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

"Shut up!" the nearby villagers shouted. "What do you know? If it were you, would you dare to stand up to such a monster? Only a few people can become heroes! Stop wasting your time with this nonsense!"

As the crowd chattered, the poisonous fog ahead gradually grew thicker, like an all-consuming black ocean. Wind Walker took a deep breath and fixed his gaze on the crimson energy column not far away. He knew he had to get closer to it and find the core of the monster leader.

---

"Hey, young man, do you think he can really do it?" An elderly blacksmith asked the apprentice beside him, his voice filled with mixed emotions.

The apprentice shook his head, sweat breaking out on his forehead. "I don't know... but if anyone could do it, I think it would be Senior Wind Walker. After all, he's no ordinary person. Those legendary achievements weren't just empty talk."

Another homeless man in a tattered cloak interrupted, "Hmph, legends are legends, but this is no ordinary battle. If we can't even deal with him, sooner or later all of us will die here."

Hearing this, a deep sigh echoed in the crowd. Although no one spoke, their expressions said it all: even with Windrunner's great reputation, in such a desperate situation, people still saw no hope of survival.

---

At this moment, in the center of the battlefield, the crimson energy column vibrated more and more violently, and the surrounding air seemed to be torn apart, making a sharp roar. In the distance, the roar of monsters continued to be heard, shaking the ground.

Windrunner finally arrived within a few dozen meters of the core, but the overwhelming pressure made it nearly impossible for him to breathe. Then, the remains of the once-berserker soldier came into view—a pile of bones lying quietly there, like a silent warning.

"This place... is like hell." He muttered to himself, then gritted his teeth and continued to move forward.

Suddenly, the mysterious traveler's mocking voice drifted in my ears. His voice drifted faintly from afar: "Hey, Wind Walker, you must be thinking about the meaning of life right now, right? At such a close distance, even your body must be unable to bear it, right? Hahaha!"

"Shut up!" The young female captain on the side couldn't help but turned around and roared, "Stop fanning the flames here. If you have the guts, come over here and try it yourself!"

However, the mysterious traveler didn't stop his provocation. He still stood lazily outside the safe zone, a contemptuous smile on his face. "Don't worry, my sword is a good thing. If you're lucky enough, you might even survive!"

Despite this, this seemingly sarcastic remark actually sparked a mixture of anger and pity among the crowd. Many people stared into the distance, their eyes filled with contempt. However, what made them even more distressed was the next scene...

---

As Wind Walker approached the core area, a pale golden shield suddenly appeared in the air, completely protecting the monster leader like a cage. This shield shone with an eerie light, echoing with the ancient runes floating in the sky.

"Damn it! Another sealed power!" Wind Walker's pupils shrank sharply, knowing that this operation would be more difficult than expected. If he wanted to forcibly shatter this protective shield, a divine short sword alone would probably not be enough.

At that moment, a familiar, deep laugh echoed from behind. A mysterious traveler slowly entered the crowd's view, a yellowed ancient tome in his hand. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, what a hassle! It seems brute force alone is truly inadequate for breaking this level of seal. But... perhaps we can try something else."

"What method?" the young captain immediately asked, her voice filled with anxiety. "Could it be that you have some hidden tricks?"

The mysterious traveler didn't answer directly. He simply raised the ancient tome and flipped through it, then glanced toward the sky. "First, you must believe in one fundamental fact—the seal isn't a simple barrier, but rather a product of resonance with the laws of the universe. This means we must break its 'resonance frequency.'"

Hearing this, the crowd became agitated again.

"What do you mean?" a burly man who looked like a farmer frowned and asked, "How do we break the resonance? It sounds like a very complicated matter!"

"Oh, it's actually very simple." The mysterious traveler smiled playfully. "All we need to do is sacrifice a target with special qualifications to directly disrupt the stability of the entire system, causing the seal to collapse."

The whole audience suddenly went wild.

"What? Send him to his death?" Villager A looked at the other man in horror, his voice rising an octave. "Isn't that what you just did to kill that human survivor? Are we going to sacrifice even more people now?"

Another woman even more excitedly accused: "Scammer! They are clearly delaying time on purpose, they have no good intentions at all!"

Amidst the chaos, the old wizard slowly stood up, coughed twice, and then said loudly, "Shut up! The most important thing now is to find a truly effective method, rather than blaming each other here!"

Just as the situation was becoming increasingly tense, Wind Walker's voice suddenly penetrated the noisy crowd—

"I'll do it." He said coldly, then raised the dagger in his hand without hesitation and rushed straight towards the golden shield!

The crowd fell silent for a moment, leaving only shocked eyes staring at his gradually shrinking figure.

"Idiot, you will die!" A young shepherd boy couldn't help crying out.

No one responded, because everyone could see that this was a choice with no way out.

---

At the same time, the golden light in the core area began to fluctuate violently, apparently sensing the presence of invaders.

"Kid, how are your preparations?" A deep, hoarse voice suddenly came from above. Wind Walker looked up suddenly and found that the energy column that had been floating peacefully had transformed into a translucent, hideous form, like a distorted face.

"I am the last obstacle." The terrifying being chuckled. "Give up struggling. Your fate is already determined."

However, Wind Walker showed no sign of retreating. He sneered and roared at the top of his lungs, "Then let my end change everything with my own hands!"

The next moment, his figure transformed into a silver-white meteor, slamming fiercely into the center of the shield.

In the sky, the blood moon grew increasingly intense, as if mocking the despair of all living beings. And at this critical moment, the mysterious traveler's meaningful whisper came from behind again: