I Got Reincarnated as a Zombie Girl

Soft golden light slowly crept through the gaps of the black velvet curtains in the main bedroom of Persephone’s Castle, replacing the shadows of night with the quiet warmth of an underworld morning. There was no crowing of roosters or chirping of birds like in the mortal world; the only sign of the changing day in this sacred sanctuary was the shift in the frequency of mana vibrations in the air, which felt increasingly fresh and sweet in the chest.

Sylvia opened her eyes slowly. Her eyelids blinked several times, adjusting her blood-red and silver pupils to the dim lighting of the room.

The first sensation that greeted her mind was an extraordinarily peaceful silence, a drastic contrast to the Primordial region of yesterday. Yet when she tried to stretch one arm to the side, her brows furrowed slightly.

The surface of the black-and-gold silk sheets on her right and left felt cold.

Sylvia propped up her upper body with one elbow and scanned the enormous king-size bed. Sure enough, the bed that the previous night had been filled by the three Sisters was now completely empty. Alicia, who usually slept as peacefully as a snow princess, and Stacia were nowhere to be seen in the room.

The only existence still remaining on the bed was an extraordinarily plump ball of gold-cream fur. Sol the sacred Golden Dragon in the form of a Ragdoll cat was still sleeping soundly right in the embrace of Sylvia’s left arm. Its body was curled comfortably, its plump belly rising and falling regularly, producing a low-frequency purr that made the silk blanket around it vibrate gently like a miniature heating machine.

"How unusual..." Sylvia murmured softly, her eyes fixed on Stacia’s side of the bed where the sheets had already been neatly arranged.

A small smile formed at the corner of her lips when she realized how rare this occurrence was. Alicia waking up earlier was indeed common; her second older sister had a very regular biological cycle and always made time to absorb spiritual dew particles at dawn. But Stacia? That bookworm girl was usually the most nocturnal creature who hated morning light the most. Under normal conditions, after a heavy battle that triggered mana overload, Stacia could sleep like a living corpse until midday or even until the mortal sun set without opening her eyes at all. Stacia waking up before nine in the morning was a violation of natural law equivalent to snow falling in hell.

Sylvia sat up fully and performed a small stretch. Kretekk... kretekk... The light shifting of her spinal joints could be heard in the silence of the room.

Although the internal injuries from the giant’s gravitational pressure yesterday had been completely healed by Goddess Persephone’s life magic, the physical sensation on the outer part of her body felt uncomfortable. Her skin felt sticky from dried cold sweat, residual dust seemed to still cling to her pores, and there was a slight dullness on the fine hairs at the tips of her fingers from the forced effects of Death Flame radiation. For someone with sensory sensitivity as high as Sylvia’s, this sticky and dusty feeling truly disturbed her morning calm.

"Sol, wake up," Sylvia whispered while gently patting the plump back of the golden Ragdoll cat.

Miao...? Sol lifted its head with its still half-closed sapphire-blue eyes, casting a lazy gaze as if asking why its precious sleep time was being interrupted.

"We’re going to bathe," Sylvia said without leaving room for argument.

With one deft motion, she slipped both hands under Sol’s belly and lifted the several-kilogram dragon-cat into her arms. True to the nature of the Ragdoll breed, Sol immediately relaxed every muscle in its body, its large legs hung limply downward, its head rested resignedly on Sylvia’s shoulder without resistance, leaving only its thick, fluffy tail swaying slowly.

Sylvia stepped barefoot out of the main bedroom, crossing the corridors of Persephone’s Castle with their polished black obsidian stone floors. The palace walls were lined with crystal torches that emitted cold purple flames, while the fragrant scent of asphodel flowers guided her steps toward the northeastern area of the castle where the royal underworld bathing facilities were located.

The moment Sylvia pushed open the double doors made of ancient agarwood at the end of the corridor, warm steam carrying the fragrance of natural minerals, pomegranate petals, and sandalwood essence immediately swept across her face.

