Digital Hackers' Memories

However, all of the above have one condition: such Digimon must be raised from infancy to avoid incorrect evolution due to attribute conflicts.

Because baby Digimon do not have any attribute classifications, they can freely absorb data of any attribute since even their most basic Digicores have not yet formed, and gradually grow up by doing so.

In this situation, how to raise the Digimon they want, or how to obtain a baby Digimon whose evolutionary direction is not yet determined, becomes a question that powerful hackers need to consider.

This led to the creation of various types of Digimon black markets.

This is where powerful hackers exchange the Digimon they have captured, and it is also a place where hackers who do not yet own their own Digimon come to choose their future "partners".

Here, hundreds and thousands of Digimon have become "commodities" for sale, quietly waiting for humans to choose them.

Those Digimon that have already evolved to the Rookie stage are alright. Although they have various powerful abilities, they are not considered very popular items here because their future evolution direction is fixed.

In the Digimon black market, the most popular are those Digimon in their infancy stage.

With their gentle nature and the fact that their future evolutionary direction is still uncertain, they possess unlimited potential and are the most sought-after commodities here.

At the same time, compared to those adult Digimon that require a lot of time and effort to tame, the underdeveloped baby Digimon are like real biological cubs, and they easily develop a liking for humans.

Undeniably, there may be some humans who become hackers who do have sympathy for Digimon, but the vast majority of hackers, especially those who can access the Digimon black market, are no longer naive.

Tools, slaves, pets, hunting dogs...

Regardless of what hackers call Digimon, it directly reflects their attitude.

The malicious program "Digimon Catcher" further reinforced this point.

When necessary, hackers can even use this special program to limit or erase the intelligence of Digimon to the greatest extent possible, turning them into true tools.

............................................................................................................

Keisuke is one of the few black market merchants in this Digimon black market who maintains "neutrality." To him, Digimon are both companions and commodities.

Because he knew that Digimon were not simply "artificial intelligence" as rumored.

Before being controlled by the "Digimon Catcher," each Digimon possesses its own unique intelligence and nature, just like a real living being.

Unfortunately, only the top hackers who have personally ventured into the Free Zone to capture Digimon truly know this.

For hackers who buy Digimon directly from black market dealers, they cannot understand that a "program" could not possibly have such behavior without having witnessed Digimon struggling and howling in despair.

Keisuke once maliciously speculated that perhaps the person who originally created and spread the "Digimon Catcher" program was not a real human, but a dehumanizing demon.

At the very least, the fact that no one has been able to decipher the "Digimon Catcher" to this day proves this point.

Whether it's the program structure that's many generations ahead of modern hackers, or the control function that specifically targets the "humanity" of Digimon, neither of these are things that an ordinary entity could create.

Keisuke dislikes using the "Digimon Catcher" because this program of unknown origin only makes him feel fear and trembling.

However, he had no choice but to use this program, because without it, he would not be able to successfully capture Digimon for sale.

"I don't like this feeling."

Standing in front of his fixed stall, Keisuke glanced at the several blank-faced Digimon in the cage at his feet, and for what seemed like the umpteenth time, a wry smile appeared on his face.

"I always have the feeling that I've become a 16th-century 'slave trader'."

"If you don't like it, then don't do it."

Just then, a slightly gloomy voice suddenly rang in Keisuke's ear and interrupted his thoughts.

"We can't just not do it; how are we going to make money if we don't do this?"

Keisuke quietly turned up the volume in his ear. He wasn't surprised by the sudden appearance of the gloomy voice. Instead, he calmly refuted the other party's statement.

"Even if it's just for my medical expenses, I have to earn enough money."

Upon hearing this, the voice on the other end of the network fell silent for a while before speaking again.

"So that's why I'm attracted to you—you're selfish enough."

Hearing his "partner" say that about him, Keisuke gave another wry smile.

"If you had been paralyzed and bedridden since childhood, you would definitely be just as selfish."

