Digimon: I really didn't want to be the Digimon Emperor!

Tuesday's theory class was packed with valuable information, with Xu Xin explaining in detail the terrain features of Savage Valley and the common types of Digimon.

"Teacher," Cheng Yuan raised his hand and asked, "If we encounter a demon beast, should we run away or kneel down and call it 'Dad'?"

“You can try calling him ‘Grandpa,’” Xu Xin sneered, “and see if he’ll fall for it.”

Finally, the day of departure arrived, and the students were all fully armed, looking like they were going to participate in a wilderness survival exercise. Cheng Yuan was wearing a blue windbreaker, goggles, and his backpack was stuffed with snacks and a sleeping bag, making him look more like he was going on a spring outing.

“Your gear…” Zhao Lu looked him up and down, “Are you planning a picnic in Savage Valley?”

"It's better to be prepared," Cheng Yuan patted his bulging backpack. "I also brought a self-heating hot pot. Shall we eat together tonight?"

"What a disappointment!" Zhao Lu rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.

The atmosphere on the bus was both exciting and tense.

Sitting next to Cheng Yuan was Kang Zhaodi, a large man nervously checking the equipment in his backpack, muttering to himself, "Insect repellent spray, emergency medicine, flashlight..."

“You’ve missed the most important thing,” Cheng Yuan said mysteriously.

"what?"

"Urine-free." Cheng Yuan said seriously, "I heard that the toilets in Savage Valley are all open-air, so be careful not to be spied on by the savage beasts."

Kang Zhaodi: "..." (Silently rubbing Cheng Yuan's head against the car window)

Chapter 37 Digital Space Outpost

The bus bumped along the dirt road in the suburbs for nearly an hour. When the door opened with a "whoosh," Cheng Yuan was the first to jump off the bus, almost dropping his jaw at the sight before him.

A massive, silver-gray building stands abruptly in the middle of the wasteland, like a sleeping steel behemoth.

The building's surface has no decorative design whatsoever, only cold, metallic walls and a dense array of surveillance cameras that reflect blinding light in the sunlight.

The building stood out starkly against the backdrop of endless wasteland, dotted with a few clumps of tenacious wild grass.

"The designer who chose this location must be an OCD person," Cheng Yuan muttered to himself. "There isn't a single tree for miles around, as if they're afraid people won't know there's a secret hidden here."

In the distance, the sound of neat slogans could be heard as a squad of fully armed soldiers conducted tactical training. Occasionally, a few modified off-road vehicles roared past, their bodies painted with various Digimon designs.

Cheng Yuan squinted and saw several uniformed trainers entering and exiting through the side door of the building. The Digimon beside them were either majestic or strange, but all exuded a professional aura.

"Hey, look over there!" Zhao Lu suddenly tugged at Cheng Yuan's sleeve.

A five-person team emerged from the building. The leader, a Digimon eagle, had a majestic Digimon eagle perched on his shoulder. When his sharp eyes swept over the student group, several timid girls unconsciously took a half-step back.

In contrast, their large group of over forty students looked more like a tourist group on a spring outing. Cheng Yuan even saw some students carrying snacks they hadn't finished eating along the way, the packaging bags rustling in the wind.

"Shouldn't we shout out a slogan or something? Like 'Study hard and make progress every day' or something?" Cheng Yuan suggested, scratching his head. "That would make us seem more imposing."

"Shut up," Zhao Lu rolled her eyes. "Want to raise another little red flag?"

At this moment, the soldiers guarding the building entrance had already noticed the group of uninvited guests. Their brows furrowed so deeply they could crush a fly. Their eyes scanned back and forth between the students' casual clothes and snack bags, finally settling on a few boys who were playing around.

"Which school organized this outing?" the sergeant whispered to his comrade. "When did Savage Valley turn into a children's amusement park?"

Just as the atmosphere was becoming awkward, the roar of an engine grew louder as it approached. A modified black SUV came to a stop in the road with a beautiful drift, causing several girls to cough.

The car door suddenly opened, and four figures stepped out one after another—a muscular, burly man like a moving hill; a woman with a high ponytail, looking dashing; a refined young man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, completely out of place; and finally, a man who looked like he hadn't slept well.

"A professional animal trainer!" a passerby exclaimed.

The burly man strode toward the checkpoint and pulled a gleaming metallic badge from his breast pocket.

The sergeant took it and examined it carefully. When he saw the gold-stamped rank badge on the badge, he immediately straightened his back and gave a standard military salute.

"Wow," Cheng Yuan whistled, "What a show of power!"

The sergeant hesitated for a second, his gaze sweeping over the group of eager students, before finally stepping aside to make way. With a "beep" from the electronic lock, the heavy metal door slowly opened, revealing a brightly lit corridor inside.

As Cheng Yuan passed through the heavy metal door, it felt as if he had entered another world.

