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

Cheng Yuan stared at the three courage digital spirit crystals embedded in the wall, his fingers unconsciously stroking the sealed program disc in his hand.

The Dragonmon priest's words were like a bolt of lightning cleaving through his thoughts—it turned out that the sealing of the Digimon Spirit required the original owner's Digicore as a container!

“No wonder…” Cheng Yuan muttered to himself, his eyes flashing with sudden realization, “Of all the Digimon that bravely died on the battlefield, very few were able to leave behind their Digital Spirits.”

A brutal image flashed through his mind: Digimon falling on the battlefield, their Digicores exposed to the air, their precious DigiSpirit dissipating rapidly like sand in an hourglass.

By the time their comrades arrived to collect the body, perhaps not even the last trace could be found. Moreover, those who know how to preserve the body are few and far between, and every surviving digital spirit is nothing short of a miracle.

“Jeanne d’Ormon’s Divine Digital Spirit…” Cheng Yuan looked down at the golden crystal in his hand, his heart pounding. This crystal was far more precious than he had imagined; it contained the power and beliefs of the previous leader.

The Dragonmon priest seemed to see through his thoughts, his deep voice echoing in the empty temple: "Once a Digimon spirit is sealed, it can be preserved for a long time. But if you want to reactivate it, you must find a Digimon that resonates with it."

Cheng Yuan's eyes lit up: "Resonance?"

“Yes.” The dragon-man priest’s claws lightly brushed against the crystals on the wall, producing a faint metallic scraping sound. “Digital spirits choose inheritors whose traits match their own. For example, the Courage Digital spirit often chooses fearless warriors. Wearing it close to the body will gradually influence the direction of its data growth.”

Cheng Yuan nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly changed the subject: "Priest, do you think... Digital Spirit can help growing Digimon evolve quickly?"

The dragon-man beast priest's pupils suddenly contracted, and his scales rose slightly: "Why do you ask that?"

Cheng Yuan lowered his voice mysteriously, subtly taking a step forward: "I'm researching a new type of evolution. You see, Digimon contain the will and power of powerful Digimon. If we could guide it out and combine it with a growth-stage Digimon on a suitable platform..."

He deliberately left the words unsaid to observe the priest's reaction.

The air inside the sealed room seemed to freeze. The dragon-man beast priest's tail slapped the ground repeatedly, making a "slap slap" sound. Cheng Yuan could clearly hear his own heart pounding.

"Do you know what you're saying?" the dragon-mane priest's voice suddenly turned stern. "This will change the entire humanoid alliance's disadvantage in this war!"

"If successful, the Humanoid Digimon Alliance will gain a large number of mature-stage combatants. Just imagine, those growth-stage warriors on the front lines, if they could break through at crucial moments..."

The dragon-man beast priest's breathing became noticeably heavier, and two puffs of white vapor billowed from its nostrils. It turned and walked deeper into the secret chamber, pressing its claws against a stone wall a few times. A creaking sound rang out, revealing a hidden storage cabinet.

“This is an experimental device designed by the Dragon Leader in his youth.” The Dragonmon Priest took out a strangely shaped instrument, its surface covered with digital runes. “He once tried to infuse the Digimon of Courage into the bodies of growing Digimon to catalyze their evolution, but…”

"It failed?" Cheng Yuan asked sharply, noticing a clear crack on the instrument.

The Dragonmon Priest shook its head, placing the instrument on the stone table: "No, it succeeded, but at too high a price. Although the catalyzed Digimon gained immense power for a short time, they couldn't withstand the impact of the Digipsyche and suffered a data collapse, exploding and dying." It sighed heavily, its scales making a "crackling" sound as it rubbed together. "Since then, the Dragon Leader has banned such experiments."

Cheng Yuan was shocked; he hadn't expected there to be such a secret behind the evolution of digital armor.

But he quickly calmed down and said softly, "Perhaps... the problem lies in the method? Directly injecting digital spirit is too crude."

The dragon-man beast priest's tail suddenly stopped, and a strange light flashed in his eyes: "Continue."

Cheng Yuan felt his throat go dry. He swallowed hard. "I'm conducting an experiment. If I could transform a Digimon's spirit into some kind of... intermediate form, like armor or a weapon, and let the Digimon gradually adapt..." He observed the priest's reaction as he spoke. "Of course, using Jeannemon's sacred Digimon spirit for an experiment would be too wasteful. What if it fails..."

The dragon-man priest unconsciously tapped the stone table with his claws, making a rhythmic "thump-thump" sound. The secret chamber fell silent, with only the occasional "tick-tock" of the instruments echoing in the air.

