Systematic Survival

43 - Countdown

Matt told [Help] about how another beta tester had seen him and how he had used his mind palace skill to escape, but only temporarily.

"So, that's why I need your help. I think I might be prepared enough, but there are too many variables."

[Help] seemed to understand what he wanted now.

"I can only give you info relating to the system. How am I supposed to help? Just deal with it! It's only another player!"

Matt's eye twitched.

"Remember you said you would help. Or should I take my phone back now?"

"FINE!"

She crossed her arms before looking like she was deep in thought.

"From what you told me, you should probably escape, not fight."

Matt sighed.

"Yeah, well, I already knew that."

She continued.

"If you don't have the map open, they won't be able to track you."

Matt sighed again.

"Yeah, yeah. I guessed that already!"

She looked at him with a strange expression.

"Couldn't you just pretend to not be a player?"

There was silence in the air for a few seconds

"Oh."

Matt realized that it had been so simple the entire time. If his map wasn't open and they weren't able to track him, there's no way they would know who the other player was.

"Did you seriously not think of that yet?"

Matt looked embarrassed.

"Ok, listen. I've had a lot to think about, so don't judge me!"

[Help] just looked irritated.

"So, if that was all you needed, I'm going back to browsing."

After she said that, she started typing on his phone again. But then she looked angry again.

"It says there's no wifi! Wait, this thing is barely functional, where are the apps!?"

Matt remembered they were in his mental space so when he pulled his phone out, it was just a mental recreation of it. He looked like he was about to burst out laughing. From the expression on his face [Help] seemed to realize why it didn't work.

"Whatever. I'm going back. But you better let me use your phone when you get out of this."

"Yeah, a deal's a deal."

With that, [Help] disappeared back into the system.

Matt looked at the faux phone with interest. So far he had only been able to create wooden objects or basic electronics, but a phone is pretty complex. Granted it only turns on and then shows a lock screen and then a blank screen.

'Hmm. So maybe if I'm familiar enough with an object, I can create it here?'

He realized that he didn't know how to make a book, but he was able to create the books here from his memory. So he at least now knew that the mind palace wasn't knowledge-based, but familiarity-based.

'That's a lot easier. Though, I don't have much of a use for things in here. Only the books are really useful.'

Matt stared at the timer on his mind palace skill again. It was already down to 3 hours remaining. He decided since [Help]'s idea would probably work well, it would be best to just use the remaining time to do some more grinding. It never hurt to be more prepared.