The bathing hall of Persephone’s Castle was no ordinary bathroom; this room was a colossal dome with a transparent crystal glass roof that revealed the sacred purple sky of the underworld. In the center of the room was a natural hot spring the size of a small lake, carved directly from pearl-white jade. The water rippled gently, clear as glass yet radiating a warm bluish color due to the high concentration of earth mana and healing minerals contained within it. At the edges of the pool, fountains from black obsidian dragon statues continuously poured fresh hot water that produced thin mist floating above the surface.

"A perfect place," Sylvia whispered with satisfied, sparkling eyes.

She set Sol down on the warm jade floor, then quickly removed the black-and-gold silk sleepwear clinging to her body. Without the slightest hesitation, Sylvia walked to the edge of the pool and jumped in.

BYURRR!!

Warm water splashed into the air as Sylvia fully submerged herself into the bottom of the jade pool. The sensation of heat seeping into her skin was extraordinarily pleasant. The mineral-rich water immediately reacted with her pores, dissolving all dirt, residual dust, and miasma residue clinging to her skin in an instant. The warmth traveled into her muscle tissue and bones, unraveling the joint tension that had stiffened from bearing the weight of the giant scythe the day before.

Sylvia resurfaced with a long, relieved breath. She swept her long black hair back, allowing it to float beautifully on the clear water’s surface.

At the edge of the pool, Sol stared at the steaming, rippling water with curiosity. For ordinary cats, water was a natural enemy, but Sol was no ordinary cat. Its core was a golden dragon that loved heat energy. Without hesitation, the golden Ragdoll cat leaped from the jade edge and landed right beside Sylvia.

Plung!

Instead of sinking or panicking, Sol’s plump body floated comfortably on the surface of the hot water like a furry float. Its thick fur was waterproof thanks to its own aura layer, so only the pads of its feet and lower belly were touched by the warmth of the pool water. Sol paddled its legs leisurely, approached Sylvia’s chest, then rested its chin on the water’s edge while closing its eyes and resuming its loud purring.

Prrrrr... prrrr...

Sylvia laughed softly at the antics of her beloved dragon. She leaned her back against the smooth jade wall at the edge of the pool, stretched both legs out in the hot water, and tilted her head upward to gaze at the glass sky of the bathing dome.

However, the pleasure of physical relaxation was suddenly interrupted by a rather loud growl from her stomach.

Kruuukkk...

Sylvia held her completely empty stomach. The massive burning of energy reserves while activating the three-soul fusion form yesterday had not only drained her spiritual mana but also triggered an extremely severe physical calorie deficit in her body. She needed real nutritional intake, not just natural mana.

"System, open personal storage space," Sylvia thought.

A small golden magic circle interface lit up right in front of the pool’s water surface. From within that dimensional storage space, Sylvia pulled out a special waterproof floating wooden tray, then manifested various high-class snacks she had stored from previous sanctuary cities: several skewers of grilled venison coated in sweet-spicy honey, warm steamed buns filled with smoked meat, fresh peach slices, and a bag of savory butter-flavored potato chips.

The moment the aroma of honey-glazed grilled meat and butter seasoning drifted through the hot steam, Sol’s pair of sapphire-blue eyes snapped wide open.

MIAO!!

The lazy cat’s purring instantly transformed into a demanding cry. Sol’s pupils dilated, its eyes glowing brightly as if seeing the most important treasure in the universe. The plump golden cat paddled quickly through the hot water toward the floating wooden tray, its soft pink nose sniffing the air with explosive enthusiasm. One large paw even rose, ready to snatch a skewer of venison.

"Hey! Don’t just take it like that, you greedy thing," Sylvia scolded while lightly swatting Sol’s paw with an amused smile. "Are you a sacred light-element dragon or a street alley cat?"

Miao... miao... Sol whimpered with a deliberately pitiful tone, its reddish-gold ears folding slightly downward as if it were the most suffering creature that hadn’t been fed for a thousand years.

