They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System
Chapter 331: Rare Respect

Chapter 331: Rare Respect

But in the silence, the weight of what they had just accomplished pulsed in their chests. They passed through the Forest of Regrets alive, with their limbs complete. No poison in their systems, or serious injuries. It was a miracle.

“I doubt anyone comes down here anymore,” Abuchi said quietly, looking around at the dust covered crates and shattered tiles. “We could stay here for the night.”

“Let’s not risk moving further tonight,” Nnenna agreed, rubbing her eyes. “We’re all drained. We need to rest and start fresh.”

No one argued. The others nodded slowly, exhaustion sinking deep into their bones. For the first time in nearly a month, the ground beneath their feet wasn’t shifting, alive, or threatening to swallow them whole.

They spread out across the cold floor of the basement, taking up corners, leaning against walls, unrolling thin blankets where they could. There was no comfort, ⁷only quiet survival.

But they had made it this far.

The basement of Purlit’s abandoned town hall was heavy with silence. Though they lay on the dusty floor, none of them could truly rest. The weight of what awaited them the next day filled the space like fog.

Nnenna sat near the old stone wall, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. Her eyes were open, unfocused, staring at the flickering shadow of their torchlight on the ceiling.

They had come so far. Led through danger after danger, solving problems she never imagined she would face in real life.

But… what if she didn’t survive tomorrow?

Not every smart decision had guaranteed survival. What if her next one was the last?

“I don’t want to die,” she admitted silently. It was the first time she let herself think it. The fear had been there all along, crawling beneath her calm, but she had shoved it down in favor of logic.

Now, the stillness made it louder.

“Just one more day. Just let me make it through tomorrow.”

Abuchi was staring blankly at the ceiling, his arms folded under his head. The stillness outside Purlit should have felt like progress, but instead, it filled him with unease.

He kept seeing Ruth’s face. One of the versions from his memory, the one where she was smiling, eyes bright, but what she could look like now.

Was she still alive?

Was she waiting for him, praying he wouldn’t give up?

“I’m coming for you, Ruth,” he whispered into the dark. “Hold on.”

Karen sat near one of the pillars, her back to everyone, face hard with thought. Her arms were wrapped tightly around herself, but it wasn’t from cold.

She remembered what she had been told before they left Lumna. Words spoken by someone who knew too much.

“When you get to Purlit, you’ll know what your choice means.”

That sentence hadn’t left her. And now, they were here.

“Will I really be ready to make that choice when the time comes?”

She didn’t have the answer. But she wasn’t going to pretend she wasn’t afraid.

Ekene lay close to the wall, his eyes not on the ceiling, but on Nnenna. Every now and then, he glanced her way. She looked so small, so still, but stronger than all of them.

He hadn’t stopped thinking about what she did for him at the quicksand.

No one had ever risked that much for him.

“She deserves to know,” he thought. “If we make it out of this, I’ll tell her everything.”

John leaned against a fallen cabinet, arms crossed, eyes half closed but alert. His heart ached with confusion.

Karen had changed.

He couldn’t tell if it was this mission, the fear, or something deeper. But she wasn’t the same girl he remembered.

And tomorrow? He feared it would change all of them, again.

“Let’s just survive it first,” he muttered.

As the torches dimmed into a soft glow, the five of them sat alone with their thoughts.

Tomorrow would be the test.

And not everyone was certain they would make it through.

The Next Day

They woke up with the first trace of light, though none of them had truly slept. The weight of the mission ahead, the tension from the journey behind, and the knowledge that every step forward now mattered more than ever, all of it hung heavy in the air.

No one spoke as they quietly left the dusty basement. It was like they all knew, words wouldn’t help now. They were focused.

The moment they emerged onto the streets of Purlit, the change was undeniable.

Just like Ruth had warned them, the capital city was crawling with palace guards, armed, alert, and stationed at nearly every corner. Even the rooftops had sharp eyes watching. Their numbers had clearly doubled since the last news report.

Abuchi’s stomach sank.

“Even if the Lionara Cavalry comes, they’ll need way more men than we originally thought,” he muttered under his breath.

He knew Obinna would never approve the added risk. My first proposal of a few dozen soldiers was rejected, talk more of when I ask for more soldiers.

They didn’t stop to talk. They blended into the crowd, moving like ghosts, letting the flow of the city pull them along. Their faces were tired, but no one could afford to look suspicious. They kept their expressions neutral, walking with practiced ease.

The city was alive, noisy, busy, overwhelming. But they moved through it like water through cracks, barely noticed, always watching.

Eventually, they found a hotel tucked between two marketplaces. It looked ordinary, nothing grand enough to attract unwanted attention. Perfect.

They booked two small rooms, one for the girls, one for the boys. No one complained.

Once inside, they didn’t waste time. They bathed, changed into fresh clothes they had bought on the way, and covered up their forest worn exhaustion with clean appearances and subtle focus.

As Nnenna tied her boots and slipped on her bag again, Karen glanced sideways at her, a rare look of quiet respect on her face.