I Got Reincarnated as a Zombie Girl - Chapter 293

Chapter 293: Chapter 289 – The Black Forest
Sylvia’s steps fell softly on the carpet of silent, fallen black leaves. This forest was quiet, not the dead kind of quiet, but the watchful kind.

Towering trees stretched upward like dark metal spires. Their bark gleamed like polished obsidian, and the deep–purple leaves trembled every time the wind passed through, creating faint whispers like living creatures breathing without lungs.

Sylvia paused and laid her hand on the nearest trunk.

The surface was hard and cold, yet beneath it she felt a faint pulse like a heartbeat.

“…Nether Wood,” she murmured. “Same type as my element.”

She closed her eyes and released a small wave of Nether Wood energy.

The forest reacted immediately.

BRRUUMMM

The ground trembled. Leaves fell. The air thickened. The trees around her bent slowly… as if bowing.

Sylvia blinked.

“…huh?”

She lifted her hand. Massive roots burst from the earth, coiling like black serpents awaiting command. With a flick of her other hand, fallen leaves rose and joined, forming tiny glowing creatures like leaf spirits shimmering in dark purple light.

“…they’re responding,” she whispered. “Not out of fear… but obedience?”

She twitched one finger. In an instant, every tree within dozens of meters moved in unison like one colossal organism following her will.

Sylvia stared blankly for several seconds, then hissed softly,

“This is… insane.”

…..

From beyond layers of thin dimensional veils, Seere slapped a hand over her face.

“Eh… WHAT!? The trees are bowing to her!?” Her golden eyes widened. “Impossible! Hell Treants are the natural enemy of death element users! How can they…”

She halted, sighing and ruffling her own hair.

“…I forgot. She’s Sylvia. Everything impossible becomes normal when she does it…”

She rested her chin on her palm, eyes narrowing in interest.

“Hell Treants submit so easily… I needed Father’s permission just to walk past them without being shredded.”

A soft smile curled her lips.

“Fascinating.”

Meanwhile, Sylvia activated Appraisal and stared at the largest tree before her.

…..

[Hell Treant – Variant: Nether Wood]

Rank: High-Class Demon Tree

Description:

Hell Treants are notoriously aggressive toward living beings. However, if they encounter a master of the Highest Nether Wood Authority, they will submit and recognize the wielder as their Sovereign. Only one Nether Sovereign can exist per world.

…..

Sylvia pinched the bridge of her nose.

“…so I’m their Sovereign? Great. No wonder they’re obeying. But… ‘only one per world’? Why does the system keep using phrases that make me nervous…”

She turned to leave but one of the gigantic trees suddenly moved. Its largest root lifted slightly, pointing northeast.

“You want to show me something?”

The tree nodded literally. Its leaves rustled in a specific pattern.

“Enemies?”

The root trembled again.

“Many?”

A low hiss of moving leaves answered.

Sylvia smirked. “Good. I need more exp.”

The thick roots shot upward, forming a long pathway. Sylvia stepped onto them and leaned back casually.

“A walking carpet. If Sofia saw this, she’d say I’m getting scarier.”

The roots vibrated and whisked Sylvia swiftly through the forest.

Minutes later, the black fog ahead parted. From it emerged a colossal hell wolf, eyes glowing red, body the size of a steel bear.

One appeared.

Then five.

Then dozens.

Hundreds.

Thousands.

Each step they took made the earth tremble, the air heated up, and crimson sparks flared from their claws.

Sylvia stopped, raising an eyebrow.

“…thousands?”

A Treant stomped the ground twice.

Sylvia nodded. “Great. I needed a workout.”

She was just about to summon her Hellhound zombies when…

GRRAAAAKKK!!!

The ground erupted around her as roots surged forward. Massive Hell Treant trunks shot like black spears, slamming into the wolf horde. Hundreds of roots wrapped around their legs. Dozens of giant wolves toppled like falling boulders.

BOOM!

BOOM!!

BOOOOM!!!

The wolves roared in panic, tearing at the ground, trying to escape but too late.

The roots became living whips. Bones cracked. Low howls echoed. One after another, hell wolves collapsed, slammed into the ground until infernal dust exploded everywhere.

Sylvia just stood there.

“…uh?”

In moments, hundreds of giant wolves were down. The roots curled back neatly, like soldiers waiting for praise.

Sylvia looked at the nearest Treant with a deadpan expression.

“I didn’t even move.”

The Treant nodded its massive trunk like a child caught doing too much.

Sylvia covered her face with one hand.

“Seriously? I want to level up myself, not get carried away like this.”

The roots squirmed apologetically.

“Why are you cute when you’re supposed to be horror monsters…” she muttered.

…..

Far away, Seere rubbed her temples.

“She made an entire ecosystem kneel, and she didn’t even fight. This isn’t normal anymore…”

She looked at the massive trees now acting like Sylvia’s loyal guardians.

“Baal won’t like this… but Father probably will.”

Her smile widened.

“If this keeps up, Sylvia could become the next ruler of the Underworld.

And honestly I wouldn’t mind.”

Back on the battlefield, Sylvia approached the remaining wolves alive but bound.