"Alright, alright. Here’s your share." Sylvia could never resist that pitiful gaze. She took two large skewers of honey-glazed meat, removed the meat from the wooden sticks so it wouldn’t hurt Sol’s mouth, and placed them in a small bowl at the edge of the tray.

In the blink of an eye, Sol pounced on those pieces of meat with lightning speed that proved the remnants of its predatory dragon reflexes, chewing them with an expression of heavenly bliss until the fur on its tail trembled with joy. Sylvia herself took a warm meat bun, biting into it slowly while savoring the savory flavor in her mouth combined with the warmth of the pool water caressing her body.

Not long after they began enjoying their small feast in the middle of the pool, the agarwood door of the bathing hall slid open again.

Soft, rhythmic footsteps could be heard treading across the jade floor. Sylvia turned toward the door and saw a girl stepping in through the warm steam.

It was Alicia.

Yet there was something very different about her older sister’s appearance this morning. Usually, to conserve energy consumption or while in battle, Alicia always maintained her Maiden of Spirit form, a pure silver-white semi-transparent spirit form that floated without touching the ground. However, right now she had deactivated her spirit form and returned to using her full physical human form.

Alicia’s physical body looked so perfect and real. Her porcelain-white skin radiated a natural healthy flush, no longer the cold silver paleness. Her long silver hair shimmered as it cascaded beautifully down her back, swaying gently with every step of her feet on the floor. This form of flesh and blood was so beautiful, radiating the aura of a sacred goddess that soothed the heart of anyone who saw her.

"Mmm, the sweet aroma of grilled meat reached all the way to the outer corridor," Alicia’s voice flowed soft and melodious the sound of a physical vocal cord that felt warmer compared to her usual spirit telepathy resonance. She smiled as she looked at Sylvia who was chewing a meat bun in the pool.

"Alicia! Why are you using your physical form?" Sylvia asked curiously, shifting her snack tray slightly to make space.

Alicia walked to the edge of the pool, removed her sleep robe, then slowly stepped down the jade stone steps into the hot spring. The water touching her physical skin made Alicia let out a long, relieved sigh.

"Because the spirit form can’t feel the pleasure of this mana-infused hot water, Sylvia," Alicia answered with a sweet smile. She lowered her body until the pool water covered her white shoulders. Her long silver hair floated beautifully on the steaming surface, wet and clinging softly to the skin of her neck. "After yesterday’s heavy battle, the physical sensation of hot water stretching real muscles is the best medicine. Besides, the mana inside Persephone’s Castle is extremely dense, so maintaining a flesh body doesn’t consume any of our energy at all."

Alicia sat side by side to Sylvia’s left, leaning her back against the jade wall with half-closed eyes as she enjoyed the warmth of the pool. Her slender hand reached out to take a piece of crystal peach from the floating tray, biting into it lightly and savoring the cold sweet taste of the fruit that blended perfectly with the hot water surrounding her.

Sylvia looked around the still spacious and calm pool. "By the way, where’s Stacia? It’s so unusual for the bed to be empty before ten in the morning. Did her brain system short-circuit because of yesterday’s enemy?"

Hearing that question, Alicia’s soft laughter rang out like the chime of silver bells. "You know yourself how your eldest sister behaves when she’s curious about something, Sylvia."

"Don’t tell me..." Sylvia narrowed her eyes.

"Yes," Alicia nodded while rubbing hot water over her shoulders. "Very early this morning, around five at dawn, she jumped straight out of bed without even washing her face. She went to Persephone’s Great Library in the western wing of the castle."

"That explains it..." Sylvia patted her wet forehead with one hand while shaking her head. "It must be because of the Grimoire."

"Exactly," Alicia’s smile widened. "She felt unsatisfied because during yesterday’s fusion, about thirteen percent of the ancient runes inside her Grimoire weren’t satisfactory according to her standards. She also wanted to dissect the anatomical structure and mineral composition of the rank-nine asteroid from the residual data of the crystal core we destroyed yesterday. When I passed by the library earlier, she was already buried among fifty ancient underworld scrolls with blazing eyes."

"That workaholic," Sylvia grumbled casually, though in her heart she felt grateful to have an older sister so unmatched in dedication to knowledge and tactical analysis. Without Stacia’s insane calculations, their scythe slash yesterday would never have reached absolute efficiency.

The atmosphere inside the hot spring dome was once again filled with comfortable silence. Only the sound of water cascading from the obsidian dragon statues could be heard, the chewing sounds of Sol as it ate its third piece of meat, and the relaxed breathing of two beautiful girls recovering their bodies in the sacred pool.

In the middle of that calm, Sylvia placed the remainder of her meat bun on the tray. She closed her eyes for a moment and focused her consciousness into the center of her soul core.

’System, display main status window,’ Sylvia commanded inwardly.

BZZTT!

A semi-transparent holographic panel colored gold-red suddenly opened right in front of Sylvia’s retinal field of vision, reflecting soft light above the steaming pool water:

Name: Sylvia Hortensia

Race: Mortifera – Primordial Undead of Absolute Death (Rank 6)

Element: Death, Death Wood, Death Flame

Level: 400 / 400

Sylvia’s crimson eyes stared at the rows of golden numbers and text blinking on her system screen.

Level 400.

A monumental achievement that was the highest limit for mortal and demigod beings in this sanctuary tower. The number 400 was not merely an ordinary increase in power; it was the gateway boundary toward Tier 7, a stage of existence where one no longer borrowed the laws of nature, but began writing their own laws of nature within an absolute domain equal to legendary beings.

The experience reward from annihilating the final boss of the Primordial Zenith land armored in rank-nine asteroid had truly been beyond reason, directly boosting her level that had been stuck at 380 straight into the maximum wall of 400 in a single battle.

"Level four hundred, huh..." Sylvia whispered softly, her voice heard by Alicia who was beside her.

Alicia turned, looking at the reflection of the holographic panel in her sister’s eyes. Her eyes sparkled with pride. "You’ve reached it, Sylvia?"

"Mm," Sylvia nodded slightly. "The system has already requested confirmation to begin the evolution process to the next stage."

"That’s amazing," Alicia’s smile grew even softer, her warm physical hand reaching out to stroke Sylvia’s hair that was wet from the pool water. "If you evolve to Tier seven, your mana capacity will multiply the duration we can maintain our fused form. We won’t be limited by that torturous fifteen-minute limit anymore."

However, instead of pressing the ’Y’ button on the tempting blinking system screen, Sylvia raised her finger and pressed the small cross icon in the upper corner of the holographic panel.

Trngg...

The golden system screen immediately faded and vanished into the air, leaving only the rising steam of the bath to return to calm.

Alicia raised one eyebrow, a little surprised. "You’re not going to start the evolution now?"

Sylvia shook her head slowly, then leaned her head deeper against the jade edge, letting the hot water soak her body up to her chin. She gazed at Sol who was now full and floating on its back with its plump belly facing upward, completely unconcerned with matters of level or the evolution of the universe.

"Later," Sylvia answered in a casual and lazy voice, a thin smile adorning her half-silver beautiful face. "The Tier seven evolution process will definitely take time, not to mention the pain from reconstructing new bones and mana circuits. After all the madness yesterday... today I just want to be a lazy person."

"True enough," Alicia giggled in agreement, approving her sister’s wisdom. "The world won’t collapse just because we delay evolution by one day."

"Exactly," Sylvia replied while closing her eyes, feeling the flow of hot water caressing her physical skin and the fragrant aroma of underworld spices that soothed the soul. "Now, let Sis Stacia suffer alone in the library. Today our agenda is only two things: soak until our skin gets wrinkled, then eat Goddess Persephone’s honey cake until we’re full."