The air crackled between the two groups, thick with menace and unspoken curses. Dylan still clutched onto the artifact with an evil grin plastered on his face.
"What did you say?"
"I'll crush your bones," Jeremy replied, his face straight and devoid of emotion.
Dylan laughed crazily, a grating sound that echoed through the trees. "If you ask me, you're outnumbered. You have two females in your posse, and we have just one. And if you ask me, Kelvin's always been a wimp!"
"I think only me will do," Jeremy replied with absolute, terrifying resolution.
As soon as Jeremy said this, he leapt and snatched the artifact from Dylan's grasp.
Dylan didn't even see Jeremy move—one moment, the artifact was in his hand, but now the artifact was gone.
"How did..." Dylan stammered, his smug expression turned into shock.
Before the echo of his words faded, Jeremy moved. He delivered a brutal punch to the blonde boy's stomach and sent him skidding five meters away into the dirt.
Robert was closest to Jeremy and knew he could be next in the world of pain.
He immediately fell to his knees and started begging.
"I'm sorry... please, please forgive me. I didn't like the idea, but Dylan forced me. I'm sorry," Robert sobbed, his body shaking with uncontrolled terror.
Kelvin, Priscilla, and Tolly were completely stunned. Jeremy's speed, strength, and other feats seemed alien, inhuman.
They were starting to think he wasn't bluffing about taking on the Green Group single-handedly.
As Robert groveled, the other members had a rethink and slowly retreated, ignoring the wincing Dylan on the floor.
"Stand up! You think I'll just let you go?" Jeremy snarled, his voice heavy with contempt. "Since you decided to play dirty, it's our turn now."
"Don't you dare run away!" Jeremy shouted at the retreating figures.
"Just let them go, Jeremy," Kelvin pleaded, snapping out of his thoughts.
"No way! I won't let them go easily. Now, they'll work for us." Jeremy's eyes gleamed with dark resolve.
Kelvin turned to James, his eyes silently begging him to intercede. However, James just shrugged. James also thought they deserved it.
James wasn't one who carried toxic venom everywhere, He had just had enough of cruel people in this world.
With all of the personal experiences and gruesome stories his mom had told him—from her experience in workplace—he couldn't bring himself to rationalize with these animals in human flesh.
"You know, I thought you'd disagree with my idea for a second," Jeremy smiled at James, his expression smug. "Looks like we're not that different after all."
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," James replied, his expression chillingly calm amidst the chaos.
"But... you can't do this! We're our own group. Why... should you force us to work for you?" Sunny, a member of the Green Group, protested weakly.
"We'll do this together!" One of the other boys in the Green Group voiced with slight trepidation, realizing Jeremy didn't have plans of backing down any time soon.
At once, the other two boys jumped on Jeremy. Dylan, who was on the ground groaning, pushed himself up with determiniation and joined the fray.
The other two boys were Mark and Gabe—and fueled by a mix of loyalty and fear, they threw themselves at Jeremy. Robert, however, remained deeply rooted to the forest floor quivering.
Mark and Gabe threw wild and clumsy punches, but Jeremy, with surprising agility parried their flailing fists.
Dylan caught up and also added his kicks and punches to the mix.
With Dylan joining, the tide changed. Even with Jeremy's inhuman agility, he got hit a few times.
"Are you guys gonna stand there all day or join me? Do you want them to take what we worked hard for?!" Jeremy shouted in frustration, dodging a wild swing from Mark.
As Jeremy said this, he ducked Mark's fist and kneed Gabe's stomach. Dylan swung his arm, close to connecting with Jeremy's face, when an arm grabbed it.
"Deal with those ones. I'll take out the leader," James said, holding Dylan's arm tight.
The Red Group hadn't recorded the artifact yet, as Jeremy still had it. The Green Group also didn't give them a chance, as that's what the fight was about.
James wasn't letting up his hold on Dylan and Dylan was equally determined to break free. Although James didn't train in martial arts, he remembered some moves from the action movies he binged.
Meanwhile, Jeremy had made quick work of Mark and Gabe, who were now lying unconscious on the floor.
"You really need some training! How are you struggling with this pest?" Jeremy teased.
Kelvin, Tolly, and Priscilla were once again awestrucked. They had just witnessed a 'normal' teen effortlessly overpower two others.
Sunny and Robert also stood aside, the same horrified thought mirroring in their eyes.
'Luck is on my side today,' Robert thought, his head already picturing himself in his unconscious partners' shoes.
"Here, record it. James will beat this guy anyway," Jeremy tossed the artifact to Kelvin.
Looking at James and Dylan, the outcome was crystal clear.
James with a focused gaze, raised his leg high and delivered a powerful kick to Dylan's thigh. James followed up with a concussive to the back of his head, completely knocking Dylan out.
"Phew! That was harder than I thought," James exclaimed with a deep exhalation.
Just then, they heard leaves rustling.
It was already 3:00 PM. Although Eric assured them, the possibility of encountering wild animals couldn't be completely dismissed. Robert and Sunny moved closer to the Red Group members, seeking safety in numbers.
"Looks like another group got the idea," a bald boy from another group said, exiting the forest area with four boys behind him.
"It doesn't matter if you've gotten three artifacts; we'll just incapacitate you so you won't ruin our chances of winning," the bald boy declared with a menacing look.
'What's wrong with these people? Why are they attacking us?' Kelvin thought, frustration written boldly on his face.
"Another one? Ah! You really think you can do that just because you have four boys behind you? So naive!" Jeremy replied, clenching his fists for another fight.
"We can't keep doing this! We were told to find hidden artifacts, and we've been doing that. Why are you guys attacking us? You'll be punished for this!" Priscilla lamented, her voice raw with indignation.
"That's because you're ruining everything! The two new boys are freaks, and three other geniuses joined your team, including you. Should we just let you win? No way! My family is counting on this scholarship," the bald boy retorted, his face contorting with hatred and desperation.
"Let's play this game. It's on!"
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