They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System
Chapter 323: The Forest of Regrets

Chapter 323: The Forest of Regrets

Everyone could see it. Even though he spoke to them all, his true words were for her.

“You’ve all done more than enough,” he repeated, this time with a small nod, as if sealing a vow in his heart.

“And I’m truly, deeply grateful.”

A heavy, emotional silence settled over the group. None of them flinched. No one took a step back. Their hearts had already been set long before they even reached this forest.

They were in this together, for better or worse.

“I told you already,” Nnenna replied, her voice steady and clear, “I didn’t just come on this mission for you. I came to improve my own skills too.”

She met Abuchi’s eyes directly, knowing fully well that his earlier words had been meant for her most especially.

“So after doing ‘more than enough,’ I still want to do more, not just for you, but for myself as well. I can’t grow if I keep hiding inside the castle. I have to face real danger. I have to be out here.”

Abuchi gazed at her for a moment, a mix of pride and worry flashing in his eyes, before he gave a small nod.

“Okay,” he said simply. “I understand.”

He then turned his eyes to the rest of the crew, Ekene, John, Karen.

All of them stood firm, their faces set with determination. There was a trace of fear in their expressions, of course there was.

No one could blame them.

It was called the Forest of Regrets for a reason.

But none of them looked like they were about to back down.

Abuchi let out a deep breath he didn’t know he had been holding.

“Alright then,” he said with a small, tight smile. “Let’s go.”

Without another word, the crew, the team, began moving forward.

Step by step, they crossed the invisible line between safety and madness, heading into the towering, shadowy trees of the Black Forest.

If anyone had seen them at that moment, they would have thought they were insane.

Who in their right mind would willingly enter the Black Forest?

But that was exactly what they were doing. Marching into the heart of danger, chasing survival, growth, and dreams.

Two Weeks Later

Inside the Forest of Regrets

The Forest of Regrets was a monstrous sea of trees, a place where sunlight barely touched the ground.

The trees were ancient, thick with twisting roots and heavy branches covered in moss. Strange noises echoed through the air, sometimes a distant growl, sometimes a sudden rustling from unseen creatures.

The smell of damp earth and rotting wood clung to them, and the deeper they went, the heavier the air felt, almost as if the forest itself wanted to trap them.

Through this unforgiving jungle, the group trudged on, their cutlasses swinging rhythmically.

Swish. Swish.

Branches fell away as they hacked a rough path forward. Their clothes were torn, their faces smeared with dirt and sweat, and their backpacks lighter now, carrying more hope than actual supplies.

Gosh, we’ve been here for two weeks and we still haven’t found a way out,” Karen said, her voice strained and tired.

“Wasn’t this supposed to take less than a week? Doesn’t that mean we should be close to the exit by now? Why are we still walking like we’re lost? I can’t even see anything forward!”

Karen wasn’t trying to be negative, she was just exhausted.

No one could blame her.

Their food supplies had long finished.

Now, they were surviving on whatever they could find in the forest, fruits, edible plants, and the occasional small game.

Fortunately, Karen knew how to identify what was safe and what wasn’t. Thanks to her knowledge, none of them had been poisoned yet.

But walking through an endless, suffocating forest day after day wasn’t exactly comforting, even if you had food.

It wore down on the mind and the body alike.

No wonder everyone was tense, their nerves stretched thin like fraying ropes.

Abuchi felt like sighing.

He was tired too.

More than tired, he was confused and frustrated, but he had to stay calm. He was the leader after all.

“I’ll climb one of these trees,” he said, forcing a small smile. “Let me see if I can spot anything… maybe we’re closer than we think.”

Everyone agreed quickly.

There was a small flicker of hope in their tired eyes as they watched him walk over to a tall, sturdy tree.

Without wasting time, Abuchi grabbed the rough bark and began to climb, his muscles straining, his palms scraping against the coarse wood.

It felt like forever, but finally, he reached a high branch where he could steady himself and look around.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, took a deep breath, and gazed out in every direction.

His heart sank.

All he could see was forest.

Endless, stretching in every direction like a living, breathing sea of green.

There were no clearings.

No rivers.

No mountains.

No break in the trees at all.

Just thick, oppressive forest on all four sides, as far as the eye could see.

For a moment, Abuchi felt a wave of helplessness threaten to crash over him.

It was like they hadn’t moved an inch, even after two exhausting weeks.

He tightened his jaw and forced the feeling down.

He couldn’t let the others see him lose hope.

Not now.

Abuchi stayed up there longer than he needed to, pretending to keep scouting.

In truth, he didn’t know how to climb down and tell them what he had seen, that the situation was still completely hopeless.

What exactly was wrong? he wondered bitterly.

He had followed the map carefully. They were supposed to be nearing the end by now.

So why were they still trapped in the heart of this endless green nightmare?

While Abuchi stayed in the tree, lost in thought, Nnenna scanned their surroundings from below.

The thick trees loomed over them like silent giants, the forest floor covered in vines and thick roots that threatened to trip them with every step.

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