Chapter 3: New Mod Unlocked: Dead But Dedicated

The two phones pinged so many times that Jin Qiang couldn't ignore them anymore….

The ringing, vibration, and curiosity got him.

So… with what little courage and rational thinking he had left within him.

Jin Qiang groaned as he got up from where he sat on the bed, pulling on the what-used-to-be-a-white blanket, now a-dirty-wrinkled-make-believed cloak that he tied himself, as if it could protect him from anything at all, and headed to grab his old phone on the floor, which now has a cracked screen, and the new expensive one, which was still in the box that was just delivered by someone…. or something.

He sat on the chair that was in front of the table where the package was, and with the 2 phones he laid out in front of him leaning on the package since he didn't want to hold any of the two. 

He was still creeped out and trembling a little inside when he decided to just get it over with.

He pointed both index fingers and quickly tapped the screens at the same time, like it would bite him.

Both phones lit up and showed the same thing on screen.

[👻 XiaoHei: Chill, that one's just for marketing.]

[👻 XiaoHei: But for real, you've opened the door now.]

[👻 XiaoHei: You can't stop streaming. They won't let you.]

[👻 XiaoHei: I'm your biggest fan.]

[👻 XiaoHei: I was also your first subscriber, and now your moderator!]

[👻 XiaoHei: Oh, and welcome to the Dead Channel ~!]

🔒[MODERATOR ACCESS GRANTED:👻XiaoHei]

"Huh?"

He stared at the notification. Moderator? He didn't add anyone.

The profile pic was a cartoonish ghost face in black-and-white, with pixelated purple sunglasses and a massive, toothy grin.

He grabbed the new phone and tapped on it, checking the profile of the guy who became his moderator without his permission.

No username link. No email. No IP address. No description.

Nothing except the profile picture.

(Is this guy a hacker?? What the f*ck?)

"Is this some kind of prank?" He muttered with a frown.

(Yeah maybe last night was a prank, it should have been caught on camera right… Let's see maybe after I passed out, someone should have filmed what happened next, and they took me home... Right! That makes sense, hahaha… It must be a prank.)

Jin hurriedly opened the live stream video record last night to check, and there it was…

It was all there.

The tunnel.

The glitching.

The thing.

And at the very end….

Nothing but a black screen with the live chat comments that flooded in…

[🔥HellYeah666: This stream is literally cursed and I'm HERE FOR IT.]

[📡GlitchinWitch: My lights flickered when he screamed. Not even kidding.]

[🧃SpectralJuice: That thing was too real bro... is this scripted??]

[🔁EchoWhisperer: I heard if you replay the scream backwards, you hear another voice.]

[☠️IRL_Goner: He's dead IRL right? Is this a ghost account now?]

And a pinned comment in bright red stood out.

[👻 XiaoHei: Yo streamer. You're funny. I like you. Let's see if you survive the next episode.]

-BZZT-

The app suddenly flickered and jumped to the homepage.

Goosebumps crawled up his neck as he saw the preview window expand on the screen.

And the camera was still on, pointed from his ceiling, recording from some impossible angle above him that didn't make sense since he knew there wasn't any camera there.

He knew that but couldn't help but look and check just in case there was one, maybe the land lady installed it just last night when he went out to film.

But there really wasn't one.

(What the f*cks happening?)

As he looked back at the phone to check again, he noticed the live chat window…

Active, and was going crazy.

[💔MyTypeIsDead: You scream like a kitten. Adorable.]

[🩸CandyBloodGirl99: Replay the face at 8:26:04. I want that as my wallpaper.]

[🧸RottingTeddy: Can we make him go back? That tunnel was delicious.]

[👻 XiaoHei (Mod): Be patient. He's still adjusting.]

He wasn't supposed to be live right now tho.

(Wait…Didn't I just end the stream a few minutes ago when I woke up.)

Ding.

⛓️ [SYSTEM INTERCEPT: CHAT LOCKED – PRIVATE MODERATOR MESSAGE]

The screen on his phone changed, and a private message window popped out.

Ping! Ping! Ping!

Messages started to come in…

[👻 XiaoHei (Mod): Hey GhostQiang ~ You're confused. That's normal.]

