The next morning Ye Shengtao stared at Fergio, the so-called "hero" of their unlikely duo, with a mixture of disbelief and mild irritation. The idiot had nearly gotten them both killed in the forest, all because of his overly confident, god-ordained sense of direction.
"Listen, Fergio," Ye Shengtao began, rubbing his temples with his front hooves, "we're not going back through that cursed forest. No more 'divine guidance.' I'd rather we take the long way around, even if it takes days."
Fergio, standing tall and proud, completely missed the sarcasm in Ye Shengtao's voice. He was polishing his sword, his armor gleaming in the morning sun, a huge grin plastered across his face.
"Ye Shengtao, my trusty steed," Fergio said grandly, waving his sword for emphasis, "I assure you, the gods guide my path. Last night was merely a… test! Yes, a test! And we passed with flying colors! That creature dared not lay a hand on us, for it sensed my divine aura."
"First of all," Ye Shengtao growled, "I am not a steed. I have never been a steed. I do not carry people. Secondly, the only reason we're not dead is because it got bored or confused by your idiotic sword-swinging."
Fergio grinned wider, completely ignoring the insult. "You see? Even in the face of certain death, I struck fear into its wretched heart! You must have felt it tremble before my might!"
Ye Shengtao snorted, his udders swaying as he shifted his weight in irritation. "Pretty sure it was trembling with laughter, not fear. You were flailing around like a drunk squirrel."
Fergio paused, sword raised in mid-polish, brow furrowing as if deep in thought. Then, he shrugged. "Either way, it's gone. And I believe we have more pressing matters, like finding the Dark Sect's lair."
Ye Shengtao rolled his red eyes. "Yeah, about that. We're taking the long way. No forest, no shortcuts, no more 'guided by the gods' nonsense. We're sticking to the road this time."
Fergio looked appalled. "The road? But that will take days! Weeks even! We'll lose precious time!"
"Better to lose time than our heads," Ye Shengtao retorted dryly. "Besides, the fresh air will do wonders for your ego. You could use some humility."
Fergio puffed up his chest, clearly not understanding the jab. "I am already humble, Ye Shengtao. It is one of my many virtues."
"Right," Ye Shengtao deadpanned. "Let's just get going before you humble us both to death."
As they set off down the dusty road, the mood lightened somewhat. The tension of the previous night began to fade, and soon enough, the ridiculousness of their situation started to feel a bit more bearable.
"So," Ye Shengtao said after a few miles, "what's your grand plan when we reach this Dark Sect? Gonna wave your sword around and hope they get scared off too?"
Fergio stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Ah, my noble companion, the Dark Sect is no mere foe. We must rely on strategy, courage, and—"
"Sword-swinging," Ye Shengtao finished, rolling his eyes.
Fergio's face lit up. "Yes! Precisely. They won't know what hit them!"
Ye Shengtao sighed. "You really are an idiot, you know that?"
Fergio laughed, slapping Ye Shengtao on the back. "Fear not, my friend! We'll triumph, and you'll be remembered as the steed that rode into legend with me."
"If you call me a steed one more time, I'll personally see to it that your 'legend' ends in a very messy way."
Fergio chuckled, clearly not taking the threat seriously. "You jest, my good companion! Our bond is too strong for mere insults. Besides, the gods have already decreed our victory."
Ye Shengtao didn't bother responding. He just focused on putting one hoof in front of the other, wondering how long it would take before Fergio's divine luck finally ran out and they were both reduced to monster chow.
They walked in relative silence for a while, the sounds of nature filling the air around them. Birds chirped in the trees, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves. It was peaceful—too peaceful, if Ye Shengtao were honest with himself. He had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that something was bound to go wrong.
"Hey, Fergio," Ye Shengtao began after a while, breaking the silence. "Do you think it's weird that the villagers claimed there was no monster in that forest?"
Fergio shrugged. "The villagers are simple folk. They probably didn't want to believe in such a creature. Denial is a powerful thing."
"Yeah, but we *saw* it. I *smelled* it. You can't deny something that smells that bad."
Fergio tapped his sword. "Perhaps the creature is an anomaly, a beast of dark magic summoned by the Dark Sect. Or perhaps it was simply… misunderstood?"
Ye Shengtao blinked. "Misunderstood? Fergio, it tried to eat us."
Fergio waved a dismissive hand. "Ah, well, not everything is as it seems, Ye Shengtao. Perhaps it just needed a hug."
"Right. You hug it next time, then. I'll be over here, not dying."
Before Fergio could reply, a sudden noise stopped them both in their tracks. It was a loud crack, like a branch snapping under something heavy. Ye Shengtao tensed, his eyes scanning the trees around them.
"Did you hear that?" Ye Shengtao whispered.
Fergio raised his sword, suddenly alert. "Indeed. Could be another test from the gods."
"I'm starting to think the gods have a weird sense of humor," Ye Shengtao muttered. "What now? Do we investigate or just keep walking and hope we don't die?"
Before Fergio could answer, a sudden voice rang out from behind them. "No need to worry, boys! Just a little, uh, system malfunction!"
Both Ye Shengtao and Fergio whirled around, and standing there, sheepishly rubbing her head, was none other than the System herself—manifested in a physical form for the first time, completely by accident.
She looked like a young woman with the charms that come with maturity, with long flowing hair and a mischievous grin. Her translucent figure shimmered slightly in the daylight, like an ethereal ghost caught out of place.
Ye Shengtao groaned. "System? What the hell are you doing here?"
Fergio stared at her, mouth agape, sword halfway raised. "Who… what… is that?"
The System blinked in surprise. "Oh. Right. You weren't supposed to see me, hero. My bad!"
Ye Shengtao facehoofed.
"Great. Just great. You've gone and broken reality again."
The System giggled nervously, taking a step back. "Well, I didn't mean to. I was just trying to help, you know? Keep things running smoothly."
Fergio, still staring, slowly lowered his sword. "Ye Shengtao… is this… one of your friends?"
The System burst out laughing. "Oh, no. Definitely not. I'm much more useful than that."
Ye Shengtao shot her a look. "You're about as useful as a hole in the head."
Fergio, still trying to process what he was seeing, finally spoke up. "Is this… divine intervention?"
The System grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Sure. Let's call it that."
Ye Shengtao groaned again. "This is going to be a long trip…"