Digital Hackers' Memories

Or more precisely, this magnificent "ocean" is a manifestation of all of Agumon's data, recording everything Agumon has experienced since its Digi-Egg days.

In a daze, Agumon seemed to see the reflections of Ashuramon, Whiteflamemon, Agumon, Koromon, and even Snowballmon in this ocean of data.

In addition, Agumon's own evolution program, the Innocent Code obtained from Mimi, and the incomplete data symbolizing the Invaders are all stored in this ocean of data.

The genetic structure that records Digimon data, and the special evolutionary mechanism that mimics the birth of living organisms—this is what is known as the Digicore.

And whether it was Agumon's imagination or not, a vast and wild power was surging into this ocean of data from the outside in.

Under the influence of this data, the once calm sea of ​​data began to stir up waves, just like the night before a storm.

"This is not an illusion."

Slowly spreading out its claws, Agumon could clearly see that it, which was originally just a consciousness, was materializing.

The body is getting taller, muscles are increasing, and even one's instincts are being altered...

"Am I...evolving?"

Even more noticeably than when it evolved into White Flamemon, Agumon realized that with the influx of data, its Rookie form was breaking through some kind of limitation and becoming a true Champion.

It's important to know that both the previous White Flamemon and the even more advanced Ashuramon were simply evolutions of Agumon using Piccolo's abilities.

Agumon has never run an "evolution program" on its own Digicore, so its true form has always been in the growth stage.

In fact, both its massive muscles and its height, which is beyond that of a normal Agumon, indicate that Agumon possesses strength far exceeding that of a normal growth-stage Agumon.

With its near-invincible Overload Flame at its Ultimate level, Agumon, even if it couldn't compare to the berserk Agumon from Hikari Hill, was not far off.

However, while Agumon was powerful, his enemies were even more powerful.

The presence of Champion-level, Ultimate-level, and even beings like Emperormon left Agumon with no room to unleash its full potential.

However, at this very moment, the data surging into Agumon's Digicore is breaking this boundary, forcing it to evolve into a Champion-level Digimon.

"It's that madman, Molecular Beast..."

While the Dragon Factor does have a high compatibility with Agumon, this does not mean that Agumon can successfully evolve using it.

On the contrary, the "atavism program" designed by Molecular Beast did not take into account Agumon's own safety; it only wanted Agumon to evolve into an adult form quickly and then modify it.

As for whether Agumon is alive or dead, Molecularmon doesn't care as long as enough data can be collected.

Just as Agumon was at a loss, a warm light suddenly came from the depths of the ocean of data, attempting to soothe the raging dragon factors.

Under that light, the entire ocean of data was changing, adapting to the constant influx of data, and quickly yielding results.

"Homeostasis?!"

Agumon stared wide-eyed in disbelief; the light was familiar to him.

That warm, gentle light is precisely the power of permanence that appears only briefly in the light of Mount Hikari.

Although Homeostasis ultimately did not lead Agumon and Renamon to the Digital World, its clash with another force of spacetime left a deep impression on Agumon.

"Was it homeostasis that brought me into this world?"

Now, Agumon inexplicably recalls the scene before he was transported to this Digital World.

After sending Renamon X away, I gave up all resistance and faced SwordEmperormon's fatal sword strike in the form of Asuramon.

But at that final moment, a strange power suddenly surged within him, tearing a spatial rift open under the sword of the Sword Emperor Beast.

It was through that spacetime rift that Agumon was able to escape death and arrive in this unfamiliar Digital World.

"So, this is the original 'Ink World'?"

Although he didn't know when Homeostasis had left its power within him, Agumon felt that his guess was pretty much correct based on the current situation.

If it weren't for Homeostasis intervening at the last moment, I probably would have died by the Sword Emperor Beast's sword back then.

"Then why did homeostasis pull me here?"

Staring blankly at the fading light beneath his feet, Agumon, whose Digicore had stabilized again, was utterly perplexed.

"Could it be... that I am one of the so-called 'Chosen Digimon'?"

Agumon made a self-deprecating joke, feeling that his brain was starting to malfunction.

"Wait a minute, this doesn't seem impossible?"

Thinking of this, Agumon suddenly remembered the main characters from the first season of the Digimon series.