If it weren't for the advent of EDEN virtual technology, Keisuke wouldn't know if he would ever be able to stand up again, let alone enjoy the online world like he does now.

“I don’t understand this feeling, but I can understand your ‘selfishness’.”

The slightly somber voice continued to whisper. The being on the other end of the network did not understand the concept of "paralysis," but it knew that selfishness was the nature of humans, and indeed all living beings.

"Keisuke, it's not terrible for a person to be selfish; what's terrible is when all he has left is 'selfishness'."

Chapter Thirty-Six: Only a Fool Would Believe That

"Is this the Digimon Black Market?"

Floating silently in the boundless void, Chen Ze looked down at the small, cone-shaped "floating islands" below, and a look of amazement appeared on his face.

In Chen Ze's original imagination, he thought that the so-called "Digimon Black Market" should be no different from other EDEN digital spaces.

At most, the "goods" sold there are Digimon, rather than various everyday virtual electronic devices.

But the facts told Chen Ze that in the EDEN cyberspace, which has realized virtual reality technology, there are many miracles and macrocosms that he could not have imagined.

Just like now, this huge Digimon black market is not built on a fixed "site".

Just like the previous Free Zone, the entire Digimon Black Market is built in a desolate, dark "universe".

In this dark "universe", "floating islands" of various sizes and specifications are like planets, moving and hiding along predetermined trajectories.

The largest is comparable to a football field covering hundreds of square meters, while the smallest is only a few meters square...

Regardless of their size, they are all places specifically for selling Digimon.

In fact, this was a defensive measure specifically built by the original creators of this digital space to prevent it from being wiped out in one fell swoop.

Unless they have a special UDL invitation link, most hackers will not be able to directly enter any of the trading venues when they first enter the Digimon Black Market.

"Yes, if it's here, we should be able to evade the invaders' pursuit."

For some reason, Chen Ze felt that Angelmon wasn't telling the whole truth when he heard it.

However, based on Chen Ze's own judgment, this place was indeed very hidden. If it weren't for the link sent by the Flame Angel Beast, he probably wouldn't have been able to find it at all on his own.

Furthermore, even if it's a UDL link sent by Angelmon, it's just a specially encrypted real-time dynamic library and doesn't have any special meaning in itself.

This is because what is being used here does not appear to be a "blacklist" in the conventional sense, but rather a more stringent "whitelist" mechanism.

Only by passing through a specific invitation link and verification can hackers successfully enter this special digital space.

Even so, the hackers cannot directly enter the trading venue; they can only float around the outer perimeter of those "floating islands," just like Chen Ze and his group are doing now.

In this situation, even if the invader finds this place, it's useless because it simply doesn't have the "authority" to enter.

"This doesn't seem to be within the EDEN network?"

With a calm mind and excellent intellect, the fox beast spoke up at this moment. Although its tone remained calm, Chen Ze could still detect a hint of surprise in it.

"Yes, this area is indeed outside the range of the EDEN network."

Nodding in confirmation of the fox beast's guess, Flame Angel did not hide the information he knew.

"Although we don't know who the original builders were, this is indeed a digital space that exists independently outside the EDEN network."

Unlike other digital spaces that rely on the EDEN network, this special "black market" has remained undiscovered by outsiders until now because of its unique "independence."

Relying on its unique ability to operate outside the EDEN network, the Digimon Black Market is not only immune to ordinary hacker intrusions, but even dedicated cyber police may not be able to find it.

"Here, those unscrupulous hackers are the real 'masters'."

Reconstructing an independent virtual space outside the EDEN network—regardless of the technical and financial costs involved—is an extravagant act that warrants scrutiny of the builder's motives.

"Could this be an official 'honeypot'?"

In the hacker community, those meticulously designed "black boxes" are usually referred to as honeypots.

Compared to ordinary computers, these specially designed "black boxes" appear to be full of vulnerabilities and could easily become tools for hackers to break into.

In reality, they are "bait" deliberately released by more advanced hackers or cybersecurity professionals in order to collect valuable data and technology.