Wildman Valley Digital Space has been around for ten years and is a mature digital space. The supporting facilities at its entrance are surprisingly complete.

This steel fortress-like outpost is not only a vital passage for controlling access to the digital space, but also an important supply center for the animal trainers.

The interior space is much more spacious than it appears from the outside. The main hall, with a ceiling height of nearly ten meters, is brightly lit, and a holographic projection on the ceiling continuously displays a topographical map of Savage Valley and precautions.

To the left is a row of areas with different functions: the red cross sign of the medical station is particularly eye-catching, and through the glass window you can see various advanced medical equipment neatly arranged inside; the supermarket shelves are filled with specially made digital animal food and energy cubes, and several animal trainers are selecting supplies; the restaurant is filled with fragrant aromas, and a wide variety of Pengcheng specialties are on display.

The most bustling area is the central free trade zone.

Dozens of stalls were arranged in a circle, with shouts of vendors rising and falling.

"Freshly mined digital ore!"

"Basic Energy Shield, 20% off!"

"Buying rare evolution materials through a proxy!"

Amidst the shouts of vendors, animal trainers in all sorts of outlandish costumes moved about.

Cheng Yuan saw a middle-aged man wearing an eye patch haggling with a stall owner, and the mechanical Digimon on his shoulder made a "click-clack" sound from time to time;

Not far away, a woman in a cheongsam was examining a crystal that emitted a faint blue light, while a plant-type Digimon at her feet affectionately rubbed against the hem of her skirt.

"Don't just stand there, follow me." The burly man's voice pulled Cheng Yuan back to reality.

This group of students was like lambs that had strayed into a pack of wolves, forming a stark contrast with the professional animal trainers rushing around them.

The seasoned adventurers were mostly dressed in professional gear, with various Digimon strapped to their waists, and the Digimon beside them exuded a powerful aura. They walked briskly, some checking mission lists, others adjusting their equipment, not at all like tourists.

“Don’t be surprised,” the burly man said, a rare smile appearing on his rugged face as he looked at the group of students who were looking around. “It’s even bigger and more lively inside the entrance. You’ll know what it means to have your eyes opened when you actually enter Savage Valley.”

Cheng Yuan's eyes searched through the crowd and quickly locked onto Xu Xin and his teammates.

The muscular man was checking the equipment in his backpack, his movements as practiced as if he were performing acrobatics; the bespectacled, refined young man was whispering something to the Turbo Rifle; and Wang Lin—the only female member of the team—was talking to the staff, her every move exuding competence.

"It really is them... Could it be..." Cheng Yuan muttered to himself. The mysterious Xu Xin team that he had encountered a few nights ago was now openly and brazenly present here.

Could they be on some secret mission? Cheng Yuan's heart raced.

The interior design is austere and practical, with undecorated silver-gray metal walls, non-slip composite flooring, and ceilings covered with surveillance equipment and emergency lighting, resulting in a minimalist and sleek style.

Is this digital space controlled by the Beast Tamer Association? (A question posed by Cheng Yuanyan).

Is it a paid service?

He tiptoed closer to Wang Lin, who was organizing her equipment. "Pretty sister," Cheng Yuan whispered, adopting an innocent expression, "it must cost a lot to come in, right?"

Wang Lin looked up and was amused by his expression. "You don't need to pay if you come with us," she said casually, zipping up her elegant backpack.

"Why?" Cheng Yuan stared wide-eyed, just like a curious child.

“Because we are professional animal trainers.” Wang Lin put on her goggles and said this with her chin slightly raised, her voice exuding an undeniable confidence.

Cheng Yuan opened his mouth, but was speechless for a moment.

He had heard about the privileges of professional animal trainers before, but this was the first time he had witnessed them in person, which both shocked and impressed him.

Sure enough, clinging to someone's coattails is the fast track.

Wang Lin seemed to see through his thoughts, and a meaningful smile appeared on her lips: "If one day you are truly qualified to become a professional animal trainer, you will find that all of this is well deserved, because compared to these, you will only have to pay more."

Cheng Yuan noticed that as she spoke, her gaze unconsciously swept over a scar on her right hand. The scar was winding and menacing, as if it had been inflicted by the claws of some ferocious beast, stretching from the back of her hand all the way down her arm.

Before he could think it through, Xu Xin's whistle rang out throughout the entire hall.

"Assemble! Prepare to enter the digital space!" Xu Xin's voice was filled with rare excitement. "Remember, stay close to the group. This is not an amusement park."

Chapter 38 Entering the Savage Valley

Entering the officially controlled digital space normally requires passing through multiple verification and registration procedures, and at this time, the "picnic team" is waiting in line.

"I've been queuing for an hour..." Cheng Yuan yawned, looking at the endless queue in front of him.

