Chereads / System Mania! / Chapter 4 - Devise and Decide

Chapter 4 - Devise and Decide

Shock rippled through Korig and his friends as they beheld the grotesque figure before them.

The tall skeleton, with its hunched form and hollow green eyes, seemed to embody the very essence of their worst nightmares.

The air around them felt charged with an otherworldly presence, a manifestation of the uncanny and the inexplicable.

In the face of such terror, Korig's survival instincts kicked in.

His mind raced, and without a moment's hesitation, he swiveled behind a nearby car, his heart pounding in his chest.

He reached out and pulled Lily with him, the urgency of the situation propelling his actions.

Daniel and David were quick to follow suit, seeking cover behind the vehicles as the skeleton's eyes scanned the area.

The eerie green light of its gaze whizzed past their position, missing them by a hair's breadth.

The sensation of danger hung heavily in the air, a constant reminder that they were not safe, not even in the midst of the makeshift barricade.

As the seconds ticked by, Korig's mind raced.

The urgency of their predicament pressed down upon him, urging him to think, to strategize.

But even as he sought to formulate a plan, the world around them seemed to defy all logic and reason.

The very concept of the webnovels they had once enjoyed now materialized before them in a terrifying twist of fate.

Korig couldn't help but mutter to himself, his words a mix of incredulity and dark humor.

"When I said I wanted to be in a webnovel, this wasn't what I meant."

The irony of the situation was not lost on him, the juxtaposition of his former desires and the current reality jarring in its absurdity.

The line between fiction and reality had blurred, and they found themselves in a nightmarish tale beyond their control.

Amidst the tension, Korig's friends exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of fear and determination.

The skeleton's presence was a stark reminder that they were trapped within a reality that defied explanation.

But they were not about to surrender to the terror that surrounded them.

With Korig's words lingering in the air, a spark of unity ignited within them.

They were not mere characters in a story, they were survivors, creators of their own destinies, determined to carve a path through the darkness that had enveloped their world.

The skeleton figure's hollow gaze continued to sweep the area, a constant threat that urged them to action.

The situation was dire, the odds stacked against them, but Korig and his friends were united in their resolve.

As the nightmare unfolded around them, they would face it head on, armed with whatever courage and strength they could muster.

As Korig and his friends huddled behind the cover of the car, their breaths came in ragged gasps, their hearts pounding in their chests.

The eerie presence of the tall skeleton figure loomed over them, casting a shadow of dread that seemed to stretch out to infinity.

They were united by a common goal, to devise a plan that would see them through this nightmare.

As they surveyed their surroundings, it became evident that the skeleton was not the sole inhabitant of the parking lot.

Zombies, in various states of inanimation, dotted the area like macabre statues frozen in time.

The absence of living people added to the surreal atmosphere, intensifying the feeling that they were trapped in a realm between reality and fiction.

With their hearts racing and minds racing even faster, Korig and his friends began to exchange hurried dialogues, each voice representing a piece of the puzzle they were desperately trying to assemble.

Their words were laced with urgency and the weight of their predicament, a tension that hung heavy in the air.

"We've got to figure this out,"

Korig said, his voice determined.

"If this world is anything like the webnovels we read, then the creatures we're facing must resemble the details we know."

Lily's brow furrowed as she concentrated, her eyes narrowing in thought.

"Right. So we need to recall anything we know about this... skeleton thing."

David's voice chimed in, his gaze distant as he sifted through his memories.

"I remember reading about a creature called a Lich."

"It's supposed to be some sort of undead sorcerer, a controller of the dead."

Daniel nodded, his expression tense.

"Yeah, and if you look at the events unfolding here,the zombies, the eerie presence, doesn't it match the descriptions of a Lich?"

The pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place, and the realization sent shivers down their spines.

The idea that they were facing a creature out of the pages of their favorite stories was both surreal and terrifying.

But it also offered a glimmer of hope, their knowledge of these fictional worlds could potentially be their key to survival.

As they scoured their memories for any additional details, the evidence before them seemed to align with the idea that the skeleton figure was indeed a Lich.

The inanimate zombies, the eerie aura, and the sense of control it exuded, all of it pointed toward a creature that held dominion over the undead.

"This is insane," Korig muttered, his words a mix of disbelief and acceptance.

"We're in a world where the rules of fiction have become our reality."

"But if that's the case, then the Lich... it's our target. We need to take it down."

Lily's grip on her makeshift weapon tightened, her determination palpable.

"If this world is a webnovel brought to life, then we're characters who are supposed to be the heroes, right?"

"We need to fight back."

David's gaze was resolute, his voice firm. "Let's do it. We've faced challenges in stories before."

"This is just another chapter. And we're going to make sure it's a chapter where we come out on top."

But all of this seemed like a fake sense of bravado to Korig. He was tense, he was nervous and all on top, he was afraid.

His life was on the line.

But he also realised that his friends where trying to hide their own fear behind their words of determination.

But at the same time he knew it wasn't the time to back down as well.

"Let's do it."

Korig said.

Daniel nodded in agreement, a fierce determination in his eyes.

"So, what's the plan?"

Korig's gaze shifted toward the skeleton figure, its hollow eyes still glowing with an eerie light.

"We need to attack it, take it down. But we need to be smart about it."

As their voices hushed, they began to formulate a strategy, their minds uniting to create a plan that would pit their ingenuity against the Lich's malevolence.

They were no longer bystanders in a story, they were the authors of their own fate, the creators of their own destiny.

The tension in the air was palpable as they readied themselves for the confrontation that lay ahead.

Armed with the knowledge of their favorite tales and fueled by the determination to overcome the nightmare they found themselves in...

Korig and his friends braced themselves for a battle that would test their courage, their wits, and their bonds.

But they did not know what they were getting themselves into...

...