I Became A Ghost In A Horror Game-Chapter 88: Vengeance?

Bonus: The Machine God and Alice

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Pinocchio attacked the Organization.

Currently, Pinocchio’s puppets and the Organization’s Division 0-5 were engaged in a fierce battle, and amidst the chaos, Pinocchio successfully infiltrated the facility.

Of course, the Organization’s combat operatives tried to stop him, but Pinocchio effortlessly subdued any agent who stood in his way.

They wielded various weapons, primarily relying on firearms.

"Guns, huh? A useful tool."

However, against Pinocchio, those guns were nothing more than outdated instruments.

After analyzing the basic mechanics of the firearms, he swiftly neutralized the agents, turning them into wooden puppets.

"Your combat skills are quite refined—good reference material. I’ll spare your lives as payment for this fine display. After all, I am a merchant."

Pinocchio strolled leisurely down the corridor.

With an army of puppets at his disposal, the Organization’s downfall seemed inevitable.

After all, this was just a division.

Most of the Organization’s forces were occupied outside, barely holding out against his puppets in an all-out assault while struggling to contain anomalies that should never have been set loose.

On top of that, they had unknowingly sealed away many of his puppets, mistaking them for anomalies, only to have them wreak havoc from within.

Unless the facility was blown to smithereens, nothing would interfere with his plans.

And, of course, thanks to his "lies," such an explosion was now impossible.

However, something managed to momentarily trouble him.

"...Hmm. Seems like they employ monsters as staff."

A creature emerged from around the corner.

A gorilla with abnormally large feet, its massive body towering as it let out a roar.

In a single motion, it kicked a puppet to pieces.

It wasn’t an easy puppet to destroy.

"Ah... an anomaly. Must’ve escaped nearby. Perfect. My target is among you lot anyway. Care to guide me to where the other anomalies are?"

The creature responded not with words but with action—launching itself toward Pinocchio.

His puppets stepped forward to intercept.

The narrow corridor prevented him from deploying larger puppets, causing them to struggle slightly.

"...So, you can’t understand speech, I see."

As their formation crumbled, a blade-wielding puppet prepared to step in, but Pinocchio ordered it to stand down.

He wanted to observe the creature’s abilities further.

Then, he suddenly spoke to the rampaging beast.

"You cannot attack me. Because... you’re utterly exhausted and drained, aren’t you?"

The creature’s body slumped.

A deep fatigue weighed it down, its eyes growing hazy.

As Pinocchio’s words dictated, exhaustion overtook it, crushing its strength.

"I’m right, aren’t I? It’s an undeniable [truth]."

Pinocchio approached the immobilized monster, observing it closely.

Aside from its heightened physical abilities, it seemed to lack any notable powers.

He shook his head.

"So, just enhanced physical capabilities? No other special traits?"

Annoyed by its interference, he reshaped his hand into a saw and raised it high, preparing to decapitate the creature.

"...!"

Suddenly, Pinocchio leaped back.

His demonic senses had sharpened.

Just now... something was slightly dangerous.

From the heads of nearby puppets, french fries had begun to sprout.

Like parasites, they burrowed through the puppets’ bodies, rendering them useless.

"Would you like a hamburger? Just the sandwich, or a combo meal?"

A woman dressed in a well-known fast-food uniform smiled pleasantly as she asked.

Pinocchio immediately realized—this was no ordinary human.

His puppets lunged at her.

But the woman lifted a newly materialized kiosk with inhuman strength and slammed them aside.

"These anomalous creatures are truly unpredictable."

Using the kiosk as a shield, she continued growing french fries inside the puppets’ heads, making a direct assault inefficient.

Of course, he could simply crush her with sheer force.

But taking her down himself seemed faster.

Pinocchio stepped forward.

At that moment, his foot collapsed.

"What—?"

Immediately after, his right arm disintegrated.

He realized—his shadow had fallen before his actual body.

And within it, there was another unfamiliar silhouette.

"Shadow-dwelling entities, huh?"

What a nuisance.

From the darkness came the sound of children giggling.

Like playful pranksters.

Pinocchio quickly regenerated his missing limbs.

"I am a craftsman. With a touch of ‘lies,’ I can forge tools that chase away shadows."

His hand was empty.

Yet, as he mimicked the motion of gripping scissors—

Snip!

The shadow was severed.

A metallic clang followed, as if invisible scissors had been broken.

"Hmph, durability is lacking. Needs improvement."

One down.

Next?

Pinocchio turned his head—only to see more creatures forcing their way past his puppet army.

