They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System
Chapter 306: Those Kids Are Fast

Chapter 306: Those Kids Are Fast

Inside, he found himself in a dimly lit living room with peeling wallpaper and a fan slowly turning overhead.

An old man sat on a couch, blinking at him in complete silence.

Abuchi raised a finger to his lips. “Please. Just give me a second.”

The man stared… then slowly nodded.

Down below, the guards reached the alley, breathing heavily, scanning every corner. One of them shouted, “Where did he go? He was just here!”

The women selling vegetables all looked at one another, then pointed in different directions.

“Left!”

“He ran that way!”

“I think he jumped into that big gutter!”

The guards groaned in frustration, fanning out in confusion.

Then

“Ahhh! A strange man is in my house!” a woman’s voice screamed suddenly from upstairs.

The guards snapped their heads upward.

“There! The first floor!” one of them shouted, charging toward the door of the building.

Inside, Abuchi grimaced. Too late. The man’s wife had panicked when she saw him.

But just then, he spotted another window in the back of the apartment.

Without wasting time, he ran to it, opened it, and saw a small awning slanting down to another building just a few feet away.

He took a breath, and jumped.

He rolled as he landed, then slid down the awning, landing with a soft thud on the roof of the adjacent structure.

He kept moving, hopping down onto a balcony, then rushing through an open corridor. He passed by startled tenants who just blinked in confusion as he dashed by.

He emerged on the far side of the block, now three buildings away from the guards, his breath ragged but his face triumphant.

Behind him, the guards stormed into the first building, searching every room.

“Check the roof!”

“He’s gone,” one of them said a moment later. “He slipped us.”

Their commander clenched his jaw when he got the report. “Useless. All of you.”

Back on the quieter street, Abuchi melted into the crowd, grabbed a discarded cap from a vendor’s stand, and threw it over his head to mask his face.

One down, he thought, slipping away into the city’s deeper maze. Now to meet the others.

Running toward the West were Ekene and Nnenna. Passersby paused, staring in confusion and curiosity as two young people sprinted past, chased by a wave of men in sleek black uniforms. Murmurs began to rise, who were they, and why were they being hunted?

Ekene glanced back anxiously at Nnenna, who was just a few steps behind him. “Come on! They’re catching up!” he shouted, grabbing her hand and pulling her forward.

Nnenna almost laughed.

Did he really think she was the one lagging behind?

He didn’t realize that she’d been running behind him on purpose, keeping a watchful eye to ensure he wasn’t the one falling behind.

Someone who could fight like she did had to be athletic, too. If she wanted, she could’ve outrun the guards already, but her mind wouldn’t rest if she left Ekene behind. So, she paced herself, matching his speed, watching his back.

Just then, one of the guards lunged from the side, aiming to grab her.

Without slowing down, Nnenna twisted mid step and flipped over the man’s outstretched arm, landing gracefully on the other side. With a sharp kick, she sent him crashing into a fruit stall. The vendor screamed, but Nnenna was already running again after yelling sorry.

Ekene, still gripping her hand, glanced back and blinked in disbelief. What just happened?

“You’re falling behind, Ekene,” Nnenna said with a smirk, keeping pace beside him now.

He blinked again, unsure whether to be impressed or offended. “I’m literally the one pulling you”

“Not anymore,” she said, and this time, she was the one who pulled him.

Behind them, the guards were getting closer. They were fast, highly trained, agile, relentless. Nnenna had to get behind Ekene again to fight off the ones getter closer to them.

This method wasn’t working.

Nnenna glanced over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes, more guards. A lot more. Assistant Michael must’ve sent nearly the entire second division after her.

Their footsteps thundered behind her like a wave crashing in, relentless, unbothered by obstacles or crowds. She clenched her teeth.

How many did they send? Twenty? Thirty?

Her chest rose and fell in steady breaths, she wasn’t exhausted yet, but she knew her limit would come eventually. No matter how skilled she was, she wasn’t a machine.

She looked at Ekene ahead of her and sighed inwardly. Protecting him was forcing her to slow down from her usual speed, and every second she hesitated was another second the guards closed in. If she left him, he’d be caught almost immediately, they were too fast for him.

But she couldn’t let that happen.

They were a team.

So she kept fighting off the ones who got too close, a swift kick here, a precise blow there, but it was only buying time. Not winning. And time was running out.

This is not sustainable, she thought grimly. Eventually I’ll get tired, or they’ll flank us.

She darted sideways, kicking a garbage bin behind her to trip one of the pursuing guards. He fell with a yell, toppling two more behind him. A minor delay, but not enough. They were already swarming out of the alleyways like a black tide.

She ducked another hand reaching for her, then hissed softly between her teeth.

Think, Nnenna. Think.

They needed to disappear.

Split up? No, Ekene would be toast on his own.

The chase continued down the tight, unfamiliar streets.

People watched in surprise as two young figures sprinted by, their feet pounding against the stone pavement. Behind them, several men in black uniforms chased like wolves on a hunt.

“What’s going on?” someone asked aloud.

“Those kids are fast,” another muttered, shielding their child as the crowd made way.

Nnenna’s eyes darted left and right, narrow alleys, small stalls, random homes. She had no map of the area, no plan.