I Got Reincarnated as a Zombie Girl-Chapter 352 - 348 – Night at the Hot Spring

Sylvia was still sitting upright on the sofa, her right hand frozen in mid-air as she sensed the light in the room had changed. She stared blankly toward the large window, where the bright morning light had now turned into a fading deep orange. The sun had already tilted westward, and the mist of Nocture’s night began to rise slowly from the ground, wrapping the city like a faintly glowing black blanket.

Only then did she realize: night had fallen.

Time had passed without her noticing. The pile of documents she had been reading one by one now lay neatly on the obsidian table, her reply to Zark had been sent, and the room felt quieter than usual. The crystals in the walls began to glow brighter, replacing the lost sunlight, but the faint purple light only made the shadows in the corners feel deeper.

Sylvia let out a soft sigh, a long, heavy breath, not from physical fatigue, but because her mind felt overwhelmingly full.

"Hot spring," she murmured to herself. "Maybe that’s what I need right now."

She left the study without taking anything, no documents, no weapons. The Chain of Abyss and Death Flame remained silent within her body, as if sharing the same stillness. The castle corridors felt longer tonight; her footsteps echoed softly on the polished black stone floor. Several undead servants bowed as she passed, but she only gave a small nod without stopping.

The castle’s private hot spring was located in the rear wing, hidden behind the garden of black roses that bloomed only at night. Warm steam could already be smelled from afar, a faint sulfur scent mixed with the fragrance of night-blooming flowers. The undead wooden door opened automatically as she approached, and the moment she stepped inside, a wave of warm vapor greeted her skin.

The room was spacious, its walls made of polished obsidian that gleamed like black mirrors, the ceiling partially open so the faint stars of Nocture’s night were visible above. The main pool was a large circle, its water a deep purple due to the essence of death mixed with the natural hot spring source. Thick steam rose, making the air feel humid and warm like a gentle yet enveloping embrace.

And it turned out she wasn’t alone.

Three figures were already relaxing in the pool.

Sofia sat closest to the entrance, her long golden hair wet and clinging to her neck and shoulders, her twelve wings folded tightly against her back to avoid disturbing the water. Her golden eyes glowed softly under the crystal light, and she gave a small smile when she saw Sylvia enter.

Beside her was Alicia, and at the far end sat Stacia.

All three turned their heads the moment Sylvia entered.

"Sylvia," Sofia greeted gently, her voice as warm as the water in the pool. "I thought you were still in the study."

Sylvia gave a faint smile, beginning to remove her shawl and the outer layer of her black dress. "I only just realized it’s already dark. My mind... was too full."

Alicia let out a soft laugh, her voice low and faintly echoing in the steamy room. "You’ve been reading too many documents, Sylvia. That can tire anyone out, even you."

Stacia nodded slowly. "I just finished archiving the mining reports. There’s a lot of new information after the fusion... but tonight it seems we all need a break."

Sylvia didn’t reply immediately. She shed the rest of her clothing until only her simple black undergarments remained, then stepped into the pool. The hot water touched her skin slowly, first her feet, then her calves, then her waist. The warm sensation immediately seeped into her usually cold body, like blood flow she hadn’t felt in a long time. Steam rose around her, causing her black hair to cling to her shoulders and back.

She let out a long sigh as she finally sat at the edge of the pool, letting the water reach her chest. The warmth penetrated deeper, easing the tension in her mind that she had held for hours. The Death Flame in her chest now sang more softly, like a melody finally finding a calm rhythm.

"Much better," she murmured, her eyes half-closed. "I almost forgot what it feels like to relax."

Sofia chuckled softly and shifted closer to Sylvia. "You’re too hard on yourself. Even a queen needs time to breathe."

Alicia leaned her head against the pool’s edge, her red eyes gazing at the ceiling. "Today was overwhelming. Lycanthropes, border reports, holy wind currents... it feels like every side is starting to move at once."

Stacia nodded slowly, the energy orb at her fingertip vanishing into tiny green sparks that dissolved into the water. "I can feel a change in the castle’s mana flow. Like there are eyes watching from above. Not enemy eyes... but eyes that judge."

Sylvia opened her eyes fully, looking at each of them in turn.

"I know," she said quietly. "Heaven has begun to move. Angels are starting to descend, maybe not directly yet, but they’ve sent observers. And below, mutant humans and newcomers are growing suspicious of each other. The great war... is already at the doorstep."

The room fell silent for a moment, accompanied only by the sound of rising steam and the gentle ripples in the water.

Sofia rested her head on Sylvia’s shoulder, her silver hair brushing against her queen’s cold skin.

