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

Xu Xin told Cheng Yuan that the association's reward would arrive in a few days and asked him to wait patiently.

Before parting, Cheng Yuan made a special trip to the digital mall and bought the latest PS25 game console, more than a dozen game cartridges, and an extra-large projector, which he asked Xu Xin to deliver to the childish Silver Horned Beast. This was a promise he made in Savage Valley.

Cheng Yuan dragged his tired body home. Hot water washed over him, and the rising steam blurred the mirror in the bathroom.

He closed his eyes, letting the water wash away the day's fatigue. Just then, his fingertips suddenly touched an unusual spot on his back—a slightly raised patch of skin that felt cool to the touch.

He suddenly turned to look in the mirror, and through the misty fog, a jet-black bat wing mark was clearly imprinted on his back, like a birthmark he was born with.

Cheng Yuan rubbed it vigorously until his skin turned red, but the mark remained completely still. Even more strangely, when he touched the mark, he felt a slight stinging sensation on his fingertips, as if an electric current was passing through them.

"System, what's with the bat wing mark on my back?"

"Ding! The Dark Seed is currently in quarantine. Do you wish to delete it?"

Cheng Yuan immediately understood. The so-called "isolation" meant, in a physical sense, that it was an isolation outside his skin, and this part of his back was exactly where he had been attacked.

Since he could be controlled by the system at any time, Cheng Yuan was no longer worried.

This week's experiences were nothing short of magical for Cheng Yuan—from the adventure in Savage Valley to facing the evolution of the demon beast, every moment was thrilling.

After the intensive training course concluded, Xu Xin completed his mission and will return to his university and his professional animal trainer position.

Cheng Yuan will also return to his normal college entrance examination preparation life.

However, Cheng Yuan did not expect that on his second day back at school, he would become a popular figure on campus.

Because—

Zhao Lu's essay, "My Class Representative Desk Mate," was posted in the most prominent position on the school's bulletin board.

From morning reading to lunch break, wherever Cheng Yuan went, he could feel the inquisitive gazes and whispers of his classmates. It wasn't until the essay was read aloud with great emotion over the midday loudspeaker that Cheng Yuan suddenly realized what was going on.

The story depicts the journey of a confused teenager who finds his direction in life after acquiring a Digimon.

From his persistent training to his narrow escape into the special training class;

From a poor student to a student whose grades skyrocketed;

From being a student representative who herded ducks onto shelves to becoming a trusted leader in the Savage Valley campaign;

From rescuing Digimon cubs to leading the Mammoth clan to a miraculous survival...

The words are filled with courage, perseverance, and responsibility.

The ending calls on students to find the light in their lives and to shine brightly in any field.

Cheng Yuan, now a campus celebrity, proudly took a photo in front of the bulletin board, ready to go home and brag to his parents—look, your son has become "someone else's child"!

As soon as I stepped into the house, Cheng's mother came up to me: "You have a package. It was delivered by several people. It looks quite valuable."

Cheng Yuan curiously took the package, about the size of a cake box. Unwrapping the plain outer packaging, the contents inside made him gasp—

A brand new arc laser machine!

Chapter 79 Arc Light Machine Acquired!

Cheng Yuan's fingers trembled slightly as he gently stroked the brand-new arc laser machine.

The silver-gray metallic casing gleamed with a cold luster under the light, and the fine patterns on the body resembled some kind of totem.

He noticed that this arc light machine was more sophisticated than the model Xu Xin used, with a blue card slot on the side for inserting enhancement chips.

“This is…” Cheng Yuan was about to examine it more closely when he suddenly felt a warmth in his chest. The little dog peeked out from his arms and curiously touched the arc light machine with its nose.

"Woof!" The little beast suddenly perked up its ears, and its sacred ring flashed with a dazzling light.

Cheng Yuan then noticed a line of small characters engraved on the bottom of the arc light machine: "Granted to Cheng Yuan, specially made by the Beast Tamer Association."

