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

"Yeah, my dad works at this research institute too. He's been working like a dog for ages."

Cheng Yuan then realized that her father was also a digital research expert; they came from a family of researchers!

After completing his weekly check-in task at the Evolution Research Institute, Cheng Yuan rushed off to his next destination.

Looking at the address Xu Xin had given him at the Dragon Clan Digital Club, and staring at the large, gilded characters on the building, a wave of chuunibyou (adolescent delusions of grandeur) washed over him.

As one of the top beast tamer clubs in the country, Dragon Club is renowned for its expertise in training dragon-type Digimon.

Although the branch office can't compare to the headquarters in terms of grandeur, it's still one of the top branches in Pengcheng. After all, in this world, dragon-type Digimon mean stronger physiques and more abundant energy—simply put, they're better at fighting.

This place provides club members with training facilities and equipment, as well as battlefields, sparring partners, and private coaches.

All Cheng Yuan had to do was complete the sparring assignments given to him by the club. Of course, the club wouldn't choose clients with a significant skill gap for him to spar with; his partners were rookies like himself who had just become trainee animal trainers.

Pushing open the revolving door, Cheng Yuan was instantly stunned by the sight before him.

In the high-ceilinged hall, crystal chandeliers reflected dazzling light, and the floor tiles were inlaid with huge dragon-shaped Digimon totems.

In the relaxation area on the left, several animal trainers dressed in custom-made training uniforms are enjoying tea and chatting; in the training ground on the right, all kinds of high-end training equipment are readily available.

Through the glass wall, Cheng Yuan saw a dragon-shaped Digimon testing its strength; the value of "299kg" was particularly eye-catching on the display screen.

"Hello, is Manager Lin Ge here? I'm Cheng Yuan, I have an appointment." Cheng Yuan walked to the front desk and said to a pretty receptionist.

"Please wait a moment." The receptionist maintained a professional smile, her fingers tapping lightly on the keyboard.

Meanwhile, in the VIP reception room, Lin Ge was entertaining a special pair of guests. The middle-aged manager, with his meticulously combed slicked-back hair, was currently pouring tea for the portly father and son opposite him.

"Old Lin, don't praise him so much." The fat middle-aged man took a sip of tea and laughed loudly. "I know my son's skill level. I brought him here today to let him see what a real animal trainer is like."

As he spoke, he slapped his son on the back of the head without any hesitation: "You son of a bitch! What are you daydreaming about! Uncle Lin is talking to you!"

The chubby boy woke up with a start, drool still dripping from his mouth: "Dad, what are you doing! I'm listening to Yun Yao's 'Butterfly' right now, my pangolin's evolution depends on it!"

"What Yun Yao? You're a beast tamer now, why are you still chasing stars?!" The middle-aged man smacked him on the head again.

Although the family has some savings from their business, it would be truly prestigious to train an animal trainer.

It's a pity about this good-for-nothing son...

The chubby boy, still defiant, stuck out his neck and pulled out his phone with Yun Yao's picture on the back, waving it around: "This song, 'Butterfly,' can increase Digimon attributes and speed up Sandstalker's growth. You didn't even know that? What a country bumpkin..."

"Me! What beast tamer? Believe me or not, I'll cripple you right now!"

Lin Ge smoothed things over, saying, "What a coincidence, our sparring partner has arrived. This sparring partner is also a new animal trainer. Why don't we let your son spar with him? This will help us tailor a more suitable course for your son."

“A newcomer?” the obese middle-aged man said. “No, no, we need to find someone more capable to broaden this fatso’s horizons.”

"Don't you know how strong our club is? And the difference is even more apparent when playing with people of the same age." Just then, the receptionist came in and reported in a low voice. Lin Ge's eyes lit up: "Speak of the devil, and he appears! The sparring partners are here. Shall we arrange a match right now?"

The chubby boy took off his headphones and stood up eagerly: "Perfect timing! He will be the stepping stone for my pangolin evolution!"

