As Ye Shengtao stood face-to-face with the skeletal figure, the eerie green light of its eyes flickering in the dim chamber, his mind raced for a solution. Fergio, on the other hand, seemed completely oblivious to the danger he had just walked them into.
"Now, now," Fergio said, cheerfully addressing the skeletal figure. "There's no need for things to get too... bony." He waggled his eyebrows as if he had just made the best joke in the world.
Ye Shengtao groaned internally.
We're going to die.
The robed figures continued chanting in the background, their low voices reverberating off the stone walls, filling the room with a sense of impending doom. Orin, standing a few steps behind them, looked like he was about to pass out.
The skeletal figure tilted its head, clearly confused by Fergio's boldness—or sheer stupidity. Its glowing eyes narrowed, and when it finally spoke, its voice was low and raspy, like dead leaves scraping across the ground. "You dare to mock me?"
Fergio's grin widened. "Me? Mocking? Never! I'm simply... lightening the mood. You know, adding a bit of humor to what is otherwise a rather grim situation."
Ye Shengtao shot him a look. "Fergio, please stop talking."
The knight turned to him with a shrug. "What? I'm just trying to—"
"You're trying to get us killed."
The skeletal figure raised a bony hand, and the chanting from the other figures grew louder. The air around them began to thicken, as if the very atmosphere was tightening its grip on them. Ye Shengtao could feel a tingling sensation running down his spine—this was not good.
"I do not take kindly to fools," the skeletal figure said, its voice rumbling through the chamber.
Ye Shengtao stepped forward, trying to salvage the situation before Fergio made it worse. "Apologies for my companion's... enthusiasm," he said, choosing his words carefully. "We're here to—"
"To challenge your leader!" Fergio interjected proudly, cutting him off.
Ye Shengtao glared at him. "Fergio, shut up."
But Fergio, being Fergio, wasn't about to back down. He puffed out his chest, oblivious to the dark magic swirling around them. "I, Fergio the Brave, have come to put an end to your evil plans! Whatever dark sorcery you're cooking up here, it stops now!"
The skeletal figure stared at him for a moment, clearly unsure of how to respond to such reckless bravado. Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, it lowered its hand. The chanting stopped.
Ye Shengtao let out a quiet breath of relief, but his muscles remained tense. This wasn't over.
The figure's voice was filled with dry amusement now. "You truly believe you can stop us? With what? That pitiful blade you carry?"
Fergio grinned, clearly taking the insult as a compliment. "Oh, this blade has seen more battles than you can imagine. It's slashed through armies, cut down beasts, and—"
"Fergio," Ye Shengtao interrupted, "please. For the love of all that is unholy, stop talking."
But the knight simply wouldn't quit. "You underestimate us! We've traveled far and faced dangers you wouldn't believe, and now—"
"Now you're about to get us killed," Ye Shengtao finished for him, his tone flat.
Orin, who had been standing silently up to this point, finally spoke up. His voice was shaky, but he managed to squeak out, "Uh, should we maybe... negotiate? Like, offer them something? Information? Gold? Our... eternal gratitude?"
Fergio scoffed. "Negotiate? With *them*? Please. The only thing these fiends understand is steel."
"Fiends?" Ye Shengtao raised an eyebrow. "You're calling *them* fiends?"
Fergio gave him a confused look. "Well, yeah! They're the bad guys, right?"
"Right." Ye Shengtao sighed. "Except we're vastly outnumbered, in their stronghold, and they have magic we don't understand. So maybe, just maybe, tone down the heroics?"
Fergio looked genuinely puzzled. "But isn't this what heroes do? Face overwhelming odds with bravery?"
Ye Shengtao pinched the bridge of his nose. "No. This is how heroes die early and get their names forgotten."
The skeletal figure watched the exchange with a growing sense of amusement. "Your bickering is... entertaining. But it changes nothing. You will not leave here alive."
Fergio's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Oh, a challenge! Perfect! This is exactly the kind of—"
Ye Shengtao spun around and grabbed Fergio by the shoulders, shaking him slightly. "Fergio. I need you to *not* do anything heroic for five minutes. Just five. Let me handle this."
Fergio blinked at him, clearly unsure what Ye Shengtao was getting at. "But—"
"Five minutes."
Fergio hesitated, then reluctantly nodded. "Fine. Five minutes."
Ye Shengtao let out a relieved breath and turned back to the skeletal figure. "Now, about this whole 'not leaving alive' thing—"
"You will all die slowly," the figure interrupted, its voice cold and matter-of-fact. "One by one. Until the last breath escapes your lips."
Ye Shengtao paused, considering his next words carefully. "That's… not ideal."
"No," the figure agreed. "It is not."
There was an awkward silence. Orin shifted nervously behind them, and Fergio began counting down from five under his breath, clearly itching to jump back into the conversation.
Ye Shengtao sighed. "Look, I'm sure we can come to some kind of arrangement. Maybe we can... I don't know, offer you something?"
The skeletal figure tilted its head again, as if pondering Ye Shengtao's offer. "You have nothing of value to offer."
"That's debatable," Ye Shengtao said, trying to sound convincing. "You see, we have... uh... this guy." He gestured to Fergio.
The skeletal figure looked at Fergio, then back at Ye Shengtao. "You believe *he* is valuable?"
Ye Shengtao grimaced. "Not really. But he's all we've got."
Fergio, oblivious to the insult, gave a proud smile. "That's right! I'm the key to defeating your evil plans!"
The figure chuckled, a dry, hollow sound. "I very much doubt that."
"Hey!" Fergio looked offended for the first time. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you're a fool," the skeletal figure replied. "A loud, arrogant fool."
Fergio gasped, clutching his chest as if wounded. "Arrogant? I'm not arrogant! I'm confident. There's a difference."
Orin finally spoke again, his voice small but hopeful. "Maybe we could just leave quietly?"
Ye Shengtao turned to him, eyes narrowed. "No one is leaving quietly. We're knee-deep in this now, and Fergio's sword clattering everywhere made sure of that."
Fergio grinned. "You're welcome."
Ye Shengtao shook his head. "This is going to be a long night."
The skeletal figure took a step closer. "Your time is up."
Fergio's grin faltered as the figure raised its hand again. The chanting resumed, louder this time, filling the chamber with a rising crescendo of dark energy.
"Well," Ye Shengtao muttered, "this is officially the worst idea we've ever had."
Fergio raised his sword, trying to look heroic again. "Don't worry, Shengtao. I've got this."
Ye Shengtao sighed deeply, bracing himself for whatever chaos was about to unfold.