"Hey~ over here~ Yoohooo!~" Xiao Hei loudly said from the laptop, waving his hands.
He had gone back to his digital classroom, and the chalkboard now displayed new information, with cursed-looking emojis and gothic chibi art.
📈 Host Ranks
SSS – God-Tier 😇😈
SS – Elite Survivor 💅🧟♂️
S – Main Character Energy 🎥🔪
A – Veteran Vibes ☕😩
B – The Intern Who Lived 🖥️🔦
C – Walking Red Flag 🚩😬
D – Content Farm 📉📣
E/F – Fresh Recruits🐣☠️
"You start at F-rank…. Wow~ The lowest of the low hahaha~ Ahem... Easy prey. The most likely to die earlyyy~ But! See that bar beside it? That's the EXP bar…That means you can level it up by earning experience points~ The more you suffer, and survive in style during a haunting event, the more EXP you earn! Think of it as your influencer aura, but for the underworld. Ghostfluencer, if you will~ Hehe~ Anyways… try clicking it, the system has a special description for each rank."
Jin looked at the hovering phone, where his profile was still open, and clicked on the "Host Rank" context, which then showed a hidden description just below it.
🧟♂️ Host Rank: F | EXP: 0/500 |
Baby hosts twitching with fear. Likely to die in the first 10 minutes, but viewers adore your tragic optimism. Usually gains EXP by sobbing and stumbling through haunted hallways. The system and viewers think you're hilarious.
"Isn't it funny? HAHAHA~" Xiao Hei gleefully commented.
"Ha. Ha.… Yeah… Hilarious." Jin said, crying inside.
"Next is… Oh! Do you have any questions before we move on?"
"..... What's a Haunting event?"
"Ohhh that~ Right! Why did I forget to explain that haha~ My bad, my bad~ Okay, so haunting events, are your scheduled streams, it's like quests or missions in games… Haunting events take place in ghost hubs, where the GH.ST network's signal is strong. Once you go to the event's location, the system will give you a mission, and once you complete it, you gain EXP! And if you don't…. well, that just means you died. Hehe~"
"...… Mmm…. Why are E and F ranked at the same level? Shouldn't E be a little higher?"
"Oh that~ E and F are together, cause no matter how you put it, it's for weaklings, for beginners… They don't know how the system works yet, so survivability is low. The system grades the newbies based on how they survived the first ghost hub they went to. Usually, it's rank E…. But, looking back at what happened at that tunnel, your rank and skills do make sense now hahaha~"
"Skills?" Jin looked back at his profile.
💸 Skills: Fainting, Ghostly Potential, Ghost-Friendly Aura
"Fainting!?!? Why is that a skill?!?"
Xiao Hei snorted with laughter, rolling around in his little chibi form.
"Pfftt— It means you've got talent! Top-tier blackout speed! HAHAHA~" he said between giggles. "You're really, really good at it!"
Jin clicked on it and then read the skill description, hoping it was a joke.
It wasn't.
💤 Fainting (Active/Passive)
Description: Play dead like a pro and gain a chance of dodging death during hauntings.
- Active triggers have a 50% chance of activating Ghost Mercy after collapsing.
- Passive triggers occur when the host is extremely overwhelmed, emotionally wrecked, or in denial. Has a 70% activation rate in sudden ghost encounters.
- Passive triggers have a 100% chance of activating Ghost Mercy after collapsing.
- Lasts for 1 hour.
- Cooldown Time: 72 Hours (Active Trigger), 24 Hours (Passive Trigger)
- Gain 5% sanity recovery after activating Ghost Mercy.
- Evolves at Host Rank B.
"...What the hell is Ghost Mercy?" Jin groaned, burying his face in his hands.
"Oh~ That's when ghosts kinda... look at you like a broken doll. You know, like: 'Aww… this one's not even worth the effort' kind of thing. It's surprisingly effective! Think of it as passive defense by emotional breakdown~!"
Jin looked back and blankly stared at the screen. "…This is rigged."
"Nooo~ It's accurate… The system tracks your body's reactions and emotional outputs during hauntings. Fainting is an instinctual defense! Like a possum, but more pathetic. Viewers love it though! You got at least fifteen ghost comments during that tunnel event that said you were adorably weak and prime tragic boy material. Look!~" Xiao Hei swiped his tiny digital fingers across the chalkboard and brought up a chat log.
Dead - Viewer Comments from Tunnel Livestream:
[💀SkullDaddy88: bro passed out like a Victorian damsel lmaooo]
[🍓JiangshiJams: He's so adorably weak… I want to protect him but also feed on him 🥺💀]
[🖤YandereSpectre: if he dies, I'll kill everyone and then myself 😭]
[🥀Bloodstains4Views: That was the funniest blackout I've ever seen. 10/10]
"I… hate all of you," Jin muttered, dragging his hands down his face.
"Awww~ Don't be like that! Let's look at your other skills too!"
🌌 Ghostly Potential (Passive)
Description: A mysterious and unpredictable trait that's especially performance-based. More traits are added as you clear haunting events.
- 10% chance to unlock secret ghost memories when engaging in conversation.
- Evolves when the system wants it to.
Warning: May evolve into a powerful ability or a horrifying consequence.
