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

The scene then shifts to a photo of Cheng Yuan training in Huadu, where he uses the "Courage Armor" to power and evolve a small dog beast.

"It is recommended to raise this person's attention level and add him to the 'Strategist' list. If he cannot be used by the 'Shrine,' then we cannot allow him to live and serve the neighboring country!"

"I second that! But judging from our first contact, he already seems to be resistant to us. I suggest we raise the level of contact. Any contact and observation must be done with extreme caution to avoid alerting him."

Meeting adjourned.

The virtual meeting room quietly shut down, and all data was completely wiped clean, as if it had never existed.

Chapter 206 Death Outpost

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the seaside town was still shrouded in a thin layer of mist, quiet and peaceful.

Without alerting anyone, Cheng Yuan quietly left the small inn where he was staying, along with the little dog beast and the ancient music beast, who was still full of curiosity about everything around them.

"Shh, keep your voice down, we should go home." Cheng Yuan whispered to the little dog beast on his shoulder and the ancient music beast peeking out of his arms.

He didn't choose to return to downtown Shanghai and take a long-distance motorcycle or aircraft, because those required strict identity verification. He followed Xu Xin's advice and avoided the most conventional routes, arriving at a temporary stop on the edge of the town to wait for a more "traditional" mode of intercity transportation.

Not long after, accompanied by a steady, not noisy, footstep, a huge figure slowly drove out from the road.

That was a giant dog, the size of a medium-sized bus!

Its entire body is covered with thick, coarse, rope-like or downy white fur. These long hairs are naturally woven into strips that almost drag on the ground, making it look like a giant mop, yet also exuding a sense of majesty.

Its head was covered by fur, making it somewhat hidden, but its exposed eyes shone with a gentle and intelligent light.

This is the Intercity Bus type Digimon—Komondon!

【Komondor

[Data Species, Beast Type, Maturity Stage]

[Maturity Stage]

[Skills: Noisy Wipeer, Hound Drive]

[Introduction: Komondon enjoys riding on its Digimon, has a carefree personality, and seems to take every trip as if it were a leisurely stroll, never finding any terrain tiring. It can even navigate underwater by spinning its tail. Although its long fur often gets dirty dragging on the ground, Komondon is actually quite clean. It dislikes fighting and prioritizes the safety of the Digimon it rides.]

The canine stopped obediently in front of Cheng Yuan and opened the side door of the car.

The door was cleverly hidden under thick fur. The interior was spacious and clean, with comfortable seats and air conditioning. Although the decor wasn't luxurious, it was very practical.

"Little friend, are you going to Jinling?" A cheerful voice came from the driver's seat.

He was a dark-skinned, kind-looking middle-aged man, who was the trainer and driver of this Komondor.

"Yes, Master," Cheng Yuan replied with a smile, carrying the two Digimon into the car and finding a window seat.

There weren't many passengers in the car, only a few who looked like traveling merchants.

The car doors closed, and the canine started smoothly, taking steady steps as it left the gradually awakening town and embarked on the old highway leading to Jinling City.

The car drove on a somewhat desolate cement road, with dense forests and rolling hills on both sides.

Twenty years have passed. With the continuous integration of digital space and reality, many of the former farmlands and villages have been abandoned and covered by more primitive and wild vegetation. Occasionally, small, timid wild Digimon can be seen flashing by in the forest.

The little dog curiously leaned against the car window, its bright blue eyes fixed on the rapidly receding scenery, its fluffy tail swaying gently.

The Gule Beast became very interested in everything inside the Komon Beast. It jumped off Cheng Yuan's lap and touched and pressed things here and there with its little paws, showing particular interest in the seat adjustment buttons and air conditioning vents.

"Woo—" The Komon suddenly trembled slightly and let out a low whimper, filled with a hint of helplessness and affection.

It turned out that Gulemon had accidentally pressed some sensitive sensor areas, making Komondon feel like it was being tickled inside.

The driver saw this through the rearview mirror and laughed out loud: "Little guy, don't press it randomly, my big dog is very ticklish!"

The ancient beast was so frightened that it immediately withdrew its claws, scurried back into Cheng Yuan's arms, and made an apologetic sound of "Mo~ sorry for the delay".

Cheng Yuan smiled, rubbed the little head of the ancient beast, and then chatted with the driver.

"Master, your Komon beast is really good, it's both stable and spacious."

