In reality, it wasn't just the human-skin ghost mask—any cursed道具, if used too many times, had the potential to revive in the real world. However, control-type and parasitic-type道具 had a higher probability of vengeful spirit revival compared to others.
Staring at his slightly pale face in the mirror, Chen Mo forced a bitter smile. He was now fully convinced that after putting on the human-skin ghost mask, his body had been parasitized by ghostly entities. Before these ghosts revealed their true forms, he couldn't even guess how many spirits were hiding beneath this familiar face.
He let out a soft sigh. Although Su Mu had promised to help obtain道具 to suppress the curse, a heavy stone still weighed on Chen Mo's heart. Using his own body to feed ghosts in order to drive away evil spirits—there truly was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
He didn't know how long he stood before the mirror until the growling of his hungry stomach pulled him back to reality. Since he was still alive, he might as well live well.
His life as an online writer over the past half year had changed him greatly. Compared to the past, when he'd gather friends for hearty meals, he now preferred cooking a few of his signature dishes himself. Even Feng Fatty, who occasionally dropped by to freeload, couldn't stop praising his cooking.
Aside from writing, most of his remaining time was spent exercising, running, or reading推理 analysis books. Before he knew it, he'd accumulated a thick stack of them.
This life seemed peaceful, but the blood-red icon on his phone screen that couldn't be deleted constantly reminded him that his life was still under threat at every moment.
Because of this, Chen Mo had unhesitatingly rejected his mother's suggestion over the phone to set him up with a girlfriend. He could die at any moment from the supernatural world, so why drag others down with him?
It wasn't just him. Through the horror chat group, Chen Mo had learned that many other so-called "listeners" like him had also left their families to live alone. They were a group of lonely beings. Affection and love—those warm bonds that people clung to—were dangerous factors when carrying out supernatural tasks.
The only thing to be grateful for was that after completing three tasks and becoming a veteran in the radio station, the interval between horror story releases had stretched from one to three months to three months to half a year. At least during this time, he didn't have to live in constant fear, treading on eggshells while waiting for that terrifying command.
Time slipped by unnoticed into October. Over this past month, aside from writing and exercising, Chen Mo's life seemed almost completely isolated from the world. Of course, "isolated" wasn't entirely accurate, because during this period, he had also created a reader group for his *Strange Tales Radio* with the group number , and it quickly gained over a hundred members.
In this group, some people curiously asked him where he got the inspiration for the horror stories he wrote, while others jokingly asked if they were based on his own experiences. Chen Mo always answered truthfully, but his replies were usually taken as jokes, sparking lively discussions in the group.
Chatting with these unsuspecting netizens was a good way for Chen Mo to relieve his loneliness, or perhaps it satisfied his desire to communicate with normal people. However, as time went on, one person among these netizens, named "Li Chenyin," caught his attention.
This person didn't seem to treat the supernatural stories in the book as pure fiction like the others. Instead, they seriously discussed them with Chen Mo, even giving him the feeling that they had developed a strong interest in the bizarre world of the radio station.
This was undoubtedly... a very dangerous thing.
The horror stories released by the radio station could be fascinating topics for bystanders, but for the executors involved, they were terrifying experiences. That Li Chenyin would actually want to explore such experiences was something Chen Mo found hard to understand.
"Does *Strange Tales Radio* really exist?"
Seeing this question in the chat history, Chen Mo immediately replied without hesitation: "No, it's just a novel I made up when I was bored. It's late; you should get some rest."
"You're lying." The person with the group nickname "Li Chenyin" immediately called out Chen Mo's deception. "I have a strong feeling that none of this is fabricated out of thin air. It's someone's real experience. *Strange Tales Radio* is a real supernatural space where you can come into contact with ghosts!"
"That's just your imagination running wild." Chen Mo was a bit startled inside, but he still bluntly rejected the claim.
"I say this for my own reasons... And if this space really is connected to ghosts, I have a reason I must get in touch with it."
"I told you, it's all your delusion." Chen Mo thought for a moment and typed another line in the chat box. "But I am a bit curious about this reason you mentioned. Don't tell me you're a member of some paranormal research association."
"Of course not..."
After this line appeared, the chat window was silent for several minutes. Then a new reply appeared.
"If ghosts really exist, can people who have disappeared or died still be seen?"
"Friend, I really admire your imagination, but the radio station doesn't exist. No matter what difficulties you're facing, I hope you won't dwell on the past. You need to look forward."
"That's because you don't understand me." This time, the other party quickly typed a reply. "And even if you don't admit it, it doesn't matter. I... will find a way to get in touch with this mysterious radio station. When that time comes, we'll meet in that space."
After saying this, the other person's avatar quickly dimmed, clearly indicating that "Li Chenyin" had logged off.
--
Outside the window, snowflakes began to fall.
Snow in the north always came much earlier than in the south. The cold, clear snowflakes drifted through the night sky, but the frail woman in the room had no intention of closing the window right away.
Li Chenyin turned off the light and looked up at the window. At this moment, everything was silent. In the next room, her sister Li Yueyin was sleeping soundly with her child.
But she saw that in a building directly opposite her window, one of the windows eerily lit up, casting a shadow on the curtain of a person holding a sharp knife, stabbing at another figure over and over again.
She had seen the same scene for three consecutive days now, which was clearly abnormal. At the same time, a music box placed on the table suddenly emitted a broadcast-like announcement.
"See, I told you so. The radio station... really exists..."
With that, Li Chenyin stood up, picked up a small knife for self-defense, gently pushed open the door, and walked toward the building across the way...
--
PS: Thanks to Bingxue Tianya 888 for the huge reward! Tears of gratitude for the support! Also, thanks to Ruohu Ahaha and Qunqing Zhi Guang He Ying for their tips. Thank you all.
Explanation: Some readers may have noticed by now that Li Chenyin is a character from another book, *Midnight Ghosts Enter Dreams*. Because I like this book, I got the author's permission to do a crossover with *Midnight* to give my favorite character a better ending. If you haven't read *Midnight*, don't worry—it won't affect your reading experience.