Okami Wa Nemuranai

Episode 5.8-9-10

Lecan went back to the stairway between floor 10 and floor 11.

Several adventurers were taking a break on the stairway here and there. At first he wondered what they were doing as he passed by them, but then he realized that he never saw a magic beast on the stairway. These stairways are probably safe zones.

He sat down on a spot without anyone around.

He has a jewel with the magic beast ward effect added on it in his <Storage>. He intends to eventually test out whether the jewel is effective in this world or not, but since he's badly starving right now, he just wants to get some rest on the stairway.

Lecan brought out food he stocked up inside <Storage> when he was strolling down Vouka Town. All of this food have long shelf lives. He took out water as well.

And started his meal.

Wonder just how long has he been in the dungeon.

In his former world, Lecan could oddly enough discern time to a degree even if he was in a dungeon. Since there were no day and night cycles nor changing seasons inside dungeons, it was completely just a hunch, but that hunch of his was pretty accurate.

Yet, since this is his first time inside a dungeon in this world, and he's being a bit too excited, Lecan is unable to grasp the passage of time at all. To begin with, a day in this world feels like it's a bit longer than a day in his original world. Therefore, his hunch isn't working too well.

Judging from the way his hunger feels, more than a whole day seems to have passed. But not two days whole. Sensation-wise, it should be over by half a day or slightly more but judging from the number of times he had to drink water to quench his thirst, it must be more than half a day.

He counts it as two days in his mind. It should only take half a day to go back to the surface from here if he doesn't engage any magic beast along the way. Since he has to be back at Vouka town in ten days, he's got three days left to delve the dungeon.

Lecan isn't looking forward to that.

Lecan does not know his parents' faces.

He doesn't even know whether he ever lived with them.

His memories during childhood are fuzzy and disorderly.

The only thing he remembers is the fright of being yelled at by adults and the pain of being kicked hard.

And that he was always starving.

Before long, he was put in a temple's orphanage.

Priestess and nuns who took care of orphaned kids were called <Loving Mothers> but they were very strict, snarly and did not have a shred of kindness.

The <Loving Mothers> taught him that all humans are beloved children of God, they're all equal before God.

However, there was no equality in the temple nor the orphanage. Feuds between people, hierarchies down to fine details, strained atmosphere, bullying and exploitations, and children being valuated as to whether they could be sold for a nice price or not.

Way later, Lecan found out that the orphanage was among quite the better ones, but at that time, he couldn't help but loathed it.

However when he thinks about it, the orphanage did give him a roof to live under, fed him, and even taught him reading and writing. It also taught him the harsh reality of this world. He was able to survive because of that, in that sense, they might have been truly <Loving Mothers>.

Once he had roughly learned how to write and read, he slipped out of the orphanage. And then he went on to almost starve to death. He miraculously made it out alive when he wandered inside a dungeon, and acquired a small amount of money. That was his first money.

The string of good luck continued and Lecan managed to not die. Then he grasped something akin to knacks about how to live off dungeons. Lecan continued to suffer abuses at the hands of men, but dungeons kept him alive.

Over the course of time, Lecan realized one thing. God's equality exists in dungeons. Dungeons are ruthless but never unjust. God probably created dungeons to make up for the lack of justice and impartiality in the world of men.

Just when was it. Lecan killed a rabbit that had oddly colored fur. Since he was starving, he barbecued and ate it inside the dungeon.

It was unbelievably good.

Later on, he found out that it was a rare type of magic beast, the meat was treated as a high class ingredient and sold for a shockingly high price.

He's not aware of any food better than that even now.

When Lecan eventually got strong enough, dungeons gave him everything.

Dungeons also laid out the foundation for Lecan to live in the outside world. The world of men was full of lies, betrayals and ill will like always, but dungeons had given Lecan the strength to smash all of that to smithereens.

Lecan continued to amass powers, he gained respects from big merchants and nobles alike. They would bow to Lecan, begging for his cooperations. If he participated in war as a mercenary, he was allowed to talk to high-ranking generals on equal grounds.

To Lecan, dungeons are the true <Loving Mothers>.

That's why, he couldn't help but be jubilant to see another world dungeon accepted him.

That day, Lecan saw an auspicious dream.

<TLN: If you're reading this novel at any other site than you might be reading an unedited, uncorrected version of the novel.>

Lecan grabbed the hand that was attempting to slide into his breast pocket.

He slowly opened his right eye and saw a thin man who was just skin and bones with a face fully covered in beard looking at Lecan's face from above with an expression of shock and terror mixed.

Other adventurers were together with their companions, but just this man alone was wandering aimlessly from spot to spot.

A part of Lecan that was awake grasped that fact. And when the man crept on Lecan and stealthily reached out his hand toward Lecan's chest, Lecan's defensive instinct kicked in and grabbed the man's wrist before he was fully awake.

Lecan saw a vision of what would happen afterward.

If he just puts more strength into his right hand that's holding the man's wrist, it will easily snap.

Lecan will then throw his backfist at the screaming man's face.

He won't put his full strength into the strike, but it'll be enough to smash the man's jaw. The man won't be able eat anymore. In other words, he won't survive.

Does this man have a potion. Most likely not.

The man will have to sell himself to obtain a potion.

He will work himself to death as a slave.

After imagining that far, Lecan was going to crush the man's wrist as he had visioned.

But he called it off.

Since he didn't want to bathe in the man's blood in his first night in another world's dungeon.

Lecan shut his right eye and released the man's wrist.

The man scampered away.

Lecan resumed to watch more pleasant dreams.