The two groups now stood facing each other. 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, 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.
As soon as Jeremy said this, he leapt and snatched the artifact from Dylan's grasp.
Dylan didn't even see Jeremy move, but now the artifact was gone.
"How did..." Dylan stammered, his smug expression turned into shock.
Not letting Dylan speak, Jeremy punched his stomach, sending him five meters away.
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 and begged.
Kelvin, Priscilla, and Tolly were stunned. Jeremy's speed, strength, and other feats seemed inhuman.
They were starting to think he wasn't bluffing about taking on the Green Group single-handedly.
When Robert fell to his knees, the other members slowly retreated, ignoring Dylan wincing on the floor.
"Stand up! You think I'll just let you go?" Jeremy roared. "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."
Kelvin turned to James to calm Jeremy down. However, James just shrugged. James also thought they deserved it.
Jeremy and James weren't those who carried toxic venom everywhere, they've just had enough of cruel people in this world.
"You know, I thought you'd disagree with my idea for a second," Jeremy smiled at James. "Looks like we're not that different after all."
"You can't do this! We're our own group," 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.
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 Jeremy.
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 amazed. They just saw a teen overpower two others, and James was still fighting Dylan.
Sunny and Robert also stood aside, watching the fight with the same thought.
"Here, record it. James will beat this guy anyway," Jeremy gave 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. To finish, he hit Dylan at the back of his head, completely knocking Dylan out.
"Phew! That was harder than I thought," James said with a deep exhalation.
Just then, they heard leaves rustling.
It was already 1:00 PM, and wild animals could be active. 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 with frustration written on his face.
"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 exclaimed.
"That's because you're ruining everything! The two new boys are freaks, and three other geniuses joined your team. Should we just let you win? No way! My family is counting on this scholarship," the bald boy replied, his face contorted.
"Let's play this game. It's on!"