I Got Reincarnated as a Zombie Girl-Chapter 369 - 365 – Calm Waves and Paper That Never Ends

Chapter 369: Chapter 365 – Calm Waves and Paper That Never Ends

Several days had passed since that peaceful morning when Nocture’s dawn wind carried the scent of black roses and still-warm tea. The underground city now pulsed with a steadier rhythm not the panicked throb of post-war recovery, but the steady heartbeat of hard work filled with hope. Dwarf hammers rang more regularly from the forges in the iron district, lycanthrope howls sounded like organized morning drills, and the thin black mist now felt like a protective blanket rather than a fog of fear.

Far away in the North Atlantic Ocean, amid waves still churning with the lingering wrath of gods, Poseidon and Aegir finally reached a bitter agreement.

Poseidon stood atop his gigantic seashell chariot, pulled by greenish-blue-maned water horses. His trident was planted deep into cracked coral. His storm-blue eyes regarded Aegir with lingering suspicion. Aegir, his seaweed beard swaying gently with the current, gripped his whale-bone spear tightly. Between them, an ancient water spell had drawn an invisible line dividing the sea into two domains: Poseidon ruled the surface and mid-level currents, while Aegir claimed the dark depths and lightless abyssal trenches.

"So this is what you call peace?" Poseidon muttered, his voice echoing like underwater thunder. "You take the entire Abyss Trench, and I’m left with the storm-battered surface that humans always churn up?"

Aegir laughed softly, the sound like bubbles bursting on the seafloor. "You started this little war, Poseidon. I was only defending my territory. And now... we both lose something. That’s what an agreement looks like."

Poseidon gritted his teeth, but he knew Aegir was right. A war between sea gods would only weaken them both especially now that whispers from Asgard and Olympus were once again drifting on the sea winds. In the end, both gave stiff nods and parted without warm farewells. Poseidon’s seashell chariot surged northward toward his surface palace, while Aegir slowly descended into the darkness that was his home.

In an even deeper corner, where light never reached and water pressure could crush dragon bones, Leviathan Envy watched everything from behind colossal shadows. Its long, black-green-scaled body swayed gently with the cold current. Its yellow eyes burned with hatred.

"You... made peace?" it hissed into the darkness. "After all the chaos you created, you choose peace like children tired of fighting?"

It writhed, its tail smashing against coral until it cracked and shattered into slowly drifting fragments. Envy burned in its chest like an unquenchable undersea fire. It envied Poseidon for still having a surface kingdom, envied Aegir for ruling the depths unchallenged, envied both for being able to return to their pantheons with heads held high even if compromised. Meanwhile, Leviathan Envy had only darkness, envy, and a never-ending grudge.

With slow but furious movements, it dove deeper still toward a trench even the sea gods dared not name. There, in absolute blackness, it could plan again. Alone. As always.

Back in Nocture.

The towering black castle at the city’s heart now felt quieter. Lumielle and Ithara had returned to their original realms days earlier, leaving behind the slowly fading scent of wild sunflowers and pine needles in the corridors. Seere with her bright laughter and tiny ankle bells had also gone back to the Underworld after hugging Sylvia tightly and promising, "I’ll come back if there’s a really big party!" Little Treant was still around, of course it never truly left but its small plop-plop presence wasn’t enough to fill the creeping silence.

Sylvia’s study at the top of the tallest tower had once again become the center of activity. The long obsidian desk was covered in parchment scrolls, glowing crystal boards displaying three-dimensional city maps, and stacks of reports that seemed never to diminish. Purple crystal light from the ceiling reflected off the paper surfaces, making the black ink letters look like freshly dried blood.

Sylvia sat in the soft chair, her black gown as elegant and motionless as ever, even as wind from the open window swept through the room. The Chain of Abyss coiled around her wrist, occasionally trembling faintly as if responding to her emotions. Before her, two cups of black tea still steamed one for her, one for Sofia, who sat to her right.

Sofia, golden hair tied high and sleeves rolled to her elbows, was reading the report from the lycanthrope district. Her golden eyes narrowed in focus.

"Velthya reports her clan now has three new perimeter defense formations for the south. They’ve also started training the young ones ten years and up in hybrid form. She says, ’We don’t want to rely completely on resurrection anymore.’"

