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 didn't stop moving. His breathing was heavy, and his knuckles were white from gripping the handle of the [Harbinger's Scythe] too tightly. The monsters kept coming in waves, their grotesque forms lunging at him with clawed hands and jagged teeth. But he didn't falter. He couldn't afford to.

Sarissa was fighting just as relentlessly beside him, her sword flashing with deadly precision.

Fire and steel carved through the endless swarm, yet the creatures never turned their attention to Shinji. It was calculated, intentional.

Miles had seen enough by now to recognize a setup when he was caught in one.

"You bastard!" He snarled, twisting mid-dodge to face Shinji, who still stood at the edge of the battlefield, watching with detached amusement. "Call them off!"

"And why would I do that? You're doing so well." Shinji merely tilted his head, his smirk widening.

Ch71. With murder in his eyes