I Got Reincarnated as a Zombie Girl-Chapter 378 - 374 – The Peaceful Day

Morning came gently to Grayroot, like the first soft breath after a long rain. The sky was still overcast, but the gray clouds had thinned, allowing faint fused sunlight to slip through and paint the valley in silvery-gray tones. The cold morning air carried the scent of wet earth, fresh straw, and woodsmoke drifting from the low wooden houses. In the inn’s backyard, the faint sound of children’s laughter rang out bright, free, and unburdened.

Sylvia woke first, as always. She sat up on the edge of the straw mattress, her black cloak already neatly folded beside her. Her red eyes gazed out the small window overlooking the valley. Thin mist still drifted below, but it no longer obscured the view completely. The Chain of Abyss on her wrist was silent, no vibration, a sign that the night had passed without threat.

Sofia stirred on the other side of the mattress, her golden hair messy and covering part of her face. She yawned widely, rubbed her eyes, then smiled when she saw Sylvia was already awake. "Morning, Sylvia... have you been up long?"

"Just now," Sylvia answered flatly, though the corner of her mouth lifted slightly. "Breakfast first."

They went downstairs to the inn’s small dining room. The long wooden table was already set: warm toasted bread with wild honey jam, reheated vegetable soup from the night before, and cold water from the village stream. The innkeeper, the middle-aged woman named Mira, greeted them with a warm smile.

"Morning, ladies. The rain has stopped. Would you like to eat in the backyard? The children are playing with your little dragon."

Sylvia and Sofia exchanged a quick glance, then nodded. They carried their plates to the backyard. There, an unexpected sight greeted them: Noir the size of a full-grown house cat was being chased by five village children. The zombie dragon trotted playfully across the wet grass, tail swishing, while the children laughed uproariously and tried to catch him. Every time Noir was almost caught, he lightly leaped sideways or rolled cutely, making the children shriek with even more delight.

"Catch him! Catch the dragon cat!" shouted a curly-haired boy.

Noir rumbled softly, a sound more like playful purring then turned and chased the children instead. They ran around in circles, laughing, tumbling onto the wet grass, then jumping up again with joyful shouts.

Sofia laughed softly as she sat on a simple wooden bench. "Look at that... Noir has become their favorite toy."

Sylvia sat beside her, watching the scene with calm red eyes. "He doesn’t mind. His dragon aura isn’t intimidating when he’s this small."

They ate breakfast while watching the backyard. The toasted bread was crispy, the wild honey jam sweet with the faint astringent taste unique to post-fusion forests, and the vegetable soup warm and full of carrot and wild mushroom chunks. They ate slowly, occasionally chatting lightly.

"Where do we go next?" Sofia asked while blowing on her still-steaming soup.

Sylvia looked toward the purple-snow mountains to the north. "We can continue west. But this village is peaceful. No threats. No urgent business."

Sofia nodded, smiling widely. "I agree. Let’s rest here today. I want to walk around the village, see the river, and talk to the people. Maybe buy something as a souvenir."

Sylvia gave a small nod. "Alright. We’ll rest today."

After breakfast, they cleared the plates and returned to the backyard. The children were already tired, sitting on the grass laughing, while Noir hopped back onto Sylvia’s shoulder, his small body damp from the grass and dew. He shook his head, spraying tiny droplets onto Sylvia’s face.

Sofia laughed. "Noir just took a grass bath!"

Sylvia gently stroked Noir’s head, and the two of them began strolling around the village. Noir stayed on Sylvia’s shoulder; his cat size made him far less frightening to the villagers; in fact, many children approached again, asking permission to touch his tail or stroke his scales. Noir rumbled softly but never refused; he even let a little girl carry him for a moment, though his legs still dangled toward the ground.

Grayroot was small but alive. Stone paths wound around low wooden houses with still-damp thatched roofs. In the center stood a simple stone well with clear, cold water. To the east, a small river flowed gently, its water crystal clear after the rain, reflecting the gray sky like a long mirror. Several women were washing clothes by the riverbank, while children played at skipping stones in the shallow water.

