Andrew Clark picked up a fragment, glanced at it, and casually tossed it aside before starting to search around. He quickly locked onto a small pit, already filled with rainwater. This pit was likely a crater caused by a grenade explosion. Andrew Clark surveyed the terrain and searched the area, but the traces of battle had been completely erased by the torrential rain, leaving only shrapnel and shell casings. Based on the terrain, Andrew Clark tried to reconstruct the scene of the fight. Then, considering that the murderer had fled west and the pursuers had come from the east, he determined the general direction and decisively continued the pursuit.

He had no idea how long he had been chasing when the sky gradually began to lighten and the heavy rain finally stopped. Andrew Clark was both sleepy and exhausted, so he slowed his pace, took out some compressed biscuits from his bag and munched on them, then took a sip of water from his canteen. He felt his eyelids drooping and his head spinning. After a night of forced marching and intense concentration, he had used up almost all his energy. Thinking of his hatred, Andrew Clark gritted his teeth and pressed on.

Chapter 5 Jungle Gunfight

After walking for a while longer, the sun came out. Andrew Clark climbed up a hillside and looked around. The surrounding mountains stretched endlessly, covered in withered grass and shrubs, with no path to be found and no sign of human life. The desolation was suffocating, as if he had entered a dead zone where only a few birds soared into the sky, their cheerful calls adding a touch of vitality to the lifeless wilderness. Andrew Clark realized he was lost and had completely lost the trail.

Frustrated, Andrew Clark plopped down to rest, closing his eyes slightly to recover his strength, and began to breathe according to a secret family technique. For generations, Andrew Clark's ancestors had made their living by hunting, and all that had been passed down was an old shotgun and this secret method. It had no name, and no one knew its origin, but it had been handed down from generation to generation. Its greatest benefit was that it could sharpen the senses and speed up physical recovery, making it ideal for hunting in the forest.

After all, he was not a battle-hardened elite with professional military training. Andrew Clark had only been in the border defense forces for half a year since leaving boot camp, so by any measure, he was still a rookie. He had chased this far on sheer passion, relying on the experience and physical strength gained from hunting with his elders as a child. After a night of mad running, he was almost completely spent and gradually drifted off to sleep.

"Boom!" A faint explosion sounded.

The sleeping Andrew Clark was jolted awake, his eyes flashing with sharpness. He sprang to his feet and looked around, but saw nothing. The mountains were as they had been, stretching endlessly, the sky clear and the air especially fresh after the rain, making him feel invigorated. Andrew Clark looked up at the sun high in the sky, certain that what he had heard was no illusion. On the plateau, a sunny day like this could not produce thunder; the only explanation was an explosion.

With this thought, Andrew Clark was instantly energized. He quickly shouldered his pack, grabbed his machete, and his cold eyes scanned the surroundings, waiting for another explosion. Thanks to the family breathing technique, the short rest had fully restored his strength and energy, and he looked lively and vigorous once more.

"Boom!" Another explosion rumbled faintly.

This time, Andrew Clark keenly sensed the direction of the blast—it came from deep within the distant mountains. Overjoyed, he didn't hesitate and sprinted toward it, secretly glad to finally have a lead. Thinking of his comrades' tragic deaths, Andrew Clark felt a surge of strength and ran like the wind.

He crossed one mountain after another, traversed ridge after ridge, and waded through gorge after gorge, but the sound of explosions did not come again. After about an hour, Andrew Clark reached a hillside and looked around. The endless mountains still stretched in all directions, with no sign of people. In the distance, however, there was a forest, its tall, dense trees reaching up to the sky.

Seeing this familiar yet unfamiliar wilderness, Andrew Clark couldn't help but feel discouraged. This vast expanse of mountains was already within the neighboring country's territory—how could he possibly find the killer here? If he was heading in the wrong direction, not only would his efforts be wasted, but he would also miss the best chance to catch the murderer. What should he do? The images of his comrades' tragic deaths flooded his mind again, and Andrew Clark's face was filled with grief and helplessness.

"Squawk!" A sharp bird cry pierced the clear sky, adding a touch of vitality to the desolate mountains. Andrew Clark turned to look and saw a mountain eagle soaring into the clouds. Immediately after, a flock of birds burst out of the towering forest, flying frantically into the sky.

Seeing this, Andrew Clark was instantly invigorated. The startled birds meant there were people in the forest. "Boom!" A faint explosion sounded from within the forest, confirming Andrew Clark's judgment. Overjoyed, Andrew Clark charged toward the forest without a second thought for his own safety. For the sake of revenge, Andrew Clark was fearless.

Once inside the forest, Andrew Clark relied on his hunting experience to search for traces—broken branches, trampled ground, scraped bark, and so on—all were valuable clues. After a round of investigation, he found nothing, but fortunately another explosion sounded ahead. Andrew Clark dashed forward, and could faintly hear the "whoosh whoosh" of bullets tearing through the air.

"There are people fighting up ahead." Once Andrew Clark was sure of this, he ran even faster. The sound of gunfire ahead grew louder, occasionally mixed with the explosion of a grenade.

Running through the forest was extremely exhausting, but fortunately the trees here were tall and the dense canopy blocked out the sunlight. With little sunlight reaching the ground, there were no shrubs or weeds, only massive exposed roots and a thick layer of dead leaves. The air was filled with the stench of rotting leaves and mud. The depths of the forest after the heavy rain were far less beautiful than they appeared from the outside.