They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System
Chapter 315: THEY’RE HERE!!”

Chapter 315: THEY’RE HERE!!”

First, she selected two strong, straight logs and began shaping the keel, the backbone of the boat. Using the hand saw and drawknife, she smoothed and narrowed them down, creating a gentle V shape underneath to better cut through the current.

Ekene crouched beside her, pretending to tie his shoelace, but really just observing.

“You’re not even hesitating,” he said, amazed.

“It’s not that hard when you understand balance and flow,” she replied without looking up, carving the inner seating frame with a carpenter’s chisel. “Water moves like air, just heavier.”

After constructing the keel, she began attaching the ribs, arched wooden slats that would form the frame. She steamed them briefly using a wrapped tarp and heated stones, bending them gently without cracking. The hull began to take shape.

“She even knows steaming wood?” Ekene thought, stunned. He had seen engineers do less.

She lined the inside with cross beams for stability and used resin to seal the joints. Next came the outer planks, carefully carved, fitted tight, and sealed. She even added hooks for securing packs and a small drainage plug at the base.

The entire frame was lightweight but solid. A functional, open deck riverboat. Nothing fancy, just smart.

As the sun dipped lower, the others helped her lift and set it by the riverbank. The finish glowed faintly from the resin coating, still curing in the warm air.

Ekene stood there with his mouth slightly open.

“You’re… kind of amazing,” he finally said, half-sincere, half stunned.

“Only kind of?” Nnenna teased, wiping her brow. She did not wait for a reply, already walking back to grab the paddles she carved while waiting for the glue to dry.

John leaned over to Ekene.

“Bro… I think she’s half genius, half action movie protagonist.”

Ekene nodded slowly. “And maybe a little terrifying.”

When Nnenna finally stepped back from the boat, the others stared at it in stunned silence.

Karen was the first to speak. “You made this… with your hands? Just now?”

Nnenna gave a modest shrug, brushing sawdust from her clothes. “More like guided the materials into place.”

Abuchi walked around the boat slowly, tapping the sides with his knuckles. The echo came back solid. “This isn’t just thrown together. The weight is balanced. The hull is shallow enough for fast current but deep enough for five people. You even sealed the joints.” He looked at her, impressed. “Who are you really, Nnenna?”

She gave him a small smile, saying nothing.

John stared at the boat like it had grown from the earth. “You were out there, what… an hour? I can’t even set up a tent without instructions.”

Ekene smirked. “She builds boats, shoots arrows, outruns guards, speaks in riddles… any other surprises?”

Nnenna only raised an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

They laughed, but there was an underlying respect now. A shift in how they saw her.

Karen reached out, running her hand along the wooden side. “I never imagined this would be how we’d cross… but I feel safer already.”

“Let’s hope it floats,” John added half jokingly.

Nnenna nodded at the river. “Only one way to find out.”

Just as Abuchi was tying the last rope down and the group prepared to push off, fate decided it was not done playing games.

At the bus station, one of the guards yawned and stretched. “Too much water,” he muttered, clutching his stomach. “Be right back,” he said to no one in particular, disappearing into the small forest behind the station, the same one the group was using as cover.

He stepped into the trees, fumbling with his belt, when he heard a crack. Pausing, he squinted ahead. Between the trunks, he saw movement… and then, the unmistakable outline of a boat.

His eyes widened. “No… it can’t be”

Then he saw them.

Five figures, rushing to load into the boat. The man leading them… was that the Third Prince?

He forgot his bladder entirely.

“THEY’RE HERE!” he shouted, voice shrill, pants half unzipped. “THE ESCAPEES, THEY’RE HERE!!”

His legs trembled with the urge to relieve himself, but he clenched every muscle, determined not to miss this chance. “BACKUP! IN THE FOREST!”

At the riverbank, Abuchi’s head snapped toward the sound.

“Move! Now!” he ordered.

They didn’t waste a second.

Ekene and Abuchi grabbed the boat’s edge and pushed it into the current. The water splashed violently, the current stronger than expected, but the boat held steady.

One by one, they jumped in, John slipped slightly but Abuchi caught him mid fall. Karen yanked her legs in just as the shouts of guards grew louder behind them.

“There they are!” another voice called as black uniformed figures crashed through the underbrush.

Nnenna, still holding the rope tether, gave it one hard tug, then leapt aboard, landing with precision. She hacked the rope off with a blade and tossed it aside.

“Hold tight!” she warned.

The boat lurched into the current.

Behind them, the forest erupted in chaos. The first guard finally gave up trying to stay dry, but didn’t care. He had found them. He would be recognised.

But the river had other plans.

The torrent took hold, pulling the boat fast down the current. The guards ran to the edge, some shouting, some aiming, but it was too late. They were already slipping from view.

The river snatched their boat like a predator eager for prey.

“Paddles!” Nnenna shouted, gripping hers tightly.

They all fell into motion, rowing in a rhythm that Nnenna led, short, strong strokes cutting into the current. Left, right. Left, right. The boat rocked but held steady. Water sprayed into the air, the chill of it biting against their skin, but no one stopped.

Behind them, chaos.

“We need boats!” one of the guards shouted from the forest edge.

Another was already yelling into his communicator. “They’re on Torrent! I repeat THEY’RE ON RIVER TORRENT! Requesting backup immediately, send boats now!”

But the voice on the other end faltered.

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