Ten minutes later, every inch of ground outside the ruined heritage hamlet had been turned upside down. But still, there was no sign of Magnus. It was that eerie hour just before dawn, the darkest stretch of night. In this isolated valley, the only light sources were three campfires and a few scattered flashlights—everything else was swallowed by pitch black. Chantelle's face was twisted with frustration. "Mr. Sutton, weren't you just with Mr. Veyne the whole time? How the hell did he disappear like that? What the hell were you even doing?" Ralph looked panicked. "Ms. Garcia, that's unfair! How am I supposed to know?" Chantelle was fuming. For the first time, she had to admit that Andrew had been right all along. This so-called survival expert really was a useless joke. Andrew snapped, clearly out of patience. "Ralph, answer me—were you with Magnus before he went missing or not?" Ralph showed a thoughtful expression and said, "When Ms. Garcia told us to start the fire and e

Jerry frowned and said, "I heard a Torasesy master talk about Blood Ghouls several years ago. Only places with extreme negative energy and great evil can breed such creatures." He continued, "Usually, you'd find them in ancient burial pits or sealed underground catacombs. But this valley was once home to the ancestors of Gallow's End. By all logic, it should've been a place of peace, not a breeding ground for something like a Blood Ghoul." Tiana snorted coldly, "If you ask me, it's all just supernatural nonsense. We should just prepare properly and level this entire valley. Then, whatever Blood Ghouls or zombies are here will all be dead." Andrew shook his head and replied, "Violence and brute force won't solve anything. If we use high-powered explosives to flatten this valley, we might never find the entrance to the treasure." Logan speculated, "What if the Blood Ghouls that attacked the Wright family… were the corpses of the original Gallow's End settlers? Think about it—didn

Mohave scratched his head, seeming a bit confused himself. "Last night, when everyone was eating, it was very dark, so no one noticed Mr. Veyne. But I've always had sharp eyesight since I was a kid. Even in the dark, I can still see pretty well. "Mr. Veyne didn't actually stop to relieve himself behind that boulder. He just pretended to. He kept sneaking glances back toward your group like he was checking if anyone was watching. Once he was sure no one saw him, he slipped away, heading straight into the forbidden area." Andrew's heart skipped a beat as he pressed further, "Mohave, are you certain that he voluntarily snuck into the forbidden zone?" Mohave nodded confidently, "Mr. Lloyd, you have to believe me. Mr. Veyne definitely ran into the forbidden area on his own. He looked panicked—tripped a few times on the way in, but didn't care. He just kept running like crazy and kept looking over his shoulder like he was terrified someone might catch him." Andrew took a deep breath

Andrew and Natasha moved forward cautiously, staying close and alert as they explored the area. Eventually, they reached the far end of the ancient village, only to be met with a towering cliff wall rising right above them. Yet, there was nothing ahead. "Looks like this direction was a dead end," he said, turning back. "Come on, let's head back and regroup with Logan and the others." However, the moment he turned around, he was suddenly met with the soft warmth of Natasha crashing into his chest. She clung tightly to his waist, her voice trembling. "Darling, I'm really scared of ghosts... like, really scared. I don't even have the strength to keep walking right now. Can you hold me? Please, just hug me." Hearing the quiver in her voice, Andrew's heart softened. He wrapped his arms tightly around the beautiful widow and said, "You're safe. As long as I'm here, nothing will happen to you." Natasha's face had gone pale, and her body continued to tremble uncontrollably. She mu

Ralph, barely able to move and covered in blood, suddenly cried out, his voice cracking. "Mr. Lloyd! You're here! Please, help me—I don't wanna die!" He screamed with desperate joy and tried to crawl toward Andrew. Andrew cursed under his breath, "Shut up, you idiot! Don't make a sound!" However, it was too late. The Dire Tiger, though momentarily distracted, let out a thunderous roar and snapped its head around. In an instant, it lunged and clamped its massive jaws down on Ralph's skull. A loud crunch echoed, and the survival expert Chantelle had paid a fortune to bring along was killed on the spot, his eyes wide in disbelief, even in death. Rage surged through Andrew like an explosion. With a roar, his muscles tensed, and his left arm gripped the rooftop edge so hard that it bulged as his strength erupted to its absolute limit. In the shocked and disbelieving gazes of the others, Andrew leaped high into the air. In mid-air, his grip on the knife shifted from one hand t