"We’ll face it together," she said softly. "Like always."

Alicia gave a small smile, though her eyes remained sharp. "And this time we have more allies. Lycanthropes, elves, mutant humans, dwarves, and even some lesser gods starting to take interest in Nocture. We’re not alone."

Stacia stared at the water, her voice almost a whisper. "But that Codex... I can feel its vibration from here. It’s waiting for something. Perhaps waiting for the war itself." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Sylvia didn’t reply right away. She let the hot water continue to seep in, easing the tension in her shoulders and mind. The warmth felt like an embrace from a long-lost world, an embrace that reminded her even death could feel something.

"It will open when the time comes," she said at last, her voice low but certain. "And if the war truly arrives... we’ll be ready. Nocture will not fall. Not while I still stand."

They soaked in comfortable silence, accompanied only by the sound of rippling water and drifting steam. Nocture’s night deepened, the stars above faintly visible through the open ceiling.

But the tranquility passed quickly.

The hot water, which had felt like a gentle embrace, suddenly turned cold against their skin. The thick rising steam seemed to freeze for a moment, and the night breeze entering through the ceiling gap carried something foreign a sharp scent of eternal flowers mixed with hot metal and a light too pure for an underworld like Nocture.

Then the voice came.

Loud. Arrogant. Echoing from the sky like a war bell struck with a giant hammer.

"How dare these filthy, rotting lowly creatures build a city!"

The voice belonged to neither human, undead, nor creature of the fused world. It was the voice of an angel, a voice full of light yet cold, full of majesty yet dripping with contempt. The words clearly referred to the zombies, the undead, to Nocture as a whole. The word "rotting" struck like a whip against every dead soul in this city.

All of Nocture was startled.

Sylvia didn’t move from her position. She only slowly raised her head, her pitch-black eyes staring straight up through the open ceiling. The Death Flame in her chest now sang loudly, not a calm song anymore, but a restrained roar of war.

Above the city, four figures slowly flew across Nocture’s night sky.

They were angels not ordinary ones, but high-ranking angels with four wings each. Their wings glowed white-gold, but the light felt piercing, like blades forged from sunlight. Their pure white robes shimmered at the edges like holy fire ready to burn anything deemed unclean. On their chests was emblazoned the symbol of the seven circles, the mark of the Seven Great Doctrines.

The one in front, a long-blond-haired angel with ice-blue eyes, raised his right hand. His voice echoed again, louder and more arrogant this time.

"This rotting city built on corpses and darkness dares to shelter living beings! The Death Queen dares to gather the dregs and call it a home! Michael sent us to observe, but upon seeing this sight... we cannot hold back our disgust!"

The three angels behind him nodded in agreement, their wings trembling and producing gusts of holy wind that slowly swirled the clouds in the sky. The light from their wings began to illuminate Nocture from above, making the shadows of the undead in the streets appear even blacker, even more repulsive in their eyes.

In the hot spring, Sofia gritted her teeth.

"They... insulted us. Insulted Nocture. Insulted you, Sylvia."

Sylvia remained silent. The hot water around her began to ripple harder due to her restrained emotions. The Death Flame in her chest now sang like a scream not a scream of pain, but a scream of cold, controlled rage.

Alicia was already poised to leap toward the door. "Let me go out. I’ll cut their wings off one by one."

Stacia shook her head slowly. "Don’t be reckless. They haven’t attacked yet. This is only... provocation. They want to see our reaction."

Sylvia finally moved.

She rose from the pool slowly, the deep purple water streaming off her body like blood returning to veins. Steam clung to her skin, making her look like a ghost freshly risen from the grave but a very dangerous ghost. She didn’t put her dress back on. She simply stood at the edge of the pool, bare except for her simple black undergarments, wet hair clinging to her back and chest.

"Did you hear that voice?" she asked quietly, her tone cold but clear.

All three nodded.

Sylvia looked up at the open ceiling, as if she could see the four angels hovering above the city directly.

"They were sent by Michael to observe," she said, her voice low but filled with threat. "But they couldn’t hold back. They’re disgusted by the undead. By this city. By me."

She extended her right hand. The Chain of Abyss emerged from her palm, black-purple chains surging upward like a giant bloodthirsty serpent. The Death Flame blazed in her chest, pitch-black with a burning purple core, illuminating the entire room with a light that defied the holy radiance from the sky.

"If they want to insult Nocture," she said softly, "let them come down and say it to my face."

Sofia nodded, the golden spear of Lucifer appearing in her hand once more. The holy light from the spear clashed with Sylvia’s Death Flame, creating beautiful yet terrifying sparks of gold and black.