I Got Reincarnated as a Zombie Girl
Chapter 173 – Behind the White City’s Veil

Chapter 173: Chapter 173 – Behind the White City’s Veil

Morning sunlight slipped through the gaps in the curtains, casting warm streaks of light across Sylvia’s face. She slowly opened her eyes, feeling refreshed after a deep and restful sleep. Outside the room, the city had already begun to stir footsteps and murmured conversations of the townspeople faintly reached her through the window.

Sylvia rose from the bed, standing still for a moment as she stretched. She felt much better this morning her mind clear and filled with energy for the new day. After a quick wash, she dressed in a simple outfit she had prepared earlier: a long, dark gown paired with a light cloak suitable for easy movement.

When she stepped out of her room, she found Alicia and Stacia already seated at the inn’s dining area. Alicia still looked a bit nervous, while Stacia seemed quite at ease, enjoying a cup of warm tea in front of her.

"Good morning," Sylvia greeted them as she sat in the empty seat between them.

"Morning," Alicia replied gently with a smile. "Did you sleep well?"

Sylvia nodded calmly. "Very well. How about you two?"

Stacia grinned, pointing at her tea with a satisfied look. "I’m thoroughly enjoying this. I didn’t expect food and drink in the real world to taste so rich. It’s far more vivid than I imagined."

Alicia nodded slowly. "I slept decently, though I woke up a few times still getting used to this body. But I feel better today."

Sylvia smiled softly, relieved to see them slowly adapting to their new bodies. "Good. Today, we need to start gathering information. This city may look peaceful on the surface, but it’s full of secrets that could help us uncover the gods’ real plans."

Stacia leaned back comfortably in her chair. "So, are we going straight to the Temple of the Goddess of Light, or are we going to be more subtle about it?"

Sylvia paused to think before answering, "I think we should be cautious at first. We don’t want to attract unnecessary attention too soon."

"Then where do we begin?" Alicia asked, her eyes curious.

Sylvia turned toward the window, watching the bustling streets outside. "We start where the most gossip and information flow the city’s main marketplace."

The three of them left the inn and walked through the gradually crowded streets. Velthya in the morning was alive and busy. Merchants called out their wares silks, spices, and exotic magical trinkets that sparkled with mystery.

Sylvia led the way, occasionally stopping at various stalls that caught her attention. Alicia and Stacia followed behind, their eyes busy taking in the sights they had never noticed before in their previous incorporeal forms.

In the middle of the bustling market, Sylvia’s attention was suddenly drawn to an old merchant sitting in front of a small booth crowded with magical trinkets and antique items. The old man’s sharp eyes scanned the crowd carefully, as if searching for a specific kind of customer.

"Let’s take a look here," Sylvia said as she approached the old man’s stall.

The merchant greeted them with a faint smile, his eyes suggesting that he knew Sylvia wasn’t just another passerby.

"Welcome, ladies. Is there something you’re looking for?" he asked in a calm, meaningful voice.

Sylvia gave a faint smile and touched a small golden stone that looked ordinary, yet emitted a subtle magical aura. "We’re just looking for something... interesting. This city seems full of secrets."

The merchant gave a slight grin and let out a low chuckle. "It’s always been that way here. A beautiful city on the outside, but full of darkness within. But I’m sure you ladies already know exactly what you’re looking for, don’t you?"

Sylvia looked at him sharply. "What do you mean?"

The old man leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a serious whisper. "I can feel the power within the three of you especially you. You’re no ordinary visitor. You’ve come seeking answers answers about the gods who are slowly losing their grip on this world."

Sylvia fell silent, her gaze growing intense. "If you know that much, then you must also know how we can get the information we need."

The old man nodded slowly. "I know someone you should meet. Her name is Elara, a former priestess who once served in the grand temple until she was expelled for asking too many questions. If you want to learn the truths of this city, Elara is the one you need."

Sylvia stared at the old man for a few moments before finally nodding. "Where can we find Elara?"

He glanced toward a narrow alley on the edge of the marketplace. "At the end of that alley is an old house with a faded blue door. Tell her you’re special guests sent by the ’Shadow from the East.’ She’ll understand."

Sylvia gave a slight nod of thanks, then turned toward the direction he had indicated.

Not long after, they stood in front of a small house with a pale blue wooden door, just as the merchant had described. Sylvia knocked gently, and a moment later, the door opened slowly to reveal a middle-aged woman with long hair streaked with gray.

The woman eyed them cautiously, suspicion in her gaze. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"We’re the Rebels of the World," Sylvia replied firmly though she had made up the name on the spot.

The woman’s expression changed instantly from wary to shocked and even fearful. She opened the door wider. "Quick, come in."

Sylvia, Alicia, and Stacia stepped into the small, tidy house. The woman shut the door quickly behind them and turned with a serious expression.

"I’m Elara. This doesn’t sound like an ordinary visit. What is it you wish to know?"

Sylvia looked at her with unwavering resolve. "We want to know what the gods are planning. This city has a special connection to them, and we believe you know the hidden truths buried within it."

Elara drew a deep breath, as if preparing to reveal secrets long held. "This city is nothing more than a beautiful mask hiding an awful truth. The gods are panicking they’re losing control of this world, especially since the emergence of a new force... a dark power beyond their reach."

"What is that power?" Sylvia asked firmly, though deep down she already knew the answer.

Elara looked straight at her, as if seeing into her soul. "That power is you, Sylvia Hortensia Zombie Queen from another world. They fear you more than anything else. They’re preparing to hunt and destroy you, before you destroy them first."

Sylvia gave a thin smile partly from resolve, partly from the shock of being recognized. "Then this war began long before I ever arrived here. Now show me how to stop them."

Elara inhaled slowly, then nodded.

