I Got Reincarnated as a Zombie Girl-Chapter 77 – Another Portal Again

My steps halted in front of a purplish-blue portal, radiating subtle distortions in the air like an invisible crack leading to another world. A chilling aura seeped from its surface, sweeping over the blood-stained ground, remnants of the previous battle with Werewolves and Lycans.

Seven of my troops stood ready behind me.

Three Witches and four Hunters.

"Enter," I whispered. They moved without hesitation.

Two figures remained behind one Witch and one Hunter. As per my command, they stayed outside to guard the area and collect the red crystals left behind. Though the battle had ended, the energy from those creatures must not go to waste.

My body passed through the portal, and the world shifted.

WUUUMMM !A transition between worlds.

My foot touched foreign soil. The scent of damp earth and ancient trees assaulted my senses. A thin mist blanketed the area, and the usual sounds of nature were unnaturally muted as if the forest itself held its breath.

"Another forest area," I muttered softly.

Towering trees loomed above, their massive roots clawing out of the ground. Sunlight barely pierced the dense canopy. With no sign of life besides us, this forest felt frozen in time.

"Search. Spread out."

The three Witches and three Hunters nodded in unison and silently dispersed in different directions like shadows given form. Always calm. Always obedient.

One Witch and one Hunter remained by my side.

They stood half a step behind me. Silent, motionless. Yet I understood them.

Protection. Devotion.

That was the meaning of their presence.

We began to move, navigating the undergrowth and ancient trunks. The wind carried faint rustles, but there was no scent of blood or signs of conflict. No traces of Lycans or Werewolves.

I let out a quiet sigh. Curiosity stirred in me as we walked.

"How much have they developed?"

I summoned Appraisal.

A greenish glow passed through my eyes as I turned to the Witch beside me.

[Appraisal – Witch (Mutated Zombie Rank 3)]

Level: 35HP: 7800 / 7800MP: 12400 / 12400

Element: Curse, Dark

Skills:– [Dark Pulse Lv.4]– [Cursed Nova Lv.3]– [Fearwave Lv.2]– [Black Bind Lv.4]– [Mind Howl Lv.2]

Her stats had increased significantly since her last evolution. No longer a mere distraction unit she had fully become a wielder of dark magic and curses.

I turned to the Hunter beside her.

[Appraisal – Hunter (Mutated Zombie Rank 3)]

Level: 35HP: 9400 / 9400Stamina: 7800 / 7800

Element: Shadow

Skills:– [Shadow Blink Lv.5]– [Piercing Claw Lv.4]– [Predator’s Gaze Lv.3]– [Silent Step Lv.5]– [Ambush Kill Lv.4]

The Hunter had become a true predator of shadows swift and silent. Perfect for instant kills.

A faint smile curved on my lips.

"No longer lowly creatures..."

We continued walking leisurely, as if simply enjoying the forest. But every second, we remained on full alert.

I opened all my senses listening for the crack of twigs, sniffing the air, searching for signs of other presences. Yet there was nothing. Not a single one.

This forest was too quiet.

Meanwhile, outside the portal...

The Witch and Hunter I left behind carried out their assigned task.

Without a word, the Witch extracted the red crystals.

CRACK! SLRPP! The sounds of flesh and bone tearing as crystals were pulled from the body begins to melt.

The Hunter stood watch nearby, his sharp gaze scanning the surroundings like a beast guarding its prey.

Then human voices echoed from afar.

"Hey! That’s ours! Thieves!"

"Don’t touch those crystals! We were the ones who fought them!"

Several humans likely a group of hunters or mercenaries approached with weapons in hand. Dressed in mismatched combat gear, some bleeding, some still trembling in panic. They saw the Witch and Hunter collecting the crystals and immediately assumed the worst.

"STOP! DROP THOSE!"

The Witch ignored them, continuing her work. She pulled out another crystal and calmly placed it in a storage pouch.

The Hunter turned. His eyes glowed red. Heavy breath escaped his nose. The low growl of a beast rumbled in his throat. His hands clenched the ground, restraining himself.

GRRRRRHHHHHH....

A quiet, deadly growl.

One of the humans stepped forward and raised a weapon.

"I said stop—!"

