I'm Contaminated With No Hope Of Recovery

Lem knew that he could make the simulation screen appear and disappear with a single thought.

He wanted to check the progress towards the next simulation, so he summoned it.

[Name: Lem]

[Age: 15]

[Cultivation: None]

[Techniques: Nine Bull Fist (entry)]

[Energy: 0]

[Simulation: 2%]

Thankfully, it was recharging quickly. It had been at 1 percent earlier. Now, it was already at 2 percent. It appeared that he would be able to perform a second simulation within an hour.

However, his happiness was restrained because he knew that the recovery speed was due to his quick death.

He already knew what he wanted from the next simulation, a second berry.

Lem imagined a situation where he retrieved several spiritual berries, eating them during every simulation.

Wouldn’t he be able to stave off the evil inside of him through sheer quantity of energy alone?

Lem considered what he should do while he waited for the simulator to recharge.

Instinctively, he wanted to stay in place. After all, he had not even entered the forest yet, and was still close to the village. It would also allow him to conserve his energy.

He rejected this idea, however. Any part of the forest was a dangerous place, and he did not know if a beast would pass by and kill him even on the edge of the clearing.

The only safe path that he knew of was that which he had already traversed.

Remembering he had walked in a northeast direction, he entered the forest.

Immediately, he was confronted with a feeling that he was in danger. It was very different from his experience within the simulation, where he was disconnected from the simulated body.

Somehow, even knowing that it was safe was not enough to comfort him.

Every time a vine or branch made contact with his body, his heart jumped.

When the grass brushed against his legs, a shiver ran down his spine.

He could barely imagine how difficult it would have been without the security of the simulation.

His simulated self must have spent the entire fifteen days in complete terror.

A few minutes passed as normal, until a rabbit ran up through the brush, startling him.

Lem was even more frightened when he realized that this had deviated from the simulated events.

The rabbit looked in Lem's direction, and he remembered that he had the berry, which had not been simulated. Perhaps, the smell had wafted and changed events slightly.

This meant that his safety was less secure than he thought. After all, with the rewards from the simulator, small changes were impossible to prevent.

Lem reassured himself that the changes would be minor, but he could not calm himself.

Every time he stopped to rest, he checked the simulation percentage.

[Simulation: 42%]

…

[Simulation: 57%]

…

[Simulation: 81%]

…

[Simulation: 94%]...[Simulation: 95%]...[Simulation: 96%]...[Simulation: 97%]...[Simulation: 98%]...[Simulation: 99%]

Lem breathed a sigh of relief.

Apart from the rabbit, there had been no noticeable differences between the simulation and reality.

[Simulation: 100%]

[Detecting Karma is small enough to extract energy from the environment. Run Simulation?]

Yes, he thought with intent.

At the same time, he told himself to wait an hour before consuming the berry, hoping he could influence his actions in the simulation.