[You discover that the key to lighting the lantern is to use a spiritual crystal as fuel. After you generate a flame, you play with the sliding handle, and watch it grow larger and smaller.]
Lem felt impressed. All of the symbols and the spiritual crystal had somehow produced a flame, and the slider managed to perfectly control its intensity.
His guess about the spiritual crystals had been correct.
At the same time while Lem was marveling, his simulated self cut off another piece of the 'liver'. He forked it with the end of the knife, and opened the flap door to the main chamber of the lantern, placing it by the flame.
Lem's simulated self waited, but even after a couple of minutes, there did not seem to be a change, so he began to increase the intensity.
He moved the slider by a quarter, and the flame doubled in size.
This time, he could see the meat beginning to change color, so he kept the same intensity.
A few minutes later, he turned the meat over.
And over again.
By the end, he was left with a golden slice that released a smell that made his mouth water. It was worlds apart from the purplish cut that he had begun with.
Lem's simulated self hesitantly put the cooked piece of meat in his mouth and chewed.
Real food! It tasted far better than even the dry meat that he had been eating for rations, and there was no need to mention the comparison with eating it raw.
A rush of energy immediately filled his body.
Lem was immediately cast into thought.
When he had eaten the meat raw, it had not produced a sensation of rushing energy, but when it was cooked, it had.
Why?
[You cook a piece of meat on the flame and eat it, to your great pleasure. You feel an influx of energy, but it does not feel overwhelming…
After enjoying one slice, you cut off a few more pieces. You cook and eat them, before putting away the container…]
Lem's simulated self left just over half of the meat in the container. He only had seven containers, so he needed to stretch them out to make sure they lasted.
Not only had his appetite been satisfied, but his body was coursing with spiritual energy.
Lem stopped thinking about the differences in the spiritual interactions with raw and cooked meat.
For now, it was sufficient to know that there was a difference. Perhaps in the future he would have the opportunity to learn the reason.
Lem's simulated self turned off the lantern and checked inside the small compartment.
The spiritual crystal looked no different than it had before. He touched it. From the feeling, he thought that it had lost a small amount of its spirituality.
He left the crystal inside of the compartment and closed the lantern, setting it aside, before removing a fresh spiritual crystal from the pouch.
[You wonder whether holding a spiritual crystal will have a beneficial effect on your cultivation.]
Lem saw that his simulated self was considering more uses for the spiritual crystals, but he doubted whether it would help him in stirring the spiritual energy.
He did not see the logical connection. After all, his problem was not that he lacked spiritual energy. It had more to do with his skill with the breathing technique and his mental connection with the visualization diagram.
Lem's simulated self sat down in a meditative posture and began to focus while holding the crystal in his palm.
Lem followed suit, imagining the mountain with his simulated self.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out.
Lem's simulated self tried nudging the spiritual energy within his body. It stirred.
Was the change larger than before?
Breathe in. Breathe out…
[You cultivate while holding a new spiritual crystal.]
After observing the cultivation of his simulated self for a long period, Lem found that there was a slight improvement in the receptivity of the spiritual energy.
He wasn't sure whether it was due to the spiritual crystal, to the consumption of the meat, or due to an improvement in his mindset.
Now that the martial elder was out of his life, the greatest source of stress had been removed, allowing him to focus better, both on the breathing method and on the visualization of the mountain.
Perhaps he was witnessing the results of his relaxed mind.