Their "picnic team" had been waiting at the entrance for almost an hour, while Teacher Xu and several other professional animal trainers had long since disappeared without a trace through the green channel.

"Be content," Zhao Lu pushed up her glasses. "If it weren't for Teacher Xu, we wouldn't even have the right to queue."

She suddenly asked, "Cheng Yuan, do you remember what kind of Digimon are in Savage Valley?"

She knew exactly what it was; it was all written in the textbook. She was just taking the opportunity to help Cheng Yuan review, so that he wouldn't get into any more trouble when he had free time.

"Wildmon, WildmanShamanmon, and Monkeymon are the main types of growth-stage Digimon," Cheng Yuan said, counting on his fingers. "There are also extremely rare mature-stage Digimon, such as Demonmon, Galemon, and Kongon. There are also a few other types of Digimon, but these two groups are the main ones." Cheng Yuan's answer was watertight.

In medium-sized and smaller digital spaces, the types of Digimon are usually relatively limited, and the Savage Valley is no exception, mainly occupied by two major groups.

What's frightening is that both types of Digimon are social creatures.

The social Digimon live a life of hunting in groups, and the two major races, Wildmon and Wildmon, are enemies of each other and are evenly matched in strength, so tribal wars have been ongoing.

In terms of physical attributes, the mongoose race has a slight advantage, being faster and more agile in jungle movement. However, in terms of intelligence, the savage race has the advantage, being more cunning.

【Wild Beast】

[Virus Type - Demon Type]

[Growth Period]

[Skills: Goblin Assault (throws fireball), Goblin Charge (charges with club)]

[Description: The Savage Beast resembles a little devil, with slender limbs, green or gray skin, large ears, a pointed nose, and cunning eyes. It typically carries a crude stick and wears clothing pieced together from leaves or rags, giving it a very shabby and primitive appearance.]

【The Mischievous Monkey Beast】

[Virus Species - Beast Type]

[Growth Period]

[Skills: Miniature slingshot (100% accuracy), Prank Ring (toss rings to tie feet)]

[Description: A beast-type Digimon resembling a small monkey. It possesses the power to easily wield a slingshot the size of its body, and is confident that it will never let its prey escape once it has its sights set on it. It is agile, but due to its careless nature, it often falls from trees.]

Zhao Lu said with satisfaction, "Not bad, not bad, you've improved. Then let me continue asking you..."

Cheng Yuan rubbed his ears and answered, flipping through his memories.

After answering a bunch of questions, it was finally their turn. Led by several soldiers, they entered a huge indoor plaza.

Four professional animal trainers had been waiting for a long time, and Xu Xin was talking quietly with the muscular man.

"Let's go." Xu Xin waved and, following the soldier's guidance, led the nearly 40-person picnic and sightseeing group to the "crack" in the middle of the square.

A massive spatial rift floats in the center of the square, with countless data codes flowing across its surface like living things, forming a magnificent "firewall."

Before the crack was a ten-meter-high metal gate, surrounded by all kinds of high-tech weapons, just like a scene from a science fiction movie.

Inside the door, densely packed data codes intertwined and floated, forming layers upon layers of digital space.

"These security measures..." Cheng Yuan clicked his tongue, "Are they to prevent Digimon riots?"

“That’s right.” Wang Lin appeared behind him at some point. “Three years ago, a group of savages tried to break out and have a barbecue party.”

Cheng Yuan: "......"

"Let's go," Xu Xin said, walking along the passage into the teleportation portal. His figure first disappeared into a light composed of numbers.

The other professional animal trainers followed closely behind, and before leaving, the muscular man gave the students a thumbs-up—it was unclear whether it was encouragement or mockery.

When it was Cheng Yuan's turn, he took a deep breath and was the first to enter the layers of data transmission doors.

"Woof?" The little dog suddenly turned around alertly.

"What's wrong?" Cheng Yuan followed its gaze and saw only students lining up.

"It's nothing." The little dog shook its head. "It felt a little strange, but it was gone quickly. It was probably just an illusion."

Enter the passage...

The first feeling was one of being squeezed.

The second feeling is warmth.

As Cheng Yuan passed through the teleportation portal, the sight before him made his eyes widen in disbelief.

They stood on a vast grassland, with rolling green hills in the distance and a clear blue sky.

If it weren't for the futuristic-looking outpost behind him, he would almost have thought he had returned to the real world.

Xing Shunpei F is located in a grassland, surrounded by part of the digital space of the outpost. Although it is not as grand as the entrance, it appears more lively and bustling.

The number of trainers coming and going around the area is more than three times that at the entrance, and all sorts of bizarre Digimon walk or fly, creating a fantastical scene.

Passing through the alloy gate of the outpost, a high concrete wall stretching for several kilometers comes into view. The top of the wall is densely covered with automatic gun emplacements and laser defense systems, with a watchtower every hundred meters.