Even more than before.

At this point, he could somewhat sympathize with the Organization’s struggles.

"KYAAAAAACK—!"

"HAMBURGER! HAMBURGER! HAMBURGER!"

"Excuse me, may I remove your intestines?"

"You’re infected. Let me cure you."

Each entity declared its own bizarre, nonsensical lines before charging at him.

Pinocchio muttered under his breath.

"Boltzmann brains, all of you. Why do you defy the rules? Why do you keep appearing endlessly?"

Because they ignored logic, it was difficult to deduce their abilities.

A priest would use holy magic.

A soldier would wield weapons.

A magician would cast spells.

But these things?

They possessed only incomprehensible and irritating powers.

Tired of the endless influx, Pinocchio spoke once more.

"Why do you even exist?"

"You are not myth or folklore."

"You appeared from nowhere, without origin, doing nothing but tormenting humans."

"That’s all you are—meaningless terrors born from nothing, repeating creation and destruction without purpose."

Then, with an indifferent tone, he delivered his final words:

"So, you were never real to begin with."

And with that, the creatures blocking his path—

—ceased to exist.

As if they had never been there.

Silence followed.

Satisfied, Pinocchio nodded.

"Finally, some peace."

Clap. Clap. Clap.

"Impressive."

A sweet, melodic voice spoke behind him.

A girl with golden hair and deep blue eyes.

Alice.

"Meaningless terrors, huh? But wouldn’t their existence be justified if they’re fun? Or maybe not."

"Alice."

"Yes, it’s me. The naive demon who you betrayed... Care to explain yourself?"

Alice’s smile was bright.

But her eyes?

Not even a psychopath would mistake them for anything other than sheer, seething fury.

Pinocchio looked at her—

And spoke a single word.

A word Alice hadn’t expected.

"Congratulations."

"...What?"

Dumbfounded, she asked back.

Pinocchio continued, as if reciting a story.

"I congratulated you for surviving. Surprised? I never held any ill will toward you in the first place. Of course, if you want compensation for what happened, I’ll make it worth your while."

"Hahaha... You sure have the audacity to say that."

"It was merely a strategy to take down the Machine God. I bore you no malice, so don’t take it too personally."

Alice let out a sigh, realizing that trying to reason with Pinocchio was pointless.

Negotiating after all this—he truly had no self-awareness.

If she kept arguing, she’d probably burst a blood vessel.

So, she gave up on that topic entirely.

"Anyway, what was that just now? Those things completely disappeared. Terrifying."

Alice questioned Pinocchio about the creatures that had vanished in an instant.

Uncharacteristically, Pinocchio responded with a touch of wit.

"Hmm. What are you talking about? Weren’t they never there to begin with?"

A blatant lie.

Alice saw through it immediately.

"Ah, I see. A lie, huh? That was way stronger than what you showed before... You used the Machine God’s gears."

Did the Machine God’s power simply suit Pinocchio?

Or had he planned this from the start?

Alice narrowed her eyes at him, and Pinocchio nodded.

"Correct. My lies could always influence reality, but the effect was never this strong.

"Lies were akin to spoken enchantments—I could say someone was strong, and they’d gain strength. I could say it was raining, and rain would fall.

"But I could never make something cease to exist altogether."

Now, however—

Alice frowned, visibly unsettled.

"That’s a damn cheat."

Then she cut to the chase.

"So why’d you attack the Organization?"

"Isn’t it obvious?

"Anomalous beings possess all sorts of powers.

"Among them, I’m looking for those who can alter reality.

"I’ll make my power even stronger."

Anomalous entities came in endless varieties.

It wasn’t unreasonable to assume the Organization had at least one anomaly with strong reality-warping abilities.

A genie in a lamp, perhaps.

But Pinocchio hadn’t attacked based on a mere hunch.

He had built a tool.

A machine that answered questions.

However, like all of Pinocchio’s tools, it had major flaws.

Its durability was as fragile as glass, or its success rate was one in ten.

This particular machine could answer his questions—but its responses were frustratingly vague and abstract.

Pinocchio had tried modifying it with lies, but entities with similar reality-warping abilities resisted his influence, preventing satisfactory results.

What he did manage to extract, however, were five cryptic words:

Oz.

Demon.

Organization.

Endkeeper’s Pen.

Dominator.

These words were clues—leading him to powerful forces that could reshape the world.

That was why he had come to the Organization.

"I see. Well, I have no reason to stop you."

"Appreciate it."

