Digital Hackers' Memories

Chapter 43 The Mark of a Complete Form

"I'm not just any ordinary lilac beast..."

"If you think I'm an easy target, then you've picked the wrong target..."

"Andromon, you will pay the price for your mistakes..."

"Let's see what a true complete form looks like!"

……

The sounds rose and fell from where the lilacs were in full bloom, and then echoed throughout the firewall space.

Countless avatars possess the same will. At this moment, the Lilac Beast, which has brought this magical (programmed) power to its extreme, is an unsolvable existence that surpasses ordinary Perfect-level beings.

Unless the spell of the Lilac Beast can be broken, she, with her countless clones, cannot be defeated.

"Firewall...antivirus failed..."

Andromon's Digicore was still operating at overcapacity, but unfortunately, as an artificially created Perfect level, it clearly lacked the intelligence of a typical Perfect level.

Everything operates according to a pre-set program. Once it exceeds the scope of the program, it cannot be dealt with in a targeted manner. This is both the advantage and the disadvantage of the program.

Although Andromon, as a Perfect level being, is not a true "program" in the strictest sense, its suppressed intelligence makes it no different and it is impossible for it to come up with a way to break through Lilacmon's "clones".

Boom!

Thus, when countless Lilacmon completely breached Andromon's firewall, Andromon, like a machine, had no chance to resist and was utterly defeated by the endless combos of Lilacmon.

"The complete form is not just about 'perfect' strength!"

A cold glint flashed in their eyes, and all the lilac beasts whispered in unison.

"Only when one achieves 'perfection' in body, mind, wisdom, skill, and even personality can one be considered a truly complete being!"

In the definition of Digimon, Ultimate level is a general term for beings that have surpassed the Champion level and reached "perfection" in all aspects.

Just like the Champion stage means that the Digimon itself has matured and reached the lower limit of its species in all aspects.

In theory, the Champion stage is simply a sign that a Digimon has reached adulthood. Except for those Digimon that are born with defects, no Digimon will remain in the Rookie stage forever.

However, the Ultimate level is completely different. Only those Digimon that have surpassed the limits of the concept of "life" and have reached near perfection in all aspects are qualified to be called "Ultimate level".

In the ancient Digimon era, any Digimon that could pave a path to Perfect level was a being who belonged to a single individual or race, and could be considered a demigod.

Even in today's digital world, with the increasing number of Ultimate evolutionary paths, the number of Ultimate beings seems to have become somewhat excessive, but their symbolic meaning remains unchanged.

Only those Digimon that have broken through the limits of their own species and reached incredible levels in all aspects are true Ultimate Digimon.

In fact, this is why all the Digimon species in their juvenile, child, and adult stages combined are still fewer than those in their ultimate and final forms.

Because the first three stages of a Digimon are just a process of "growth," only the Ultimate and Mega stages are the "breaking out of the cocoon" existence.

Especially those Ultimate forms that are almost like gods, due to the special and unreplicable nature of their growth process, it is almost impossible for two Digimon to evolve into the exact same Ultimate form.

Even Digimon that follow the same evolutionary path can have different Ultimate forms—this is how the concept of "subspecies" became popular.

Of course, all of the above are just normal situations.

Digimon born from the data of Ultimate-level Digimon or directly through the interference of Yggdrasil (homeostasis) possess talents that surpass those of ordinary Digimon, but thus have fewer options.

Especially for those Digimon whose evolutionary process was directly interfered with, their evolutionary path is almost unique.

Apart from themselves, no other Digimon could possibly jump to their evolutionary lineage.

The thirteen Royal Knights are undoubtedly the most famous and typical among them. Without the help of a ruler like Yggdrasil (homeostasis), ordinary Digimon would have no chance of evolving into them.

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

"Kill Mode...Activated!"

Just as Andromon was about to be destroyed, its mind, which had been suppressed by the "Digimon Capturer," finally recovered a little, and a resolute killing intent flashed in its cold eyes.