“If…” the dragon-mane priest finally spoke, his voice low and slow, “if you need a Courageous Digit Spirit as experimental material…?”

Cheng Yuanqiang suppressed his inner joy and nodded calmly, "That would be perfect. Although the Courage Digital Spirit is precious, there are two backups in Forging Fire Village."

The Dragonmon Priest gave Cheng Yuan a deep look, then suddenly asked, "Who exactly are you? This kind of thinking... doesn't seem like something an ordinary Digimon would come up with."

Cheng Yuan's heart tightened, but he remained outwardly calm: "He's just a forger who likes to research and innovate." He pointed to his head, "Sometimes, a newcomer's perspective can reveal things that the veterans overlook."

In fact, Cheng Yuan was exploring the path to the known endpoint.

The Dragonmon Priest remained silent for a long time before finally walking towards the wall inlaid with the Digimon of Courage. With a gentle scratch of its claw, the crystal rubbed against the wall, producing a piercing "squeak," and a Digimon of Courage fell to the ground.

"Take it." It handed the crystal to Cheng Yuan, its eyes flashing with a complex light. "I hope you won't disappoint me."

Cheng Yuan solemnly accepted the crystal, feeling the surging energy fluctuations within it: "I will do my best."

As Cheng Yuan left the Dragon Ancestral Temple, the sun had already set. He looked up at the sky, where the twin moons, unique to the Secret Realm Digital World, were slowly rising, casting their cool light.

He gripped the two crystals in his hand—the Divine Digital Spirit and the Courage Digital Spirit—and a smile unconsciously crept onto his face.

“Ancient Beast, wait for me…” he murmured softly, “I will find the Light of Evolution.”

The days that followed became regular and fulfilling.

The mornings in Forging Village are always awakened by the sounds of forging. Just as Cheng Yuan had suggested, the five beast tamers had formed a closely cooperating team. Their roles were clearly defined, and each person performed their duties—

“Add another 0.3 millimeters to the left shoulder armor.” Cheng Yi’s mechanical dragon beast floated in mid-air, and the laser scanner emitted a “beep” sound. “The right joint needs more room to move.”

"Understood." Xu Bing nodded, and the Martial Rabbit Beast immediately adjusted the forging intensity. The "clanging" sound of metal being struck rang out rhythmically like a symphony.

As Cui Zhuo's mythical bird carved energy-conducting patterns with its beak, it made a soft "click-click" sound. Each engraving was deep and magnificent. Yun Lin held the design drawing and offered suggestions from time to time. The "scratching" sound of the pencil scratching on the paper accompanied her whispers.

"Energy flow is stable!" Lin Xiaoyang announced excitedly, staring at the detector. Gaogamon breathed a sigh of relief as the buzzing sound from the energy infusion gradually subsided.

The five men exchanged smiles and high-fived in celebration. This division of labor greatly improved efficiency, and their progress far exceeded Chief Long's expectations.

Meanwhile, Cheng Yuan's progress is equally remarkable.

“Based on the data from the 286th experiment,” Gearmon’s electronic eyes flashed blue, and the robotic arm made a precise “click” sound as it operated, “the armor material reaches its peak ductility at 447°C, with an error range of ±2°C.”

Cheng Yuan nodded, the scratching sound of the pen scribbling across the notebook filling the air.

The puppy-like beast's clone was suspended in mid-air, the holy light bullets sizzling as they heated the metal. The real beast, meanwhile, was perched on Cheng Yuan's shoulder, occasionally yawning.

Cheng Yuan leaned against a pillar, a faint smile on his lips.

For him, basic armor forging was no longer a difficult task—Gearmon's precise calculations and craftsmanship, combined perfectly with Puppymon's energy control, had allowed his forging skills to far surpass this level.

With only three days left until the forge master qualification exam, the workshop of the beast tamer group was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

"We did it!" Xu Bing exclaimed excitedly, slamming his fist on the wooden table with a loud "bang." "The preliminary exam is definitely no problem!"

"There are still five days after the assessment before the secret realm closes." Cheng Yi stroked the steel wings of the Machine Dragon Beast, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "I plan to pilot the Machine Dragon Beast around the world and draw a complete digital world map."

The machine gun's engine emitted a deep rumble, seemingly responding to its master's plan. "The Digital World Administration will definitely offer a high price for this map."

"Are you crazy?" Lin Xiaoyang pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting the firelight. "What do we do when we encounter a Perfect-level Digimon in the air? To them, Machinedramon is just a flying piece of fat meat!"

