A Friend

[When a small fox head appears, you cannot help but smile.]

Lem was amused, even with his detached perspective. 

The fox had come back, despite having already eaten the berry.

He wondered if it was expecting a second one.

Secretly, he hoped that this was not the case.

Wouldn't it be nice if the fox had returned because it felt grateful to him?

After being abandoned by his entire village, Lem was willing to befriend anyone, and he found it to be impossible to dislike such a clever, elegant beast.

Was it desperate, like him, on the brink of death day by day? 

Could it only rely on its wits to survive?

Or was he just projecting his own qualities into the beast? 

[The fox watches you without moving…

The fox runs away abruptly…]

Lem and his simulated self both stared at the vacant spot in the forest.

Will it come back again?

[Night falls, but you are too full of energy to sleep. You continue waiting patiently, but you do not practice martial arts…]

[Day 2: Night passes without incident. As the sunlight begins to trickle in from between the tree branches, you begin traveling north at a fast pace. You wish to reach the mushrooms as soon as you can without creating an unnecessary commotion…

You see three rabbits running across the forest floor nearby, but you are not in a position to attack them…

You see another rabbit. It is in a slightly vulnerable position, but you are only concerned with the spiritual mushrooms, so you run past…

You see a few strange brush marks on the ground, but do not think much of them…

You eat from your rations and fall asleep…]

…

[Day 4: You feel weaker due to the evil power consuming your vitality. You want to make it to the mushrooms before the sun falls, so you pick up your pace slightly…

In the waning hours of the day, you notice a faint pleasant feeling and grow excited. You look under a fallen log and find a few spiritual mushrooms.]

Lem felt relieved that he had managed to reach the mushrooms again. After only consuming them twice, he had already made enormous strides towards survival.

If he could eat them four times, or ten times, how much more progress could he make with the [Nine Bull Fist]?

How much would his physique improve?

He already had the ability to kill a juvenile tyrant sloth, so how much more would his capabilities expand?

[You immediately eat the mushrooms.]

Lem turned his focus toward the spiritual energy that was beginning to flow through his body.

He wanted to observe the changes in his body again to see if there was anything else he could glean.

[A large amount of energy overwhelms your body, and you feel as though you are about to explode. You begin to practice the [Nine Bull Fist] of your village to relieve the excess energy.

After an hour, the energy is reduced to a manageable level, and you stop practicing…]

Lem was unable to make any meaningful observations, but he was not dispirited.

He knew from experience that the influx of spiritual energy also improved his mental capacity.

With more experience and better cognition, perhaps he could discover something in the following simulation.

[The sun is setting, so you do not continue traveling. You move away from the log where you found the mushrooms and prepare to wait for the night to pass. Night falls, and you are full of energy, constantly scanning the forest around you for signs of danger…

During the night, you hear many small noises and see small creatures in the underbrush, but nothing is dangerous or worth hunting…]

[Day 5: The sun rises. You begin to travel in a northwest direction, looking for new opportunities…

As you are walking, you encounter a small jade-eye spider that is the size of a plate. It scampers away from you…

You encounter a pleasant sensation.]