Sylvia and Sofia walked to the river’s edge. The water felt cold when touched, yet refreshing. Sofia took off her shoes and dipped her feet in, laughing softly. "It’s cold! But it feels so good. Try it, Sylvia!" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Sylvia shook her head gently, but she sat on a large rock by the river, letting the hem of her cloak touch the water. Noir leaped onto the rock beside her, watching the small fish swimming below.

They chatted with passing villagers. A middle-aged farmer who had greeted them the day before stopped for a moment, carrying a basket of vegetables.

"Morning, ladies. That little dragon is really cute when he’s small," he said with a smile toward Noir. "Where are you from? Not many travelers pass through here."

"From the far east," Sylvia answered flatly. "We’re just passing through."

The farmer nodded. "If you’re continuing, there’s a bigger town to the north, about ten kilometers from here. It’s called Ironvale. That’s where we sell our vegetables, wild mushrooms, and woven cloth. It’s big, busy, but safe. There’s a large market, good inns, and even a crystal workshop if you need weapons repaired."

Sofia’s eyes lit up. "Ten kilometers? That’s close! Shall we go there tomorrow, Sylvia?"

Sylvia looked north toward the purple-snow mountains rising in the distance. "Maybe. We’ll see."

The farmer nodded kindly and continued on his way. Sylvia and Sofia kept strolling. They passed small fields on the village edge, green vegetables still wet from the rain, with a few farmers clearing weeds. Behind the fields, a low hill rose gently, its peak lightly dusted with pale snow that shimmered faintly under the overcast light.

As evening approached, they returned to the inn. Mira served a simple lunch: thick soup with smoked meat, toasted bread, and fresh wild apples from the backyard garden. They ate in the small dining room, listening to villagers who stopped by to talk about this year’s better harvest after the long rain, about the children who loved playing with the "dragon cat," and about Ironvale which was always busy on weekends.

The afternoon passed peacefully. Sofia took another nap in the room, tired from walking. Sylvia sat in the backyard with Noir in her lap, gazing at the darkening cloudy valley. The Chain of Abyss remained silent. The green forest far behind them, the white-snow mountains ahead, and this small village in between felt like the perfect pause.

Night arrived with a starless cloudy sky. They had dinner at the inn reheated meat soup from lunch, fresh bread, and wild apples. Mira joined them briefly, sharing stories of her childhood in the village and how the fusion had made the river clearer and the soil more fertile even though the sky remained gray.

Sofia listened with shining eyes, occasionally asking questions. Sylvia spoke little, but she listened. The crackle of wood in the fireplace, the aroma of warm soup, and the simple stories from ordinary people felt... calming.

They returned to their room and slept soundly on the straw mattress. Noir kept watch in the yard, his red eyes glowing in the darkness.

The next morning, the sky was still overcast, but the wind felt lighter. They had breakfast bread and leftover soup.

The journey continued north toward Ironvale.

After breakfast, Sylvia and Sofia decided to leave the inn early. Mira gave them a small bag of fresh wild apples and extra toasted bread as provisions, a small gift from the village that was used by travelers. "Be careful on the road to Ironvale," Mira said with a warm smile. "The path is good, but sometimes there are remnant wild animals in the middle valley. If you need anything else, just come back."

Sofia gave Mira a quick hug, then the two of them walked to the open field at the village edge. Noir was already waiting there, his body enlarged back to the size of an adult horse large enough to carry them both comfortably, yet not overly intimidating to the villagers who still waved from a distance. A few small children ran over one last time, hugging Noir’s leg briefly before stepping back with laughter. The dragon rumbled softly, a sound almost like a farewell purr then lowered his head so Sylvia and Sofia could mount.

Sylvia sat in front as usual, Sofia behind her still wearing the thick black cloak lined with raven feathers. They waved to the people of Grayroot gathered at the edge of the field friendly smiles, small hands waving back, and faint voices of "Come back again!" carried on the wind.