"Absolutely!" The driver started talking as soon as he mentioned his partner. "My old buddy has been with me for over ten years! Back when it was still a scrapmon, it helped me at construction sites, carrying bricks and sand, working tirelessly without complaint. Later, after accumulating enough data and resources, it finally lived up to expectations and evolved into Komondon! I figured that its size and strength were perfect for pulling the cart! These days, the wild isn't safe, so having it with me makes driving on intercity routes much safer! Don't let its good nature fool you; if it encounters a wild Digimon that doesn't know its own strength, one 'Hound Charge' and even most adult-level wild Digimon wouldn't dare to take it head-on!"

The man's tone was full of pride and deep affection for his partner.

Cheng Yuan nodded with deep feeling. Looking at the desolate scenery rushing past the window, he asked, "The countryside has changed so much now, I can't even recognize many places."

“Yes,” the driver sighed, his tone turning wistful. “Look at that particularly tall forest on the right. Twenty years ago, that was a pretty lively little village. I heard there was a small Digimon wave there once. Although it didn't cause a major disaster, the defenses there were too weak… Sigh, by the time reinforcements arrived, it was too late. Nowadays, everyone flocks to big cities or small towns like this one with good defenses. There's no other way; safety comes first. In these desolate areas, besides people like us who are used to traveling, or you Digimon trainers, who would dare to wander around?”

Cheng Yuan silently gazed at the hills, now covered only with dense vegetation, as if he could imagine the smoke from cooking fires and the sounds of people that once filled the air. Global integration brings not only opportunities, but also a brutal reshuffling.

The canine was fast and extremely steady, and by noon it had arrived smoothly at the long-distance passenger transport hub in Jinling City.

After saying goodbye to the enthusiastic Komondon and the driver, Cheng Yuan, along with his two Digimon, easily bought long-distance train tickets to Shenzhen in Jinling.

The enormous motorcycle roared as it sped along its dedicated track.

The scenery outside the window changed from hills to plains, and then gradually revealed the familiar Lingnan landscape. The journey was uneventful, and by evening, Cheng Yuan had finally returned to Pengcheng.

Stepping out of the station, the familiar humid heat hit him. Looking at the bustling city with its neon lights, Cheng Yuan felt as if he had been transported to another world.

His experiences in Shanghai were bizarre and wonderful, and his brief respite in the seaside town was like an interlude. In the end, he returned to the city where he grew up and worked hard.

He didn't go home immediately. Instead, he checked the time, hailed a taxi, and gave the name of a place—the former Penguin Music Plaza.

When the taxi stopped, the scene before me was completely different.

Where is the music plaza now? In its place stands a military outpost that looks like it came straight out of a science fiction movie!

The towering alloy walls gleamed with a cold metallic light, and were covered with energy sensors and monitoring probes.

Above the walls, there were intermittently spaced pulse energy towers, their tips gleaming with a chilling light of energy. Heavily armed soldiers patrolled inside and outside the walls, leading various Champion-level Digimon, their sharp eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

Further away, a massive, distorted spatial rift, constantly radiating chaotic energy waves, was firmly held in place by a huge metal support structure. Countless engineers and technicians were busy on the support platform, trying to stabilize and measure this entrance. That was the entrance to the Death Digital Space, like a colossal beast temporarily restrained, exuding an ominous yet powerful aura.

Around the entrance, modular buildings such as living quarters, training grounds, research institutes, and medical centers have sprung up, exuding a busy yet rigorous atmosphere despite their recent construction. This is the "Death Digital Space" forward observation station, or "Death Space Outpost" for short.

Cheng Yuan gave Xu Xin's name and appointment information. After going through layers of strict security checks and identity verification, he was led by a soldier into the command center in the core area.

Inside the command center, a huge holographic sand table is displaying the terrain and data around the outpost in real time, with many staff members bustling about, creating a tense yet orderly atmosphere.

"Cheng Yuan! Over here!" Xu Xin's voice came. He still looked like he hadn't woken up yet, but there was a hint of seriousness and fatigue between his brows, clearly indicating that the pressure here was considerable.

"Old Xu, cough, Brother Xu!" Cheng Yuan walked over quickly.

"It's good that you're here. Was the journey smooth?" Xu Xin patted his shoulder and looked him over carefully. "You look more energetic. It seems you gained a lot from your trip to Shanghai."

Cheng Yuan is here today mainly to check in and familiarize himself with the environment.