"Then listen carefully, Sylvia. Because starting today, the three of you will face the darkest secrets this city and this world have ever concealed."

Sylvia exchanged glances with Alicia and Stacia. The three of them were ready to step into a new Chapter one darker, more dangerous, and more fateful than ever.

They now understood the veil of the white city had been lifted, and the secrets hidden for centuries were finally about to be revealed.

Sylvia stared sharply at Elara, bracing herself for whatever truths were about to be revealed.

The small room seemed to fall even more silent, filled only with the distant murmur of the outside world echoing faintly. Alicia and Stacia watched intently, holding their breath as Elara slowly began to speak again.

Elara exhaled softly before speaking in a low, cautious voice. "What I’m about to tell you is a secret long kept by the Grand Temple and the gods. Even most priests don’t know the full truth of this story."

Sylvia nodded slowly, signaling for her to continue.

"The gods are not originally from this world. They were trapped here thousands of years ago, sealed by a powerful ancient magic," Elara continued, her gaze sharp as she watched Sylvia closely, as if trying to read her reaction. "And because they’ve been imprisoned for so long, they’ve begun to lose both their strength and their sanity."

"So, they’re actually prisoners in this world?" Alicia asked quietly, her face full of curiosity.

"Exactly," Elara nodded firmly. "Over the years, they’ve tried many ways to escape this world or at least regain the power they’ve lost. They’ve conducted experiments and created many beings using their own magic. Some were successful, but many failed creating terrifying creatures that they themselves couldn’t control."

"What kind of creatures?" Sylvia asked sharply, her gaze locked onto the woman.

Elara drew a deep breath, her expression growing darker. "You’re familiar with the Lycanthropes. The people of this world know them as dark-type werewolves. But in truth, they were failed creations of the gods."

Sylvia narrowed her eyes slightly, her curiosity deepening. "Failed creations?"

"Yes. Lycanthropes are not naturally occurring beings. They are the result of a forbidden experiment by the gods meant to produce a new kind of being, a special army that could help them break free from this world. But the experiment went horribly wrong. The power they created wasn’t what the gods expected," Elara explained, her tone heavy.

"Were they made from ordinary humans?" Stacia asked, now fully engaged in the conversation.

"Not ordinary humans," Elara said firmly, shaking her head. "The gods made the Lycanthropes using the corpse of a giant wolf that had stumbled into this world through a dimensional rift. That wolf was no ordinary creature it was a legendary beast from another world, and its body carried a power the gods had never seen before."

"A wolf from another world..." Sylvia murmured, her thoughts racing with dark possibilities. "What kind of power did this wolf possess?"

Elara lowered her gaze for a moment, then replied quietly, "Its power was chaos. It carried an energy that could destabilize the very balance of this world. When the gods tried to control and reshape the wolf into something new, they accidentally unleashed that chaotic energy. It spread uncontrollably."

"I think I know a bit about creatures like that," Sylvia muttered, almost to herself.

Alicia gasped slightly. "Then the Lycanthropes roaming this world now..."

"Are living manifestations of that chaos," Elara cut in swiftly. "They cannot be controlled not even by the gods who created them. They live by primal instincts, constantly driven to destroy and unravel."

"And the gods just let them roam free?" Sylvia asked sharply, her voice full of condemnation.

"It’s not that they let them they can’t stop them," Elara said bitterly. "The Lycanthropes are too powerful to be destroyed. They’ve even formed their own kingdoms and cities like the one ruled by Lady Velthya."

Sylvia paused, contemplating the weight of what she had just heard. This story revealed just how desperate the gods had become in their bid to escape this world. They were willing to take reckless risks that resulted in new threats threats worse than any before.

"Are the gods still trying to create other beings besides the Lycanthropes?" Sylvia asked after a moment of silence.

Elara nodded slowly. "Yes. They’ve never stopped trying. But now they’re more cautious, because their past mistakes created entities that could threaten even their own existence. One such mistake... is the demons trapped behind a sealed gate."

Stacia rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Then their goal now must be to erase their mistakes before they try to escape again?"

"Exactly," Elara replied quickly. "And one of the mistakes they fear most... is you, Sylvia. You came to this world as a being they don’t understand. Your power is great enough to rival theirs. They fear that if you were to unite the Lycanthropes or worse, form an alliance with them you would be able to destroy them entirely."

Sylvia smirked coldly, her eyes gleaming with challenge. "They consider me a mistake that needs to be fixed? How convenient. Then I’ll make sure their last mistake is the one that ends them."

Elara looked at Sylvia with a mix of awe and caution. "If you truly want to stop them, you need to find their weakness. And their greatest weakness lies within the Grand Temple of the Goddess of Light. That’s where they keep their deepest secrets the truth about their origins, their vulnerabilities. And that temple has those secrets because Lumielle herself despises the other gods."

Sylvia stood tall, her face steeled with resolve. "Then that will be our next destination."

Elara gave a faint smile, though worry flickered in her eyes. "Just remember they won’t sit idly by once they realize you’re here. This white city will soon become the true battlefield."

Sylvia exchanged glances with Alicia and Stacia. The three of them knew the risks but they also knew there was no turning back now. The war against the imprisoned gods would determine not only their fate, but the fate of the entire world.

"Then we’ll be ready for them," Sylvia declared firmly.

She rose slowly, followed by Alicia and Stacia. Before leaving the small house, Sylvia turned back to Elara, speaking in a low voice filled with promise.

"Thank you for this information, Elara. Believe me, we will free this world from their shadows even if we have to burn them down to the roots."

Elara gave a slow nod, her gaze filled with both respect and hope.

With determined steps, Sylvia and her sisters walked out of the house stepping into a new destiny, one filled with mystery, danger, and a glimmer of hope.

Now, they understood: this world was far darker and more complex than they had ever imagined.