Judging from the behavior of homeostasis, it doesn't seem impossible for me to appear in the homeostasis world as a "chosen Digimon".

Because the protagonists, who are chosen as the saviors of the Digital World and are known as the "Chosen Children," seem to have been forcibly brought to the Digital World by homeostasis.

What's worse than what they experienced was that the protagonists of the first generation didn't realize they had been tricked into this world by homeostasis until they were about to fight the final boss.

In the early stages, the main characters are completely unaware of anything as they gradually progress through dungeons and defeat bosses, eventually reaching the ultimate level.

"Suddenly I feel that Taiyi and the others are really pitiful."

Countless unrealistic thoughts flashed through Agumon's mind, but he ultimately gave up on trying to figure out the purpose of homeostasis.

Because compared to things that are beyond one's control, the most critical issue at present is how to deal with the digital core that has already mutated.

While the light of constancy smoothed out this ocean of data, the dragon factors continued to pour into its digital core.

Agumon doesn't want to randomly evolve into some kind of Dragon-type Digimon, so he now has to find a way to break this data filling and stop the "reversion program" of the Molecular Beast.

"Redundant data?"

Agumon couldn't help but turn its gaze to its own claws, or more precisely, the claw guards on its claws—it could feel its craving for the dragon factor.

"If we could fuse some of the Invader's code, we should be able to evolve a decent weapon, right?"

Chapter Fourteen: The Imprint of Thought

Rewind a few minutes, to when Molecular Beast had injected enough Dragon Factor and was planning to further modify Agumon.

boom!

A loud explosion came from outside the door, and then a huge missile blasted the door of the molecular beast's laboratory.

"Who?"

Turning around in time, the molecular beast discovered that a colossal creature nearly ten meters tall and weighing over ten tons was blocking the doorway.

Since the Steel Empire's laboratory was built to resemble the size of a Digimon, even with such a behemoth blocking the entrance, it didn't feel out of place at all.

"Metal Dragon Beast?"

Molecular Beast recognized this MetalGiant Beast, which had undergone upgrades and modifications by the Steel Empire.

Because the prototype of this MetalGreymon—DarkGreymon—was captured by Molecularmon's team.

Due to the enormous size of this Darkdramon, which is extremely rare even among the many dragon-type Digimon, Molemon had a very deep impression of it.

"Molecular Beast, you have been listed as a 'traitor' for allegedly violating the 'Three Laws of the Empire'."

However, this metal dragon beast, which was once regarded as a "tool" by the molecular beast, now stared intently at its opponent with its scarlet eyes, its gaze filled with a deathly silence.

"You have the right to remain silent, but any act of resistance will invite the Empire's pursuit."

Seeing the suddenly appearing MetalGreymon, Molecularmon did not respond to its warning. After a brief silence, it decisively chose to flee.

"The molecular beast has been confirmed to have broken the 'thought seal.' Proceed with the capture operation immediately!"

Seeing this, MetalGreymon followed the instructions engraved in its artificial Digicore and began to carry out a further capture operation.

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

Gulu...

When Agumon opened its eyes, it saw Molemon running away and MetalGreymon in hot pursuit.

Like a behemoth rampaging through the air, the metal dragon beast simply swung its hand and snapped the roof beam supporting the laboratory.

Boom...

Faster than dominoes collapsing, the molecular beast darted into another exit of the laboratory before the dome completely collapsed.

That was originally a temporary passageway specially set up by the laboratory to deal with emergencies, and it was equipped with various emergency procedures to prevent accidents.

Therefore, even with MetalGreymon's abilities, it was impossible to completely break through the emergency temporary passage after the Molecular Beast activated its internal emergency measures.

Fortunately, although MetalGreymon is not very intelligent, it has an "internal network" that allows it to have the other two MetalGreymon seal off another exit of the laboratory before it arrives.

[Mind network connection, rebel—Molecular beast in location...]

Mind network, also known as thought imprint.

It is a core technology that is equal to, or even more important than, the artificial digital core of the Steel Empire, and it is also the "belief" that every Steel Empire Digimon must bear.

On the surface, the function of the Thought Imprint is to link the database of all Digimon within the Empire, and then form a "big data cloud" blockchain technology by sharing the wisdom and strategies within it.