As the two were talking, a middle-aged man in a researcher's uniform, who looked like a technical supervisor, frowned. His gaze fell on Cheng Yuan and the small beast on his shoulder, and his tone was questioning: "Captain Xu, who is this? Command post is a sensitive area. Is it not in accordance with safety regulations to let such a young... trainee beast tamer in?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Xin turned to look at the supervisor, a faint smile playing on his lips. He pointed to himself and said, "Engineer Wang, when I led a team into the dark zone last year for reconnaissance, I was about the same age as him. Strength and contribution aren't just about age and license level. Cheng Yuan is one of the most outstanding students in Pengcheng, and a key witness and information provider in this spatial anomaly event. He's qualified to be here."

Xu Xin's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable weight.

Engineer Wang opened his mouth, seemingly recalling Xu Xin's legendary experiences. He realized he had been deceived by Xu Xin's mature appearance; Xu Xin was indeed a young man whose abilities far surpassed those of his peers.

He swallowed his words back in the end, but glanced at Cheng Yuan a couple more times before turning around to attend to his own business.

“Don’t mind it, people in technical fields are always more cautious,” Xu Xin explained to Cheng Yuan, and then began to show him around the various areas of the outpost, giving a brief introduction to the current construction progress, defense level, and preliminary detection plan.

Afterwards, he also attended a small planning meeting with Xu Xin. At the meeting, the leaders discussed topics such as the formation of the preliminary exploration team, material supply, and emergency plans.

When it was Xu Xin's turn to ask if anyone had any additional comments, her gaze finally settled on Cheng Yuan.

Chapter 207 Son, do you have a girlfriend?

Cheng Yuan hesitated for a moment, but still raised his hand.

All eyes immediately turned to the young apprentice animal trainer.

Cheng Yuan took a deep breath, gathered his thoughts, and said, "Dear teachers and seniors, I have a somewhat immature idea."

He recalled his experience in the Savage Valley Digital Space, as well as the scene of trading with Digimon at the outpost in the Forest of Ten Thousand Beasts, and said, "The Digital Space is vast and boundless. Even if we, the tamers and our partners, can explore it, our human strength is ultimately limited if we want to maintain long-term stability or even build it. I think perhaps we can try to cooperate with the native Digimon groups in the space that we can communicate with."

He paused, noticing the thoughtful expressions on some faces, and continued, "For example, we could provide them with the data resources and technology they need, or help them solve some problems in exchange for their assistance, such as acting as guides, providing vigilance, or even participating in infrastructure development. Let them also become participants in the construction of this space, becoming a community of shared destiny with us, rather than simply a relationship of conqueror and conquered. This might open up the situation more quickly and reduce unnecessary conflicts."

“Furthermore,” Cheng Yuan recalled his experiences in Shanghai and other stories he had heard about other digital spaces, “the development of many small and medium-sized digital space forces may be limited by the environment and resources of their own spaces. Although the Death Digital Space is dangerous, it has a high energy level and richer resources. Could we consider guiding some of our members from those promising Digimon forces that have good relations with us to migrate here and develop and build together? This would not only enhance our strength but also provide them with new development opportunities.”

A moment of silence fell over the meeting room, followed by hushed discussions. Xu Xin looked at Cheng Yuan, her eyes filled with even greater admiration. This idea was bold and visionary; although its implementation would be extremely complex, it undoubtedly provided a new approach to addressing the shortage of manpower.

Although beast tamer universities are expanding their enrollment significantly, it will still take 3-4 years for these students to truly mature.

"Excellent suggestion, Cheng Yuan. Although it involves cross-space guidance and diplomacy, and is very difficult to implement, it is worthwhile to include it in a long-term strategy and conduct a feasibility study." A middle-aged military officer in charge of strategic planning nodded and carefully took notes.

After the meeting, Xu Xin and Cheng Yuan returned to his temporary office.

"Tell me, what exactly happened in Shanghai? It's not convenient to go into details over the phone." Xu Xin closed the door, her expression turning serious.

Cheng Yuan took a sip of water and gave a general account of his experience in Shanghai, emphasizing the mischievous monkey beast that accidentally entered that strange space, encountered a wrong evolution, and lost its mind.

Of course, he omitted the core aspects of the Ancient Music Beast's mutation and evolution.

Later, after he cut off the tail and Dark Ring of the Monkeymon, the Monkeymon regressed back to the Monkeymon and was taken in as an apprentice by the Stubborn Beast.

Upon hearing this, Xu Xin could not hide his shock: "Ultimate form... it actually exists, and it has even appeared!"

