Perry had always been the odd one out.
While his classmates spent their free time playing games or watching movies, he preferred something else entirely—webnovels. Hundreds of stories, countless worlds, and endless adventures, all tucked neatly behind his screen. But to everyone around him, it was just another reason to make him a target.
"Hey, nerd! Reading your lame stories again?" a voice echoed across the classroom.
Perry didn't bother looking up from his tablet. He could practically feel the smug grin on Tom's face without having to meet his eyes. It was always Tom, wasn't it? And always the same words. He'd grown used to it by now.
"You know, one day you're going to wake up, and all those 'books' will be worthless. No one cares about that stuff," Tom continued, kicking the edge of Perry's desk.
Perry stayed silent. It was easier that way. Less trouble.
But today, something was different. Instead of the usual banter and mocking, Tom had something else in mind.
"Listen, Perry," Tom said, leaning in closer. "A bunch of us are heading to the old library tonight. You know, the one everyone says is haunted?"
Perry's interest piqued for a moment, though he didn't show it. The old library. He'd heard the stories. Not that he believed them.
"So what?" Perry finally responded.
"So what? We're going to check it out, of course," Tom grinned wickedly. "But I bet you're too scared to come."
A few other students snickered nearby, already enjoying the show. Perry sighed. "I'm not scared."
"Oh really?" Tom's eyebrows raised. "Then prove it. Come with us tonight. Or are you just all talk?"
Perry knew where this was going. If he refused, they'd call him a chicken for weeks. If he agreed, he'd have to spend his evening in some creepy, dusty old building. But part of him was curious. Libraries meant books, after all.
"Fine," Perry muttered, standing up and shoving his tablet into his bag. "I'll go."
Tom blinked, surprised. "Wait... seriously?"
Perry nodded, then walked out of the classroom without another word. His heart pounded in his chest. What had he just agreed to?
---
The moon was high when they finally reached the old library, its stone walls casting long, eerie shadows over the cracked pavement. The building looked ancient, forgotten by time. Moss clung to its edges, and the windows, covered in grime, reflected nothing but darkness.
"Well, here we are," Tom said, pushing open the heavy door with a creak. "Hope you're ready for some real horror, Perry."
The inside was worse than Perry imagined. Dust hung in the air, and the smell of old, rotting wood filled his nose. Shelves lined every wall, packed with books that looked like they hadn't been touched in decades.
Perry, despite the unsettling atmosphere, couldn't help but feel a bit... excited. So many old books. Stories that hadn't been read in who knows how long.
He wandered away from the group, his fingers brushing the spines of the books as he walked. One caught his eye, its leather cover worn but still intact. The Unholy Warlock.
He frowned. The title seemed familiar. He had read so many webnovels with similar themes—a dark sorcerer invading Earth, battling against heroes and armies. But this one felt different. The artwork on the cover was crude, almost ancient. He cracked it open.
---
Tom and the others continued goofing around, poking fun at the dark corners of the room, while Perry sat at a table, already lost in the book's story. It was about a warlock who sought to conquer Earth, using forbidden magic to summon creatures from other realms. The more Perry read, the more it felt like the warlock was... real.
Suddenly, a loud thunk echoed from the far side of the room.
"Hey! Check this out!" one of the students called, holding up a thick, locked book. "It's got a lock on it! That's weird, right?"
Perry looked up from his reading, just as one of the others forced the lock open with a loud snap.
"What the..."
Before anyone could react, a dark liquid oozed out from the book, spreading across the floor like spilled ink. Perry's breath caught in his throat. Something wasn't right. He watched in horror as the liquid began to bubble and shift, forming into a grotesque shape.
A monstrous figure emerged, towering over them with glowing red eyes and sharp, jagged claws.
The screams started immediately.
The creature moved faster than anyone could run. One by one, Perry's classmates were struck down, their bodies crumpling like rag dolls. Blood stained the old library floor as the monster's jaws snapped shut around them.
Perry froze, his heart hammering. This can't be happening. This can't be real.
But it was.
The monster's gaze locked onto Perry, and it lunged. Time seemed to slow as Perry backed up, his mind racing. Think! Think! What would the protagonist do in one of my stories?
He had read enough webnovels to know that this wasn't just a fight. This was a matter of survival. He had to be smarter than the beast. But there was no escape.
Suddenly, the book he had been reading—The Unholy Warlock—glowed with a dark aura, and the very air seemed to shift. The room felt colder, heavier.
From the pages, a figure emerged. A man draped in black robes, with hollow eyes and a cruel smile. The warlock.
"Well, well," the warlock said, his voice smooth as silk. "Looks like I'm just in time."