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

After the transfer was completed, the two rushed to the digital center. In the taxi, Zhao Lu talked about her Gear Beast.

"One-third of the Digimon distributed this year are Vapormon," she said softly. "Even elementary schools are offering mechanical nursing classes now."

Cheng Yuan nodded, but his thoughts drifted to a more distant place.

In this digital age that is deeply integrated with the real world, electronic Digimon like Gearmon have long since transcended their simple combat purpose.

Through the efforts of countless animal trainers, their evolutionary paths have exhibited astonishing diversity:

Guardian beasts patrol the city streets, mechanical vehicle beasts shuttle through the streets and alleys, and steel arms swing at construction sites.

Even more eye-catching were the military evolutions—the tank beasts, with their heavy armor roaring across the training ground, and the cannons of the armed vehicles gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

Recent news reports have even mentioned that the military is secretly developing missile beasts and fighter beasts with air combat capabilities.

Cheng Yuan couldn't help but sigh, this had completely surpassed the simple combat partner setting in the anime of his previous life.

Here, the deep integration of cybernetic beasts and human technology is reshaping the way society operates. From urban security to transportation infrastructure construction to national defense, various evolutionary forms of cybernetic beasts have permeated every link in the social industrial chain.

"The Beast Tamer Association's promotion deserves much credit," Cheng Yuan mused to himself. It was the Association's tireless efforts in promoting Gearmon that made Data Beasts like Gearmon so popular. Compared to the Virus-type Gearmon in the anime of his previous life, which was emitting black smoke, the Silver Gearmon of this world clearly had a brighter future.

“Cheng Yuan, do you know?” Zhao Lu suddenly asked. “My dad chose the Gear Beast.”

Cheng Yuan: "What's the problem?"

Zhao Lu gazed out the window, a soft, bitter smile on her face, her voice as light as a feather: "But...I never wanted to be a sheriff..."

These words stunned Cheng Yuan. In his memory, Zhao Lu had always been a model student and the pride of a family of police officers. But now, this girl, who always had a bright smile, had a hint of confusion in her eyes.

"So what do you want to be?" Cheng Yuan asked subconsciously.

After a long silence, Zhao Lu shook her head with a bitter smile: "I don't know. From childhood to adulthood, my father has only ever given me one path."

Cheng Yuan suddenly remembered his past self before he transmigrated—his parents arranged for him to go to school, take exams, and attend tutoring classes, and he never thought about what he really wanted.

“I’m only 16 years old,” Zhao Lu said, as if talking to herself, “Why should I decide what I’ll do for the rest of my life now?”

silence.

The worst thing is when the atmosphere suddenly falls silent.

An awkward silence fell over the carriage. Cheng Yuan racked his brains for words of comfort, such as "I am in charge of my youth" or "Life cannot be defined," but they all sounded awkward and he couldn't bring himself to say them.

"Are you... alright?" he finally asked dryly.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Zhao Lu said, "I'm thinking about how to write my essay."

Cheng Yuan: "......"

Uh, so you're actually starting to brew up something.

Zhao Lu couldn't help but laugh: "I was thinking, ever since you got a Digimon and became a Tamer, you've become a completely different person."

Zhao Lu looked at Cheng Yuan with her big eyes.

Cheng Yuan's heart tightened: "W-what's different?" Will he be able to tell that he's a time traveler?

“You used to be like a hedgehog,” Zhao Lu tilted her head, “wrapping yourself in thorns, refusing everyone’s help, and not letting others see your vulnerability. When I heard that you and the little dog were in the special training class, I simply couldn’t believe it.”

"And now?"

“Boldness and confidence are like a beam of light ahead, making people's minds race and want to chase after you…” Zhao Lu’s voice trailed off as she spoke, and she saw Cheng Yuan looking at her.

"Hmph... Anyway, you're very different now than before." Her expression turned serious. "Alright, enough of that, we've arrived at the digital center."

Cheng Yuan watched Zhao Lu's retreating figure and touched his nose. Light? He looked down at the little dog in his arms; the little guy was winking at him, its sacred ring reflecting the morning light.

Chapter 64 Let's Get a Room

Cheng Yuan and Zhao Lu stood in a long queue at the security checkpoint of the digital center.

The little dog squirmed restlessly in Cheng Yuan's arms, clearly uncomfortable with the tight security measures around it.

"It seems the association is moving quickly," Cheng Yuan said in a low voice, his gaze sweeping over the newly installed detection devices.

Each security gate was equipped with a flashing blue scanning beam, and fully armed staff stood beside it.

It is likely that after the Beast Tamers Association obtained the Dark Gear sample, they worked overnight to mass-produce a large number of security inspection devices, and quarantine work targeting the Dark Gear has already begun throughout the city.

Digital centers, with their high density of people, are naturally key areas for quarantine and prevention.

"Security check passed, welcome to the digital center."

After passing through multiple security gates, the two put away their Digimon.

