I Got Reincarnated as a Zombie Girl

I froze. My body stiffened for a moment, my eyes staring blankly at my chest right where the card had suddenly vanished into my body without any warning. It didn’t hurt just a brief warmth, and then it was gone. But the strange sensation lingered, as if something foreign had attached itself to me from within.

I immediately used internal detection magic to examine any possible changes. No injuries, No mana displacement, No foreign energy detected. As if the card had... simply disappeared.

"Did you see that?" I asked quickly, turning to the lich who was still calmly seated, writing something in an old journal. "A card just came out of the book and went into my body."

The lich raised an eyebrow. "Card? No, I didn’t see anything. You just suddenly stopped talking and stared down at yourself, then started scanning your own body. What exactly happened?"

I was about to explain when a voice I hadn’t heard in a long time echoed in my mind.

Ding!!Assessment in progress...1%... 5%... 10%...

Ding!!Process failed. Ding!!Retrying process...1%... 5%... 10%... 25%...

Ding!!Calculation postponed. Host, please wait...

Ding!!Calculation temporarily suspended.

Ding!!System is evolving, Time remaining: 6 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds.

I froze again. My system the very thing that had helped me survive, grow, and evolve was now... evolving itself?

What did that even mean? Never before had my system "lagged," let alone undergone something called an "evolution." Usually, I’d just get level-up messages, new abilities, or quest notifications.

My gaze turned vacant, body stiff with uncertainty.

"Hey, are you alright?" the lich asked, his tone more serious now as he looked at me with concern.

I blinked, then forced a thin smile. "I’m fine... just a little dizzy. This book is... incredible." A lie, but hopefully convincing enough.

He nodded slowly. "Indeed. That book came from ancient ruins, and even I don’t know who created it. But if it reacted to you, maybe there’s a reason you were ’drawn’ here."

Drawn? That word made me want to ask more, but I held myself back for now. I had more pressing matters to focus on. If my system was "evolving," then I needed a place to grow stronger while I waited.

"Are there any dungeons nearby?" I asked.

The lich smiled faintly. "Of course. Several, in fact. The closest two are of different types one is a cave-type, and the other is a tower-type."

"What’s the difference between them?" I asked, folding my arms.

"Cave-type dungeons usually increase in difficulty the deeper you go. They’re full of tunnels, narrow passages, and relatively simple traps. But the monsters within can be extremely fierce, especially if the dungeon has gone untouched for a long time."

He paused for a moment, then continued. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

"Tower-type dungeons, on the other hand, are vertical in structure. You climb floor by floor, and each floor is designed with different combat scenarios or mechanisms. The traps and puzzles are more varied. The rewards tend to be more unique as well."

I nodded. "Sounds interesting. Do you have a map or something?"

With a slight smile, the lich stood up and took a scroll from a shelf near the wall. As he opened it on the table, my eyes were immediately drawn to a large, well-maintained yet ancient map. Its surface was filled with symbols, markings, and borders.

"This... is a world map?" I asked.

"Yes, though it’s not entirely accurate. This world still hides many secrets. But it gives you the general idea."

I studied the map closely. Five large continents were clearly depicted. Four of them surrounded one massive central continent. Like rings guarding the center of everything.

"You’re currently on the central continent," the lich explained. "This place is called Umbra Nexis, the main territory of the dark races: undead, lesser demons, vampires, lycanthropes, and the like."

I nodded, memorizing the information.

"The other continents," he continued, pointing to the western side of the map, "are home to the humans they call their continent Solaria. That’s where the Human Empire that exiled me resides."

He then pointed north. "This is the land of the elves, known as Aeltheris. It’s full of ancient forests and strong ley lines of magic."

"To the east," he said, moving his finger again, "is Durkrag, land of the dwarves. Mountains, mines, and underground fortresses define their civilization."

Finally, he pointed south. "And this... is Beastia, home to the beastkin and mixed races. A wild and untamable land."

I studied it all in silence. This world... was massive, and I had only explored a small sliver of it. If my system was truly evolving, I might need the strength of this entire world to understand what comes next.

"The number of dungeons on each continent varies," the lich added. "There are usually only three to five tower-type dungeons per continent, since they’re rare and constructed by divine hands. But cave-type dungeons can number in the dozens on each island or landmass, since they’re formed naturally or through uncontrolled spiritual energy."

"Can these dungeons be destroyed?" I asked, curious.

"Yes, but it’s incredibly difficult. Dungeons are semi-dimensional manifestations. You must destroy their core and doing so can cause a collapse that endangers the surrounding world."

I nodded, then pointed to two markings near this region. "These two... can you mark which one is most suitable for me?"

The lich nodded and took a magical quill, marking two locations.

"This one is the Cave of the Forgotten once an abandoned mine, now filled with wild undead. And this one is the Tower of Echoes, an ancient tower said to have been built by one of the gods to test a Hero."

I touched the marked spot. "Maybe this will be my next destination."

The lich gave me a faint smile. "Do you intend to explore the entire world?"

I fell silent for a moment, then looked directly into his calm, glowing green eyes.

"If it helps me return faster... then yes."

I took a deep breath and looked at him seriously. "How many gods are there in this world?"

The lich smiled quietly, as if he had been waiting for that question.

"Twelve. Twelve gods and goddesses who guard or disrupt the balance of this world."