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 kept his eyes on Kurt as they moved through the ruins.

Even after everything he had seen, the monsters, the barren wasteland, the impossible fight, the man beside him was still the biggest enigma of all.

'Who the hell is this guy?' Miles frowned inwardly, watching Kurt.

The man walked ahead, casual but precise, his long coat billowing slightly with each step. His tall and lean figure wrapped in a long, tattered coat that fluttered with each movement. His messy brown hair, streaked with white strands, fell just past his ears.

A frayed bandage covered his right eye, while his left eye gleamed in that impossible silver hue, sharp and calculating. His face bore faint scars, hints of battles long past. His posture was relaxed, almost lazy, but every movement felt fluid, precise, and intentional.

Like a predator who never lets his guard down, even when he's smiling.

Ch94. Pain as a teacher (18) - Hideout