I Got Reincarnated as a Zombie Girl-Chapter 155 – A Bit of Tension

The atmosphere in Vivi’s Table remained warm and calm, even though the night sky had begun to darken with an odd stillness. There was no wind. No sound of crickets. The air felt as if it was holding its breath. At one table in the corner, Sofia was enjoying her dinner with Rina. In front of them, a bowl of hot mushroom and meat soup released gentle steam, freshly baked flatbread sat neatly on a plate, and a glass of lightly fermented fruit juice shimmered under the hanging crystal lamp.

Sofia took a piece of bread, dipped it slowly into the soup, then brought it to her mouth with calm movements. For a moment, she felt peace. Just for a moment.

The restaurant door opened slowly, and a large figure in a dark cloak stepped in, their movements heavy yet measured. Everyone in the room instinctively turned to look and gave way. The cold, authoritative aura emanating from the figure was impossible to ignore Zark, the highest-ranking commander of the undead forces, now guarding Nocture by direct order of the Queen.

Sofia turned the moment she recognized that aura. Her gaze sharpened, and she slowly put down her spoon.

"Zark?" she asked, half-worried, half-surprised.

Zark approached without a sound and respectfully bowed beside the table.

"Lady Sofia," he said, his voice deep and gravelly. "A number of intruders have been detected around Nocture’s outer perimeter. They haven’t attacked openly, but their movements are highly trained. Judging from their formation and movement techniques, they are most likely personnel from the Central Military."

The words hit Sofia like a stone. She immediately tensed, her hand holding the spoon trembling slightly. The soup that once tasted so warm now felt bland in her mouth.

"...Military," she whispered. Her chest tightened.

Rina immediately glanced at Sofia, seeing the change in her expression. The face that was calm just moments ago now looked unsettled.

Sofia looked deep into Zark’s eyes. "Are you sure it’s them?"

"Quite sure. Some of our shadow units reported suspicious activity for two consecutive nights from the north and southwest. They don’t move like ordinary scouts. They avoid patrol routes, wait for guard rotations, and use standard military camouflage magic."

Sofia closed her eyes for a moment. Old wounds, not yet fully healed, felt ripped open once again.

Her former base. Her struggle. The betrayal of soldiers she once protected. The forced surrender. The city she had built was taken within a month. All of it done by the Central Military with ease because she trusted too much. Because she was too slow to realize that many had been provoked against her.

Although she was now a crucial part of Nocture, and many of the people who once surrendered had joined this city, the wounds remained. Even now, some citizens couldn’t meet her eyes because of their own guilt.

Sofia gritted her teeth and stood up. "Then we must immediately—"

But Zark slowly raised his hand, the motion not aggressive, yet strong enough to make Sofia stop in her tracks.

"Lady Sofia, I have already prepared troops to stand guard," Zark said firmly. "This order came directly from Queen Sylvia via telepathic communication."

Sofia paused. Her heart trembled. "She... knows?"

Zark nodded slowly. "The Queen sensed a magical disturbance that triggered the detection system. I was directly ordered to take command and strengthen your protection discreetly."

Sofia stared at Zark for a moment. Then slowly, she exhaled. A part of her wanted to rush out, to see the situation firsthand, to ensure no mistake would happen again under her watch. But she knew if Sylvia found out that she had been reckless and got herself hurt again... it wouldn’t just be the zombie forces that would go berserk, but the Queen herself.

Rina took her arm. "Sofia... listen. I know you want to protect this city. But you’re also one of the ones who need protection. You’re important, and everyone knows that."

Sofia stayed silent, then bowed her head slightly.

"...Very well. I’ll stay here. But I want direct reports from the field every fifteen minutes. If there’s any shift in position or signs of offensive magic from their side, I want to know immediately."

Zark bowed respectfully. "Understood."

He turned and walked out, leaving behind a room now thick with tension. Some of the customers watched them quietly, but none dared to approach.

Sofia sat back in her chair. But now, her soup had gone cold, and the bread in her hand felt like stone. She didn’t complain. She simply stared blankly for a moment, then picked up her spoon and forced herself to finish her meal.

"Zark’s extremely reliable," Rina said, trying to lighten the mood. "You know, even if a whole battalion came, he could hold them off by himself."

