I am the Holy Poisoner, the Empress advised me to calm down

"Hmph, I don't think so." The armed uncle sneered again, as if he was used to it. "The excitement of online novels depends on a person who can suddenly appear at this critical moment to save the situation! Who knows, maybe in the next second this old man will just cheat and crush the whole place, leading all of us to victory without any effort! Just wait and see, it will definitely be exciting."

The old man ignored the surrounding discussions and simply walked step by step between the shaky and on the verge of collapse Player A and the giant monster that was about to return. His eyes swept over everyone present, finally fixing on Player A who was struggling in pain.

"Poor child." The old man's voice was low and hoarse, but it contained a certain irresistible power. "Your sacrifice moves me, but your anger and fear have also awakened certain forces that should not exist. As the guardian of this world order, I cannot sit idly by."

This statement caused a great shock.

"Fuck, that sounds powerful!" The young male player rubbed his eyes and stared at the old man. "But what do you mean by 'power that shouldn't exist'? Could it be that the foreshadowing has finally come to fruition?"

"Tsk tsk, this feels more and more like a grand climactic battle between good and evil!" someone commented excitedly, secretly turning on the video recording function on their phone. "Hopefully this conversation will unearth even more bombastic information! The discussion forum will definitely be flooded with comments when they're posted! Oh no, do you think this old man isn't here to help at all, but is instead using this opportunity to set a trap for the protagonists? It's so exciting just thinking about it, hahahaha..."

Regardless of the audience's speculation, the truly breathtaking scene had already begun. Player A suddenly raised his head, and the black mist emanating from his body began to swirl violently, as if ready to devour all life around him. He shouted hoarsely, "Back off! Don't interfere with my final choice..."

But the old man didn't waver. He pointed his staff at the giant silhouette that was constantly moving in the air and said coldly, "Do you think your resistance can change the trajectory of fate? You are so ignorant and pathetic. Since you all contributed to this situation, you should also work together to resolve it. Otherwise, everything will be in vain."

Upon hearing this, the crowd suddenly exploded with discussion.

"What do you mean by 'in vain'? Are all our efforts now, including that player's self-destruction to hold the monster, completely useless?! Is this the novel version of despair mode? This is too much, oh my god! QAQ!!" A girl with a bun covered her face and cried out that it was unfair.

Another man in a hat quickly retorted, "Don't be so anxious, idiot! This setting is clearly paving the way for the protagonist's counterattack later! Think carefully, everyone, we've already laid out so many crises and emotional lines in the past, we can't ruin them all, right? Let's watch the show unfold~"

As they were arguing, Zhao Li suddenly rushed out of the crowd, gritting her teeth and shouting, "Since that's the case, please explain the solution clearly! If this is truly a secret that concerns life and death, please don't hide it and delay any longer! Every extra second could lead to more tragedy!"

As soon as the words fell, the audience erupted in applause. "Well done, Captain Zhao!!!" One fan instantly transformed into a die-hard fan, frantically posting memes. "She's got a perfect domineering aura!! Even though her stats aren't high right now, her words are just so electric! Hey, woooooo!!!"

At the same time, the fat guy was also muttering in the corner: "To be honest, the captain's words this time are really cool. It would be great if she could successfully get the truth out of us and turn the tide. Otherwise, I guess we can only wait to be wiped out by the new ultimate boss. GG smida haha ​​...

Faced with the questioning, the old man remained expressionless. He simply raised his staff and gently waved it toward the sky. Surprisingly, the dark, overcast sky began to gradually dissipate, and a warm, gentle golden light illuminated the entire battlefield. Then, a complex pattern of characters emerged from the air, emitting an inexplicable aura of majesty like an ancient forbidden spell.

"The answer lies within," the old man said calmly. "This is the only way to crack the code. Only by gathering the resonant power of all awakened beings can we temporarily suppress the source of darkness and uncover the secrets hidden in the intersection of reality and illusion. But if we can't reach a consensus... the outcome is already determined."

After he finished speaking, the whole scene became extremely quiet.

Qin Yifei frowned as he stared at the emerging runes. He asked in disbelief, "Wait... is this the so-called plan? It sounds even more incredible than before! And what does 'resonance among all awakened ones' mean? How do we determine who is qualified to participate in this?"

Even the apathetic male showed a rare look of interest in this question: "It's quite bold indeed. If it succeeds it will be wonderful, but if it fails it can be considered an alternative artistic expression. Hehehe, it's worth a try..."

Just as they were still debating countermeasures, a series of rumbling sounds echoed from afar, accompanied by deafening roars. The giant monster, having reassembled, attacked once more. Player A, now nearly dead, managed to prop himself up and stand in the front line, his face filled with determination. "Retreat first! I'll do my best to buy time. We'll deal with the rest later—"

However, this time, everyone stood firmly behind him.

The girl with twin ponytails was the first to run forward, her eyes moist but her smile bright. "Stop dreaming, brother! We've been through life and death together, how could I possibly leave you to fight alone now? Don't worry, just go for it, we'll protect each other hehehe~~"

On the other side, a teammate raised his shield and responded passionately, "That's right! I thought the story would end here, but it turns out there's a chance for a sequel. What a steal! I'll stick with you to the end even if it costs me everything! Hey~ Hold on, you bastard, hahahahahahahahaha!!"

The fat man wiped his tears from his nose and continued with a smile: "Oh my dear, I'm so moved that I'm crying, woooo! Anyway, everyone's attack is impeccable, let's all work together to save humanity, hehehehehe!!!"

Witnessing this scene, the old man nodded slightly, revealing a hint of satisfaction. He waved his hand and continued to gather a powerful shield to cover the entire team. Just as a new round of battle was about to begin, Zhao Li keenly caught a glimpse of unusual fluctuations and quickly warned everyone—

"Wait, stop moving! Something doesn't seem right... Pay attention to that shadowy, fast-moving target on the right! Is this the time for a hidden Easter egg to appear?!"

Before he could finish his words, a figure suddenly jumped out from the shadows and rushed straight into the old man's arms...