[👻 XiaoHei (Mod): You were funny last night.]

[👻 XiaoHei (Mod): Good screams 8/10. There's room for improvement tho.]

(The hell is this?)

Jin Qiang hesitated for a second, but then typed in the chat:

[jin_qiang: Who are you? What the hell is this?]

[👻 XiaoHei (Mod): Huh? Didn't I just tell you a while ago? I'm your no.1 fan, your 1st subscriber and moderator.]

[👻 XiaoHei (Mod): Ho ho ~ Welcome to Terror Livestream.]

[👻 XiaoHei (Mod): Think of me as… your deadest mod 😎]

[👻 XiaoHei (Mod): You stream - you scream, I watch… and if you die, I might bring you back.]

[👻 XiaoHei (Mod): Emphasis on Might.]

[jin_qiang: You're a hacker, aren't you? This is a prank right?]

[👻 XiaoHei (Mod): Wow rude much… I can assure you this isn't a prank.]

[👻 XiaoHei (Mod): Also… you're welcome for carrying your sorry ass home. (Wink wink)]

[jin_qiang: You brought me back?? How?]

His live stream window popped back on the screen and flickered.

Now showing new footage, one that was from last night and the camera angle wasn't from his body cam, it was from that second camera angle that suddenly appeared when his app glitched.

He froze as he watched, his brain was trying to comprehend what he was seeing, while his horror rose little by little.

He was limp, unconscious, and being dragged up the tunnel stairs by something cloaked in static and shadow. Its head bobbed like a puppet as it moved. Once they were out of the tunnel, the footage got cut, and the next scene was when the figure opened his apartment door without even touching it. It carried him in, dropped him on the bed like a delivery package, and then the screen faded to black, signaling the end.

The private chat window expanded to the phone's screen again.

[👻 XiaoHei (Mod): Free ghost Uber! You're welcome.]

[👻 XiaoHei (Mod): Next time, you'll have to tip me. Okay~]

His stomach dropped, and so did the new phone, as he stumbled back toward the bed, shaking.

"I-I need to call someone. I need a monk. I need a priest. I need—"

"Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done…."

(Oh god please…. This must be a dream… A nightmare.)

Jin started to pray frantically as he trembled with cold sweat and his eyes shut tightly under his praying hands.

But then he heard a static noise.

He slowly opened his eyes, taking a peek to see where the sound came from.

When he noticed his laptop, which was supposed to be closed, was now open and the screen turned itself on. The livestream window was on full view, still broadcasting from an angle that didn't make sense.

A voice then crackled from its speaker.

At first, it was glitchy and static, so Jin couldn't even understand what it was saying.

Then, a few seconds after, a young man's voice could be heard, it was smooth and undeniably cheerful.

"Heeeyyyy ~ I wasn't done talking to you~ You're really rude, aren't ya ~ We'll have to fix that someday hehe ~"

The video feed distorted for a few seconds, static tearing across it like claws, then settled.

A grinning cartoon ghost-faced boy in a zipped-up black hoodie floated onto the screen, pixelated shades, with a wide grin and a streamer headset on his head.

"Name's Xiao Hei. Mod. Number one fan. Professional haunt reviewer. Dead since 2XXXX, but still vibin'."

"....." Jin froze and was on the verge of fainting again, at least that's what he wanted, but he was wide awake because of the tension in his body.

"Congrats. You're the newest Ghost Host.... or, y'know... GH.ST Host.... Haha ~ Branding, baby."

Xiao Hei said as he gave a double thumbs up on the laptop screen.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. This really must be a prank ha-ha-ha, good one, whoever you are. Ha-ha"

Jin answered as if he had malfunctioned…. Actually he did… as he couldn't accept anything as of the moment. There was a lot to sink in to his brain yet it couldn't understand anything.

He was rejecting it.

Then, his laptop screen flashed again.

The stream showed live footage of Jin's entire apartment, from 4 other angles he didn't have cameras for.

"This isn't possible," Jin whispered.

"Neither is a ghost who mods chatrooms, but here we are." Xiao Hei said as he floated lazily on the footage screen.

"Ha.ha…..ha ~ Should I just knock myself out now?" Jin muttered to himself soullessly.