I Got Reincarnated as a Zombie Girl

The lingering mist and debris still hung in the air as I slowly stood up and walked toward the side of the room, where a large chest deep black in color stood proudly at the center of a magic circle. This chest looked different from the others I had found before. It bore patterns of stars and cosmic constellations that shimmered faintly, like a night sky frozen in metal.

"A reward for defeating the boss, huh..." I murmured softly, my voice nearly drowned out by the mysterious hum radiating from the chest.

I knelt down, touching the cold metal surface, and slowly opened the lid.

CLICK KRRRCKK...

The sound of an ancient mechanism echoed like the groan of some ancient beast awakening. A faint blue light flared briefly from within, then dimmed slowly revealing a single object resting inside.

A rapier.

Thin, elegant, and deadly. The weapon was made of a metallic black material that seemed unnatural. But the most striking feature was the tiny glowing dots scattered along the blade as if stars were trapped within the sword itself.

I drew it slowly. The rapier was light... too light, even. But when I moved it slightly, the air around it whispered, as if being sliced by something invisible. There was something impossibly refined yet lethally precise about this weapon.

Inside the chest was also a sword belt, jet black with a crescent moon-shaped buckle. For some reason... even though I wasn’t used to using a rapier, it felt right. As if it had been waiting for me all along. But I couldn’t use it. I wanted to keep it, but then I remembered I didn’t have any storage.

I sighed in frustration. "No inventory... no storage space... how annoying. What kind of system is this? At least give me a small magic pouch or something..."

But of course, there was no response.

Letting out a long breath, I finally strapped the belt around my waist and sheathed the rapier. A faint metallic chime rang out as the blade slid into its scabbard—a sound that, strangely... calmed me.

"...Well, at least it looks stylish," I muttered, half-mocking myself.

With the new sword at my hip, I turned toward the massive stone gate at the far end of the room. The door was still partially open from when Dullahan had charged through earlier. Beyond its crack, a thick darkness loomed.

I raised my hand and snapped my fingers.

CLICK!

Three pairs of glowing red eyes lit up in the shadows.

My three werewolf zombies still standing tall, though their bodies bore scars from the battles on the previous floor. They had patiently waited for me, even when the earlier battle could have easily obliterated anything foolish enough to draw near.

"Let’s go," I said softly.

The trio stepped forward with heavy but obedient steps. They didn’t speak of course. But I could feel a sense of respect in the way they bowed their heads as they approached. They knew I had won. They knew I had survived. And that was enough.

I walked toward the gate, stepping over the rubble and remnants left by the battle.

Just as I passed through the doorway, I looked up.

The next corridor sloped downward sharply, almost like a descent into the bowels of the earth. Its walls were no longer decorated with marble, but formed from obsidian stone and ancient roots that twisted like black veins. The space ahead looked wider.

The green firelight was gone. Here, only darkness awaited.

I took a breath again, merely from habit. And stepped forward.

THUMP... THUMP... THUMP... the sound of werewolf footsteps echoed behind me.

The first enemy we encountered on floor 31 was a giant skeleton.

"Damn," I thought. "That used to be the boss on floor 10, and now it’s just a regular monster?"

I tested it with an attack. After a moment, it shattered into a pile of bones.

I estimated that its difficulty level was roughly the same as when it had been a boss. Still strong, but no longer threatening like before. Then several of them appeared at once.

I let out a long sigh. I stared at each of them, one by one.

Then I gave a faint smile.

"...Let’s do this."

That simple command was enough. My three werewolves growled low in response, then lunged toward the giant skeletons emerging from the cracks in the walls. The air filled with the sound of clashing bones, clanging metal, and the heavy thud of massive footsteps. I myself darted to the left side of the corridor, dodging two skeletons trying to strike me head-on.

SWISH!

One swipe of my hand, and my dark claw sliced through the air. Even without using my new rapier, my strength was still more than enough to shatter a skeleton too slow to raise its shield. Its skull slammed into the wall, crumbling into glowing dust.

The first werewolf attacked with a vicious bite, tearing off a skeleton’s arm before slamming it to the ground. The second leapt from atop a rock, slashing from above, snapping its enemy’s spine. The third fought beside me, fending off attacks from behind while I focused on tearing through the bone army ahead.

"SHAAARRRGH!!"

One larger skeleton slammed the floor with a massive club. The impact made the corridor quake. I jumped to the side, then hurled my chain at its neck. The chain spun through the air, wrapping around its skull. With a sharp pull, I yanked it down, then drove my claw coated in thick black poison into its chest bone.

"CRACK!!"

The monster died with a sickening crunch. The sound was like the closing note of a bone-crushing symphony.

I drew another breath.

"This is nothing compared to the fight with Dullahan."

The number of enemies had increased, but their quality had dropped drastically. Maybe this dungeon knew that after the 30th floor, adventurers would be significantly stronger. Or maybe... it was simply a tactic to wear down our vigilance before revealing the real nightmare.

After ten minutes of combat, the 31st floor was finally clear. Not a single skeleton remained. The air calmed, and the dust settled once more like a rain of ash.