Sofia smiled faintly. "Yeah. But I’m still worried... not because of power. But because of hatred. The military isn’t attacking Nocture out of strategy. They’re attacking because they can’t accept that Nocture exists. Because we... are proof of their system’s failure."

Rina looked at her seriously, then reached across the table to hold her hand.

"And that’s exactly why we have to keep standing. Not in panic. But calmly. Let them burn in their hatred... we stay cold and rational."

Sofia looked at Rina for a moment, then nodded. The tremor in her heart slowly began to settle. She was still a little scared but this time, she wasn’t alone.

Sofia stared at the remnants of her meal, trying to steady her breathing. Even though the soup before her had gone cold, she forced herself to keep eating. Not out of hunger, but because she knew that a clear mind could not emerge from a weakened body. She must not show panic not even to herself.

Rina watched her quietly, then drank the rest of the fermented fruit in her glass. She knew, more than anyone, that Sofia was clenching her heart to keep from falling apart. And though the woman appeared calm on the surface, her gaze could not lie there was fear there. Fear of the past returning to haunt them.

"I think we need to increase surveillance inside the city too," Rina finally said. "If they’ve really infiltrated, there’s a chance they’ve already entered disguised as regular citizens."

Sofia nodded slowly. "Yes... There have been many newcomers since last month. Some of them could be spies. We can’t overlook that."

"In that case, I’ll contact the head of security for the living districts. We’ll ask them to coordinate with the zombie units quietly, without stirring panic." fгeewёbnoѵel_cσm

"Thank you, Rina." Sofia’s voice was soft but firm. She looked at her friend with renewed strength in her eyes. "I’m sorry I’ve been too quiet lately. Since Sylvia left, all of this... has felt too big to handle alone."

Rina chuckled lightly. "If you can run a city filled with the living and the dead without them killing each other, you can handle anything."

Sofia finally smiled a soft smile, faint but genuine.

"Let’s go outside. I want to see things for myself. Even if Zark says everything’s under control, I can’t just sit still."

Night deepened as they stepped out of the restaurant. The sky that had been gray now darkened further. The magical streetlights began to dim— not because they were broken, but because the city’s main grid was programmed to redirect energy to the defense systems when danger escalated.

Zombie patrols began to appear along the streets. They moved in small formations, their faces expressionless as usual, but their movements swift and alert. Some were now equipped with new weapons, a new development from Celes’s lab before she left.

Along the castle walls and outer towers, small blue lights began to glow magical surveillance sensors hidden within the infrastructure. They didn’t just detect physical presence, but also fluctuations in magical energy.

Zark reappeared at the castle gate, approaching Sofia, who had just arrived.

"At present, we’ve detected six unidentified points approaching from the north. They’re moving very cautiously, using silencing and masking magic, but they can’t evade the Queen’s detection network."

"Their current position?" Sofia asked.

"One hundred and twenty meters from the northern wall. They haven’t moved closer yet."

"Why are they waiting?"

"Possibly searching for a gap, or... awaiting orders."

Sofia gazed toward the north. The night wind carried the scent of fog and damp earth. This city had become her home and the home of so many who now depended on her. She would not let anyone destroy it again.

"If they try to enter," she said quietly, "don’t issue a warning. Take them down silently. But don’t kill them immediately. We need to know their objective."

"Understood."

Zark then vanished into the shadows, his body disappearing in an instant. He would lead the ambush personally.

Sofia stood firm at the edge of the road, her eyes still on the sky.

"Watch over me, Sylvia," she whispered softly. "I’ll protect all of this... for you."

From afar, the faint sound of zombie footsteps moving quickly could be heard a sign that Nocture’s peaceful night had begun to stir.

The sky above Nocture was slowly covered in black clouds. But no rain came. Only the air grew heavier.

And in the distance, beyond unseen walls, the military spies began adjusting their communication devices. Behind a large rock beside a dry riverbed, a young officer whispered into a communication crystal.

"Target remains unresponsive. But undead formations are increasing. They may already know we’re here."

On the other end of the channel, a heavier voice replied, "If they know, then the attack must be accelerated. We cannot wait until the fourth night."

The officer nodded. "Understood."

But from behind a tree’s shadow, a pair of red eyes glowed faintly. A voiceless whisper floated into the air, flowing back to the undead base like a night wind that carried secrets.

Nocture was ready.

And tonight, not everyone who moved... would return.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l