Chi!

In an instant, blazing red light shot out from Andromon's arm, transforming into a high-temperature lightsaber.

With a single, swift turn and slash, Andromon sliced ​​a Lilacmon that was trying to ambush it in two, the entire process flowing smoothly and seamlessly.

This is the true power of the artificial warrior—Andromon.

Even without the standard equipment and combat procedures of the Steel Empire, Andromon possesses the strength of a Perfect level.

"Unfortunately, your 'awakening' came too late."

Taking advantage of the instant Andromon turned around, a Lilacmon that was clearly different from the other clones suddenly lunged forward, making a sound that was hard to tell whether it was pitiful or mocking.

—Graceful patting!

Suddenly, the lilac-like petal-shaped arms of the beast extended, and with a unique rhythmic slap, struck Andromon's head in an instant.

Snapped!Snapped!

It was not a purely physical attack; the Lilac Beast's attack was carried out simultaneously on both the mental and physical levels.

Andromon's mind was already suppressed by the "Digimon Catcher," and even though it regained some of its fighting instincts in desperate situations, it still had its limits.

The Lilac Beast's attack on sex was clearly aimed at this very weakness.

"Defense breached, program crashed..."

Andromon's dark eyes began to flash red, and it clearly realized this, so it used the last means it could muster.

"Final procedure - Start!"

In the blink of an eye, Andromon's Digicore multiplied and expanded, increasing in number several times over in a very short time in a completely irrational and irregular manner.

This was originally an "enhancement program" that the "Steel Empire" deliberately implanted into the Digicores of Andromon to enhance their combat power.

Unfortunately, the Andromon that evolved normally did not have the artificial digital core unique to the Steel Empire, so this program, which was originally intended to enhance combat power, gradually became another kind of suicidal attack.

Or more precisely, as long as it is not an "artificial digital core" that can be repeatedly implanted and replaced, any Digimon that uses this enhancement program will have its own digital core destroyed.

Just like Andromon now...

Boom!

In an instant, a violent explosion echoed throughout the entire firewall space.

Even Ryuji and Cyberdramon, who were far from the battlefield, had to confront this power that was enough to shake the entire Digital World.

Chapter 44 The Sage Beast Who Loves Playing Chess

"Cyber ​​Dragon Beast!"

Without needing many words, Ryuji and his electronic dragon beast had already decisively erected an electronic barrier to physically isolate the impact of this shock.

Meanwhile, Ryuji was not idle either. Various firewall programs specifically designed for hackers were instantly activated, protecting his and Cyber ​​Dragon's data at the data level.

Rumble…

Even so, the power generated by the self-destruction of a top-tier, fully-developed being truly exceeded their expectations.

The violent impact, like a nuclear explosion, first wiped out all the nearby Lilac Beasts in one go, and the subsequent radiation and aftershocks caused the Cyberdramon to let out a furious roar.

"Ow!"

The rubber armor, whose hardness rivals that of any digital alloy, emitted a jet-black light, and the Cyberdramon's body flashed past like lightning, retreating hundreds of meters in an instant.

It was only because the digital space did not have a true concept of "distance" that Cyberdramon was able to remain hundreds of meters behind this seemingly small firewall space.

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

Meanwhile, in an expensive villa in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo.

"So your true form... is a lilac beast?"

A Zhe, known to the public as "Stone Buddha," was watching the battle taking place in the firewall space through his computer screen.

Especially the lilac beast in the center of the battlefield, A Zhe stared intently at her figure.

Even the usually cold-faced Ah Zhe couldn't completely hide his worry and tension.

If Ah Zhe's family and friends saw him like this, they would be surprised that he could have such emotional ups and downs.

It's important to understand that the nickname "Stone Buddha" doesn't just describe his aloof and cold personality.

Even in front of his parents and friends, A-Zhe rarely showed obvious emotions, as if he was born with a cold heart.

