They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System
Chapter 328: Help!!

Chapter 328: Help!!

Abuchi’s protective instincts flared, Ekene’s silent frustration simmered, and John’s internal conflict grew.

The forest had already tested them in countless ways, but now, it seemed to be revealing their true natures too. Their unknown fears, their silent longings for love, all their true feelings.

As the sun dipped lower, casting long shadows through the trees, the weight of their strained relationships hung over them, each person too consumed with their thoughts to speak. Nnenna, quiet as ever, was lost in her own mind, unaware of the tensions between the others.

A week and a few days later…

“I think I see an opening!” Karen shouted, her voice filled with excitement. She had spotted something up ahead, and the thought of finally getting out of the forest made her feel lighter than she had been in weeks. Without hesitation, she broke into a run, her pace faster than the others as she headed toward the clearing.

The others, eager but not as quick, moved along behind her, trying to keep up, though they could not match Karen’s speed. Nnenna, trailing behind, wasn’t as fast, but she was doing her best to keep up.

The thick forest made it hard to move quickly, and the branches and vines made every step feel like a struggle. Still, Nnenna pushed forward, determined to reach the others.

Suddenly, the path grew denser, and a cluster of large leaves blocked her view of the group ahead. She could still hear them, but the thick undergrowth kept her from seeing anything. She worked her way through the leaves, trying to get closer, her heart racing with the excitement of nearing the exit.

But then

A scream shattered the air. It was sharp, filled with fear.

“AHHH!!”

Nnenna’s heart skipped a beat. Karen!

The scream was followed by John’s frantic voice. “Karen!!”

Her chest tightened as she froze in place. What had happened? Why was John shouting like that? Then, through the distance, she heard Abuchi’s commanding voice, his words clear despite the distance.

“Stop moving!” Abuchi shouted.

Nnenna’s pulse quickened. She couldn’t see anything through the leaves, but the panic in their voices sent a wave of dread through her. What was going on? Was Karen in danger?

Her mind raced as she pushed through the thick leaves, desperate to reach the others.

And soon, three more loud cries filled the air.

“Help! Help! Help!”

Nnenna pushed past the thick leaves and hurried forward, her heart thundering in her chest.

“Wait! Don’t come any closer!” Abuchi shouted sharply.

Nnenna froze immediately, her instincts kicking in. She slammed her feet to a halt so fast it was like a speeding car hitting the brakes. Gasping for breath, she forced herself to stay still and peered ahead carefully.

What she saw almost made her scream too.

Karen, Abuchi, John, and Ekene were all slowly sinking into the ground.

Karen, who was thrashing around the most, already had half her body swallowed by the soil. The others weren’t doing much better, the thick mud had already reached up to their knees.

It didn’t take a genius to realize what had happened.

Quicksand.

At first, all of them had reacted on instinct, struggling wildly to escape. But Abuchi, Ekene, and John quickly realized their mistake.

Struggling only made it worse.

They shouted at Karen to stop moving and stay still, trying to calm her down, but she was too scared to listen. Panic had taken over, and every frantic movement pulled her deeper and deeper.

Nnenna stood frozen, horror flashing through her eyes.

How were they going to get out of this?

Nnenna froze in place.

Her eyes widened, breath caught in her throat.

Only Karen’s head and one trembling hand were visible, everything else swallowed by the hungry pit of quicksand. A few feet behind her, the boys were also trapped, sunken waist deep and deathly still. Terror glazed their eyes, but they weren’t moving.

Thank God.

The Love System’s voice hummed softly in her mind.

“You need me. Use your points. Just a little, and I’ll get them out.”

“No,” Nnenna muttered sharply under her breath. “I know this. I’ve read this before. I can do this.”

She dropped her bag and dropped to her knees, recalling every detail from “Survival Beyond the Compass”, one of her favorite old books. The pages had shown diagrams and stories about escaping quicksand without tools, just knowledge and calm.

“Listen to me!” she shouted at the boys. “Don’t move! Just stay still. I know what to do!”

They looked toward her, grateful, desperate.

“You’re not sinking fast because you’ve stopped struggling, that’s good. Now lean back! Lie flat and spread your arms. Slowly. You need to increase your surface area.”

Ekene and John followed quickly, carefully lowering themselves into a horizontal position. Abuchi hesitated a second, then did the same.

“Good!” Nnenna said, sweating as she watched. “Now move slowly, like you’re swimming, use your arms to ease your way backward, toward solid ground.”

The boys began inching out, inch by painful inch. The mud clung to their legs like it didn’t want to let go. But it was working.

Then Karen let out a choked cry, “Please, I’m slipping—!”

Nnenna’s heart pounded. Karen was sinking lower now, her chin brushing the surface.

“I’ve got you!” she yelled and bolted to the side, searching for something, anything. Her eyes locked on a thick, long branch. She tore it from a fallen log and raced back.

By now, the boys were halfway out, dragging themselves to firmer ground.

“Karen!” Nnenna yelled again. “Just hang on! Don’t struggle! Help is coming!”

She dropped to her belly and held the branch out toward Karen. “Guys!” she called. “Help me!”

John and Ekene scrambled up and grabbed the branch with her.

“Karen,” Nnenna said firmly, “on my signal, reach up and gently grab the branch. Don’t yank, just hold it tight.”

Karen’s trembling hand found the branch. Her eyes were wide with fear, lips quivering.

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Happy New Month Guys! 🎉

This month, on the 18th, we’re participating on NovelFire’s 515 birthday program 🥳 Who’s excited??

On that day, we’ll be having a massive mass release of up to 10 chapters! I know I know, I’m awesome 😎

Listen, don’t make the mistake of missing it. Every chapter will be worth it!