They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System Chapter 644: ... With a Little Sacrifice

"From what I have seen so far, you are already defeated. I don’t even like working with losers like you, but I’ll give you one chance. Don’t make ask twice." The person let the words hang, and the air around Linda felt suffocating.

By now Linda knew sothing was very wrong. She tried to speak, to force the stranger to show their face, but the pressure rolled over her like a tide. "I will never help you," she said, voice thin.

"You don’t have a choice." The answer was cold. "You already know too much. Either you work with , or you be silenced. Permanently." The voice warped for a second, distorted and low, and a chill crawled down Linda’s spine.

"I—I—" Linda stamred.

"Sweetheart." The voice flipped back to normal, soft and cruel. "You’re already missing two exams. You’ll probably repeat this year. And her, Nnenna, she’s only getting brighter. The boy you love, George, will never look your way again. He’ll beco her admirer. He’ll move on, and you’ll be left watching him fall for soone else while you keep failing, year after year, until you give up."

Linda’s mouth opened. "H-how do you know that?"

"Because I can see the past, the present, and the future," the person said plainly. "That’s why I brought you this golden chance to rewrite your fate."

Linda felt sothing shift. Her resistance wavered; the stranger’s certainty made the future suddenly feel fragile. If this person could make the room bend and the locked door hold no barrier, maybe, just maybe, they really knew what they claid.

"Opportunity cos only once, Linda." the person said, watching Linda’s doubt turn to sothing softer. "I can make all your pain go away. I can make sure you pass every exam, perfectly."

"My first major?" Linda asked, doubtful.

"Already done, once you agree." The voice was confident, final. "I can make you stand on the pinnacle of the world and rule." The tone grew domineering. "All you have to do is bow to , dear, and everything you’ve ever wanted will be yours. Who’s more important, Nnenna, or your fate, your life, your bright future with George?" the person asked. "And who knows, George might beco irrelevant once I lift you to where you were always ant to be." They teased.

"So... what’s it going to be, little girl? Do we have a deal?" The person released the pressure that had been pressing Linda down, making sure she was willing.

Linda wiped sweat from her face and stood up straight. Her voice was quiet at first. "All I’ve ever wanted is to help others. To be my best self so I can help others be theirs. To make this world better." She paused, thinking.

"And it will be... with a little sacrifice," she added, eyes hard and wet with anger.

"We have a deal," she said, staring the person dead in the eye.

"Very good." The voice softened. "I’ll tell you what to do when the ti is right. Do not fail ." The person’s form faded, leaving the warning hanging in the air.

---------

Over at the examination hall, the atmosphere was tense as the exams went on. The last few candidates before Linda had finished their presentations, and now it was Linda’s turn.

"Year Six student, Linda," the MC called out, scanning the hall.

Silence.

"Candidate Linda?" he called again, glancing around. The murmurs began almost imdiately.

"Where is she?" soone whispered.

"She’s not here?" another voice murmured, half in disbelief.

The MC sighed and looked down at his list. "If she’s not here, let’s move on to the next person, please—"

"I’m here!"

The sudden voice cut through the noise. Heads turned. Linda ca running toward the stage, slightly breathless but determined.

"I’m here," she repeated, climbing up the steps. "I’m sorry I’m late."

The hall buzzed again. So students whispered, others rolled their eyes. The judges exchanged glances.

Judge Chinyere, the head of the panel, gave her a calm but disappointed look. "You should have been here on ti, Student Linda," she said evenly. "But since you made it, compose yourself and proceed."

Judge Hannah sighed, leaning back in her chair. "This is an examination, not a casual eting," she said sharply. "You were given enough ti to prepare. This kind of lateness shows a lack of seriousness."

Judge Clifford, however, waved a hand lightly. "Let’s not make a scene," he said. "She’s here now. We’ll judge her by her performance, not her timing."

The tension in the room eased a little, though Linda could still feel the weight of their stares. Her heart pounded as she faced them, trying to steady her breathing.