However, only Ah Zhe himself knew that he was not a robot without emotions.

However, the pressure and reputation of the past have forced him to adopt a composure and calmness that are beyond his years.

To outsiders, A-Zhe is a renowned child prodigy, a "god" who single-handedly brought Japanese Go to its peak.

In front of his friends, Zhe was always the kind of "other people's child," someone his friends looked up to, admired, and even envied.

Even in front of his parents, A Zhe rarely showed his true feelings, because he knew his parents' expectations of him.

I won't lose, I can't lose, and I dare not lose...

In front of anyone, A-Zhe is the one who is "always winning".

Until he entered the EDEN cyberspace for the first time and encountered the Lilac Beast disguised as an ordinary human.

That was the first time Ah Zhe truly experienced friendship based on "equal communication," and it was also the first time he realized that he might need to make a change.

Unlike the memories of the lilac beast, what truly made A Zhe give up Go was not the lilac beast's statement—that there are many things in this world more interesting than "Go".

Rather, it was the attitude the other person inadvertently revealed during that chat—why do you have to win?

Yes, it's possible to lose.

Without the encouragement and care of family and friends, Dingxiang Beast simply revealed an attitude in a lighthearted way: even he, who is known as the "Invincible Stone Buddha," can lose and can give up Go.

"Yes, since I've already given up on Go, why can't I give up on EDEN as well?"

A faint smile unconsciously appeared on A Zhe's lips as he stared at the lilac beast on the other side of the screen, whispering in a voice only he could hear.

"You taught me this."

"Instead of hesitating in your comfort zone, it's better to bravely take a new step, and that's the only way to find what you truly want."

As Ah Zhe muttered to himself, a human figure shrouded in a robe quietly appeared on his computer screen.

"You agree, right, Sage Beast?"

Despite noticing the humanoid figure, Ah Zhe showed no surprise whatsoever, as if its appearance was entirely within his expectations.

"Is that the 'online friend' you mentioned before?"

The Sage Beast, through A-Zhe's computer, also noticed the battle that took place in the firewall space.

"You're really lucky to be a rare Fairy-type Perfect Form."

Faced with the Sage Beast's teasing, A Zhe's emotions returned to their previous calm and composed state.

"I've always been very lucky, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to discover your true identity."

In fact, there were instances of artificial intelligence defeating human chess players in the early 21st century, which some even called the "awakening of artificial intelligence."

Unfortunately, after that earth-shattering duel, due to various considerations and weighing of factors, most formal Go competitions have gradually banned the participation of artificial intelligence.

By the time A Zhe was rampant, although he knew how terrifying artificial intelligence was, he had never personally played against it and could not experience its despair-inducing power.

However, the appearance of the Sage Beast made him realize that perhaps artificial intelligence had already secretly participated in various Go competitions, but he just didn't know it.

Perhaps one of the opponents you once defeated was an artificial intelligence or a digital beast disguised as a human.

After all, in this era of highly developed information technology, forging a real human identity is not a big deal for organizations that can research artificial intelligence.

Even a lone wolf like Sage Beast has participated in various world-class online Go tournaments as a "Sage," demonstrating the widespread nature of artificial intelligence.

"If you help me just once, I can play a game of chess with you."

This was the only request from the "Sage" who had dominated various Go competitions for three years without a single defeat, and it was also the backup that A Zhe had prepared in advance in order to find out the true identity of the Dingxiang Beast.

"What a devoted lover!"

Smiling and shaking his head, the Sage Beast was no longer looking forward to the duel with the "Invincible Stone Buddha".

Because compared to defeating a former world Go champion who has lost his "will," the "emotional entanglement" between humans and Digimon is more likely to pique its curiosity.

Aren't you curious why she suddenly left you?

If Wise Beast remembers correctly, a month ago, the "Invincible Stone Buddha" refused to fight him.

In other words, something must have happened in the past month.