I Got Reincarnated as a Zombie Girl

After we returned to Velthya’s house, the once peaceful atmosphere shifted dramatically. As soon as the door closed and we took off our shoes, she turned around with her hands on her hips, wearing an expression I’d never seen before intimidating.

"You think just saying sorry makes everything better, huh?" she snapped, her voice cracking through the air like a whip. "I didn’t sleep all night, Sylvia! Not a wink! And it was all because you vanished without a word!"

I lowered my head without saying a word. There was no excuse I could offer that would ease her anger. I stood there at the entrance, like a child caught stealing cookies from the kitchen.

"I know you can take care of yourself. I know you’re strong. But that doesn’t mean you get to disappear like a shadow! What am I to you, huh? A doll you leave behind when you’re bored?!"

One hour.

A full hour of standing there listening to her vent or rather, lecture me with emotion-packed words. I’d thought she would stop after five minutes. Turns out I was too optimistic.

Eventually, one of the maids approached her quietly and whispered something into her ear. Velthya paused, then let out a long breath. Her emotions dropped drastically, as if the maid’s words had cast a calming spell.

"...Sorry for yelling at you," she said as she adjusted her collar. "From now on, you can stay here whenever you want. Just consider this your home too, okay?"

I only nodded silently.

After that, she left me alone in the sitting room, probably to cool off. As for me, I felt more at ease being outside for a while, so I decided to head back to the hunters’ guild.

There, I approached the receptionist’s desk the same one where I had submitted medicinal plants before. The young woman warewolf recognized me and smiled kindly.

"You’re just in time. Still interested in gathering medicinal herbs?" she asked as she flipped through a stack of mission forms. "Coincidentally, there’s one urgent request. The location is deep in the forest, so not many hunters are willing to take it."

"I’ll take it," I answered without hesitation.

She seemed a bit surprised by my decisiveness, then handed me the mission form. "Be careful. That area’s known for rare herbs, but also for the occasional wild beast. If it gets too dangerous, it’s better to come back."

I nodded, took the paper, and left the guild without another word.

What I didn’t know at the time was that this mission wasn’t a regular mission. Beneath the worn parchment and formal wording, a sinister intent lurked, set by someone targeting me. Whether it was because of my appearance... or the rumors that I was a rare kind of zombie.

And for some reason, this world seems obsessed with hunting things that are unique.

I made my way out of the city again, following a path into the forest like before. But this time, I was directed deeper where the trees grew thicker and sunlight struggled to pierce the dense canopy above.

The place was beautiful, with soft green grass and small, colorful wild plants growing between stones. Just like the description, I found several medicinal herbs. I began harvesting them carefully, pulling them out with their roots intact.

But before long, I noticed something was wrong.

The wind stopped moving.

The birds went silent.

And although my sense of smell wasn’t great, my hearing was razor-sharp. I heard held breaths behind the bushes, the faint crunch of leaves under careful steps, and the metallic rasp of a sword being drawn.

They were trying to approach silently.

I pretended not to notice.

Calmly, I continued picking herbs as if nothing was wrong. The chains hidden beneath the skin of my arms began to stir. Like hungry beasts, they hissed quietly ready to be unleashed at any moment.

Light footsteps crept up behind me. The person tried to get close silently, their intent not to kill... but to knock me out.

A second before they moved I struck first.

CLAK!

My chain shot out from my back, cutting through the air and piercing cleanly into the man’s skull. The sound was barely audible as his body crumpled to the ground, blood soaking into the forest floor.

The three others hiding behind the bushes were shocked.

"N-No way! How did she know?!"

But their leader, a man in black clothing with a cloth mask over his face, quickly gave a sharp command.

"Don’t panic! Attack and capture her alive if possible! Remember, she’s valuable!"

How amusing.

They really underestimated me.

Still crouched, I picked another herb as my chains began to move on their own, as if sentient. Two forked chains extended from each of my arms, spinning and darting like bloodthirsty metallic serpents.

Screams rang out. The clash of metal. Cries of pain.

But I didn’t move an inch. I just sat there, continuing to harvest.

