I Got Reincarnated as a Zombie Girl

As our steps halted in front of the large stone building hidden behind a misty hill, the atmosphere shifted. The ancient undead aura that had previously been faint was now so thick it clung to my chest like the suffocating fog of night. And yet, what surged within me wasn’t fear... it was curiosity.

The door creaked open slowly, as if welcoming me. From within emerged a tall figure cloaked in a tattered black robe, the hood shadowing most of his face. But I could see it the pale white bone peeking from rotting flesh, and a pair of glowing green eyes radiating both wisdom and madness.

"Hoo... so you’re that zombie," he said, his voice like the whisper of ancient dust blown by the wind. His gaze swept over my body with curiosity, as though evaluating something precious. "Interesting... very interesting. This is even better than I imagined. A whole body, pure death energy... yes, this is a far more perfect form than merely being brittle bones."

I frowned. "You... willingly turned yourself into a lich?"

He smiled or at least tried to form the expression. "Of course. The vampires once invited me to become one of them, promising immortality and power, but... in the end, I saw through it. Slavery in elegant wrapping. I refused. Instead, I chose this path to become a lich. Though naturally, that decision made me a hunted traitor of the Human Empire. Hahaha!"

His laughter was light and relaxed, almost unfitting for the topic. While I was still processing his words, his gaze shifted to the three zombies behind me the Guild Master, his wife, and the werewolf receptionist. His eyes narrowed briefly.

"Seems they misunderstood my message," he muttered, as if speaking to himself. "Well... that’s on them for not conveying it properly."

I tilted my head, confused. "So... we’re not going to fight?"

"Ah, of course not," he answered calmly, as if it were the silliest question he’d ever heard. "If we fought, I’d lose instantly. You possess the element of death itself."

I tensed. "How do you know that?"

"No words needed," he said, pointing a long, bony finger toward my chest. "Your aura radiates it. Invisible to most, but to undead like me... it is terror. For I am a being that defies death, and you are its embodiment. You can end both the living and the already-dead."

His words echoed in my mind. Slowly, I nodded, accepting a truth that felt too vast to deny. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

"Come in," he said, turning and walking into a house that now seemed more like a grand library than a dwelling.

I stepped inside, and my world seemed to shift. Tall shelves lined with ancient magical books stood in neat rows, scrolls and magical artifacts displayed in glass cabinets, while a soft green glow from ceiling crystals bathed the room in a mysterious light.

"Are those all... magic books?" I asked quietly, my eyes wandering in awe.

"Of course," he replied. "Collected from the era before the fall, from Imperial mages, and some are my own creations."

"May I study them?"

"If you’re interested, I could teach you myself," he said, turning to me. "Free of charge."

I narrowed my eyes with suspicion. "Nothing is free. What’s your price?"

He chuckled softly. "You’re right. I only want one thing in return let me study your zombie toxin."

I stared at him in silence. The offer sounded insane, but also full of potential. If he could understand the structure of my toxin, maybe he could help me discover... something. Maybe an answer. Maybe a way home.

"...Fine," I finally said. "But you’re not allowed to replicate it without my permission."

He nodded, as if it were a fair deal. "Of course. I only want to understand its essence, not copy it."

We stared at each other for a moment. Between us, there was no fear just two undead beings walking different paths, yet sharing the same thirst for knowledge about this world.

And within my heart, one thought slowly emerged maybe, he wasn’t an enemy.

"Come, have a seat," said the lich, gesturing toward a chair upholstered in deep purple fabric far more luxurious than anything I ever expected to find in an undead’s dwelling.

I sat down while he walked over to one of the shelves, retrieving several small glass vials and a box filled with research instruments. On a weathered wooden table etched with arcane symbols, he carefully placed the items, then turned to me.

"Can you drop a little of your toxin in here?" he asked, offering a small transparent vial.

I hesitated for a moment, then raised my finger and lightly scraped it with my claw-like nail, allowing a single drop of black-green liquid to fall into the vial. As soon as it touched the glass, it let out a soft hiss, almost as if it were alive. The lich’s eyes sparkled as he observed it.

"Remarkable..." he murmured. "Not just negative energy, but traces of willpower. This toxin doesn’t just kill... it transforms. There’s a mechanism of infection and spiritual domination. This... this is like a liquid version of high-level necromancy."

I raised an eyebrow. "I’ve never thought of it that way."

"That’s because you are the toxin. You live with it. But for someone like me, observing it from the outside... this is a miracle. Even if I had a hundred years, I might still fail to replicate it."

It sounded like praise, but to me... it felt a little unnerving.

He placed the vial inside a specially sealed container with magical sigils, then turned to me again. "Before you ask no, I won’t sell this, spread it, or turn it into a weapon without your permission. This is for study only. Besides, I believe we could be... mutually beneficial to each other."

I crossed my legs, leaning back slightly. "What do you mean?"

"You clearly possess extraordinary potential. If you want to study magic, I can give you a foundation no common mage could. I once served as the Keeper of the Imperial Magic Tower. All this," he raised his hand, motioning toward the tall bookshelves "is knowledge the Empire once deemed too dangerous to preserve."

I nodded slowly, scanning the room with a serious gaze. "Teach me... about magic and its control."

He nodded with respect. "Then we begin tonight."

Not long after, he retrieved a large leather-bound book inscribed with black and red runes, and opened it before me.

"This is not ordinary magic. It’s not about chanting incantations and hoping for a miracle. This is about understanding the essence of the world. About bending the laws of life and death. I found this in a dungeon, and even now... I haven’t fully deciphered it."

I leaned closer. On the first page, there was a complex circle surrounded by ancient texts. And yet... somehow, I understood it.

"...It’s like it’s speaking directly into my mind," I murmured.

The lich smiled, satisfied. "That’s because you are chosen. This grimmoire is extremely particular about its reader."

I stared at the page, then looked at him. "Will this make me stronger?"

"Absolutely," he replied softly.

I didn’t respond. I simply stared deeper into the book. And there, in the middle of that quiet house filled with death and knowledge as I turned the next page, something strange happened.

A card-like object suddenly slipped out from the book and shot directly into my body.