Lem's simulated self continued to press his advantage again, as the beast backed up quickly, its crouched body covered in blood, while its four legs scrambled over one another.
Woosh!
Crack!
The sloth accidentally backed into a tree, allowing Lem's simulated self to land another punch.
Woosh!
Crack!
The punches did not land every time, but when they did they fractured bone and cut open skin.
The beaten sloth was a pale imitation of the aggressive beast that had attacked only moment's earlier.
When it growled, the sound was suppressed. When it moved, it looked harried and anxious to escape.
Crack!
Crack!
Two blows landed on the head of the tyrant sloth, and it suddenly dropped to the ground in a heap.
Lem could feel a sense of pride coming from his body.
A ferocious beast had been killed by his hand.
However, there were more pressing concerns.
Lem watched as his simulated self realized that he was seriously injured.
The sloth had cut open his arm, causing a stream of blood to flow along his side. Over the course of the fight, it had stained his leg red.
[The juvenile sloth begins to retreat, but you kill it with a few more punches. As you stand over the carcass, you feel extremely lightheaded, and you realize you are bleeding to death.]
He quickly retrieved his knife and began cutting from the hem of his shirt.
In less than a minute he had fashioned a rough bandage for his arm. He tied it tightly.
The cloth was immediately stained, but the blood had stopped flowing out.
He noticed that both of his hands were swollen and bloody, and began bandaging them too.
[You quickly tear up your shirt with the help of your knife and wrap your arm with the rough pieces.]
Lem watched as his simulated self finished the bandaging and directed his attention back towards the dead tyrant sloth.
He had to admit that he had been impressed by his own performance.
Even in death, the sloth looked menacing. The heap almost went up to his waist.
His simulated self lifted up the arm and touched it with the knife.
Lem could see that he was considering whether he should try and eat some of the sloth. It was a reasonable thought, as there was certainly a healthy amount of spiritual energy in the meat.
Unfortunately, a fire was out of the question.
To avoid attracting beasts, the most he could get away with was a couple of mouthfuls of raw meat, which was hardly appealing.
[After taking care of your immediate needs, you grab the arm of the sloth. You think about how much spiritual energy the dead body has, making you want to eat it, but the thought simultaneously repulses you.]
Lem saw the struggle within his simulated self. He had worked so hard to defend himself. Was he going to give up on his only reward?
He finally decided against eating the meat.
He turned around with a sour feeling.
He had won a tremendous battle and all he was going to leave with were injuries.
Still, Lem thought that his simulated self had come to the right decision.
[You are also worried about being attacked by beasts that are attracted to the carcass, so you release it and walk away decisively…]
It was always best to be prudent.
[As you are walking, you feel a whirl of motion and a sharp pain in the back of your neck. You die a moment later, without knowing what killed you.]
What?
Even though he had made the right decision, he still had not been fast enough.
[Simulation ends.]