Noir spread his wings gently. The cloudy morning wind roared softly, carrying the scent of wet grass and woodsmoke from the village chimneys. They lifted off without loud noise, only a gust of wind sweeping across the short grass below. Grayroot quickly shrank into a tiny dot in the valley: the low wooden houses, the sparkling clear river, and the simple fence around the small fields.

The journey to Ironvale began peacefully. Ten kilometers was not far for Noir, only about half an hour of leisurely flight. They were in no hurry. Noir flew low, following the rising contours of the valley toward the purple-snow mountains in the north. Morning mist still blanketed the low ground, but the higher they flew, the thinner it became, allowing clearer views.

Below, the stone path the villagers had mentioned appeared a thin trail winding between low hills, occasionally passed by small wooden carts pulled by fused wild horses. A few village merchants could be seen carrying baskets of vegetables and woven cloth northward, a sign that Ironvale was indeed the small trading hub of the region. The clear river flowing from the mountains followed their route, its water sparkling silver under the overcast light.

Sofia looked down with shining eyes. "Look at that, Sylvia... merchant carts. They must be taking the harvest to Ironvale. I wonder what the town looks like. Definitely bigger than Emberford."

Sylvia nodded slightly. "Ten kilometers. We’ll know soon enough."

The wind grew colder as they approached the mountain slopes. Thin purple snow began to appear on the black stone peaks not ordinary snow, but faintly purple crystal ice that sparkled like frozen gems. The air felt sharper and fresher, carrying the scent of wet stone and wild pine growing on the lower slopes.

Noir beat his wings more steadily, rising slightly to avoid strong gusts from the valley. In the distance, the outline of the town became visible: a low black stone wall encircling a wide settlement, thick smoke rising from chimneys, and rooftops of wood mixed with obsidian that gleamed faintly. Smoke from the large market rose higher, carrying the aroma of spices, grilled meat, and hot metal from the workshops.

Sofia exclaimed softly. "There it is! Ironvale! It looks so lively from here."

Sylvia gazed at the town for a long time, eyes narrowed in assessment. No strong aura of threat, only ordinary life, trade, and the bustle of a growing small city. The Chain of Abyss remained silent, offering no warning.

"Land at the edge," Sylvia said quietly. "We’ll walk in. Noir, shrink again after landing."

Noir rumbled lightly in reply and began descending. They landed gently on a wide grassy field at the town’s edge far enough from the main gate to avoid drawing too much attention. The ground trembled faintly as Noir’s feet touched earth. He immediately shrank back to the size of a full-grown house cat and nimbly hopped onto Sylvia’s shoulder.

Sofia dismounted with a light leap and took a deep breath. "We finally made it. I can already smell the market from here roasted bread, smoked meat... and something sweet."

Sylvia gave a small nod. They walked slowly toward the town gate, two simple black stone pillars carved with ancient trade symbols. The gate guards two men in thick leather glanced at them but asked a few questions. The small dragon on Sylvia’s shoulder only made them smile faintly.

"Welcome to Ironvale," one guard said. "The central market is busy right now. Watch your wallets."

Sofia laughed softly. "Thank you!"

They entered the town. Ironvale was larger than Grayroot wide stone streets, two-story houses of wood and obsidian, and a central market filled with colorful stalls. The mingled scents of roasted bread, dried spices, smoked meat, and hot metal filled the air. Merchants shouted their wares: dark-rainbow woven fabrics, fresh wild mushrooms, small energy crystals, and crystal-iron tools from the local workshops.

Sofia’s eyes sparkled with excitement. "Sylvia, look at that! A jewelry stall! And over there an old book seller. Stacia would love it if we brought something back."

Sylvia nodded slightly, letting Sofia pull her hand left and right. Noir on her shoulder rumbled softly whenever children approached, but he never threatened, only a red gaze that made them step back laughing.