Before I add my opinion: You need to use cooking consumables, otherw hise you can't win vs him (Use the kitchen of the Guy with the Spear in the Village).
I 100% agree with you, that there are many layers within the game that make it rather unenjoyable. These mechanics you described which are part of the battlesystem are not challening, but more so roadblocks that just extend the hours you put into the game. I mean I knew I had to fight 25 Cursed Knights to gain Black Balls in order to get armor to defeat the dragon (for example). I know what I have to click, what will happen, I know the difficulty I have to go through in order to get there. There are no possible ways to shorten the timefrime by using my wits. So it's no longer a challenge, but rather a question of how long it will take. I had that frustration over many parts during this game. I think a challenge within a game should not be defined by the parameter of my ability to endure repeatitive gameplay and as a result the resulting boredom coming out of it. Which is also another reason why I think this game is definitely overpriced for what it offers.