“All right,” she said flatly. “Since they’re already tied up…”

She raised a hand.

SUUT!!!

Fifteen black chains burst from her shadow, piercing the wolves’ chests. Their red eyes dimmed, replaced with a dark violet glow. Their fur shifted color, and the flames around their bodies became Nether Flame pure black with purple tips.

Sylvia observed.

“I didn’t mean to make new zombies, but this always happens when Reaping Mode is on…”

In seconds….

AUMMM!!!

The wolves rose. Black fire blazed from their bodies, their eyes glowing deep crimson. They bowed low to Sylvia, bodies trembling in obedience.

Sylvia stared at them blankly.

“My army is getting ridiculous.”

A Treant behind her thumped its root, asking for permission to attack again.

“Wait!!” Sylvia shouted. “Don’t tie up all of them! Leave some for me…”

Too late. The Treant slammed the ground, and hundreds more wolves collapsed instantly.

Sylvia covered her face.

“…They’re giant babies.”

She opened her status just to check.

[Level Up!]

Level: 120 → 121

→ 122

→ 123

→ 124

Sylvia blinked.

“Four levels… in one go?”

The Treant behind her swayed, expecting praise.

“…thank you,” she said at last.

The massive root shivered happily.

Sylvia sighed deeply.

“All right. Let’s find more prey before you guys wipe out the whole Underworld ecosystem.”

She looked forward toward the towering hell mountain in the distance. The aura emanating from it was huge, dense, and unfamiliar.

The Treant pointed toward it with a titanic root.

Sylvia smiled faintly.

“All right. I’m ready.”

She walked forward atop the moving black roots, her dark hair swaying under the red glow of the Underworld sky.

…..

In the underworld, Sylvia was once again busy navigating the Nether Wood forest springing from one massive root to the next as if she were riding a living vehicle. The Hell Treants cleared the way for her, pushing aside boulders, bushes, even small monsters that dared to approach. With every step she took, the ground seemed to tremble in reverence.

“So this is what it’s like… having a personal forest army,” Sylvia muttered dryly while watching the dark trees bow. “If Sofia saw this, she’d definitely say I’ve gone full power-crazy.”

The Treant behind her shivered politely, as if flattered.

“I was complaining, not complimenting you,” she sighed.

The Treant, of course, swayed even more proudly.

Sylvia pressed a palm over her face.

“…Hopeless.”

…..

Meanwhile, in the upper world…

Right at the entrance to the massive ancient gate leading to the underworld, Sofia and Celes stood side by side atop a rocky cliff. The sky and earth around them swirled with tension, as if the world itself was holding its breath.

The gate was identical to the one Sylvia had passed through long ago: two enormous stone doors as tall as a five-story building, wrapped in red magical chains resembling slumbering dragons.

Celes squinted, touching her chin in frustration.

“There’s… no handle. No sigil. No instructions. How the heck do we…”

Sofia suddenly stepped forward.

She placed one hand on the cold stone and murmured almost jokingly:

“…open ses.. uh… open sesame?”

GROOOOOMMM…

Celes froze.

“You’ve gotta be…”

BRRAAAAKKK!

The gigantic gate actually opened.

The red chains snapped loose one by one and crashed onto the ground with sharp metallic clangs. Hot wind blasted outward, carrying the smell of sulfur and the chilling silence of the underworld.

Sofia stared blankly.

“I… wasn’t serious…”

Celes immediately raised her guard, activating her magic.

“Don’t relax! Something huge could come out!”

But as the gates fully opened…

Nothing emerged.

There was only a long, dim corridor, quiet, still, empty. As if the underworld itself was waiting… for her.

Sofia took a slow breath.

“…she’s down there.”

She stepped forward.

Celes moved to follow But the moment her foot crossed the threshold

THUD.

Her body was thrown backward, as if she’d slammed into an invisible wall.

“AGH! What the…!?”

She tried again.

THUD.

Again, she was repelled.

“WHAT!? Why can’t I go in!?”

Sofia turned around, her golden eyes trembling gently.

“Celes…”

Celes froze for a moment, then exhaled shakily.

She reached forward, gripping Sofia’s arm tightly.

“Then… you’ll have to go alone.”

Sofia nodded once. She smiled warm, soft, but heavy with worry.

“I will bring Sylvia back.”

The gate trembled. Understanding her resolve, the colossal doors began to close…

BUUUUMMM…

Silence took over the cliff. Celes hugged herself, whispering softly:

“Be careful… Sofia.”

…..

Inside the dim corridor, lit only by flickering red runes, Sofia walked quietly. Her holy aura shimmered around her like drifting starlight.

“So far… no enemies?” she murmured.

She glanced around again. Still empty.

Completely empty.

“…If Sylvia were here, she’d definitely say, ‘This is so cliché, typical protagonist crap.'”

Sofia chuckled softly.

Far below them, on the 68th floor….

Lumielle, who was guiding Stacia, suddenly froze and turned her head sharply.

“…holy energy…?”

Stacia panicked.

“Goddess? What’s wrong?”

Lumielle closed her eyes, her expression turning serious for the first time.

“Someone… with wings of light… has entered the underworld.”