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

When Kurt said that Miles was going to regret asking him to be trained harder, Miles had no idea of how right Kurt was.

The first hit came before Miles was even fully awake.

One second, he was blinking the sleep from his eyes. The next, a boot slammed into his ribs, sending him rolling across the cold stone floor. He barely had time to groan before another kick came, forcing him onto his hands and knees.

"Get up." Kurt's voice was sharp, devoid of his usual humor. "You wanted this, remember?"

Miles coughed, his entire body aching. "That was… Excessive."

Kurt crouched beside him, gripping his jaw and forcing Miles to look at him.

"Excessive? Kid, this is mercy. Get on your feet before I start getting cruel." His silver eye gleamed in the dim light.

Miles gritted his teeth and pushed himself up.

Ch109. Six days of hell