Ten minutes later.

When it was all over, the forest was silent once more.

The ground around me had become a pool of red. All twelve people who had come after me were dead. Their bodies lay scattered, some severed, some pierced grotesquely by my chains. Not a single one had gotten closer than five meters.

I stood slowly, checking my clothes. Only a few blood splatters stained the fabric. My chains slithered back beneath my skin, vanishing as if they had never existed.

"Idiots," I whispered softly.

They thought I was just a pretty girl alone in the woods.

After completing the "mission," I returned to the city without trouble. The blood on my chains and clothes had dried, but I didn’t care. No one asked why I smelled like iron. Or maybe they knew but pretended not to see.

As I stepped into the guild hall, my pace was calm as usual. But my eyes instantly caught a flash of surprise on the receptionist’s face the same one who gave me the mission. Very brief. But enough for me to notice.

Her pupils widened, lips parted slightly, and she held her breath for a moment before quickly putting on her professional mask again. Unfortunately for her, I could read body language as easily as I read the scent of blood.

So that’s how it was. She was part of that stupid scheme, too.

As I stepped closer to her, she started to fidget. Her hands trembled while tidying up the papers on her desk, and her face turned pale the moment I stood right in front of her.

"Y-You’re back earlier than expected..." she said, trying to smile. But her nervous voice betrayed everything.

I said nothing.

Without a single word, a chain burst from beneath my arm like a demonic whip sharp and fast and pierced straight into her left arm. Blood splattered. She screamed.

"A-AAAAAARGHH!!"

Everyone around immediately reacted. Adventurers who had been sitting or standing jumped up, some drew swords and spears, others began chanting spells with alert expressions. The previously peaceful atmosphere turned razor-sharp with tension, like a bowstring pulled to its limit.

"I haven’t killed you," I muttered coldly. "So don’t die yet not until you tell me who’s behind that little trap."

She choked on her pain and could only look at me with glassy eyes. Whether from guilt or the realization that her life was down to seconds, I didn’t know.

Then... the large door on the left side of the hall burst open.

BANG!!

A heavy aura filled the room.

Someone stepped out a tall, muscular lycan man with a long scar on his temple. His silver fur was tied back, and his sharp eyes swept across the room before landing on me and the woman still pierced by my chain.

His deep voice boomed through the entire hall.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!"

The pressure of his aura enveloped everyone. Some adventurers dropped to the floor, others backed away with pale faces. But I stood my ground, meeting his gaze without the slightest hint of fear.

He was the Guild Master of this city’s branch.

I could feel the strength emanating from his body. He wasn’t ordinary. This man was likely a high-ranking fighter who had spilled much blood in his life. But unfortunately for him... that wasn’t enough to scare me.

He stepped closer with steady strides, stopping a few meters away from me, eyes locked on the chain embedded in his subordinate’s arm.

"Let her go," he said firmly.

I stared into his eyes. "No."

His eyes narrowed. His spiritual pressure surged. The floor beneath his feet cracked. The wind swirled violently around him, scattering papers through the air. Other adventurers backed off even farther, and some staff hid behind desks.

But I stood unmoving. His pressure was strong but not something I hadn’t felt before.

"I won’t repeat myself, little girl. Let her go, or I’ll put you down myself."

I slowly pulled the chain from the woman’s arm. Blood spurted once more. But instead of releasing it, I coiled the chain around my hand, ready.

"You can try," I whispered.

BOOM!!

We both released our pressure at the same time. The floor shattered beneath our feet. Spiritual lightning split the air. A few adventurers too close were thrown against the walls from the sheer force of the clash.

Then, in a blink...

DUAAAR!!

Our fists collided in midair, creating a shockwave that shook the entire guild. The floor cracked. Dust and stone flew everywhere. I was pushed back two steps, while he the Guild Master was forced back four, his expression slightly changed.

He grinned. "Hoh... interesting."

I rotated my wrist. "Nothing special."

The tension rose again. We both readied ourselves for the next blow. Our eyes locked. Aura flared once more around our bodies like two beasts about to tear each other apart.

But before we could clash again...