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

Miles' breath came in ragged gasps as he staggered back up and stared at the second shadow stretching beneath him.

It was subtle at first, almost imperceptible against the dim lighting of the room. But now, as the lingering effects of the visions faded from his mind, the reality of its presence became undeniable. Or he had just failed to process its presence up until now, after so many things had happened, during and after Wonderland.

'Oh, gods… How many people saw it when I was outside?' Miles gasped inwardly, moving its hand.

The second shadow moved just like the first, Miles' original shadow, did. No delay. No hesitation. It mimicked his every motion exactly, yet something about it felt wrong.

His own shadow stretched naturally, bending with the light, but this one remained inky and fluid, shifting slightly even when he was perfectly still, completely unaffected by any light tricks.

Ch62. Second Attribute