Cheng Yuan pressed the power button, and the arc laser machine immediately began facial recognition on him.

"The Arc Light Machine has detected a Digimon under the name of Cheng Yuan Tamer. Do you want to change the terminal to the Arc Light Machine?" The Arc Light Machine screen popped up with a prompt, and at the same time the original Digivice lit up.

Cheng Yuan chose "yes" without hesitation.

As data loading and authentication began, the arc light machine immediately emitted a soft blue light, and the holographic projection interface of the puppy beast appeared in the air.

Unlike the simple data interface of a regular Dracula, this projector is covered with complex parameters and charts, and even has a small map function.

"This...this is too advanced!" Cheng Yuan's eyes widened as he slid his finger across the projection screen. He hadn't realized how advanced it was when he saw Xu Xin's demonstration, but now, experiencing it firsthand, he truly felt the technological sophistication.

At this moment, Cheng Yuan discovered that there were three more chips in the box.

Speed ​​chip +10%

Power Chip +10%

Optical property chips +10%

There were actually three basic enhancement chips, and one of them was an even more expensive attribute chip!

The light-attribute chip was especially precious. Cheng Yuan was extremely satisfied with the association's reward and couldn't wait to take his little dog beast to the training ground to experience the joy of inserting cards with his fingers.

"Data loading successful, Digimon authentication successful, activation successful. Cheng Yuan Beast Tamer, please use with confidence."

"Little Dog Beast, let's go!"

Cheng's mother chased after her son's retreating figure and rushed out the door: "Come back after playing for a while, and be home on time for dinner!"

"Know it!"

The next day, Cheng Yuan returned to the classroom, and Zhao Lu suddenly found him and handed him an exquisite box.

"My dad asked me to give this to you. He said he's grateful you saved the guardian beast! He also said... you should visit the police station when you have time."

Cheng Yuan was both amused and exasperated; this invitation was truly in Zhao Zheng's style.

"I can't accept this..." Cheng Yuan said, rubbing his hands together.

"Take it. Dad knows about the reward the association gave you, so you must need this."

Cheng Yuan opened the box, inside was an exquisite white storage chip.

He immediately understood its value, after all, he had just gotten the arc laser machine last night and had searched for various instructions and guides online.

This type of chip is a storage chip, also known as a blank chip, which can store and use data through an arc laser.

For example, if you buy a skill pack, you can store the skill pack in the storage chip and use it at any time. It can also be replaced with other skills, making it perfect for use with the Arc Light Machine card.

Even more astonishingly, the computing power of this chip can be up to the level of mature enhancement!

"This is too valuable, I dare not accept it!"

Just then, the phone rang, and Zhao Zheng's voice came through: "Hurry up and accept it. This was seized in the anti-smuggling operation. The report has already been submitted. It would be a waste not to accept it! Also, there are about 20 of the remaining sacred crystals from last time. They are all stored in the storage chip."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Yuan finally accepted the generous gift.

Life seems to be back on track.

With the guidance of his teachers and Zhao Lu, Cheng Yuan's grades steadily improved.

In terms of training, he began to actively cooperate with the physical education teacher as a teaching assistant, using the methods and equipment left by Xu Xin to guide the students in training.

The other trainees in the special training class were also playing similar roles, and the training atmosphere throughout the school was at an all-time high.

Standing in the teaching building overlooking the campus, Principal Liu Guoliang observed the positive and upward-looking atmosphere led by Cheng Yuan and the students. Coupled with the financial support from Xu Xin's team and the special training class in Yeren Valley, he had a premonition that this year's students' college entrance examination pass rate for animal trainers would achieve a historic breakthrough.

On Thursday afternoon, Cheng Yuan's phone suddenly rang as he was about to leave school after finishing his physical education training class.

"Xiaoyuan, are you out of school yet?" Cheng's father's slightly nervous voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Yeah, just finished training and I'm heading home." Cheng Yuanmin noticed the unusual tone in his father's voice. "What's wrong?"

