I Got Reincarnated as a Zombie Girl-Chapter 398 - 394 – The Gaping Rift Behind the Silent Mountain

That night passed with a rare peace in Nocture. The small bonfire by the riverbank finally died out after its last pieces of wood turned into black charcoal that still trailed thin wisps of smoke. The smoke blended with the thickening black mist, as if helping to blanket the warm memories of the night before. Sylvia stood up last, gazing at the remains of the grilled fish that had all been eaten, then let out a soft sigh. Her chest felt lighter, but the emptiness had not completely vanished. It was only postponed. Like a fire that had gone out, she knew the gnawing boredom would return tomorrow morning the thirst for something bigger, more dangerous, more... alive.

The next day, the faint morning twilight crept weakly through the castle’s dark windows. Sylvia woke earlier than usual. Her black cloak was already neatly fastened around her body, her long black hair hanging loose and unbound. She stepped out of her private chamber without a sound, walking through the ever-cold black stone corridors. Noir was still curled up in the corner of the room, snoring softly in its never-truly-deep zombie sleep. Sofia and Alicia were still in their respective wings of the castle, while Stacia... ah, Stacia was exactly who she needed today. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Sylvia found Stacia in the ever-messy private library. Her sister was sitting in a tall chair, a thick novel open on her lap, her ash-gray hair as disheveled as always, and a cup of already-cold black tea on the side table. Stacia’s blood-red eyes lifted when she saw Sylvia approaching. "Morning, Sylvia. It’s still really early. You usually don’t show up until after noon. What’s up? Want another novel recommendation?"

Sylvia gave a faint smile, one that didn’t reach her red eyes. "Come with me. Quietly. Don’t tell anyone."

Stacia raised an eyebrow but didn’t ask further. She closed her novel with a soft thud, stored it in her system storage, and stood up. "Okay. I’m in."

They left the castle through a rarely used back door, passing through the dark gardens still wet with night dew. The morning air in Nocture felt colder than usual, carrying the thick scent of damp earth and black roses. Sylvia walked ahead, her steps light but firm. Stacia followed behind, occasionally glancing back to make sure no one was tailing them. They followed the narrow path leading to the mountain behind the castle, a steep black-stone mountain shrouded in eternal mist and stunted trees whose roots dangled like corpse hands. The place was always deserted; even the guards rarely patrolled there because there was nothing of interest. Until today.

After nearly an hour of silent climbing, they reached a small plateau halfway up the slope. Large boulders surrounded the area like a natural fence. Mountain wind blew strongly, carrying the distant rumble from the valley below. Sylvia stopped in the middle of the plateau, staring at the blank stone wall. "Here," she said quietly. Her voice was almost swallowed by the wind.

Stacia crossed her arms, her ash-gray hair whipped by the wind. "Here what? Sylvia, you dragged me secretly up the back mountain just to... what? Watch the mist?"

Sylvia turned, her red eyes cold yet flashing with determination. "Use your space magic. Open a dimensional rift. Make it big. I want... plenty of high-level monsters behind it. Level five and above. As many as possible."

Stacia fell silent for a moment. Her eyes widened. "A dimensional rift? Here? Sylvia... are you serious? That’s no joke. If it opens too wide, those monsters could spill out into Nocture. Our castle, our people... you know the risk."

"I know," Sylvia answered without hesitation. She stepped closer to the stone wall, her hand touching the rough surface. "I’m doing it on purpose. I’m bored, Stacia. Bored with documents, reports, meetings that never change. I need... something real. Something I can crush with my own hands. Not strategy. Just... battle."

Stacia let out a long sigh. She scratched her messy head. Confusion was clear on her face, lips pursed, brows furrowed. But she was her sister. The sister who always obeyed, even if she didn’t always understand. "You... really are a weird queen now. But fine. If this is what you want, I’ll do it. Just remember, I’m only opening the rift. If it gets chaotic later, don’t blame me, okay?"

Sylvia nodded slowly. "Thank you. Start."

Stacia stepped forward. A small blood-red flame ignited at her right fingertip, then spread across her entire hand. She raised both hands, palms facing the stone wall. Her space magic, the power she had mastered long ago began to pulse. The air around them trembled. A dark purple-black light appeared on the wall, like a small crack slowly widening. A low rumbling sound echoed, as if another world was taking a breath. The rift grew wider, its edges pulsing like living veins. Behind it lay thick darkness, and occasionally large shadows moved quickly scales, claws, hungry red eyes.

"That’s enough," Stacia muttered after several minutes. A thin sheen of sweat appeared on her forehead despite the cold mountain air. "The rift is stable for now. The high-level monsters inside... I can feel their energy. A lot of them. Definitely level five. Maybe higher if you wait."

Sylvia stared at the rift with a strange, faint satisfaction. The small flame in her chest began to burn again. "Good. Now we go back. Leave it open. Don’t close it."

They turned and descended the mountain with the same silent steps as when they had climbed. Stacia occasionally glanced back but said nothing more. Sylvia walked ahead, her black cloak fluttering in the wind. Her mind was already drifting back to the castle, to the reports that would soon arrive. She felt no guilt. This wasn’t betrayal. This was... entertainment. A bored queen’s way of creating a challenge for herself.

