Rising from the Ashes (Andrew) novel Chapter 3408

The next day, Andrew led Holtrien's expedition force out of Throne City. Their next stop was the dark stronghold itself.

Early that morning, Iridessa had already arrived at the city gates with 30 elite warriors from Eastonia, waiting in formation.

The moment she saw Andrew, she ran straight toward him. "Andrew, no matter what, I'm going."

Andrew replied calmly, "As long as you're not afraid to die, then fall in. By the way, one last question: is Ezekiel running with the Dark Clans now?"

Iridessa clenched her teeth and said, "Ezekiel wants the entire Outlands. So he sold himself out and became a lapdog for the Dark Clans. Ragnar promised him that if he obeyed, they'd conquer the whole Outlands and make Ezekiel its king."

Andrew answered coldly, "Then killing him will sit just fine with me."

With 1500 top fighters from Holtrien, along with Iridessa and her warriors, the force headed straight for Blood Sanctum. Their route would take them across the entire Outlands.

As they pushed deeper into the western frontier, an eerie landscape slowly appeared before them. Everything looked pale and lifeless, as if death itself had settled there.

Dark clouds hung low overhead all year round, pressing down like a suffocating ceiling.

Philip lowered his voice and said, "I haven't stepped into this restricted zone in years. If the Vampire Queen hadn't awakened, no one would risk going this deep into the darkness."

Elio replied calmly, "Don't overthink it. We move forward. In this battle, either they die, or we do. The sacrifices we make now are for a bigger, brighter future for Holtrien."

As they advanced, the oppressive atmosphere grew heavier with every mile. Even proud figures like Alfredo and Orson fell silent and moved cautiously.

Andrew strode at the very front of the expedition, moving at incredible speed.

Vehicles were pointless for people like them. Not one among them was ordinary, and relying on their own bodies, they could outrun anything short of fighter jets or artillery.

Iridessa caught up to Andrew and said quickly, "The first ones we'll run into are Ezekiel and the Sorya lackeys who follow him. They've volunteered to act as guard dogs for Blood Sanctum."

Andrew replied flatly, "Then we'll tear them out at the roots. It won't take much effort."

After Shiloh arrived in Throne City, she disappeared without a trace. At first, Andrew had worried she might take a reckless risk. If she attacked too early and Holtrien could not back her up in time, this entire campaign would lose its edge.

Fortunately, Shiloh had left a message before she vanished. She said she would wait in the depths of the darkness for Andrew and the main Holtrien force.

At the end, she had added one more line. [Stay safe.]

Andrew felt a faint warmth in his chest. Even though Shiloh had regained her memories, she was slowly beginning to accept him again.

Through the eyes of the vampire soldiers outside, Ezekiel easily spotted Andrew standing before the castle.

With a cruel grin, he drained the crimson blood in his cup in one gulp. Two massive fangs emerged from the corners of his mouth.

Ezekiel shot up from his chair. His body exploded into countless bats, which burst through the shattered ceiling of the hall and swarmed into the sky.

In midair, the bats gathered and reformed into his body as he let out a chilling laugh.

"Andrew, I've been waiting for you! Come on. You and I will settle this one-on-one and end our old grudges once and for all!"

In front of the castle, Andrew signaled for everyone else to fall back. He did not draw Godslayer; instead, he handed it to Nyx beside him.

"Give me one minute. I'll kill him. The rest of you, wipe out the remaining dark trash!"

After giving the order calmly, Andrew's body shot straight into the air. Then, he dove forward and slammed directly toward Ezekiel.

Ezekiel threw his head back and roared.