In theory, as long as the agent who is the "head of the empire" does not make any mistakes, all the Digimon within the Steel Empire are a whole, a behemoth called the "Steel Empire".

Because under the control of this internal network, each Digimon has its own corresponding position and permissions, and they only need to do their own job.

Just like those parts used to assemble and modify mechanized Digimon,

Even a being like MetalGiant is just a component or a cell in the entire Steel Empire.

The destruction of a single part or cell will not affect the overall operation of the steel empire, because it can quickly produce similar "replacements".

Yes, in the eyes of the agents of the Steel Empire, a fully-formed being is merely a precious, but not irreplaceable, component.

This is also why, after Xuan Nei realized that the Molecular Beast was malfunctioning, he immediately ordered the Steel Empire's defense mechanism—the Metal Dragon Beast—to hunt it down.

However, all of the above is viewed from the perspective of the steel empire, or rather, its agents.

From the perspective of Digimon, the technology of the Steel Empire, which connects the thoughts of all Digimon together, greatly eliminates the possibility of the birth of "individual will".

Before each Digimon created by the Steel Empire was born, its artificial digital core was inscribed with a "steel stamp" by its agents.

A kind of thought imprint and thought circuit that even "rebels" like molecular beasts can only avoid but cannot completely erase.

The first principle is the rise of the Steel Empire, and every member of the empire will strive for this goal.

The second rule is that the agents are the core of the empire, and provided that the first rule is not violated, the will of the agents is the will of the Iron Empire.

Article 3 states that all cadres are the "body" of the empire, and all internal armed struggles are prohibited, provided that Articles 1 and 2 are not violated. Higher-level cadres have absolute "intervention authority" over lower-level cadres.

This is the ideological imprint known as the "Three Laws" within the Steel Empire, and it is also the "shackles" imprinted on the minds of all members of the "Steel Empire".

Under the binding force of this ideological imprint, even normal Digimon could be "brainwashed" and become a member of the Steel Empire.

Not to mention those mechanical/modified Digimon that didn't even have their own thoughts to begin with; their "individual will" had all possibilities been erased before they were even born.

Only the Molecular Beast, due to interference from some unknown virus, became the only anomaly within the Steel Empire.

[Second autonomous command: Destroy all experimental data of the molecular beast...]

With a coldness emanating from his mechanically calm eyes, MetalGiantBeast turned its gaze toward the interior of the laboratory after realizing that it could not capture the Molecular Beast in a short time.

From the very beginning of the development of the thought imprinting technology, the agents followed certain rules and wrote a set of self-discipline instructions for all Digimon implanted with artificial digital cores.

Therefore, although Gennai only ordered the Metal Dragon Beast to capture or destroy the Molecular Beast, he did not issue any other orders.

However, MetalGreymon, realizing that the "First Command" could not be executed for the time being, spontaneously activated the Second Autonomous Command engraved in the artificial Digicore—to eliminate all suspicious items left behind by the rebels.

Chapter Fifteen: Data Leap

"Oops!"

Seeing MetalGreymon's cold gaze sweep over him, Agumon, realizing the danger, didn't hesitate for a moment and kicked his leg to get close to the other side of the glass of the culture dish.

Click!

The next second, just as Agumon had predicted, the metal dragon's enormous claw smashed the glass of the culture dish it was in.

As a mechanically modified Digimon whose strength far surpasses that of a typical Ultimate-level Digimon, MetalGreymon is undoubtedly the overlord on the ground, except for its slightly lacking ability against air and sea.

Let alone a simple glass pane, even a real cage made of digital alloy, MetalGreymon has the brute force to bend it.

This is a product of the combination of dragon-type Digimon and mechanization, and it is a "ceiling" level of strength that non-dragon-type modified Digimon like MetalMamemon cannot possess.

Mechanical Digimon modified from Dragonmon possess terrifying power that surpasses this era; the power they display even reaches the ceiling of Ultimate level.

Just like the MetalGiantmon now...

"It's now!"

Taking advantage of the instant the petri dish shattered, Agumon leaped up again without hesitation, narrowly escaping the claws of MetalGreymon.

"Unknown entity determination - Agumon..."