It's not surprising that Chen Ze was so suspicious, since building a complete virtual reality network requires a full set of technologies and equipment, which is something that ordinary people simply cannot do.

In particular, the crucial EDEN technology is the top secret of the Kamishiro Corporation, and it is impossible for an outsider to obtain it.

"To take down all the top hackers in one fell swoop? That's certainly a great idea."

His expression remained cold and stern. The young hacker in his Angelmon form seemed to have lost the businessman's affability and cunning, replaced by an indescribable sense of alienation.

"Unfortunately, hackers have already suspected and confirmed that this is not a trap set by Kamishiro Corporation."

At this point, Angelmon paused briefly before continuing.

"Some suspect that this is one of the early EDEN prototypes of the Kamishiro Corporation, but it was stolen by someone and used to build this special zone that belongs only to hackers."

Although it is only a guess, it has become a certainty in the eyes of most hackers.

Only prototypes equipped with EDEN technology can build a near-independent virtual reality system outside the EDEN network.

This special "whitelist mechanism" also inevitably brings to mind firewalls between different networks, and even at the national level.

"Stolen?"

Clearly not quite believing this explanation, the fox-like beast murmured thoughtfully.

"Then what should we do next?"

After entering this theoretically safe "Digimon Black Market," the next question is how to get into the trading areas below.

After eliminating the threat of the invaders, Renamon's curiosity was piqued once again.

In this world full of top hackers, how do those trafficked Digimon exist?

And what exactly makes these so-called "top hackers" different from ordinary hackers, and whose hacking skills are superior, Chen Ze's or theirs?

Although Chen Ze kept saying that he was just an "ordinary" hacker, the fox demon never believed his nonsense.

Can an "ordinary" hacker be proficient in both hardware and software technologies?

How could an "ordinary" hacker evade Mirei Mikagura's blockade and bring himself into the EDEN network?

An "ordinary" hacker deliberately wrote that "Hacker Survival Guide" that is obviously for "survival".

In the eyes of the fox spirit, "I am an ordinary hacker" is just a way for Chen Ze to keep a low profile; anyone who believes it is a fool!

***********************

P.S.: Could you all please set up an auto-subscribe function for this post?

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Erika and the Insect Beast

Butterfly, an internet cafe on Ikebukuro Avenue in Tokyo.

On the surface, it appears to be just an EDEN Internet Cafe-like center, offering a variety of high-configuration network equipment for nearby visitors to experience the charm of the EDEN virtual network.

However, deep within this small internet cafe, there is a "VIP" room that is off-limits to any outsiders and is equipped with professional-grade EDEN network equipment.

Compared to that, the high-end equipment outside is simply "garbage" and cannot be compared at all.

In fact, as the true core stronghold of the secretive hacker group Butterfly, this special "VIP" room not only has network equipment far exceeding ordinary standards, but also houses the Butterfly organization's "group favorite"—Erica—who stays here year-round.

"Well?"

However, unlike usual, Erica, who was kneeling in front of the giant screen, was typing on the keyboard with a troubled expression on her face.

Where has Angelmon gone to hide?

After a thorough search, Erika, dressed in a blue bathrobe and pale-faced, had to admit that she had indeed lost Seraphimon.

Even with Keisuke and Leomon working together, tracking an Angelmon that is familiar with the terrain and has superb hacking skills is already somewhat beyond Erika's capabilities.

Limited by her frail health, even Erica, known as a "genius hacker," doesn't have much "free time" during the day.

"Erica? Are you alright?"

Just then, a lively insect-like creature suddenly "jumped" out of the screen and looked at Erica with a worried expression.

"I'm fine, what can happen to me?"

Erica patted her cheek, seemingly realizing something, and glared at the Insect Beast before issuing a warning.

“If you complain to my brother again, I will lock you in the ‘dark room’.”

"This time I will definitely keep my word, you 'traitor'!"

Erica nodded in satisfaction only after the Insect Beast showed a timid and frightened expression.

"That's more like it. You're my partner. What's the point of always badmouthing me behind my back?"