Cui Zhuo slowly packed his medical kit: "I think it's safer for me to just take the motorcycle tour." He looked up at the window, "There are many plant-based medicines and treatments in this world worth recording."

"Too conservative!" Lin Xiaoyang's Dinobot emitted a "beep beep" detection sound. "I want to go deeper into the Root Forest to continue the adventure. Our Dinobot has detection capabilities in the Secret Realm, and maybe we can discover some wild data resources."

Xu Bing wiped his boxing gloves, the metal rubbing against the leather making a "rustling" sound: "Hunting Digimon is more exciting. Collecting some Digicores and data might be very useful."

She suddenly sighed, "It's a pity we can't take the Digi-Eggs with us. Otherwise, many of the extinct Digimon could be recreated in the real world, and those would be truly priceless."

"Everyone!" Ma Yunlin suddenly clapped her hands, her aura of a business elite fully unleashed. "I have a plan that can make everyone rich." She quickly sketched out a business empire on a piece of paper. "We can integrate the forging resources of the surrounding villages to form an armor industry chain, and then build flagship stores in the settlement area." Her pen drew powerful lines on the paper. "Once war breaks out, the price of armor will at least triple!"

"Hey, hey," Cheng Yi couldn't help but laugh out loud, "We only have one week left, are you really planning to open a multinational company here?"

The man, surnamed Xing, shrugged dismissively.

As the laughter subsided, everyone's gaze turned to Cheng Yuan, who remained silent throughout.

"Qilin, what's your plan?" Xu Bing asked directly.

Cheng Yuan put down the gear parts in his hand, the sound of metal clashing was crisp and pleasant: "I heard that after the forging master examination, there will be a recommendation quota. The most outstanding candidates can be recommended to study at the spiritual holy land of Courage Digital. I want to go for that quota."

"Activate the volcano, the hiding place of the ancient Tyrannomon," Cheng Yuan silently recited in his heart.

His voice was calm, yet it made everyone prick up their ears.

"Wait," Lin Xiaoyang broke the silence first, "You're taking the preliminary exam!" His voice rose eight octaves in surprise, "Those intermediate and advanced forging masters are all eyeing this spot!"

Cheng Yuan simply smiled, his gaze falling on the experimental table in the corner of the workshop—where a specially treated Courage Digital Spirit sat quietly. No one knew how many sleepless nights he, Gearmon, and Puppymon had endured for this moment.

Cheng Yuan just smiled mysteriously and continued to immerse himself in his research.

In the days that followed, he, Gearmon, and Puppymon worked tirelessly, trying to combine the Courage Digital Spirit with armor forging. The workshop was filled with the constant clanging of hammering, the buzzing of energy waves, and the clattering of machinery.

The corner was piled with discarded design drafts, and the rustling sound of paper being turned over rose and fell.

Cheng Yuan's dark circles were getting worse, and he was sighing more and more frequently when he rubbed his eyes.

Finally, on the morning of the test day, the motorcycle beast's horn sounded, and the steam it emitted spread into the clouds.

The carriage of the C-class beast, with its wheels making a rhythmic "click" sound as it sped towards the settlement, was filled with the strange, punting sounds of its wheels hitting the rails.

Chapter 99 Courage Evolution Armor

After riding his motorcycle for half a day, the slightly tired rider got ready and headed towards the open-air forging workshop.

Looking into the distance, wisps of black smoke drifted above the factory, the traces of countless forging furnaces burning.

"So many people!" The little dog perched on Cheng Yuan's shoulder, wagging its tail excitedly.

The factory was surrounded by onlookers, and the Digimon gathered in twos and threes, discussing the upcoming forger examination with great enthusiasm. The air was filled with the scent of metal and fire, and occasionally the clanging sounds of hammering could be heard from afar.

"I heard there are quite a few skilled forgers participating this time?" A growing candle beast tiptoed and tried to peer into the venue.

"Hmph, not just anyone can be a forger. Without real skill, you can't even control the heat properly." A mature fire beast stood beside him, arms crossed, its tone laced with arrogance.

Cheng Yuan and his group made their way through the crowded audience and into the venue. The venue was even more lively than expected, but there weren't many forgers actually participating in the examination, only about thirty. Most of them were Fire-type Digimon, ranging from small, Rookie-level Digimon to towering, Adult-level ones. After all, forging is a rare skill, and without real expertise, no one dared to sign up lightly.

"Looks like everyone here knows their place," Cheng Yuan chuckled softly.

In the center of the venue, more than thirty forging tables were neatly arranged, each equipped with basic forging tools, and official metal materials were piled up next to them. If you want to use your own materials, you can apply in advance.

