MrBoness

-- WSA 2025 Entry --

“Five… Four… Three… Two… One…”
As the countdown towards the new year went on to the last second, Miles looked up to the sky, just as everybody else did.

In the middle of the crowded street, Miles for once felt like he belonged. Being a teenage gamer, living with his parents, and trying to build a life as a streamer, he did not feel like leaving his room every day.

But there, in the middle of that crowded street, with everyone around him paying attention to the sky, the countdown on the digital billboard, and mostly anything else but him., Miles felt like a ghost.

A welcomed ghost, but a ghost, after all.

With a smile on his unseen face, he looked up as the countdown reached one, and everybody sang in unison.
‘HAPPY NEW YEAR!”

But Miles’ eyes widened as he watched in utter horror, and curiosity, even, hovering above him, a holographic screen with a few lines of text written in it.

All around him, although he did not pay much attention to it, a few other people seemed to experience the same situation.

[Updating home-world 39515’s version]

[Version 20.25 update brings a lot of fun and games with the new and improved survival mode]

[Do you want to convert your previous avatar to home-world 39515’s latest version?]

[Yes] [No]

“Survival… Mode?” Miles’ lips quivered.

Before he could think of anything else, though, the people around him began to scream…

Mad Hatter's Guide to Clearing The Game

Sarissa's heart pounded in her chest as she tried to move, desperate to stop Miles before his scythe could fall. But the moment she took a step forward, her knees buckled. Her body, pushed beyond its limits, finally gave out beneath her.

She collapsed onto the scorched asphalt, her arms barely catching her in time. Her voice cracked as she reached out, but it was too late.

The sound of metal slicing through flesh and bone filled the empty battlefield like a tolling bell.

Shinji's body slumped forward, his head hitting the ground with a dull thud, his katana slipping from his grip. The rain washed over his bloodied body, turning the crimson streaks into winding rivulets that seeped into the cracks of the pavement.

Sarissa's breath hitched, her hands trembling as she pushed herself upright. A deep, cold anger settled in her chest, mixing with the lingering rush of battle and the exhaustion pulling at her limbs.

Ch48. RE: [World Quest] (6) - Secrets