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

The heavy iron door creaked open, and Miles stepped out of The Archivist's study, his face unreadable. The dim glow of the red sigils along the corridor cast long shadows, stretching out before him like the path he was about to take.

His heart pounded against his ribs, but his mind was steady. He knew what he had to do.

Sarissa and Mara stood waiting a few feet away. Sarissa leaned against the stone wall, arms crossed, her golden eyes sharp and unreadable. Mara, in contrast, had her hands stuffed into her coat pockets, her usually carefree smirk absent as she studied his expression.

"You were in there for a while," Mara finally spoke, breaking the silence. "Get anything useful?"

Miles took a slow breath. He glanced at them both, hesitating for only a fraction of a second before he spoke.

Ch87. Pain as a teacher (11) - Stranded