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

In the center of the city stands a magnificent golden clock tower, its huge gears turning slowly, emitting a dull "click" sound, as if measuring the weight of time.

Cheng Yuan suddenly opened his eyes and found himself standing on an unfamiliar platform. The cold metallic floor sent a chill through him, making him realize that this was no dream.

Just moments ago I was still immersed in the words of the Ancient Beast, "Search for the Light of Evolution," when in the blink of an eye I was teleported to this unfamiliar platform.

"Where is this?" Cheng Yuan muttered to himself, cautiously looking around.

An old-fashioned steam locomotive was parked in front of the platform, its dark metal shell marked with the marks of time. Instinct told him this was no ordinary old locomotive; he raised the arc flash machine:

【Steam Train Animation Beast (Locomotive Beast)】

[Data Type - Mechanical Type]

【Complete Version】

[Skills: Steam Bomb, Wheel Crusher]

[Introduction: A powerful machine that traverses the digital world, delivering vital data and information. Its entire body is covered in high-strength alloy, and its chimney can spew high-temperature steam. Despite its old-fashioned appearance, as a fully-fledged unit, its performance is comparable to other newer models.]

"The complete form?!" Cheng Yuan gasped.

To his further surprise, there were five animal trainers on the platform preparing to board the train.

"Woof! Cheng Yuan, look!" The little dog suddenly tugged at his trouser leg. Following the direction the little paw pointed, Cheng Yuan realized that the sea of ​​clouds outside the platform was actually high in the sky!

He looked around and realized that it was a huge floating platform.

Eight metal tracks radiate outwards from the center of the platform in eight directions, with a locomotive of various shapes parked on each track—from old-fashioned steam locomotives to the latest maglev trains, all of which are fully functional.

It feels like... a high-speed rail station?

The unloading of the F-shaped road forms a shape resembling the Chinese character "米" (rice), with a huge and awe-inspiring golden clock tower at its center.

Along each railway line, there is a platform, and on the platform stand people waiting for the train.

There were people with Eastern faces, Western faces, and even a few black-skinned beast tamers. The Tyrannosaurus Rex or Arc Light Machines in their hands indicated that they were beast tamers.

Cheng Yuan took a special look and found that the five people on the same platform as him all had Eastern faces.

At that moment, the Golden Bell Tower rang its bells, as if urging everyone to hurry up and board the bus.

Just as he was about to catch up with the five people ahead, the nearest steam locomotive emitted a plume of white smoke and a loud buzzing sound: "Little guys, welcome to Lak! The Time-Space Secret Realm is about to open, hurry up and get on the train, toot—!"

The deafening whistle forced Cheng Yuan to cover his ears. The moment the cabin door opened, the five people in front filed in.

"Hey, you over there, kid!" the train-headed beast shouted in a hoarse voice, "If you don't get on the train soon, Quantum Beast will throw you back onto the land!"

"Quantum Beast?" Cheng Yuan's heart skipped a beat; the name seemed familiar.

Before he could think it through, the train sounded its whistle again, urging him on. Cheng Yuan picked up the two Digimon and rushed into the carriage.

"Alright, everyone, sit tight!" The locomotive beast let out a laugh like an old man.

Meanwhile, at the top of the Golden Clock Tower, a girl-type Digimon wearing a golden mask and a totem robe gazed into the void. Her slender fingers lightly traced a line, and six figures appeared and disappeared before her.

"Hmm?" The brows under the mask suddenly furrowed. At the steam locomotive platform, according to the list of spacetime secret realms submitted by the Digital World Administration, only five people should have boarded the train, but now there was an extra boy of about sixteen years old with two Digimon.

It closed its eyes, and countless images flashed through its mind. It quickly discovered the anomaly—it turned out that the Ancient Music Beast had arbitrarily granted the boy access to the Time-Space Secret Realm.

"So be it." It sighed softly, its robes fluttering without wind. "Since it's that child's choice, let's just use up more computing power... The Bureau can reimburse us for the extra computing power we consume."

At all the platforms around the Bell Tower, boarding was completed.

The tolling of the bells grew more and more urgent.

At the top of the clock tower, the golden-masked Digimon, Quantummon, its golden mask gleaming brightly, formed a hand seal, and a dazzling golden beam of light shot into the sky—

Ultimate Skills: [Endless Journey] [Time-Space Chaos]!

The moment the skill was released, all the clocks in the floating city stopped. Countless golden runes rose from the Golden Bell Tower and shot to the ends of the eight orbits.

At the end of the broken railway, space begins to twist and fold, eventually transforming into crystalline time portals that float at the eight corners of the Sky City of Lak.

