They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System
Chapter 326: Silent Trust

Chapter 326: Silent Trust

But Abuchi’s face remained hard and unreadable, and it hurt more than she wanted to admit.

Trying to shake off the heaviness pressing down on them, he spoke up, running a frustrated hand through his hair.

“Alright… if we’re all staying, then we have to move forward. Somehow.”

He stared out at the endless trees that had caged them for weeks.

“This whole time… we’ve been moving north according to the map. So why are we still stuck? What are we missing?”

His voice echoed slightly in the thick forest, swallowed quickly by the oppressive silence.

Nnenna paused, deep in thought.

Without a word, she slowly stepped away from the group.

The others turned to watch her, confused, but the three men didn’t call out while Karen just didn’t care what Nnenna was up to.

There was an unspoken trust forming in John, Ekene and Abuchi, they somehow knew she wasn’t leaving or frustrated like the rest of them. She was trying to figure something out. Something that would save them all.

Karen shifted uncomfortably when she saw the same look on their faces.

It was strange how much they were beginning to rely on Nnenna without even realizing it.

In the past two weeks, Nnenna had saved them countless times, from wild animals, venomous snakes, hidden traps, and so many other dangers that they had long lost count.

Each time, the group was filled with a complicated mix of emotions. They were deeply ashamed that they needed a little girl to save them over and over again.

But more than that, most of them were grateful, because if Nnenna hadn’t been with them, they would have surely died at least ten times by now.

Silently, Nnenna drifted away from the group, her face serious and thoughtful. They watched her go without stopping her, sensing she was up to something important.

Unspoken but clear between them was the growing dependence they all had on Nnenna, even if none of them dared say it aloud.

Nnenna crouched beside a thick tree trunk, trying to gather her thoughts when suddenly

Ding!

A soft chime echoed in her mind.

“Do you need me to direct you guys?” the love system asked in a gentle, almost tempting voice.

Nnenna frowned slightly.

“Didn’t you tell me not to depend on you too much?” she answered back mentally, cautious.

“Yes, I did,” the love system replied calmly,

“And you listened. For the past two weeks, you haven’t depended on me at all. You’ve saved your friends with your own strength, using the knowledge you painstakingly studied, the skills you practiced day after day. It’s okay to accept my help just this once.”

Nnenna clenched her fists lightly, torn.

She stared back at the others, tired, dirty, yet stubbornly hopeful faces.

What should she do?

Accept the help… or continue struggling through the endless, unforgiving forest

“How many good points will it cost me?” Nnenna asked cautiously.

“It will cost you almost half of the good points you currently have,” the love system replied calmly.

Nnenna’s chest tightened. Half?

“That means… if I can’t earn more points in time, I might die before we even leave the forest?” she pressed, needing to be sure.

“Yes,” the system confirmed without hesitation.

“But with my directions, you and your friends can get out of this forest in less than two weeks, before your life renewal is due.”

The offer sounded reassuring. A shortcut to safety.

But still… something didn’t sit right with her.

“It sounds tempting,” she admitted, biting her lip.

“But I don’t think it’s the right thing to do. What if need to extend my life before i can get more good points. What if I don’t have you one day. Give me time to think about it.”

Nnenna closed her eyes for a moment, gathering herself.

I’ve read countless books over the past ten years, she thought. There is no way I haven’t come across something that can help us in this situation.

Choosing the easy way… that wasn’t the life she wanted.

A life of greatness couldn’t be built on shortcuts.

What if one day the system isn’t there to save me? What will I do then if I never gather real experience? If I never trust the knowledge I’ve worked so hard to gain?

The wind blew gently around her as if urging her to decide quickly.

Behind her, her friends waited, unaware of the heavy choice weighing on her shoulders.

Nnenna opened her eyes, determination burning quietly within them.

She would find a way.

The Love System stayed silent this time.

She didn’t encourage Nnenna.

She didn’t warn her.

She simply listened, and waited.

Nnenna took that as a sign.

This choice… had to be hers.

“I’ve read books about this,” she muttered under her breath, fists clenching at her sides.

“I remember… if you ever get lost without a phone, without a compass, without a map… there are ways to find north!”

Her mind raced as she searched her memories, flipping through the countless pages she had devoured over the years.

Then, suddenly, a spark of excitement lit up her eyes.

“Yes! ‘Survivor’s True Guide’ by Kellan Drake!” she exclaimed, her voice rising with excitement. “That book had an entire section about finding directions in the wild!”

She quickly dropped to one knee and looked up at the sky.

The thick canopy of the forest made it hard to see the sun directly, but there were still patches of light leaking through.

“First, find the sun,” she whispered to herself, recalling the instructions from the book.

“The sun always rises in the east and sets in the west. If it’s morning, the sun will be in the east. If it’s evening, it’ll be in the west.”

She squinted up, gauging the position of the light.

Given the time of day… it had to be leaning westward already.

“Okay… If I stand with my right hand towards the sun in the afternoon, then north should be straight ahead!”