"It's like this..." Mr. Cheng lowered his voice, "There's a Digimon in the factory that's acting strangely. Don't you know about these things? Can you come and take a look?"

Cheng Yuan's heart tightened: "What Digimon?"

The phone beeped, and a photo was sent. Cheng Yuan opened it, and his pupils suddenly contracted—it was a jet-black geared beast, its metallic shell gleaming with an eerie light.

"I saw on the news that the black Gear Beast might be infected. We have one here at our factory, but..."

"Dad, don't touch it, I'm coming right away!"

Twenty minutes later, the taxi stopped in front of the Qingtian Precision Machinery Factory. Cheng Yuan jumped out of the car and saw his father pacing back and forth at the factory gate, his forehead covered with fine beads of sweat.

"Dad! Where's that Gear Beast?" Cheng Yuan rushed over, taking three steps at a time. "Have they notified the police station?"

Mr. Cheng waved his hand: "Don't rush, the situation is a bit special..." He pulled Cheng Yuan and quickly walked into the factory area, "Come with me."

As Cheng Yuan passed through the security checkpoint, the sight before him momentarily made him forget his nervousness. Inside the spacious factory, dozens of automated production lines were running in an orderly fashion, and what was most eye-catching was that on each production line, several gleaming silver gear beasts were working together.

“Our factory mainly produces precision instruments,” Mr. Cheng explained as they walked. “These gear beasts are responsible for the most delicate assembly processes, and their mechanical perception is more than ten times that of human workers.”

Cheng Yuan watched in astonishment as these mechanical lifeforms skillfully operated their machines. Their round bodies spun nimbly, and their precise gears, as dexterous as fingers, meticulously assembled the tiny parts. The entire workshop resonated with the "click-clack" of metal colliding, like an industrial symphony.

“Besides Gearmon, there are also small Scythemon over there,” Mr. Cheng pointed to another production line. “Digitalmon have now infiltrated various industrial sectors—Electromon in power plants, Gastrodon in water purifiers, Pangolinmon in mines…”

Cheng Yuan nodded, but his gaze was drawn to a solitary workbench in the corner.

There, a jet-black geared beast was working alone, a stark contrast to its silver counterparts around it.

“It’s this Gear Beast!” said Mr. Cheng.

Unlike its companions' shiny metallic shells, its surface has a peculiar matte black finish, as if it can absorb all the surrounding light.

Could it be that it was also infected by the Dark Gear?

Chapter 80 Adopting the Gear Beast

“This Gearmon has been working at the factory for over a year.” Mr. Cheng lowered his voice, tapping his fingers lightly on the workbench. “It had a black shell from day one, but recent news says that black Digimon may be infected… and have to be quarantined with their trainers, which led to this child being abandoned by its trainer.”

"Has it not been checked by a digital doctor?"

“It goes through the detector at the gate every day when it enters the factory,” Mr. Cheng shook his head. “It has never shown anything abnormal. But its trainer went missing after seeing the news, and the Ryujin machine forcibly untied it… I’m afraid that if I call the police, it will be taken away…”

Mr. Cheng sighed softly, his gaze softening as he looked at the black gear beast: "Although this child is introverted, he is exceptionally diligent when he works. Not only is he 30% more efficient than ordinary gear beasts, but he also frequently improves the assembly process."

He paused, his voice lowering, "Unfortunately, because of its different appearance, the other Gear Beasts are unwilling to cooperate with it and always isolate it in a corner."

“Oh, right,” Cheng’s father suddenly remembered something and turned to Cheng Yuan, “Do you remember the data cube that my coworker gave you when you first became partners with the little dog? It was this kid who saved up his own food and specially asked me to bring it to you.”

Cheng Yuan was taken aback upon hearing this, and the image of that simply packaged but heartfelt gift flashed through his mind.

