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 moment the Scryer spoke, the air in the Scrybay seemed to freeze.

Kurt went still beside Miles, the usual sharp glint in his eyes darkening into something unreadable. Miles, still gripping the newly transformed scythe, felt the weight of the Scryer's words press down on him like a vice.

Then, realization dawned on Miles.

Kurt had told him not to summon anything from his inventory, but he had completely forgot about the [Harbinger's Scythe], thinking that relying only on the makeshift knives Kurt had given him prior to coming to Luna Sea was going to be enough.

Before he could react, the heavy thud of boots against scrap metal cut through the silence. The door to the Scrybay groaned open, and a group of figures stepped inside.

Ch119. It is a question