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 sites 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’t Chief Flintspire say that Gallow’s End suffered a great disaster, and that’s why they relocated to the current village? Maybe a lot of people died during that event. All that death and resentment built up… and eventually turned the forbidden area into a nest of Blood Ghouls?”
Natasha’s face turned pale as she edged closer to Andrew. “I think that’s exactly what happened…” Andrew gently patted her back in reassurance. “Don’t be afraid. It’s not like what Logan described.”
Logan narrowed his eyes. “Andy, you saying I’m wrong?”
Andrew snorted. “Absolutely. Blood Ghouls don’t form just from resentment or death. Those kinds of energies might create other dark creatures, but not a Blood Ghoul. A Blood Ghoul is mindless—all it does is kill. And for one to form, it needs incredibly rare conditions like a sealed tomb that hasn’t seen sunlight for over 1000 years, or a mass grave that’s had corpses piled up for centuries. But the most important thing is this: Blood Ghouls fear sunlight. They don’t appear above ground. This valley was once a thriving settlement. There’s no way a Blood Ghoul would just be roaming around on the surface.”
Logan crossed his arms stubbornly. “That’s easy to explain. Someone controlled it. Think about it, the Wright family members were killed last night, right? It was nighttime with no sunlight, so of course the Blood Ghouls wouldn’t be afraid!”
Tiana snorted. “Controlled by someone? Mr. Keller, are you seriously suggesting Blood Ghouls take commands? That’s ridiculous.”
Logan chuckled awkwardly, realizing he had gone too far with that one.
However, Andrew spoke again. “Actually, Logan’s not completely wrong. The Blood Ghoul that attacked last night might’ve actually been summoned to kill on purpose.”
The others all froze, staring at Andrew in disbelief.
“Andy, I was just talking nonsense. You’re not actually buying into that, are you?” Logan stammered.
Andrew gave the group a long, steady look. His voice was calm, but his eyes were sharp. “I’m not buying into it—I’m analyzing it. And my theory is getting very close to the truth.”
Tiana leaned in. “Stop with the suspense, Andy. Just tell us who you think is behind the Blood Ghoul?”
Andrew shook his head. “Right now, I don’t have solid proof. So, I’m not naming names yet.”
Tiana looked frustrated. “No, I want to know. I want to know right now, Andrew, you need to tell—”
Before she could finish her sentence, she froze and stared behind Andrew.
Through the gap between the two mountains, a bright ray of sunlight was streaming directly into the valley.