They returned to the castle before the midday sun fully rose. Sylvia immediately went back to her throne room as if she had never left. She sat on her black throne, reading routine documents with a flat expression. Noir finally woke up and curled at her feet. Sofia came briefly for breakfast together, chatting lightly about today’s misty weather. Alicia reported that the morning patrol had been "too quiet." Stacia appeared briefly in the corridor, giving Sylvia a small, secretive smile, then disappeared again into her library.

By midday, everything changed.

The first report came from a senior hunter who usually patrolled the forest at Nocture’s edge. He entered the throne room panting, face pale. "Your Majesty... monsters. So many of them. They suddenly appeared from the direction of the back mountain. Packs of level-four goblins, several level-five ogres, even small wyverns that usually never descend into the valley. They’re attacking the outer villages. We’ve already killed dozens, but more keep coming."

Sylvia nodded slowly, her face unchanged. "Handle it. Send the regular troops first."

Less than an hour later, the second report arrived this time from Alicia herself, who had just returned from an emergency patrol. Her silver hair was slightly disheveled, and there were monster bloodstains on her cloak. "Sylvia, this is strange. The monsters seem to be pouring from a single point on the mountain. Strong dimensional energy is coming from there. I’ve checked there’s a rift. A big one. I didn’t dare approach it alone."

Sylvia remained silent. She only tapped her fingers on the arm of the throne. Inside her heart, that faint satisfaction grew. Level-five monsters had already started coming out. Good. But she was still waiting. Level six. Level seven. Stronger ones. Ones that could truly make her move, truly make her feel the adrenaline she had lost long ago.

Throughout the afternoon, reports kept pouring in like rain. Hunters reported packs of stone trolls destroying bridges. Farmers panicked because their fields were attacked by level-five giant slimes leaving trails of poisonous mucus. Even some off-duty castle guards reported seeing the shadow of a small dragon crossing the misty sky. The atmosphere in the castle began to grow tense. Sofia arrived with a worried face, her ten golden wings slightly spread. "Sylvia... this isn’t a normal attack. We should close that rift right now before it gets worse."

Sylvia shook her head slowly. "Not yet. Leave it for now."

Stacia, who happened to pass by the throne room at that moment, only smiled faintly from a distance and stayed silent. She knew. She understood what Sylvia wanted.

As evening approached, the number of monsters around Nocture had increased dramatically. The fortieth report came from a squad captain. "Your Majesty, we’ve already killed more than two hundred monsters today. But they keep coming. There are half-step level fives. And... I sense something bigger behind that rift. It hasn’t come out yet, but its energy... is terrifying."

Sylvia finally stood up from her throne. She walked to the large window facing the back mountain. The black mist had grown thicker, but she could feel the faint tremors from afar. The dimensional rift was still open, still pouring high-level monsters into their world. Noir growled softly beside her, as if sharing its master’s excitement. Sofia and Alicia stood behind her, waiting for orders. Stacia leaned against the wall, her novel already closed.

"Still no level six," Sylvia murmured quietly, almost to herself. "A lot more are still coming out... but not the ones truly worthy yet. I’ll wait. Tonight, tomorrow morning, or the day after. When level-six finally appears, then I’ll move myself."

She turned, her red eyes faintly glowing in the candlelight of the throne room. "Tell all troops to hold their positions. Do not close the rift. This... is a small test for Nocture. And for me."

Stacia chuckled softly from the corner of the room. "You’re really crazy, Sylvia."

Sofia sighed but smiled faintly. "If that’s what you want... we’ll follow. But don’t wait too long. I don’t like seeing the villages destroyed."

Alicia only gave a firm nod. "I’m ready anytime, Sylvia. Just say the word when you want to head down the mountain."

Night began to fall once more over Nocture. The black mist grew denser, hiding the back mountain that had now become the source of chaos. But inside the castle, the atmosphere remained calm at least on the surface. Sylvia sat back down on her throne, but this time a small smile lingered on her lips that had never been there yesterday. She looked at the piled reports on the table and listened to the faint rumbling in the distance that only she and Stacia truly understood.

The boredom was still there, but now there was hope. Hope that soon, level-six monsters or even higher would step out from that dimensional rift. And when that moment came, Sylvia would no longer just sit and wait. She would move. With the dagger from her system storage, with the death magic she commanded, with Noir at her side, and her sisters behind her.

She leaned back against the black throne, her red eyes gazing at the purple-black sky outside the window. The night wind slipped in, carrying the scent of damp earth mixed with the distant metallic smell of monster blood. For the first time since the small bonfire by the riverbank yesterday, Sylvia felt... alive.

"Tomorrow," she murmured softly to herself. "Or the day after. I’m waiting for you to come out, you big monsters. And when you do... I’ll catch you myself. Just like the silver fish in that clear river."

Stacia, still standing in the corner, only shook her head with a smile. "You really never change, Sylvia. Even as queen."

The night grew deeper. The rift behind the mountain remained wide open, sending monster after monster into the dark city of Nocture. Reports continued to arrive, but Sylvia stayed silent, waiting patiently. She would clean it up herself if the hunters and troops in the city of Nocture could no longer hold them back.