"Run!"
"They'll surround us in no time!"
Deep within the forest, Job and the others sprinted as if their lives depended on it, accompanied by three strangers who were equally desperate.
The newcomers were also dressed in track suits and armed with weapons. However, they didn't appear to be locals. Instead, they were bearing a striking resemblance to Job's group in attire.
"Hurry!! Or they'll catch up!" Jack yelled as he made sure Nicole was close to him.
Just as Jack's words hung in the air, a carefree yet haughty voice echoed from behind them, saying, "You know you can't keep running away for long. Heh... just surrender."
"Damn it, they've caught up!" Job cursed, glancing back while running.
Not far off, a large group of people gave chase, all around the same age as Job's group but numbering over thirty.
Suddenly, as they were escaping, arrows pierced through the air toward them.
"!!!! DODGE!!!!" Job immediately shouted as he sensed danger.
Others panicked when faced with the threat but they quickly heeded Job's warning.
Fortunately, the arrows found only tree trunks, leaving everyone unscathed. However, the threat was clear, and their escape had been interrupted.
"Hah... what kind of archers are you if you can't even aim properly?" The same young man's voice carried displeasure, this time directed at his own group.
"!!" Job and the others tightened their grips on their weapons as they realized there was no escaping the situation now.
Archers had them in their sights, while others pointed a variety of weapons with smug expressions.
In the midst of the group, a slender, statuesque young man with cascading, fiery red hair pulled back into a neat tie confidently moved forward.
His neck had multiple tattoos, and his ears were adorned with piercings, all contributing to an air of pride tinged with a touch of confidence that radiated from him.
"Now, where were we again?" he smiled lightly and asked calmly.
"Peter… Why are you doing this?" Job clenched his teeth, his voice laced with frustration as he confronted his former acquaintance.
"You're asking me now?" Peter retorted, his tone smug.
"I thought I was rather 'nice' when I asked you to 'surrender' those fruits, but you all refused. And let's not forget the compensation for making us expend our energy? How about you surrender your weapons too?" He spoke as he maintained a small, self-satisfied grin on his face.
"You bas****! We put in all the hard work to obtain those!" Jack erupted in anger.
"See, that's your problem, not mine," Peter replied dismissively, motioning with his hands.
"Now, hand over those weapons and the fruits."
"Peter, please reconsider! You may not know, but this forest has monsters!! They could attack at any moment if they find us!" Job spoke out, knowing they had no other option.
Peter gazed at Job, unfazed. "So what? Last night, I encountered three of them. Aside from their peculiar appearance and strength, there wasn't much to fear."
"Just three? We faced a freaking thirty of them!" Jack retorted.
"Thirty, you say? Look, we are a group thirty and you all can't do anything to us," Peter Chuckled and asked, "So, how do you expect me to believe that nonsense? Say something more believable to back your strength, will ya?"
"Hahahaha!"
Hearing him, the people behind him all started laughing.
Seeing their disadvantage, Job attempted to clarify, "You're right that we couldn't handle them. Honestly, if it weren't for Kalsie, who saved us, we wouldn't even be here. Please understand! We can't afford to quarrel amongst ourselves when those monsters can attack us at any moment!"
It was then that Peter narrowed his eyes, sensing something familiar.
He asked with an amused smile, "This person, 'Kalsie,' who saved you... Is he the same guy who fought on the first day after orientation?"
"Y-Yes," Job responded hesitantly, unsure of Peter's motive.
"Hahaha!" Peter burst into laughter, stunning both his group and Job's.
"This is incredible!" Peter exclaimed with delight, his laughter bordering on madness.
"D-Do you know him?" Job asked cautiously.
"Know him?" Peter smiled as he heard that question and replied, "Who wouldn't know the person who had beaten up their property."
A heavy silence enveloped them as the meaning behind his word sank in.
The property Peter just mentioned were the seniors with whom Kalsie and his friends had a fight on the first day. It was the same fight that Job had seen on Utube, allowing him to recognize Kalsie.
Job had wanted to say something but refrained, sensing Peter's strong animosity towards Kalsie, their friend.
"Hah... Do you have any idea how much money I invested in those three idiots, hoping they'd be my loyal lackeys? Although they are stupid, they still had their usefulness until they got their a**es beaten by that one guy." Peter's smile turned cold as he questioned them.
"Tsk tsk tsk… Don't tell me you all risked your lives by turning back toward the seashore, hoping your friend would find you?" Peter jeered, ridiculing Job's decision. "Honestly, if you hadn't, you might have had a better chance of escaping from us."
They had been farther away from Peter's group initially, but Job and the others had chosen to return to the beach, anticipating Kalsie's arrival. Unfortunately, it was during their retreat that Peter's group had caught up with them.
"Hmmmm." Peter paused for a moment, considering something.
He then proposed an offer with a smile, "How about this? Join me. After all, the threat of those monsters still around, and as you said, safety in numbers, right?"
Job and the others were taken aback by Peter's suggestion.
One moment, he was after their possessions, and the next, he was inviting them to join him. Despite their reservations, the idea held a certain allure.
"You..." Job inquired cautiously, "What do you want from us in return?"
Peter chuckled briefly and replied, "Honestly, not much..."
For a fleeting moment, they contemplated the offer. That was until Peter finished his sentence, his tone turning sinister.
"...Just betray your friend, Kalsie, and beat him up for me, just as he did to my people. I don't know about others but I'd relish seeing the agony in his face as he's betrayed!"
"You psycho b******!" Jack erupted with anger.
"Well my friend, 'Psycho' is my middle name," Peter quipped, seemingly unperturbed by Jack's remark.
"So, what do you think? Join me or I take away your possessions forcefully." Peter asked.
"I'm sorry, but we won't be joining you," Job declared firmly, clutching his spear.
"He's right!" Jack seconded, mirroring Job's determination.
Sensing their decision, Nicole and Nick, though nervous, readied their weapons as well. They stood united against Peter's proposition, refusing to betray their friend, Kalsie, no matter the cost.
"Oh, you might die though." Peter said seeing their resolve. He then looked at the others in the group and said, "What about you, Noah? Since our families are friends, I won't trouble you if you quietly join me."
Among Job's group, a palpable sense of foreboding weighed heavily on the newcomers, particularly the boy whom Peter had just addressed.
Noah, who stood at the same height as Jack, glanced at Peter and let out a sigh. As much as he wanted to avoid confronting Peter, he couldn't simply abandon the people who had aided him earlier.
Left with no other viable choice, he raised his bow and aimed it at Peter, saying, "I suppose this is my answer."
Noah then whispered, filled with a slight tinge of guilt, to the girl beside him while maintaining his aim, "I'm sorry, Bella. It seems you've been dragged into a mess because of me."
"Sigh... How can I blame the person I've fallen in love with? Besides, I don't like that scum either," Bella replied, her expression tinged with worry as she aimed her arrows on their enemies.
Bella possessed silky green hair, which matched the color of her eyes. She stood at a height of 5'7", and interestingly, both she and Noah had the same hair and eye color, albeit with slight variations, which made them seem perfectly matched for each other.
"Thanks, Noah," Job said gratefully.
Initially, Job and his friends had been unsure of Noah's choice, but now they could put aside their worries and focus on Peter.
"No problem, and besides, you guys helped us too," Noah replied.
However, contrary to what they had hoped, not everyone in their group shared the same unwavering determination as Noah and Bella.
"W-W-What!?" Nick exclaimed in panic as he felt a cold sword pressing against his neck.
A person held a sword onto Nick's throat.