There are rules in these places; you can't just summon Digimon anywhere except in designated areas, such as battle rooms or medical rooms.

The doors of the digital center remained closed, and some people were already queuing outside.

Several Digimon were confined in a specially designed isolation ward, and the Digimon Master was anxiously negotiating with staff wearing protective suits.

One of the ore beasts had faint black, oily residue visible at its joints, and it was numbly banging its head against the iron arc.

"Those who fail quarantine will be directly isolated?" Cheng Yuan subconsciously hugged the little dog beast tighter, the experience of taking out the Dark Gear last night was still vivid in his mind.

Once the Dark Gear is discovered, removing it is not too difficult. I tried it last night. Divine energy has the effect of suppressing and driving away the Dark Gear. The difficulty lies in how to stop the spread of infection.

"So many people?" Zhao Lu's face turned pale instantly, and her fingers unconsciously gripped Cheng Yuan's sleeve.

Cheng Yuan narrowed his eyes and quickly scanned the queue: "Don't rush, they're probably all here to buy ordinary goods. Not many people know about X Crystal."

Just then, several young men in uniform behind him were loudly complaining. They wore bow and arrow-shaped badges on their chests, and their tone was full of dissatisfaction.

"The Beast Tamer Association is really domineering! They shut down the Savage Valley Digital Space just like that!" A young man with dyed red hair complained angrily. "On what grounds did they suddenly ban hunting? I was planning to hunt a few wild monkey beasts yesterday and exchange the digital cores and data for money!"

The companion next to him, wearing an earring, chimed in: "I heard that the Savage Beasts and the Mischievous Monkey Beasts were fighting inside and almost rioted, so the Beast Tamer Association sealed off the digital space."

The young man with slicked-back hair leading the group snorted coldly, "Who cares if they fight or not? Our Digital Hunter Guild is no worse than them. Why can they just block roads whenever they want? They can block roads just by showing a permit and get all sorts of tax exemptions. Who gave them these privileges!" another young man said indignantly.

"Oh no!" Zhao Lu exclaimed softly, "It's a Digital Hunter from the Digital Hunter Guild."

Cheng Yuan raised an eyebrow: "Digital Hunter?"

“It’s a non-governmental organization independent of the professional tamer system, the Digimon Hunter Guild,” Zhao Lu explained in a low voice. “They mainly hunt Digimon and collect rare resources. Compared to the tamer association’s concepts of ‘peacekeeping’ and ‘integration,’ they prefer to take the initiative and obtain what they want from wild Digimon and the digital space.”

"Tch, to put it bluntly, it's just an unofficial animal trainer organization, lacking a formal establishment."

Zhao Lu shook her head: "It's different. Compared to professional beast tamers, who are all elites, the threshold to becoming a digital hunter is lower, and their quality varies greatly. Their appearance is often accompanied by killing, robbery, and poaching. Moreover... they are frequent visitors to the police station..."

Cheng Yuan understood; it turned out they often "dealt with" Zhao Lu's father, a sheriff.

Soon, the doors of the digital center finally opened, and Cheng Yuan and Zhao Lu immediately sprinted towards the No. 3 sales area located in the digital center.

I heard hurried footsteps behind me—the digital hunters were clearly heading in the same direction.

As a girl, Zhao Lu's running speed was slightly slower, and she was about to be caught up when Cheng Yuan had a sudden idea: "Zhao Lu, you go first. We'll pay and complete the transaction as soon as we get there, and then meet at the gate in a bit."

After saying that, he stopped, pointed behind him, and shouted excitedly, "Holy crap, a team of professional beast tamers! What a grand display!"

The hunters stopped reflexively and looked back, only to find that there was nothing behind them.

By the time they realized what was happening, Cheng Yuan had already stretched out his hand with a grin: "Sorry, you misread it, you've all been fertilized."

Cheng Yuan shook hands with each of them, and greeted them warmly.

"Damn it! Get out of the way, you brat!" The slick-haired youth shoved Cheng Yuan aside and continued the chase with his companions.

When Zhao Lu rushed to the sales area, panting, she immediately shouted, "I want to buy X Crystal!"

"X Crystal is up for sale at a fixed price of 80," the employee in the sales area said, tapping the screen a few times.

"Wait, we need X crystals too!" The arriving hunters crowded around the counter.

"There's only one." The staff member finally looked up and pushed up his glasses.

“We’ll offer a higher price!” The slick-back-haired youth looked at Zhao Lu defiantly.

"I arrived first!" Zhao Lu's eyes reddened with anxiety. The money she had scraped together, plus what she had borrowed from Cheng Yuan, was barely enough. If the price were raised, she definitely wouldn't be able to compete.

The staff member said expressionlessly, "According to the regulations of the Digital Center, this situation is on a first-come, first-served basis. Moreover..." He glanced meaningfully at the hunters' badges, "Rare resources are given priority to school-trained beastmen."

If Cheng Yuan heard this, he would definitely give the Animal Trainers Association a thumbs up; they truly treat us like the flowers of the motherland.

