor damage in 5 seconds.

――――――――――――――――――――

(A 5-second cooldown… way too nasty. I’m rewriting the definition!)

【Effect】: Regenerates minor damage in 5 seconds → Regenerates minor damage in 5 minutes

Like hitting Enter in my head.

That sealed one of its trump cards.

“Master, its regeneration is weaker now! We press it while we can!”

“O-Okay!”

He still didn’t look like he fully understood what was happening, but he followed my words.

(But we still don’t have enough firepower…!)

Even with Master and me, we lack a finishing blow.

So I shouted toward Lilia, who was protecting the villagers a short distance from the battlefield.

“Lilia! Come here! I need your strength!”

“B-But Father—!”

“I’ll get Master’s permission! Just hurry!”

Pushed by the force in my voice, Lilia steeled herself and sprinted over.

She must’ve left the remaining students at the village entrance to guard the villagers.

That quick decision—yeah, she really is the heroine.

“Fuyuya! What do I do?!”

“Master and I will stop its movement! Lilia, aim for the scar between its eyebrows! That’s its vital point!”

According to game knowledge, there’s an old scar between the Orc Leader’s eyebrows, and only there is the armor thin.

Its one and only weakness.

“O-Okay!”

Lilia raised her wooden sword.

Master and I slashed at the Orc Leader from the left and right.

“GRAAAHHH!”

The Orc Leader swung its club with speed that didn’t match its massive body, parrying our attacks.

But its movements were clearly losing sharpness.

The wound in its left knee still hadn’t fully healed.

(【Edit】 worked…!)

“Lilia, now!”

I shouted.

In the instant opening while the Orc Leader dealt with the two of us—

Lilia shot straight into its guard.

“Hah!”

Her thrust hit the Orc Leader’s forehead—dead center between the eyebrows—without a hair’s breadth of error.

Gshk!

A dull impact.

The feeling of a wooden sword punching through tough hide.

“GUGYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!”

The Orc Leader screamed louder than ever and reeled back.

Green blood sprayed from its forehead.

(Did we do it?!)

But it still didn’t fall.

It glared at Lilia with bloodshot eyes, then raised its club as if squeezing out its last strength.

That blow swung down over Lilia’s head.

“Lilia!”

Master screamed.

Too late—everyone thought that, in the same instant.

“—Too slow.”

I was already standing in front of Lilia.

With my Rusty Dagger, I caught the descending club.

Claaang—!!!

A brutal shock.

My arm felt like it was going to snap.

But I held.

“Fuyuya…!”

Behind me, I felt Lilia suck in a breath.

“…Lilia, you did great. The rest is on me.”

I gave her a grin and fixed my eyes on the Orc Leader.

The wound between its eyebrows was deep, and it showed no sign of regenerating anymore.

Our chance is now—this exact moment.

“Master! Lilia! One more time—between the eyebrows!”

The moment I shoved the club back, Master and Lilia dashed in again.

Their swords struck the Orc Leader’s forehead—dead center—without the slightest deviation.

““RAAAHHHH!!””

“G… gah…”

Without even the strength to let out a proper death cry, the Orc Leader’s huge body slowly toppled backward.

Then it turned into particles of light and quietly vanished.

All that remained was a massive magic stone.

“…………”

Silence swallowed the village entrance.

No one could find words for the miracle-like victory that had just happened right in front of them.

“…Did we… do it…?”

The first to speak was Master.

His face was painted with disbelief.

“Yes. We won.”

The moment I said it, cheers burst out around us.

Villagers and students alike rushed toward us.

In the middle of it all, only Lilia stood frozen, staring at me.

(Who… what is this guy, anyway…?)

Her eyes, filled with shock, seemed to say exactly that.

I pretended not to notice and simply watched the villagers bask in the afterglow of victory.

This should mean we avoided the tragic fate.

Letting out a breath of relief, I carved a new vow into my chest:

In this world, I won’t let anyone take anything from me ever again.