"But tell me something. What do you plan to do with reality-warping power? Sorry for prying, but this is important to me."

Pinocchio had no reason not to answer.

In fact, he hoped Alice would share his ideology.

"I don’t mind telling you. Alice, you came from a horror game. You’ve been chased by countless terrifying entities, haven’t you?"

"That’s right."

"For humans, that’s a tragedy.

"To be born prey, destined only to run. That’s just cruel."

"...I suppose so?"

Something felt off.

But Alice nodded anyway.

"So, I made a decision.

"I’ll give them weapons.

"Weapons so powerful that they won’t need to run anymore.

"Not just mechanical limbs.

"I’ll alter their bodies, grant them strength surpassing any weapon.

"They may cease to be human, but so what?"

Silence.

Then Alice asked, in a quiet voice:

"And what about their consent?"

"Who cares?

"Sometimes, there are things more important than consent.

"Do stage directors ask the actors for permission before changing the script?"

Most of the time, they make their own judgment and force things into place.

Because they are the ones in control.

As soon as Pinocchio finished speaking, a blade sliced past his cheek.

Mirrors floated around them.

An ominous power surged from Alice.

Pinocchio instinctively stepped back.

"I see now. You have no intention of liberating anyone. You just want control.

"You’re no different from the Machine God."

Pinocchio wasn’t sure what part of his words had provoked her.

But if a fight was inevitable, then so be it.

"I don’t understand. But grand endeavors always require a few necessary conflicts."

Alice stomped on the metallic floor, propelling herself forward like a bullet.

She ran along the walls at blistering speed, closing the distance instantly.

Pinocchio reflexively reached out—

But Alice grabbed his arm first and slammed him into the ground.

CRACK!

"Hmph. That was brutal for a little girl."

She was not just a little girl.

Alice reached into a mirror.

She pulled out something resembling a seed.

"Loading round."

Alice hurled the seed, physically embedding it into Pinocchio’s body.

His armor caved in momentarily—

But then, his body immediately repaired itself.

"What did you do?"

"Hmm~ I was trying to plant a plant-type anomaly inside you. But I guess... you’re not wood anymore?"

"I see."

It was true.

The scent, the texture—his body was no longer wooden.

It was closer to metal.

A side effect of using the Machine God’s gears, no doubt.

Pinocchio wondered why he hadn’t noticed his own transformation earlier.

But this was no time for reflection.

He commanded his puppets forward.

Alice crushed one beneath her foot, ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) inspecting the material.

"Pure metal.

"Well then—

"I can eat to my heart’s content."

Alice reached into her mirror.

She pulled out a familiar creature.

One that Pinocchio recognized.

The Bulgasari.

A metal-devouring beast.

"Ah. The one that gave the Machine God trouble."

Pinocchio decided—this was one threat he had to personally handle.

The more the Bulgasari ate, the bigger it would grow.

But—

It was weak to heat.

Pinocchio instantly crafted a high-temperature weapon.

And then—

"Huh?"

[Security checkpoint. Beep beep beep beep—Oh? What’s this? I’m sorry, but dangerous weapons must be confiscated.]

A man in a security uniform suddenly appeared, scanning Pinocchio’s body with a handheld detector.

An anomaly spawned from the fear of being disarmed.

Without even lifting a finger, it stole Pinocchio’s weapon and vanished.

He felt a deep sense of unfairness.

"How are the creatures you control any different from other anomalies?"

"Well... maybe they aren’t."

Alice shrugged.

While she spoke, Pinocchio combined his puppets into a massive arm.

In a narrow, straight corridor—there was no dodging a direct punch.

Alice recognized this.

So instead of dodging—

She pulled a snack from her pocket.

It read: "Eat Me."

She swallowed it—

And expanded her own fist to match his.

—BOOM!

The impact sent them both flying backward.

Now at a distance—

The two demons prepared their next moves.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

SHRRRRK!

The first successful strike belonged to Pinocchio.

He thrust his newly forged blade toward Alice—

And in that moment, the blade extended, severing Alice’s arm.

"Ugh?!"

Alice immediately retreated into the mirrors.

Although Pinocchio had the advantage, finding Alice among the countless reflections was nearly impossible.

And even if he did locate her, there was no way to strike her down while she remained inside.

Either way, he had no choice.

It was time to lie again.

He preferred to avoid relying on such a power—it was far too draining.

But he had no alternative.

"...Alice suddenly emerged from the mirror and surrendered."

"?!"

Alice was forcibly expelled from the mirror.

