As the screen returned to the village, Chen Mo noticed that the game's music seemed to have shifted slightly in tone, and then, as if the phone were malfunctioning, flickering glitches sporadically appeared on the screen.
After wandering around the village and finding no further clues, Chen Mo ultimately chose to turn off the phone.
The victims who died in reality had become stone statues in the game. This game, beneath its calm surface, inadvertently revealed a creeping horror!
Moreover, Chen Mo had discreetly counted the stone statues by the well—eight in total. Excluding Zhou Xiaomi's statue, the remaining seven corresponded exactly to the seven participants in this story. Rather than a coincidence, it felt like a deliberate arrangement by the narrative.
"So, participants killed by the game in reality become stone statues in the game. Could these statues be the 'sacrifices' the village NPCs mentioned?"
In response to Chen Mo's question, Duan Xue and Feng Wenxuan both looked utterly bewildered. They had no clue about this game, which seemed peaceful yet was filled with subtle, spine-chilling terror.
As for the so-called item, the Wind Shield, it appeared to be useless for now.
"Tonight might be dangerous."
"Although this ghost's attack is only targeting Feng Wenxuan for now, once the victim dies, the curse will immediately spread to the next person. But conversely, this ghost's assault also has a favorable side for us."
"A favorable side?" Duan Xue instantly showed a puzzled expression.
"Yes, a favorable side. It means we can know the specific target of the ghost's attack in advance and make targeted preparations. Thinking about it the other way, as long as Feng Wenxuan doesn't die, the curse can't skip him and spread further, keeping the other participants relatively safe!"
"Ah! I get it! As long as we ensure Feng Wenxuan isn't killed, the curse can't spread, and we just need to hold out until the story ends. That's it!"
As if suddenly enlightened, Duan Xue patted her chest, flashed a playful smile, and opened her phone, clearly intending to relay Chen Mo's deduction to the others.
Chen Mo didn't respond to Duan Xue's optimism.
In his experience, the first person targeted by a ghost had a very high mortality rate. At the start, there were too few clues for everyone to analyze. To put it bluntly, in this story, it seemed the radio station intended for them to find clues through the dead and verify the path to survival.
But saying these things would only panic the newcomers, so Chen Mo kept quiet.
The participants tasked with accompanying Feng Wenxuan through the night's danger were still decided to be Chen Mo, Dai Minghan, and Lin Tianheng, taking shifts. As for Duan Xue, Li Kai, and Ye Sheng, since they had just joined the radio station and lacked the ability to confront ghosts, even if they joined the risk, they wouldn't be much help, so they were arranged to stay on standby at the school.
As the sky gradually darkened, Feng Wenxuan's fear deepened. The text message had only told him he violated a rule, not the consequences of doing so. That unknown was the greatest terror.
Since they might have to deal with unforeseen events later that night, none of them felt like eating out. Instead, they casually ordered some takeout to the hotel. On the other hand, Lin Tianheng had specifically booked a room on the second floor, so in an emergency, they could quickly escape even through the window.
Although Feng Wenxuan had little appetite, he forced himself to eat something. Meanwhile, his wary gaze never left the cursed phone, as if at any moment, a ghost like Sadako might crawl out of the screen.
His paranoid behavior made Lin Tianheng chuckle. "Come on, Old Feng, what's so scary about ghosts? If we all become ghosts, you might even be tougher than one."
"You!"
Feng Wenxuan glared at him in anger, about to snap back, but then remembered that the other person was risking a lot to protect him. He softened his tone. "Don't be so glib. If a ghost were coming for you, wouldn't you be scared?"
"What's there to be scared of? I'm so formidable. Even if I die and have to fight other ghosts for turf, I'd still win."
Hearing this, Feng Wenxuan's mouth twitched. He stared at Lin Tianheng as if he were a monster. Chen Mo, however, took note of Lin Tianheng because of their exchange.
From his expression, there was indeed no sign of fear—his face even carried a hint of mockery, as if he didn't care much about who lived or died.
Maybe he's someone with a story too, Chen Mo thought to himself. But since they were in the middle of a mission, all under the threat of ghosts, he had little interest in prying into others' affairs.
As time slowly passed, the phone on the table remained silent, not making a sound. After watching two movies, Dai Minghan stretched wearily, stood up to loosen his limbs, and joined Chen Mo in inspecting the room. Lin Tianheng, meanwhile, simply took out his phone and started playing *Honor of Kings*.
The hotel's soundproofing was poor, and the corridor occasionally carried noises from late-arriving guests. With the room brightly lit, Feng Wenxuan's fear gradually subsided. Instead, the earlier extreme tension left him feeling a bit tired, and he couldn't help but yawn.
Earlier, he had imagined many scenes of a ghost attack—lights suddenly going out, a ghostly figure appearing at the window, and so on. Fortunately, none of that happened.
At that moment, Chen Mo and Dai Minghan were still inspecting the room, while Lin Tianheng continued playing his game.
From the corridor outside, the sounds of a guest—a little boy fussing from fatigue—drifted in.
Suddenly, a look of surprise crossed Feng Wenxuan's face.
He had just recalled a detail: not long ago, he seemed to have heard the same noise. That guest family also had a fussy little boy.
Was it a coincidence?
How could he hear the same guest checking into this hotel twice?
And...
Though it seemed unlikely, for some reason, an inexplicable tension surged in Feng Wenxuan's heart. Slowly, he turned his gaze back to the room.
Around him, Chen Mo and Dai Minghan were still pacing the room. Feng Wenxuan remembered that they had been circling for quite a while. The unease grew stronger, and he couldn't help but call out to them.
"Chen Mo!"
"Dai Minghan!"
But... strangely, the two seemed completely unable to hear him, ignoring him entirely!
What was going on?
Cold sweat immediately broke out on Feng Wenxuan's forehead. When had this eerie change started? He quickly stood up from the sofa and walked over to Lin Tianheng to see what he was playing.
What he saw gave him a huge shock. Lin Tianheng wasn't playing *Honor of Kings* at all—he was holding his phone, playing that terrifying cursed game!