He crouched down and carefully examined the black Gear Beast in front of him: "If it was already this color a year ago, then it definitely wasn't recently infected. Little Dog Beast, help us confirm."

"Woof!" The little dog leaped out of Cheng Yuan's arms, its sacred ring shining brightly, with four holy light bullets swirling above its head.

"Wait!" Cheng Yuan quickly restrained the eager little dog beast. "Be gentle, I'm not telling you to attack it!"

After a thorough examination, the puppy beast confirmed, "It doesn't have any dark gears inside! It's just a regular geared beast!"

Cheng Yuan gently patted his father's shoulder, his tone firm: "Dad, don't worry. This is just an ordinary subspecies of Gear Beast. Its black shell is a natural feature, and it's completely different from the viral infection reported in the news."

Mr. Cheng breathed a sigh of relief, but his expression quickly darkened again: "Ever since the news came out, its trainer unilaterally terminated the contract... Now it's an unregistered animal."

Cheng Yuan followed his father's gaze and noticed the torn group photo above the workbench—the young people's bright smiles in the photo were now only half there, while the figure of the black gear beast was still completely preserved.

“This beast tamer is simply…” Cheng Yuan clenched his fists, his voice filled with suppressed anger, “How can he be a beast tamer if he abandons his partner like this? Where does this Black Gear Beast live now?”

Mr. Cheng sighed heavily: "According to regulations, stray Digimon must be taken in by a shelter. I felt so sorry for it, so I secretly let it live in the factory's conference room..."

He glanced around, lowering his voice, "But this can't go on. The manager has objected multiple times. Without a Digivice to bind it, it doesn't even have the most basic identification. What if the Digimon Guild finds out..."

Cheng Yuan looked at the lonely Gearmon. It carefully avoided the gazes of its other silver companions, its movements revealing an indescribable loneliness. Even among Gearmon, there seemed to be an invisible barrier between the Virus and Data species.

“According to the Digimon Management Regulations of the Eastern Kingdom, that trainer will be held accountable by the association,” Cheng Yuan said in a deep voice. “But this Gearmon…”

"What should we do with this child?" Mr. Cheng looked worriedly at the black gear beast working alone in the corner.

Cheng Yuan pondered for a moment: "Theoretically, the ideal solution would be to find a trainer who doesn't have a partner to take it in. But the reality is..." He shook his head with a wry smile, "Most trainers prefer to start raising Digimon from DigiEggs, as it's easier to build a close relationship that way. Besides, each trainer can only contract one Digimon. Even if someone unfortunately loses their original partner, they won't use such a precious opportunity on a Gearmon in a factory."

At this point, Cheng Yuan's voice became somewhat heavy: "Does it really mean we have no choice but to... release it back into the wild?"

He gazed at the black Gearmon working silently, and couldn't help but think of the vast lifelines between Digimon. The Gearmon in the police department enjoyed the best training resources and had ample opportunities to evolve into Guardian Digimon or police vehicles. But these factory workers could only repeat mechanical labor day after day on the assembly line, with almost no possibility of evolution.

"Dad, you wouldn't be thinking of..." Cheng Yuan suddenly realized something and turned to look at his father.

“I think…” Mr. Cheng rubbed his hands together, his voice growing softer, “Our house is close to the factory, and we have a storage room at home. If we tidy it up…”

Cheng Yuan immediately understood his father's thoughts from his shifty eyes and his deliberate avoidance of the sheriff. This old worker, who had toiled on the assembly line for half his life, had long regarded this diligent geared beast as his "workmate." He felt sorry for its fate of being abandoned by the trainer, yet he was also reluctant to part with the friendship they had built up over the past year.

"Um... how about... we let it stay with us for a few days? If it adapts well, then..."

Seeing his father's rare moment of embarrassment, Cheng Yuan couldn't help but smile. He was all too familiar with this expression on his father's face—it was always this hesitant look whenever he wanted to adopt stray animals but was afraid of being scolded by his mother.