She looked completely bewildered.

But—

She did not surrender.

As another transcendent being, she resisted his lie.

Pinocchio drew his sword and lunged.

He raised it high, aiming to cleave her head from her shoulders.

And then—

Alice pulled out a phone.

A phone call? In this situation?

No—this was an attack.

Recognizing the threat, Pinocchio braced himself.

"Hello? This is Alice. I’m right behind you."

"...!"

A blow struck the back of his head.

Alice had teleported behind him and struck him down.

Pinocchio collapsed from the impact.

"You’ve gotten stronger."

"Still have the breath to talk?"

Alice reached into the mirror again.

This time, she pulled out an anomaly.

A girl holding a telephone.

"Mary. Call him."

Riiiiiing!

Phones sprouted like vines from Pinocchio’s body, ringing incessantly.

Pinocchio ignored them and charged forward.

"Cheshire!"

Meow~

A cat’s cry rang out.

And then—Alice disappeared.

She had turned invisible.

Riiiiiing!

The phone calls continued.

Her combat style was infuriating—a chaotic mix of distractions, illusions, and anomalies.

Pinocchio sliced away the growing phones and quickly forged a pair of glasses that could see the invisible.

Of course, instantly created items lacked durability.

The glasses shattered the moment he put them on—

But in that instant—

He saw Alice.

"There!"

CLANG!

He slashed, forcing Alice back into visibility as she blocked his strike.

"Done with the cheap tricks?"

"Not yet."

Riiiiiiing—!

The severed phones grew back.

And then—

BOOM!

They exploded.

The force sent Pinocchio staggering.

Alice didn’t waste the opportunity—

She kicked him with full force.

Pinocchio soared like a cannonball, crashing into the wall.

Dust rose as he struggled to his feet, his body in shambles.

"So they explode if you don’t answer, huh? Annoying. Your arsenal of abilities is so absurdly vast that gathering data on you is becoming pointless."

He muttered to himself, surveying his surroundings.

"And?"

More creatures emerged from the mirrors.

Every single one was an irritating, gimmick-ridden entity.

His puppets had already been devoured by the Bulgasari.

Unless he called for reinforcements from outside, the fight was as good as lost.

Pinocchio glanced at Alice—who had already regenerated her arm.

"I didn’t want to do this. But I have no choice.

"This is a warning, Alice. If you don’t back down now, I will erase you."

His voice was cold.

Even though overusing his reality-warping ability would drain him dangerously low—

Alice was just one person.

He could afford to erase her.

Alice blinked slowly.

Then, in an unexpectedly delicate voice, she spoke.

"To erase someone... as if they never existed... Ah. That’s terrifying."

Her tone was quiet.

Unlike before, she didn’t sound like a combatant.

For a moment—Pinocchio thought she might be persuaded.

"Then—"

"But... if you can’t actually kill me, then your threats are just a form of entertainment."

Alice smiled.

"It’s your turn now."

She tilted her head—

And then spoke to someone else.

A mirror behind her rose into the air.

It was different from the others.

It was blood-red.

A deeply unsettling presence radiated from it.

"...What is that?"

"This is the most primal fear of all.

"Older than darkness. Older than death.

"An anomaly so powerful that it would never appear as long as I existed."

Pinocchio felt an unfamiliar sensation.

Something he had never felt before.

Rushing urgency.

Something catastrophic was about to happen.

"Is what we see truly real?

"Stories, illusions, reflections in mirrors—it's all fleeting.

"Maybe we’re just dreams, meaningless and scattered.

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"Isn’t that terrifying?

"To realize that we were never significant to begin with?"

Pinocchio’s instincts screamed.

He had to erase this.

NOW.

A surge of power gathered around him—

Far beyond anything he had used before.

"Was it I who dreamt of becoming a butterfly? Or was I merely a butterfly dreaming of being me?

"So many questions. And yet, here he sleeps—

"The one who must never be awakened...

"The Red King."

Pinocchio erased Alice.

"...What? What just happened?!"

For the first time, Pinocchio was visibly shaken.

Gone was his usual emotionless demeanor.

"Alice! Answer me!"

Silence.

Alice was gone.

She couldn’t answer.

For a moment, an inexplicable unease gnawed at him.

He turned his head, forcing himself to stay composed.

"...Was it a bluff? Why did I... waver?"

And just like that—

Alice was erased from existence.

And that was how it should have been.

Because Alice is the dream of the [Red King].

"—?!!"

Pinocchio was horrified.

For a single, fleeting moment—

His body had been utterly shattered.