"Set off, hopefuls," it murmured softly.

One after another, the fully-equipped trains began to start and accelerate, transforming into streams of light and rushing into the portal of time and space.

Quantum Beast

[Data Species - Fairy Type]

Ultimate Form

[Skills: Endless Journey (Opens a portal to time and space), Time Confusion (Manipulates the flow of time)]

[Introduction: The guardians of the floating city of "Lak," collaborating with the Digital World Administration to monitor global crises, utilizing the predictive capabilities of the floating city of "Lak" to detect and prevent global catastrophes in advance.]

However, regarding information about Quantum Beast, no trainer's equipment is able to scan for its existence—it seems to exist in another dimension.

The little dog beast: "???"

"Little Dog Beast, what are you doing?" Cheng Yuan asked Little Dog Beast, who was looking out the car window at the Golden Clock Tower.

“There seems to be a Digimon over there…” the puppy-like Digimon tilted its head in confusion.

Cheng Yuan looked over and saw nothing but the clock tower.

Just then, the steam locomotive let out its final long whistle and rushed into the portal of time and space.

The view outside the window distorted instantly, and a colorful stream of data rushed past.

When the view cleared again, a vast expanse of land appeared before me—

The vast earth is riddled with cracks, and data storms swirl in the sky. In the ancient digital world, a fierce war is raging between humanoid and beast-type Digimon.

"Ugh..." Cheng Yuan endured the dizziness brought on by the time travel. At this moment, a gentle voice notification sounded in the carriage:

【Kind tips】

[This time-space mystery projection: The Ancient Digital World - The Era of Human vs. Beast Race War]

[Train Destination: Ancient Digital Continent - Humanoid Digimon Alliance Territory - Volcano Activation - Forging Village]

[Hidden Realm Duration: 30 days]

[Secret Realm Time Flow: 10:1 (10 days in the Secret Realm = 1 day in the Real World)]

[Digital Administration Mission Requirements: Acquire digital armor forging skills and pass the Junior Forger certification]

【important hint】

1. This secret realm is a historical projection; the Digimon inside cannot be taken out.

2. Beast tamers will be granted a legitimate local identity, be proficient in the digital world language, and their clothing and identity will not raise any suspicion.

3. The Digivice temporarily gains the data scanning function, which can detect Digimon and resource information in the Secret Realm.

Chapter 85 The Twelve Divine Generals in Reserve: Code Name: Qilin!

As soon as the electronic "friendly reminder" notification ended, the atmosphere inside the carriage became subtly tense.

The six animal trainers began to look at each other simultaneously, their eyes filled with both wariness and curiosity.

Cheng Yuan stroked the Arc Light Machine in his hand, and he already understood—the Ancient Music Beast's special ability had brought him into the digital spacetime secret realm that Xu Xin had mentioned.

This mysterious realm is said to be a special space formed by capturing fragments of the digital world's history, where tamers can explore lost histories and acquire resources and technologies scarce in the real world. Of course, opportunities often go hand in hand with dangers.

The digital world before them was far more magnificent and complete than the digital space and dark areas familiar to the tamers, as if a veil of mystery had been lifted, revealing what digital civilization looked like at its most prosperous period.

However, in reality, the true nature of this complete world remains elusive; all that humanity can access are fragmented digital spaces and dark areas.

The steam locomotive, puffing out thick smoke, sped along the rails toward Forging Fire Village.

Inside the carriage, six animal trainers from different backgrounds each had their own thoughts—three men and two women, ranging in age from eighteen to thirty, plus sixteen-year-old Cheng Yuan.

The boy stroked the sleeping puppy beast in his arms, having no doubt about the ancient beast's arrangements. The entrustment of "seeking the light of evolution" must be the key that led him into this secret realm of time and space.

"Are there any newcomers here?" A young man in off-road gear broke the silence first. His sharp gaze swept across the crowd, finally settling on Cheng Yuan.

Of the six, Cheng Yuan was indeed too young.

The other four passengers in the carriage each had their own unique characteristics:

A young man who looked like a college student was sitting by the window, nervously fiddling with his Dinosaur machine. When he realized that he was surrounded by fellow enthusiasts, his tense shoulders visibly relaxed.

A man in a white coat, who looked to be in his thirties, exuded a calm and composed aura and was very likely a Digimon doctor.

A sophisticatedly made-up professional woman sat diagonally across from me, her legs elegantly crossed, exuding the capable and efficient aura unique to business elites.

The most eye-catching person was the young woman sitting in the middle of the carriage.

She was dressed in the standard uniform of the Beast Tamer Association, toying with the latest Arc Light Machine in her hand.

