I Got Reincarnated as a Zombie Girl-Chapter 60 – The World Beyond the Gate

Sylvia watched her subordinates scurry back and forth with surprising enthusiasm, carrying piles of armor and weapons into the empty villa next door as ordered. Some of them even started sorting the loot by size and color, as if they were curating a war gallery.

She let out a sigh, then shifted her gaze toward the swirling, deep-purple portal still open not far from the garden.

"...I’m going back inside the portal," she murmured—soft, yet firm.

Tyrant, who stood not far from her, immediately bowed deeply.

"Understood. I will watch over this territory, My Lady."

With a light step, Sylvia walked toward the portal. In a blink, her body was pulled into the swirling mix of shadow and light.

Zzzzrmmm—

"Ugh... still feels strange every time I pass through."

Crossing between dimensions never felt pleasant—cold like frozen bones and heavy like being pulled out of her own skin. But she quickly adjusted, her feet landing on unfamiliar ground that wasn’t entirely hostile.

The forest... was vast. Far larger than she had imagined.

Tall grass brushed her knees, while towering trees blocked out most of the sunlight. The humid air was thick with the scent of damp earth and dried blood.

Within hours of exploring, Sylvia encountered all sorts of wild life. Venomous snakes as thick as her arm, deer with five-pronged antlers, and yellow-eyed wolves watching her from behind the brush. She even spotted a group of goblins celebrating something near a small river, tossing bones at each other and laughing harshly.

But what caught her attention the most... was the orc village she had attacked the day before.

Still in ruins, littered with corpses. But unlike the orcs outside the portal—whose bodies dissolved or disappeared after death—these corpses remained intact, rotting slowly. Predatory animals feasted on the remains, tearing apart the flesh of the abandoned orcs. The air was thick with a metallic, acidic stench, a sign that only a short time had passed.

"So... this world is like a separate dimensional pocket? Full of monsters and wild beasts, but... the corpses stay. Perfect for farming." Sylvia nodded slightly, storing the information in her mind.

But then, the ground began to tremble.

Grrrmmmbbbbbb—

A quake. Not too strong, but enough to shake loose branches and send birds into a frenzy. Yet what truly made Sylvia’s skin crawl... wasn’t the tremor itself, but the strange feeling that followed. Something was calling. Or maybe—warning her.

"...Damn. I need to get out of here."

Without hesitation, she turned and started running. Branches slapped her face and her feet skimmed just above the earth. Even in this tense moment... she still had time to glance at the massive boar that suddenly appeared in her path.

"Sorry, but you’re getting tasted."

BOOM!

One solid punch to the head dropped the creature instantly. She grabbed its heavy body with one hand and continued sprinting through the forest.

As she neared the original clearing, she saw the portal—it was trembling violently. Its energy lashed about like flames in a hurricane. The edges began to ripple, and slowly—the diameter started shrinking.

"...Oh no."

She picked up speed for the final stretch. And the moment she leapt through—

The portal let out one last burst of purple light before vanishing completely.

Zzzzt—POOF.

She landed on the ground, panting, still holding the massive boar.

"Huff... that was close."

Slowly, Sylvia stood and looked up at the peaceful morning sky. Her gaze dropped to the boar, which was now bleeding from its mouth and snout.

"...Not bad. Maybe Sofia can cook it. The meat looks fresh enough."

But behind her casual tone, her mind was already processing one thing.

The portal... was gone.

She didn’t know when it would open again, or where it might lead next. But she knew one thing for certain: that place was a source of EXP, a gateway to evolution.

With a single swing, she hoisted the boar’s body over her shoulder and began walking back to the villa.

When she arrived, the sight that greeted her was surprisingly pleasant: the garden had been cleaned, not a single piece of armor or skull in sight. Her subordinates stood obediently in the corner, as if they had never caused chaos in the first place.

Sylvia sighed in relief and smiled faintly. She opened the door and stepped inside, calling out casually—

"Now... time to visit our radiant little chef."

After ensuring the villa and surrounding area were secure, Sylvia hoisted the massive boar over her shoulder and prepared to leave.

One small step into the shadows, and—

Void Step.

The world spun in an instant. The sound of wind was muted, space turned silent, and gravity itself seemed to lose its direction. When she stepped out of the darkness, she was already standing outside Sofia’s base—right in front of the main entrance of the military building, which now sat quietly under the night sky.

This time, Sylvia chose not to appear directly in Sofia’s room like before. Not just because she was carrying a boar weighing hundreds of kilos, but also because... well, their last surprise encounter had ended with her crashing into the girl of light.

A bit more polite this time, she thought briefly.

She shifted the position of the large boar still slung over her shoulder with one hand, then pressed the doorbell.

Ding—dong.

A few seconds of silence passed... then came the sound of hurried footsteps. The door swung open.

Sofia appeared, her hair slightly messy, wearing a thin T-shirt and house shorts. Her face showed mild annoyance, likely from being disturbed during her rest.

"Who’s coming over at this hour—..."

But the moment she saw who was standing at the doorstep, her expression changed drastically.

"...Sylvia?! You’re here? Didn’t you say you’d be coming in a few days?"

Her face lit up like a lamp just switched on.

Sylvia didn’t answer right away. She simply tilted her chin slightly, gesturing to the massive boar lying solidly on the concrete floor of the base.

"Can you cook it?" she asked plainly.

Sofia looked at the boar, then back at Sylvia... then back at the boar. Her eyes widened.

"That... that thing is HUGE! Where did you—"

But before she could finish her sentence, Sylvia’s calm voice cut in again:

"Grill the meat."

Yet it wasn’t the command that stunned Sofia—it was the way Sylvia said it. Her voice... sounded normal.

Sofia’s eyes went wide.

"Y-You can... talk?!"

Sylvia gave a relaxed nod. "Recently."

Sofia froze for a few seconds, her mouth half open. Then she shut it, opened it again, shut it once more. She even raised both hands and slapped her own cheeks.

Plek.

"...This isn’t a dream, right?"

Sylvia raised an eyebrow. "Want me to slap you to make sure?"

Sofia pouted. "N-No need."

The two stood in silence for a moment, accompanied only by the cool night breeze and the distant chirping of crickets. It was already 8 PM, and the base had settled into a peaceful rhythm. The warm glow from the hanging lights bathed the doorway in a cozy ambiance.

Sylvia continued in a light tone, "Perfect timing for a barbecue, isn’t it?"

Sofia finally smiled—soft and bright, an expression that hadn’t graced her face in a long time.

"...Of course. Leave it to me."

With help from some off-duty kitchen personnel and soldiers, Sofia began setting up in the backyard of the base. Tables were covered, firewood was gathered for an open grill, and the scent of spices slowly began to waft through the air.

Meanwhile, Sylvia sat calmly on a metal bench, observing the preparations. Though some people still seemed wary of her, they gradually relaxed after seeing that she was simply sitting there quietly.

For a moment... the world felt peaceful no war or blood. Just the smell of roasting meat filling the air.

"I wonder if I can taste food now," she muttered as she waited for the meat to cook.