'What... happened?!'

He turned his gaze toward the entity that had destroyed him.

A king with a twisted, distorted grin.

A figure red as blood.

Something far more malevolent than anything he had ever faced.

Not even the Machine God could compare.

If he remained here—

He would die.

That was a fact.

And if he wished to deny reality—

Then he had to lie again.

Pinocchio gathered his strength—

And erased the Red King.

—

—

—But that was only natural.

Because the Red King was the dream of [Alice].

"Kuh..."

As Pinocchio hurriedly reconstructed his body—

Click. Clack.

Footsteps echoed.

The sound of Alice approaching.

The Alice who should have been erased.

Smiling, she greeted him cheerfully.

"Hello? Long time no see. This form suits me better, doesn’t it?"

"I erased you!"

Pinocchio roared.

Alice’s grin only widened.

"My, my~ You’re showing so many emotions now. So surprised, even. Fufufu."

"...!"

Something felt wrong.

Deep inside, something was stirring.

Had she done something to him earlier?

He could feel it—like a sprouting seed within him.

But now was not the time to dwell on it.

"I don’t know what trick you pulled, but this time—I'll erase you for good!"

Pinocchio erased Alice.

And so—

Alice disappeared from the world.

—

—

—But that was only natural.

Because Alice was the dream of the [Red King].

CRACK!

Once again—

Pinocchio’s body was destroyed.

The Red King stood beside him, sneering.

His mind reeled.

'But I erased it...!'

No.

It didn’t matter whether he succeeded or not—

If he didn’t erase it again, he would die.

Even losing to Alice would be better than facing this monster.

He gathered his strength one final time.

This was it.

After this, he would be out of power.

He erased the Red King.

—

—

"Are you satisfied now?"

"..."

Alice whispered into his ear.

Though he had yet to fully restore his body—

She was right beside him.

"Of course you can’t erase it.

"The Red King and I cannot exist at the same time.

"It’s only natural, isn’t it? You can’t erase something that doesn’t exist.

"Unfortunate, huh?

"Pathetic. Idiot. Dumbass. You’ve got no friends, do you?"

The Red King’s condition for awakening—

Was the absence of Alice.

And the condition for Alice’s existence—

Was the absence of the Red King.

Was the Red King Alice’s creation?

Or was Alice merely a fragment of the Red King?

No one knew.

Alice deliberately taunted Pinocchio further.

"Ah~ So you plan to remake people into weapons? But look at you—so weak yourself.

"Even with the Machine God's power, this is all you can manage? What exactly do you think you can accomplish? Hm?"

Silence.

Pinocchio gave no response.

Alice paused, thinking.

He still believed he was working for the good of humanity—

Even if his methods were nothing more than control.

If that was the case—

"You stand above others and modify them? That’s pitiful. The one who truly needs modification—

"—is you."

She hesitated.

Even for her, this next line was cruel.

But she steeled herself—

And said it anyway.

"You are nothing more than a worthless, useless tool—

"—who can’t protect anyone and can’t save a single soul."

For a long moment, Pinocchio didn’t move.

Then—

His body shook.

"You... you... YOU!!!"

"Oh? Did I make you mad? That’s strange. You always acted like someone who had no emotions."

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!"

"Heh. Why don’t you check for yourself?"

Alice smirked.

Pinocchio’s rage reached its peak.

Around him, metal and wood fused together, expanding his body.

Alice tensed.

'Good. Just as planned. But... wow, he’s really mad. My conscience hurts a little.'

Pinocchio had already decided.

He would destroy this entire division.

Alice noticed.

And without hesitation—

She fled.

"ALICE—!!!"

Pinocchio roared, chasing after her.

Alice turned back slightly and smiled.

"Oh? Looks like you’re finally serious about fighting."

"But too bad—"

"Time’s up!"

She held up her pocket watch.

Inside, a cherry blossom tree bloomed.

The clock pointed to 13:00.

—CRACK. CRACK.

Cherry blossom branches pierced through Pinocchio’s metal-plated armor.

Soft, fragrant petals fluttered through the air—

Yet there was something melancholy about them.

Alice gently whispered to the barely conscious Pinocchio.

"Have you ever heard the old tale?

'There’s always a corpse buried beneath a cherry blossom tree.'

"A chilling story, isn’t it?

"But no one ever asks who those corpses were, or why they were buried there."

She placed a hand on his metal-plated chest.

"Now—look back at your own corpse.

"Who were you, Pinocchio?"

His vision darkened.