Signs Of Water

[You see the same clearing you passed by three days ago…

You see the same claw marks on the ground…

You eat from your rations and fall asleep…]

For the entire day, Lem could not stop thinking about the [Nine Bull Fist].

The moves were replayed over and over again in his mind with the feeling of harmony as a reference point. Every so often, a new insight spontaneously emerged from his subconscious.

His way of thinking had changed.

He no longer focused on producing more force. Instead, he tried to find a better way to connect to the world.

It was not about how he could attack an opponent, but how he could coordinate a dance.

There was no target he was trying to hit. There was only a union with the world.

He wanted to strengthen that bond.

It felt ridiculously simple, like he should have understood it long ago, yet every time he tried to comprehend the underlying mechanisms, it was too profound and complicated to grasp.

It was only when he observed the larger patterns within the movements of the [Nine Bull Fist] that the simplicity reemerged.

Lem was filled with ideas he wanted to test out, but alas, he had no control over his body.

His simulated self continued traveling, unaware of the insights that were running through Lem's mind.

[Day 9: …You continue traveling in a northeast direction…

You come across the area where you heard the harvesters, and enter the clearing. You look around for signs of their travel…

You try to understand the direction that they came from, but it is beyond your abilities to discern. You begin traveling north, searching for rivers, or any signs of harvesters…

As you walk, you notice a cloud of light flies. You remember from village texts that they congregate around water, and you grow excited…]

Lem was finally drawn out of his contemplation of the [Nine Bull Fist].

He completely agreed with his simulated self. Light flies were a good sign that he was near water.

This increased his confidence in his prior recollections. He was now almost certain that Lang Town was indeed built on a river.

Otherwise, it would be too large of a coincidence.

Lem grew excited.

North was a promising direction.

He focused on the feedback he was getting from his senses, as he tried to find more evidence of the river. His simulated self was doing the same, not wanting to accidentally walk in the wrong direction.

Fortunately, it appeared that he was only getting closer, as he began to hear a faint burbling sound.

[You hear the sounds of the river, and feel certain that you have traveled in the correct direction, and that the town is built on the river…]

As Lem walked, the sound of burbling grew louder and louder.

It was now obvious that there was running water nearby.

Here and there, he saw individual light flies moving through the air in little flashes. He was also beginning to find muddy patches, forcing him to watch his step.

The plant-life had also subtly changed. There were far more vines and reedy grasses than there had been before.

Lem's simulated self had to slow down. 

The river was a dangerous place.

In the village, there were many stories of horrible deaths, most commonly from deep water mud and illusion pools.

If the unsuspecting person walked too carelessly, they could quickly find themselves up to their neck in mud, and sinking.

If they let their gaze linger in the bright patches in the water, they could end up being mesmerized and unable to withdraw their attention.

There was a story of a villager who stared into an illusion pool so long that he forgot his own name and who he was.

This was a favorable outcome.

It was far more common for such people to be killed by a red-scaled eel or a death-skull crab, both of which were aquatic beasts that were known to lurk around illusion pools for the very purpose of preying upon anything that was ensnared.

Needless to say, Lem's simulated self watched his footing very carefully.