Rising from the Ashes (Andrew) novel Chapter 1847

Without proper preparation, it was impossible for Andrew to remove the Frostblossom toxin completely. If it were that easy to deal with, this poison would not be considered such a deadly weapon.

The black energy on Jerome's face began flowing in one direction.

Andrew brought two fingers together like a blade and sliced down swiftly at the point. Immediately, a wound appeared, and black blood began streaming out steadily.

Jerome kept his eyes tightly closed and gasped, "Impressive! To be honest, before this, I had several elders from the Advanced Medical Institute help me. But all of them were forced back by the sheer intensity of the Frostblossom's toxin. None of them could even open a proper channel to drain the poison. They were too terrified to make a cut."

Andrew's focus remained sharp, though his tone stayed calm. "It's not that the Institute lacks talent, but those elders are just mediocre."

Jerome chuckled. "Confident and bold. Dr. Lloyd, your honesty is refreshing."

Andrew decided to play it humble. "As long as you don't think I'm full of myself, I'm good."

Jerome laughed heartily. "Not at all! I've long heard about your name, Dr. Lloyd, but seeing you in person, someone so young and already this accomplished… Well, it's really impressive. And honestly, you remind me very much of an old friend of mine."

Andrew's eyes flickered, and he casually asked, "Oh? May I ask who this friend of yours is?"

Jerome smiled faintly. "I won't share his name since it's inconvenient to mention. But I can tell you this: his last name was also Lloyd. Back in the day, whether it was in Goldridge or throughout the entire Southern Martial Union, that friend of mine was just like you. He was a prodigy, famous far and wide."

Andrew's hand trembled slightly. He asked in disbelief, "You mean… he's dead?"

Jerome looked surprised at Andrew's reaction, then gave a quiet chuckle. "Not exactly. I'm not saying he's dead. It's just that I haven't heard from him in ten years. For all I know, he could be alive… or gone.

"The last time we had any contact was a decade ago. He sent me a message, asking for help. He said he was trapped and needed me to head north and get him out. I was shocked. With his background and strength, I never imagined he'd fall into such serious trouble."

Andrew, for once, was visibly tense. "He was in Chetvine? That place is a war zone. Did you go?"