Zombie Queen transmigration into a book

Ethan was lost in his grief, staring blankly at the monster that stepped from the shadows. He only wanted to go back and confirm that his mother was safe. She couldn’t die... He planned to bring Dad here to save her.

These thoughts spurred him to struggle harder against Julian’s grip. He was almost dashing toward the monster’s gaping maw, clearly seeking his own death.

Julian didn’t know how to console him. He clutched tightly and stepped back as he eyed the monster wearily.

The monster was the same size as the hydra, resembling an enormous rat covered in skeletal protrusions, its fangs jutting unevenly from its gums. It reeked of blood and the pungent stench of decay.

"We need to leave. I promised her I’d take you out of here," Julian muttered like a broken record, backing away from the monster as it watched them like a starving hunter.

Then it lunged. Julian reacted instantly, dodging to the side as a blast of rocks erupted from where they had stood moments earlier.

"Thud." Julian’s back hit the ground. A groan escaped his lips, but his grip on Ethan didn’t loosen—he kept him shielded, preventing him from being pulled away.

"Roar!" The monster let out an enraged roar and rushed at them again, slashing its claws. The sharp glint of its attack sent a chilling sense of death through both boys, and Ethan instinctively raised an icy shield to protect them.

The shield shattered into fragments. It had absorbed part of the blow, but they were still sent flying, their bodies slamming into the walls before sliding to the ground.

Excruciating pain shot through their bodies. Ethan’s legs were bent at unnatural angles, clearly broken. Julian was in no better condition—both arms lay twisted at his sides, and blood streamed down the back of his head.

Julian was in so much pain his vision blurred. He was on the verge of blacking out, but when he caught sight of Ethan out of the corner of his eye, he bit down on his tongue, forcing himself to stay conscious through the pain.

Using what little strength he had left, he staggered toward Ethan. Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably, but he could only sniffle, struggling not to cry out.

"Help me... take out a potion from my bag," Julain murmured, his voice thick with tears, as he leaned closer to Ethan.

Ethan cried out as he stretched his hand toward Julian’s bag—his movement tugging at his injured leg.

"The monster is coming back. Leave me and teleport out of here!" Ethan called out urgently as he heard the beast’s roars drawing closer. He quickly pulled out a potion and fed it to Julian, and within seconds, Julian’s hand began to heal.

Ethan pushed Julian forward, urging him to run. He didn’t want to leave without seeing his mother, but he couldn’t put the stranger in danger.

Julian shook his head and pulled Ethan up instead, throwing Ethan’s arm over his shoulders. He half-carried him toward a hidden section of the wall to take cover.

The monster arrived moments later, slamming into the ground and sending stones flying as its yellow eyes darted around in search of its prey.

The two boys held their breath, sweat soaking their backs as their hearts pounded in their chests while they watched the monster search for them.

Then it seemed to catch their scent and turned toward their hiding place, making their eyes widen in fear. They burst out from cover, hoping to outrun it.

The monster merely snorted and sauntered after them, its eyes gleaming with perverse delight as its prey trembled in terror.

Julian closed his eyes in resignation, knowing there was no way they could escape—and that he no longer had enough energy to teleport them out.

Ethan was filled with overwhelming guilt, believing he had caused his mother’s death and that he was now going to cause Julain’s death.

"Sorry," he could only say weakly as they leaned helplessly against the wall, already accepting that they would die here.

The air was thick with an oppressive sense of helplessness. The monster’s heavy breathing echoed through the space, its stench growing increasingly suffocating.

Just as Ethan and Julian thought the end was certain, they suddenly heard footsteps approaching. The monster paused mid-step and turned toward the sound.

"It’s here! That C-class monster is here!" a boisterous voice echoed through the room. A man whose face was partially obscured by his hair pointed toward the rat-like beast.

They had apparently come to claim the bounty on the monster, but it had escaped earlier by burrowing underground. Now that they had found it again, they intended not to let it go—its fur could be exchanged for potions and other supplies.

Their expressions shifted into shock when their eyes landed on Ethan and Julian.

"Damn! What are children doing in a place like this? This floor is crawling with class-based monsters!" a woman shouted in alarm, snapping everyone back to reality. Only then did they fully realize two children were here.

"Are they adults disguised as children? Dwarfs are rare, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist."

"No, based on their body structure, I’m very sure they are children."

"How the hell were they allowed in?"

The five exchanged glances, their surprised eyes still fixed on the two children. Before they could process the situation, the monster let out an enraged roar, displeased at being interrupted during its meal.

However, its stance shifted—becoming cautious as it assessed the group. It could sense these prey would not be easy to kill.

"Grey, take the left flank. I’ll draw its attention while you bind its body so it can’t burrow underground." The leader issued rapid instructions as he drew his weapon and charged at the monster.

The others immediately set aside all distractions and focused on the battle, while Julian pulled Ethan away to a safer spot.

Ethan didn’t resist this time and allowed himself to be moved. He didn’t want to put anyone else in danger, but he intended to return for his mother once the fight was over.

Julian seized the opportunity to feed Ethan a healing potion. "I’m setting your legs," he muttered, not giving him time to react before forcing them back into place.

Ethan screamed in pain, sobbing as waves of sharp agony shot through his body. Julian could only offer a consoling pat on his shoulder, his mind briefly drifting back to the first time he had to reset broken bones during training.

"Sorry... the pain will pass," Julian said quietly, speaking from experience.

While he patted his shoulder to help realign his dislocated arms, Julian realized he hadn’t had time to properly set them earlier when he had to drink the healing potion in a hurry.

Ethan gasped in pain before sliding to the ground, leaning against the wall as he quietly watched the fight unfolding ahead.

"My mum wouldn’t have... died, right?" Ethan broke the silence, his voice choked with tears. Hope flickered in his eyes as he turned to Julian.

Julian turned to him but remained silent. That silence was enough for Ethan, who broke down completely. He buried his face between his knees and cried, his body trembling with anguish.

No matter how much he tried to deny it, he knew his mother was gone—the chain formed from her power had shattered. It had been created from her blood, meant to break only if she destroyed it herself.

Remembering this, Ethan’s sobs grew hoarse, and the emotional strain finally overwhelmed him, causing him to lose consciousness.

Julian noticed Ethan’s body tilting forward and quickly caught him before he hit the ground. He gently laid him down and turned his attention back to the fight raging outside.

The fight was coming to a close. The monster was badly injured—its limbs torn apart and its fur matted with blood.

"Now!" the leader barked, and a woman released an arrow straight into the monster’s skull.

The creature slumped to the ground with a heavy thud before dissolving into a burst of light. In its place remained a pile of smooth brown fur.