FWWSHHH!

In an instant, the Hunter appeared before him stopping just an inch from the man’s throat. He didn’t strike. But the threat was so overwhelming, the man pissed himself.

The Witch finally turned, her glowing purple eyes blank yet oppressive. She raised a single finger, pointing toward the portal.

A final warning "Not your concern."

They couldn’t understand the growl, but the meaning was clear.

And they froze.

But greed twisted some of their faces. Blinded by desire, one man raised his rifle and fired. The others followed, attacking in a panic.

BRAKKA-BRAKKA!

A rushed assault. Pointless.

The Hunter vanished his form dissolving into black mist, slipping through their midst.

CRACK! The first scream tore the air.

SLASH! The second didn’t even have time to scream his chest was cleaved open.

Blood splattered, painting the earth and their comrades’ faces.

And finally, they understood.

What they faced... wasn’t human.

These were zombies.

But not ordinary ones cold-blooded evolved predators with piercing eyes and overwhelming strength that normal men couldn’t withstand.

"W-What was that...?""T-That’s not... That’s not human...!!""RUN!!"

They panicked. Their bodies turned and fled with staggered steps, like wild animals realizing they had entered a predator’s den.

Some dropped their weapons. Some even wept in terror.

The Hunter didn’t pursue.

He simply stood there, heavy breath escaping his throat, watching their backs disappear into the trees.

Meanwhile, the Witch resumed her work.

With cold, methodical movements, she continued harvesting the red crystals from dead Werewolves. Her hands bathed in blood. Her face unmoved.

As if the earlier bloodshed had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience in the midst of a more important task.

In the silence, only the sound of flesh tearing and crystals being pulled could be heard.

Meanwhile, I continued walking leisurely through the foggy forest, accompanied by a Witch and a Hunter. Our steps were calm, yet every movement was laced with vigilance. This forest might be quiet, but such emptiness rarely meant anything good. I was still searching for signs of Werewolves or Lycanthropes, hoping this hunt wouldn’t end in vain like the last.

Along the way, my gaze caught something unusual a short tree with strange fruit hanging from its branches. They looked like apples, perfectly round, but their color... a deep violet, like amethyst. The skin shimmered faintly, and a subtle sweet aroma wafted into my nose.

I reached out and plucked one. Its flesh was soft as I bit into it sweet and refreshing. It tasted like a mix between apple and grape, with just a hint of tartness that made my tongue tingle.

"...Delicious," I murmured softly, then picked a few more. Two, three, four.

"How pathetic...," I sighed quietly. "If only I had space magic."

I bit into the fourth fruit while eyeing the small pile in my hands. No magic bag, no storage system. Even my own system didn’t provide an inventory like most human protagonists. So for now, all I could do was enjoy this simple moment... in the middle of a foreign forest, with my loyal undead followers.

But that peace didn’t last.

Ting!

A mental notification rang one of the Hunters I’d dispatched earlier had sent a signal. I immediately raised my head, curiosity replacing the earlier tranquility.

"Found a town...?"

I darted off at once, the Witch and Hunter at my side following silently behind. We moved swiftly, weaving through bushes and leaping over giant tree roots. And when I arrived at the designated location...

Sure enough.

A small town stretched out before me, hidden behind lines of trees and stone cliffs. The buildings were made of dark wood and stone, sturdy but simple. Lanterns hung from each street corner, glowing dimly with yellow light.

But the most striking thing was the inhabitants.

They weren’t fully human. Tall, muscular bodies, covered in gray fur. Pointed ears that rose atop their heads, and wolf-like faces that still retained human-like expressions. They walked the streets, talking with one another, carrying baskets, trading goods even sitting around casually chewing on something.

I observed from afar, hidden behind thick leaves and the shadows of trees. They looked... normal. Not wild. Not like the beasts that had attacked me before. They resembled... an ordinary society.

Werewolves.

But not a single one had the overwhelming aura of a Lycanthrope.

It seemed like this was a lower-tier town. A home for regular Werewolves.

"In that case... where are the Lycans?"

I narrowed my eyes, trying to catch every detail.

Maybe... they live elsewhere. Up above. In the center. Or perhaps they considered themselves too grand to live alongside the common kind.