Luo Jun was still unaware of the women's plight, nor did he dare imagine it. The worst case scenario was that Jones had killed them all.
Regardless, rescuing these survivors was the most important task at hand.
Luo Jun followed them stealthily, constantly seeking an opportunity to attack them, for they had not yet rested, marching in a line. Using grenades against them in this formation would greatly reduce the casualties.
So, Luo Jun waited for them to rest. In such a formation, when resting, the survivors would often be herded together in one group, while the mercenaries would form their own circle.
The best plan would be to wait until nightfall.
When they pitched their tents and slept, Luo Jun could first kill the sentries, then toss grenades into their tents.
Sleeping in tents, once grenades were tossed in, there would be practically no chance of escape.
This was the nightmare of soldiers engaged in jungle or mountain warfare.
Some soldiers who returned alive from the battlefield subsequently suffered from claustrophobia, not only avoiding sleeping in tents but also refusing to take elevators and the like.
In severe cases, they would not even sleep in comfortable houses, opting to sleep on the rooftop in a beach chair every night.
Under the gloomy sunlight, they marched over ten more kilometers. The sun would set in half an hour.
They stopped at a clearing that had been logged before, evidently where the previous squad had camped!
Luo Jun knew that the route he was informed of did not lead here. Jones had clearly lied to him, only revealing half of the route.
Now Luo Jun suspected Jones. He might even know the exact location of the mysterious island's heart!
He had intentionally disclosed only half the route, just enough to deal with these people. The coordinates of the heart would be of immense value to anyone.
Jones had most likely betrayed them for this valuable intelligence.
Pondering this, Luo Jun carefully hid under a short tree, observing their every move.
They ordered the survivors to gather dry firewood from the surrounding forest. Those with axes simply chopped down dead or fallen trees.
Soon, they brought back a five-meter-long dry tree trunk.
It was a tree struck by lightning. They trimmed the branches, laid it on the ground, and lit bonfires at both ends and the middle, using the thick trunk as the core fuel.
The bonfires were large enough to last them through the night.
Due to the limited clearing, they could only pitch two tents. The mercenaries would have to take turns resting in them, with eight people at a time, leaving eight or nine mercenaries on sentry duty.
This situation was far more difficult than Luo Jun had imagined.
They were all experienced mercenaries. Luo Jun would either have to sneak close and toss grenades into the tents, or directly at the bonfires. Either way, only a few would be killed.
The survivors were not far away, so the grenade shrapnel would undoubtedly injure them too.
If he used his pistol to shoot at them, even with his rapid rate of fire, he could only manage five or six shots per second. These were mercenaries seasoned in killing. If he exposed himself, he would likely be riddled with bullets.
Considering everything, Luo Jun decided to blow up the mercenaries outside the tents.
The reason was simple: the mercenaries outside the tents were alert, capable of inflicting casualties and mobile, while those inside, even if awakened by the sounds of battle, would be unable to immediately join the fight. As they emerged from the tents, Luo Jun could still shoot at them.
As for the nearby survivors, Luo Jun could only leave them to their fate.
After all, he was alone, and saving so many people would inevitably require some sacrifice.
Luo Jun found a tree and crouched beneath it, waiting patiently for their rest period, then he would act when the mercenaries in the tents were asleep.
Five hours later, they finally began to rest.
With nine mercenaries on sentry duty, there were only eight in the tents.
Luo Jun still did not act, waiting until they were fully asleep and the sentries grew weary before making his move.
As for Luo Jun himself, he was not tired at all, nor would he be, for he was one man against seventeen armed mercenaries. Such a dangerous adversarial situation allowed him to maintain intense focus.
An ordinary person would undoubtedly be tense.
But Luo Jun, with his strict military training and abundant combat experience, had long since transformed such battlefield tension into a moment of adrenaline rush.
Generally, in such a battle, he could stay awake for three days and three nights.
New recruits on the battlefield exhibited a similar trait, sleeping soundly only after utter exhaustion. But for veterans, being unable to sleep was an entirely different concept.
For the former, it was anxiety and fear. For the latter, it was a contradictory combination of exhilaration and vigilance.
Three more hours passed, and Luo Jun noticed that the sentries were growing weary. Initially, they had been very alert, likely worried that something might happen, for their previous squad members had mysteriously disappeared or gone insane. They could not possibly ignore such a situation.
But until now, there had been no disturbance, allowing their taut nerves to relax as drowsiness set in.
Not only did Luo Jun have two sniper rifles, but he also had several pistols taken from the bodies of snipers, as well as eight grenades!
He only needed to toss out three, then draw his dual pistols to finish the job.
Luo Jun stealthily crept closer, reaching a clump of dense bushes. He removed three grenades, clenching the pull rings in his teeth. Taking aim, he pulled the rings, silently counting 1001, 1002, 1003!
Three seconds later, he immediately tossed them out.
The mercenaries gathered around the three bonfires saw the grenades suddenly drop in front of them, their pupils dilating in shock.
"Get down!"
Someone shouted, immediately dropping to the ground, but it was too late. With a thunderous boom, the three grenades exploded simultaneously, sending a massive shockwave outward like a violent gale.
The sparks from the bonfires were also scattered into the air, instantly darkening the environment.
"Damn it!" Luo Jun cursed, his lack of jungle warfare experience causing him to overlook this.
Relying on his memory and the faint light, he drew his pistols and rapidly fired at the tents, hitting whatever he could.
After emptying both pistols, he stopped.
The forest fell silent, no one daring to make a sound.
Whoever made a noise now would draw fire from the darkness. The survivors were also men with a keen sense of danger. They were probably lying flat on the ground, motionless.
Luo Jun discarded the empty pistols and took out two fresh ones.
He decided to make those survivors take the risk!
Although inhumane, he had to do it, or else everyone would die here!