He pondered for a moment, tapping his fingers on the table. "It's actually in Shanghai. It really is a place where hidden talents reside."

Then he exclaimed, "And the Savage Valley you mentioned, I really didn't expect that besides the birth of special mature siblings like the Gold Horned Beast and Silver Horned Beast, there was also a Mischievous Beast that could evolve into such a... powerful being. It seems that we haven't fully assessed the potential and diversity of these native digital spaces. Cooperation is indeed necessary, and it can be done at a higher level."

The two then discussed Digimon evolution, power systems, and space management. Cheng Yuan could sense that Xu Xin's pursuit of power and his desire to understand the Digital World were even stronger than before.

When Cheng Yuan heard Xu Xin mention that his DarkGreymon had been able to briefly break through to its Ultimate form thanks to the data synergy from the Dark Fruit, his desire to challenge it instantly vanished.

A Champion-level DarkGreymon might be able to hold its own against a Wolfmon, but a Ultimate-level one... well, forget it! The difference in power is too great.

So, he tactfully switched to sharing another of his discoveries—about the power of the "Fighter's Soul"—and suggested to Xu Xin: "Teacher Xu, you are very knowledgeable. In the future, when you are carrying out missions or exploring ruins, you can pay more attention to special items or inherited powers like the 'Fighter's Soul'. This item can allow tamers or Digimon with attribute resonance to evolve into Digimon and gain a powerful form. This is an ancient and rare way to become stronger."

Xu Xin showed great interest in the Fighter's Soul and nodded solemnly: "I will pay close attention to it. Thanks, Cheng Yuan, this information is very important."

As we left the outpost, the city lights were already on.

Cheng Yuan didn't go straight back to school; instead, he went home first. Just as he unlocked the door, a silver figure rushed towards him with a clicking sound, nearly bumping into his leg.

"A Gear Beast!" Cheng Yuan exclaimed in surprise. It seemed this guy had grown even more in just a few days.

"Gah gah!" The gear beast affectionately circled around Cheng Yuan, its serrated teeth spinning rapidly, expressing its joy.

"Woof!" The puppy beast and the gadget beast jumped off Cheng Yuan's shoulder and bumped into the gear beast. The two little friends obviously missed each other very much.

"Xiaoyuan's back?" Cheng's mother, wearing an apron, poked her head out of the kitchen with a big smile on her face. "Hurry up and wash your hands and get ready to eat! Your dad specially bought your favorite roast goose today!"

Cheng's father sat on the sofa, watching the news, and asked casually, "Is everything done?" But the concern in his eyes was unmistakable.

"Yes, it's done. It went very smoothly." Cheng Yuan felt a warmth in his heart. He put down his luggage, washed his hands, and sat down at the dining table.

Dinner was exceptionally lavish.

Cheng's mother kept serving food to Cheng Yuan and the Digimon, nagging them to be careful while out and about. Meanwhile, Puppymon and Gulemon almost got into a fight over a piece of data rib, filling the house with a long-lost liveliness and warmth.

Looking at the faint gray hairs at his parents' temples, and at this cozy but somewhat cramped and old home, Cheng Yuan made a decision.

With the cash he currently has, plus the revenue sharing generated by Yun Yao Studio, he has a considerable amount of money, and it's time to improve his family's living conditions.

"Dad, Mom, I want to buy a new house near the university town. The environment there is nice, quiet, and safe, and it's convenient for me to go to school... Let's buy a villa with a big yard, so Mom and Dad can grow some flowers and plants, and the Gear Beast and the Puppy Beast will have enough space to play and train..."

Click!

Cheng's mother was so shocked that she froze and dropped her chopsticks.

Cheng's father remained silent.

"Son, do you have a girlfriend?"

Chapter 208 Confirmation of Enrollment

In the evening, Cheng Yuan sat at his desk, gently tapping the surface. His gaze swept over the account balance displayed on his mobile banking screen, and he let out a long sigh.

[Bank Account: 1,876,543.21 yuan]

The account shows nearly two million, which is an astronomical figure for a high school student.

But Cheng Yuan knew in his heart that this money was like an ice cube in the sunlight; it looked big, but it melted very quickly and couldn't be spent easily.

The money I received from Yunyao Studio, bit by bit, did indeed add up to nearly six million. But the money came quickly and went even faster.

It wasn't that Cheng Yuan had suddenly become extravagant and wasteful, but rather that every expenditure was related to the future and had to be spent.

The biggest expense is three advanced blank tactical chips.