Note: The system is watching you closely. 👁️
"Oohh~ Seems like the system sees something spicy in you~ Maybe, you're one of those tragic protagonists who gets awesome powers after dying a little inside, or maybe a fan-favorite, or maybe even a ghost yourself, who knows~hehehe~" Xiao Hei said as he floated back and forth excitedly.
"That's not comforting at all…" Jin said in a tired tone that hid a slight hint of excitement within him.
But Xiao Hei wasn't done yet.
"And then there's Ghost-Friendly Aura! Ooohhh ~ Another passive skill, Wow! 3 passive skills! Very rare~"
"Wonderful…" Jin muttered sarcastically as he read the skill's description.
🌿Ghost-Friendly Aura (Passive)
Description: A faint aura surrounds you, making you less threatening, so ghosts find you "approachable" due to your weak energy.
- 70% chance of low to mid-tier ghosts initiating interaction instead of combat.
- 30% chance of high-tier ghosts may find you "amusing" instead of "prey".
- Evolves at Host Rank A.
Warning: Does not affect vengeful or corrupted spirits and may attract obsessive ghosts.
"Hey! See ~ This one's good! Ghosts are more likely to talk to you, maybe even flirt with you, or haunt you…. but maybe mostly haunt. Hehe~"
Jin silently processed the last line written.
"…Wait…. What does it mean by obsessive ghosts? Like… stalker ghosts?"
Xiao Hei blinked innocently. "Mmmhm~ The kind that might think you're cute when you cry, and would want you for themselves."
"Great. Just what I need. Paranormal sadists."
Xiao Hei nodded enthusiastically, clearly enjoying every second of Jin's misery. "Yuuup and more~ Hehe~ Ghosts have personalities too ya' know… some even crazier than what you can imagine~ Tehee~"
Jin didn't even flinch. "How do I earn normal skills? Like… I don't know… 'Not Dying,' or 'Kicking a Ghost in the Face?'"
"Ohhhh those come later~ Once you prove you're not just a ghost snack with legs…. Also, you need to earn Soul Coins, first~ Hehe~"
"The currency of the dead, right?"
"Yup!" Xiao Hei clapped his hands and the chalkboard changed again, this time glowing with a cursed gold hue.
🪙 Soul Coins – Currency of the Dead
Earned through: Viewer/Follower Donations.
Bonus: Viral moments = Bonus Soul Coins!
Jin looked down at the zero coins in his balance and sighed. "Ha~ I'm broke in real life and the afterlife..."
He leaned back against the wall and mumbled to himself, "Is there even a way out of this? I die if I delete my channel… Is there a log out or sign out option? Or how about a way to terminate the binding contract? Wait, he did say my soul is now connected to the system, right?.... That means….."
"Right!~ …. There's no way out! Hahaha~" Xiao Hei answered, confirming his thoughts.
"Haaa~ Should I just give up now?" Jin said as he stared at the ceiling.
"Hey~ I wasn't done yet~ I was gonna say, there's no way out… as of now, but there might be one when you upgrade the system. Right now, you're at Tier 0, think of it as the entrance exam or tutorial stage… Go on, click on it and check."
📊 System Status: Tier 0 - Newborn Screamer (Streamer)
"Welcome, GhostQiang. Your scream matters." – GH.ST Network
Requirements: Marked
Unlocks: Ghost Moderator role, Ghost viewer donations, Ghost fan mails and gifts, Cursed phone, 4k body camera, Black hoodie.
System Permissions: The Host has no permissions. The moderator has limited permissions.
Moderator Permissions:
Can ban Low-Tier Spirits from chat temporarily. (7 Days).
Can approve or deny incoming direct messages to the Host.
Next Tier Requirements: 10K total followers (7k Dead followers), Host Rank (D), 1,999 Soul coins.
Unlocks: Haunt Schedule, DeadFeed, Contracts +1 slot, Haunted Sponsorship.
"See~! You're still at the baby tier, but once you survive Haunting Events and entertain the ghost viewers, you can upgrade the system tier. Then, you'll unlock more features, like shop access, contract slots, and many more~!" Xiao Hei beamed proudly.
"Ten thousand followers… Seven thousand of them have to be dead… Host rank D… and I need to pay 1,999 Soul coins… Ha!!~ This isn't a system! It's a scam!!!" Jin's voice cracked as he pointed accusingly at the chalkboard, making the hood of his made-up cloak fall from his head.
Xiao Hei smiled angelically, as if he hadn't just ruined this poor man's life.
"Scam?~ Hehe~ Nooo~ It's opportunity! You're in the hottest new niche, Ghostfluencing! You're practically a rising star with a chronic death wish!~hehe~"
Jin looked like he was just done with everything and gave up on the idea of trying, as he slowly reached out to close the laptop.
"OH NO, NO, NO YOU DON'T!!!" Xiao Hei yelped, arms flailing as if he'd fall off the screen. "Don't make me ghost-nag you! You wanna survive, right?! You've already been marked, so might as well make the most of it!!! Think of it as your second life career~!"
"I didn't even finish my first one…" Jin mumbled, looking defeated.
"Exactly! So now you can rebrand~ You're no longer just Jin Qiang, the broke streamer with bots that make up half of his max viewer count of 12…. Now you're GhostQiang! A Host for the GH.ST Network! Where your screams reach the afterlife!" Xiao Hei flung sparkles and ghost emojis around dramatically and was enjoying himself.
Jin, on the other hand, looked like he wanted to scream but had no energy to do so.