"Clang—!" A clear chime rang out, and the hall fell silent instantly.

The three examiners slowly walked up to the platform—Dragon Leader, Flamemon, and Flame Wizardmon.

The Dragon Leader was dressed in a light forged suit, while the Flame Beast was still engulfed in flames, so naturally, it had no clothes. The Flame Wizard Beast, on the other hand, wore a short robe embroidered with flame patterns, making it look mysterious and majestic.

"Welcome to the Forger Examination." The Dragon Leader's voice was deep and powerful. "The examination consists of two parts—an individual demonstration of basic forging skills, or a team effort to create a set of growth-level armor. You may bring your own materials or use the resources provided by the official organization."

He looked around, his gaze lingering briefly on Cheng Yuan, before continuing, "Now, please choose your assessment method and begin."

As soon as the words were spoken, the temperature in the venue suddenly rose, and the forgers went to their respective forging platforms, flames rose, and the sound of metal clashing echoed.

The five trainers exchanged glances and decisively headed towards the group assessment area. Cheng Yuan thought for a moment; his teamwork with Gearmon, along with the assistance of Puppymon, clearly meant they would also be in the group assessment.

“Let’s go to the group area too,” Cheng Yuan said to Gearmon and Puppymon.

The gears of the Gear Beast spun rapidly, making a "click-clack" mechanical sound: "Understood, I have prepared the optimal forging plan."

The puppymon excitedly waved its paws: "Go for it! The armor we're building today will amaze all the Digimon here!"

The forging officially began.

The puppy beast was responsible for melting the metal and precisely controlling the temperature, while the gear beast assisted in engraving the data matrix. Cheng Yuan was responsible for cheering them on. The two beasts worked together seamlessly, and the process proceeded in an orderly manner—melting, forging, engraving, assembling, and sealing, striving for perfection at every step.

Time passed and darkness fell, but the sounds of hammering and forging continued unabated in the venue. Many examinees were already drenched in sweat, but they persevered. This examination was destined to be a test of endurance.

By noon the next day, the digital beasts had completed the basic skills test one after another. Some cheered excitedly that they had passed, while others were dejected, clearly failing to meet the examiners' standards.

In the group assessment area, the works of five beast tamers were completed first. They worked together to create a set of growth-stage armor that can enhance the wearer's attack power and the power of fire-attribute skills.

"Please judge, three examiners," said Xu Bing, a professional animal trainer, respectfully.

The Flame Wizard Beast reached out and touched the armor, closed its eyes to sense it for a moment, and slowly said, "The physical attack increase is okay, but the attribute bonus is too small."

The Flame Beast shook its head: "The energy conversion rate is not high, and the wearer will lose a lot of physical strength and energy."

The five animal trainers felt a chill run down their spines, but the leader added at the end, "However, it has all the necessary functions, so it's passable. It needs more practice in the future, and more effort in mastering the basics."

"Thank you, examiners!" The five breathed a sigh of relief. Although the evaluation wasn't high, they had at least passed the task. They happily stepped back, already planning how to bring this technology back to the real world.

After several more rounds of evaluation, it was finally Cheng Yuan and Gear Beast's turn.

"My name is Cheng Yuan, a Gear Beast." Cheng Yuan stepped forward and introduced himself.

A murmur immediately broke out in the audience.

"Is he the Light Forger from Forging Village?"

"That's right, I saw him at the kendo tournament half a month ago!"

"Strange, he's clearly a light-attribute character, so why is he forging fire-attribute armor this time?"

The three examiners naturally heard the murmurs, especially Leader Long, whose eyes flashed with anticipation. After all, Cheng Yuan's performance at the sword tournament had already proven his extraordinary talent.

“Please show us your work,” said the Flame Wizard Beast.

Cheng Yuan smiled slightly and presented a set of seemingly ordinary flame-patterned armor.

The three examiners were stunned: "...That's it?"

They had expected Cheng Yuan to produce something amazing, but it turned out to be just a basic set of fire-attribute armor.

However, Cheng Yuan mysteriously said, "My armor is still one step away from completion."

As he spoke, he exchanged a glance with Gearmon and Puppymon, and then took out a device that made the Dragon Leader's pupils shrink in shock—an energy data infusion device!

“This is…?!” Leader Long suddenly stood up, as if he had seen through something, his voice trembling slightly.

Cheng Yuan didn't explain, but simply put the armor into the device, then took out a courage digital spirit crystal that was flashing with a blazing light and slowly put it into the injection slot.