Cheng Yuan immediately recalled what Xu Xin had said: this high-end equipment was currently only issued to professional animal trainers, and only the most outstanding ones could obtain it first.

Beneath the girl's neat short black hair, her bright eyes were taking in everyone in the carriage with great interest. Unlike the wary expressions of the others, her gaze shone with confidence.

Everyone's Dracula suddenly vibrated, and a new message popped up:

[Secret Realm Teleportation Completed]

【Destination: Ancient Digital Continent - Humanoid Digimon Alliance Territory - Activated Volcano - Forging Village】

Historical Background File (Top Secret Classification: A)

In the ancient times of digital civilization, the entire continent was still in a state of chaos and undeveloped potential. Humanoid and beast-type Digimon once coexisted peacefully on this land, jointly exploring the mysteries of the world. However, with the development of civilization, the two types of Digimon developed fundamental differences in their evolutionary philosophies and ways of life.

The initial sporadic conflicts gradually escalated into a full-blown war that swept across the entire digital world, a protracted battle that completely shattered the balance of the digital world.

Shortly after the death of Jeannemon, the first leader of the Humanoid Digimon Alliance, the war machine of the Beastoid Horde began to operate at full power. If it weren't for the fear of the Guardian Digimon of the Humanoid faction, the Beastoid army would have already marched straight in.

Jeannemon's sacrifice had a far-reaching impact—as the only link between the Sky City Angels and the Sky City Angels, her departure deprived the Humanoid Alliance of its most powerful ally—the Sky City Angels.

Amidst internal and external troubles, the second-generation leader of the alliance, Dragonmon, used his extraordinary political wisdom to win the support of the Digimon race and pioneered the development of Digi-Armor forging technology.

The digital weapons and armor systems he created contain the power to change the course of battle.

Armor made from specially forged ores and materials can provide Digimon with incredible power boosts, making them even more powerful.

Under the leadership of the Dragonman Beast, the Humanoid Alliance, with its intelligent armor system and exquisite tactical coordination, finally gained a foothold in the protracted war against the Beastman Tribe.

However, the balance of power in the war never truly shifted.

Although the ancient Digimon possessed astonishing primal power, their brutal data copying methods severely damaged their life essence. Neither the intelligence that humanoids prided themselves on nor the brute force upon which beastoids relied for survival could break through this fatal evolutionary bottleneck.

Both sides are racing against time, urgently seeking a key evolutionary method to break the deadlock...

Current objective: Obtain the Junior Forging Master Certification.

(Note: This information was compiled and provided by the Digital World Administration Historical Research Institute.)

"Searching for the method of evolution?" Cheng Yuan stroked his chin thoughtfully. Could this be related to the "light of evolution" mentioned by the Ancient Beast?

As the information kept updating, the initial shock turned into disbelief.

Did they hear me right?

Learn forging?

It's a rare opportunity to enter a time-space secret realm, and it's even the ancient digital continent, yet we're forced to stay home as apprentices and learn a craft?

Don't you want resources? Don't you want historical secrets? Don't you want opportunities to become stronger?

Are you kidding me?

The short-haired woman, who was originally full of confidence because she had reached the level of a professional animal trainer, suddenly froze.

"Damn it, is there any more hints?" the short-haired woman snapped, "We've entered a special secret realm themed around war! Shouldn't we be on the battlefield? Are we being taught blacksmithing? Has the old man at the Bureau gone mad?"

The man in the white coat was also surprised and said, "Does that mean we don't need to compete for this special secret realm, and we can just find this village together to take the test? But that's not right, what if there's a limit to the number of tests we can take..."

“Miss, are you Captain Xu Bing, the professional squad stationed at the Love Outpost?” The young man in the off-road uniform sized up the short-haired woman, finding her somewhat familiar. The military had a list of the young elites from each of the Dark Zone outposts. “I am a beast tamer warrior from the Courage Fortress.”

"Ah, I am Susanosamo!" said the humble man.

“Ma Yunlin, Strategic Department, Penguin Group.” The elegant woman nodded gracefully.

"I'm Lin Xiaoyang from the Shanghai University sports team, and I'm currently interning at Friendship Castle," the shy-looking young man said.

"Young and promising." Several people gave a thumbs up.

The group looked at Cheng Yuan.

Cheng Yuan was completely bewildered. He had never heard of any of the "fortresses" they mentioned. Only the words "Shanghai University" mentioned by the college student and the Penguin Group mentioned by the sophisticated woman proved that they came from the same world.

Each of them sounded like someone important, an elite in their respective track. If I said I was just an ordinary high school student? Would that sound pathetic? Anyway, nobody knows me, and it doesn't seem like I'll ever see them again…