This was her mont, late or not, she had to prove she still belonged there.

The hall lights dimd slightly as Linda stepped forward for her third major exam, Adaptability. A hush fell over the crowd, the kind of silence that carried both tension and curiosity.

She stood tall, her pulse thudding hard in her ears. This was her mont, the one she had to win. Not just for herself... but to prove to George that he had chosen wrong.

"Candidate Linda," MC Chisom announced. "Your third major exam begins now."

Linda nodded, her eyes flicking briefly toward the judges’ table. Chinyere, Hannah, and Clifford all watched her intently. Chinyere’s expression was calm and professional. Hannah’s eyes carried mild curiosity, while Clifford leaned back, skeptical, as if already judging how far she would fall.

The screen behind her flickered to life, projecting a series of rapid situational changes, environntal shifts, emotional triggers, unexpected challenges, each designed to test her adaptability in real ti.

At first, she handled them with sharp precision. Her answers were confident, quick, and logical. She adjusted to every twist like soone used to thinking on her feet. Even the virtual simulation on the big screen showed her figure navigating chaos with composed clarity.

But halfway through, her voice faltered. Her mind went blank. The words she needed... just wouldn’t co. A murmur spread through the crowd. Clifford’s brow furrowed.

"Hmm," he muttered. "Seems she’s losing focus."

Linda’s fingers trembled slightly as she clenched a part of her dress wrinkling it in seconds. She tried again, stamred, then froze completely.

And that was when she heard it.

A faint, familiar voice from sowhere deep in her mind, sa voice... from the locker room earlier.

"Such an easy question, can’t believe you don’t know it. Then again, a deal’s a deal. Listen, adaptation isn’t control, it’s alignnt."

Her eyes widened slightly. That sa voice, firm, domineering, aggressive, flowed through her thoughts, threading clarity where confusion had been. Her lips moved almost automatically, forming the right answers, the perfect phrasing. Her energy shifted. The hesitation vanished.

The crowd leaned in.

Linda’s tone beca fluid, her rhythm flawless. She countered complex adaptive scenarios with creative solutions that stunned even the panel.

Chinyere smiled faintly. "Now that... is impressive."

Hannah nodded. "She’s grasped the concept completely."

Even Clifford, the toughest of them, leaned forward, adjusting his glasses. "Remarkable recovery."

George, watching from his seat, blinked in surprise. He hadn’t expected this. Linda was always smart but not this smart. And when Linda’s eyes t his across the hall, she gave him a tiny, smug smile, one that practically said, See? I told you I wasn’t second to anyone.

Beside him, Nnenna folded her arms, her gaze calm but slightly intrigued. She wasn’t jealous, just... curious. Whatever had just happened to Linda, that quick recovery... wasn’t normal.

When the scores finally appeared, Linda’s na flashed boldly at the top of the leaderboard as if daring anyone coming up next to try beating that.

1st Place – Adaptability Third Major Exam

The hall erupted in cheers and claps. Caras caught her smiling brightly, though deep inside, she couldn’t shake the mory of that domineering voice , the one that had pulled her back from failure.

Still, she raised her chin high. Whatever the reason, she had done it. She had proven her brilliance to everyone, especially George.

And as if to seal her victory streak, her fourth major exam that ca up next went just as perfectly. She clinched the first position once again, solidifying her coback and turning her na into one of the academy’s most talked about success stories.

Little did she know, that mysterious external help hadn’t just helped her win, it had marked her for sothing far deeper waiting ahead.

"Excellent performance from candidate Linda!" the MC announced proudly, prompting loud cheers from the audience. Linda smiled, bowing slightly before walking off the stage with that triumphant glow of soone who had just made history.

The crowd barely had ti to settle before the MC continued, his tone carrying a spark of anticipation.

"Up next, Year Six candidate Nnenna, third major: Strategy."

The mont her na left his lips, the atmosphere in the hall shifted.

A wave of murmurs swept through the audience. People straightened in their seats.