"What kind of bullshit rules are these!" The slick-haired youth slammed his hand on the counter. "This X Crystal was listed for sale by a member of our Digital Hunter Guild! I demand that the transaction be stopped!"

"Then please come in person to cancel."

The staff ignored her and turned to process Zhao Lu's paperwork.

Having worked in the digital center for many years, he was used to this kind of trouble—no one dared to really cause any trouble on the Beast Tamer Association's territory.

Amidst the envious gazes of several young members of the Hunter's Guild, Zhao Lu trembled as she accepted the specially made container containing the X-crystal.

She clutched the precious box tightly and hurried toward the entrance of the digital center.

After meeting up with Cheng Yuan, Zhao Lu was still in a state of surprise: "I simply can't believe it..."

"Don't get too excited yet," Cheng Yuan said in a low voice, "Let's go!"

Before they could finish speaking, a commotion suddenly arose behind them.

The two looked back and saw the digital hunters chasing after them with imposing auras. The young man with slicked-back hair at the head of the group had a terrifyingly gloomy face.

“Hand over the X crystal,” he said viciously. “That’s not something a child should have.”

Cheng Yuan's eyes darted around, and he suddenly grinned, shrinking back the step he was about to take out of the digital center.

He deliberately raised his voice: "This is the Animal Trainers Association. Who among you dares to touch us here?"

Several young hunters, who were touching the Raptor, froze on the spot upon hearing this, their expressions shifting between anger and uncertainty.

The slick-haired youth gritted his teeth: "You brat, you're all in cahoots, aren't you? If you hadn't tricked us, we would have arrived long ago!"

"???" Cheng Yuan blinked innocently. "I'm sorry, I really misread it. I've already apologized. I really thought my teacher's team of professional beast tamers had arrived."

"Stop pretending!" another hunter couldn't help but interject. "Hey girl, you bought it for 80, right? We'll pay 90, and you'll make 10 for free. Isn't that generous enough?"

Zhao Lu held the container tightly, her voice firm: "I...I won't sell."

Seeing this, Cheng Yuan deliberately sighed exaggeratedly: "Did you hear that? We're not selling. You're going to keep bothering us, aren't you? Fine, we're not in a hurry to leave anyway." He smiled at Zhao Lu: "Let's wander around the digital center for a bit and wait for your sheriff dad to come pick you up."

"A sheriff?" The hunters' expressions changed slightly, and they exchanged glances.

Who are these two? One is a student of a professional animal trainer, and the other is the daughter of a sheriff.

"Fine...fine! You won't speak properly, huh? I'll just stay here and wait for you to come and pick you up!"

"Whatever you want! Let's go get a room first," Cheng Yuan said.

"Huh? What kind of room?" Zhao Lu blushed instantly.

"The battle room!" Cheng Yuan pointed to the sign on the right side of the lobby. "We've come all the way to the digital center, how can we not have a friendly match?"

Chapter 65 X Evolution (Please continue reading)

The sound of their footsteps echoed through the metal corridor of the battle zone.

Cheng Yuan opened a premium battle room, and the holographic projection system immediately activated, projecting a holographic image of a standard battle arena in the center of the room.

"All done." Cheng Yuan wiped away non-existent sweat, turned to Zhao Lu and gestured for her to begin her performance.

Zhao Lu rolled her eyes at him, but had already raised the Digivice high in her hand: "Gearmon, come out!"

With a mechanical hum, the modified Gearmon appeared on the battlefield. Its metallic surface occasionally crackled with blue electricity.

Cheng Yuan subconsciously took a half step back: "Wow, you've modified it quite thoroughly! A high-voltage electric shock device?"

"The latest achievement from the Public Security Bureau's R&D department." Zhao Lu patted the Gear Beast's metal shell proudly. "Want to try it? I guarantee it'll make your dog's fur stand on end."

Cheng Yuan waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no, no, I was just fooling them."

He lowered his voice mysteriously, "There's something more important about opening a battle room."

Zhao Lu narrowed her eyes suspiciously: "What's all this mystery about?"

"Zhao Lu, could I borrow that X-crystal again?"

Zhao Lu took out the luminous crystal from her pocket. Its shape was exactly the same as the picture in the game from her previous life. The striking red X-shaped code string inside the crystal was slowly rotating.

“Zhao Lu, do you remember the joke I made with you before? Evolving Gearmon into Tri-Gearmon?”

"Yes, I remember. I've thought about it carefully. It's not impossible, but I don't know how to do it. Currently, Gearmon at the maturity stage can evolve into mechanical creations such as Guardianmon, Fightermon, Tankmon, Engineermon, and Armored Vehiclemon, mainly through mechanical modification. But the three-in-one Gearmon you mentioned has never appeared before, and no one has explored it."

“What if I said it really exists?” Cheng Yuan shook the X antibody in his hand, the crystals reflecting a scarlet light under the lamp. “And it doesn’t evolve into the mature stage, but rather into another form at the same time.”