Sylvia gave a small nod, her finger tracing a line on the crystal map. "Good. Let them grow on their own. Phantom Bloom isn’t meant to be a permanent crutch."

On her left, Celes sat perched on a chair piled with reports from the spatial and teleportation district. Her voice was soft but clear, like the gentle chime of glass bells.

"The western spatial rifts are fully stable. No more energy fluctuations. But... There are small reports from the outer sentries: some merchants from other fused worlds are approaching again. They say they want to trade for ’living black roses’ and ’eternal crystal blood.’ They know we won."

Sylvia let out a small sigh. "Reject the latter. Crystal blood isn’t for sale. Black roses... allowed, but only common varieties. Make sure they don’t get Phantom Bloom seeds again anyway it wouldn’t work without my power."

Celes nodded; a small note appeared in the air before her and vanished after being recorded.

Sofia turned to Sylvia with a faint smile. "You look busier now than you did before the war, you know?"

Sylvia gave a slight shrug. "Before the war, I only had to kill enemies. Now I have to make sure this city doesn’t kill itself with stupidity."

Sofia laughed softly. "That’s called leading, my Queen."

The room fell quiet again for a moment only the sound of turning pages, the soft clink of Celes’s crystal pen, and the breeze carrying the faint scent of black mushrooms from the garden below.

Suddenly the study door opened gently. Alicia floated in, her spirit body shimmering like morning dew. Behind her, Stacia strolled casually, holding a thick novel already open to the middle.

"Sorry to interrupt," Alicia said softly. "The guardian spirits on the northern perimeter say there’s... something. Not a major threat, but they feel a strange vibration from the northern sea. Like... suppressed divine anger."

Sylvia set down her crystal pen. Her pitch-black eyes narrowed. "Poseidon and Aegir?"

Alicia nodded. "Possibly. The sea spirits couldn’t get too close, but they said the ocean is... calm. Too calm. Like the quiet before a great storm."

Stacia closed her novel with a soft sound. "I read in an ancient history book that when two sea gods make peace, there’s usually a third party who gets jealous. Leviathan Envy, for example."

Sylvia didn’t answer immediately. She only gazed out the large window facing north, toward the gray sky that now looked darker than usual. The Chain of Abyss trembled more strongly this time, as though issuing a warning.

"Keep monitoring," she said at last, her voice flat but firm. "If there’s any movement from the sea, inform me immediately. For now... we continue."

Sofia nodded and returned to her report. Celes moved closer to the crystal map, marking the northern sea area with a faint red dot. Alicia and Stacia settled in the corner of the room, one floating, one lounging in a plush chair quietly exchanging occasional opinions.

Night began to fall over Nocture.

The sky above the city turned pitch black, studded with slowly blinking purple crystals like dying stars. Street crystal lamps lit up one by one, weaving a faint web of light that made the city look like a breathing black gem.

In the study, black candles burned with smokeless purple flames. Sylvia still sat at her desk, but now she was alone. Sofia and Celes had left to oversee the night lycanthrope training and rift inspections. Alicia and Stacia had returned to their rooms.

Sylvia lifted the now-cold teacup and took a slow sip. The bitterness felt deeper tonight.

She thought about the northern sea. About Poseidon and Aegir forced into peace. Leviathan Envy surely growling in the darkness. About Asgard possibly plotting anew behind the gray clouds.

And about Nocture.

This city had been reborn from blood and fire. Its forces were stronger, its spirits more loyal, its people more confident. But that also meant they were more fragile because now they had something worth protecting.

Sylvia set the cup down again. The Chain of Abyss coiled tighter around her wrist, like a cold, promising embrace.

"If the sea comes," she murmured to the darkness of the room, "then we will welcome it."

She rose slowly and walked to the small balcony beside the study. Nocture’s night wind greeted her coldly, carrying a faint salty scent from the north that shouldn’t have been there. She closed her eyes, letting the wind caress her black hair.

In the distance, dwarf hammers still echoed faintly. Lycanthrope howls rang like a lullaby. The city breathed, lived and for the first time, not entirely dependent on her.

Sylvia gave a faint smile. A cold yet warm smile.

"Very well," she whispered to the wind. "Let’s see what comes next."