Lem felt a small breeze pass over him, accompanied by a pleasant feeling.
[+1 Energy]
[Starting simulation…]
[-1 Energy] [-100% Simulation]
[Simulation begins.]
Lem was suddenly put into a strange ethereal state. He was still in his body, but he lacked control over it. Other thoughts seemed to swim in the back of his mind, as if he was in a subconscious dream.
The screen continued summarizing the events in front of his eyes, while his body carried out the actions.
[Day 1: You are abandoned in Lang Woods. You do not know which direction to travel, so you travel randomly, in a northeast direction…]
Lem watched from within his body as he began to walk into the forest, sensing the intent of his simulated self. True to the screen’s words, he did seem to lack a sense of where he was going.
The moment he entered the forest, the world around him changed.
In the clearing, at least, the sun was bright and unobstructed in the sky and there was easy visibility.
The forest was full of vegetation that made it difficult to discern anything. The sunlight coming down was filtered through layers of leaves and branches.
Alternating lit and shadowed areas seemed to make his surroundings swim around him.
At the same time, Lem noticed that the woods seemed less frightening than it should have been, as his perspective felt detached from the outcome of his body.
The leaves and bramble brushed against him as his body walked, but it was only a sensation, nothing more.
The vegetation may have affected his visibility, but it did not bother him in the slightest.
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[After a short period of time, you grow tired and rest…]
Lem’s body sat down. From within it, he could feel the physical exhaustion, but it did not affect his mental abilities.
He lacked even the ability to turn his head, and was forced to see whatever his ‘simulated self’ was looking at.
[You continue traveling. You see broken branches and claw marks, and grow frightened, wanting to return, but you feel weak.]
A strange feeling came over Lem. His body was transmitting all the signals of fear, but he did not care. He only felt curiosity as he studied the claw marks, wondering what beast had passed by.
[You think you are about to die, and give in, resting in place for an hour. You eat unsparingly from your rations…]
Lem could feel his body replenish its strength, as the hunger was abated.
[Still alive, you continue traveling, resting intermittently…]
Lem noticed, as the daylight began to fade, that the screen had not inputted any new summary text for almost an hour.
[Night falls, and you hide in a partially concealed place, behind a dense copse of bushes. You are afraid of being killed in the night, but you are too tired to stave off sleep. You fall asleep unwillingly…]
With his simulated self concealed beneath a thicket of large grayish leaves, Lem watched from inside his body as his eyes closed.
Only the screen was visible in the dark.
He waited, wondering what he should do.
It appeared that his body was going to sleep for some time, but his mind did not need it. He felt as alert as he had the moment that the simulation had started.
What a strange situation, he thought to himself.
An hour passed.
Two hours…
Lem was growing ever more bored.
He began thinking about his childhood. He thought about the nature of evil and his current predicament…
Several hours later, he noticed that his body was opening its eyes.
[Day 2: You wake up feeling significantly weaker due to the evil power consuming your vitality…]
Lem watched from inside his body as his simulated self began walking again.
[You come across an ordinary rabbit, but it quickly escapes before you can attack it…]
Lem felt the frustration in his body’s sullen movements, but it was not present in his mind.
The day continued in this way…
[You eat from your rations and fall asleep…]
Once again, Lem watched as his body closed its eyes, and he was forced to endure another night of endless thinking while staring into a black void.
All he had to keep himself company was the static simulation screen.
…