On the other side, Cheng Yuan was following the staff through the corridor. Through the glass wall, he saw all kinds of training grounds and high-end equipment, and couldn't help but marvel: How much would the maintenance cost be? Sure enough, you really can't play the animal trainer's game without money.

Is it true that the rich rely on technology while the poor rely on mutations?

"Are you Cheng Yuan?" Lin Ge asked.

Cheng Yuan turned around and saw a middle-aged man in a sharp suit walking towards him.

"I am Lin Ge." After a brief self-introduction, the man got straight to the point. "Since you were recommended by Xu Xin, your skills should be quite good. However, the rules cannot be broken; we must have a match first."

He pointed to the chubby boy not far away: "Your opponent is him. If you win 2000, you stay; if you lose 1000, you don't need to come tomorrow. Any questions?"

Cheng Yuan was taken aback: "Wait, the reward is higher if you win? You don't have to pretend to go easy on them?"

"What kind of show is this?" Lin Ge scoffed. "If these young masters really thought they were so great, why would they have signed up for the club's training program!"

Cheng Yuan blinked, speechless. This logic... actually makes a lot of sense?

Chapter 26 A Crushing Victory

"The other person is a senior high school student, and his Digimon is Sandslammon," Ling Ge explained as they walked. "Although it's in the Rookie stage, it's been trained quite well."

"The Champion-level Armadillomon of Pangolin is an Ankylosaurus-type Digimon, which is barely related to the dragon type, so it comes to the Dragon Club for training," Lin Ge added.

Among the subsidized Digimon eggs bred under government-directed programs this time are those of Pangolin, whose evolved form, Armadillo, can barely be called a dragon, thus sparking a wave of "dragon-raising" craze.

Cheng Yuan breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. The big guy in the top class was paired with Pangolin, whom he knew all too well.

Pangolin

[Vaccine Species, Beast Type, Earth Type]

[Growth Period]

[Skills: Scratching, Rolling Stone]

[Description: Its head, limbs, and back are covered in hard scales that can withstand some physical attacks, but its soft abdomen is its weak point.]

The moment Cheng Yuan stepped onto the battlefield, his heart began to pound uncontrollably. Although he had participated in many training sessions under Xu Xin's guidance, this was his first time engaging in a formal battle.

"My name is Wang Baole!" the chubby boy shouted with a strong voice, the Tyrannosaurus Rex on his waist shining brightly under the lights.

The pangolin behind him was enormous, its carapace gleaming with a metallic sheen, but it lacked the fierce aura of Kang Zhaodi's.

Even when lying down, this pangolin was nearly half a person's height, resembling a real armadillo in appearance. Its four short legs supported its heavy body, and its long, thin tail swayed restlessly. Its chubby belly rose and fell gently with its breathing, clearly a well-built physique nurtured by advanced data cubes.

However, compared to the pangolin of Kangzhaodi, it lacks a bit of fierce momentum and refined muscle lines.

"Your little dog is quite cute," Wang Baole grinned, his tone clearly dismissive.

"Woof!" The little dog proudly raised its head and nodded slightly, as if responding to the praise.

Cheng Yuan sighed, rubbing his forehead: "This little idiot, can't you even tell they're mocking you? Looks like you weren't paying attention in Chinese class either; you can't even do reading comprehension."

Ling clapped his hands: "The rules are simple: one-on-one to determine the winner. Both sides, please send out your Digimon."

As the whistle blew, the little dog leaped down from his shoulder like lightning, its tiny paws leaving a shallow mark on the battlefield.

"It's up to you, Pangolin! If you win, you'll be rewarded with a lavish data feast!" Wang Baole promised loudly. The Pangolin's massive body slowly emerged, its front paws unconsciously scraping the ground, making a grating sound.

The little dog suddenly turned its head and stared longingly at Cheng Yuan. That yearning look made Cheng Yuan both amused and annoyed. This little glutton, it was tempted by the mention of a "feast"?

"If I win, you'll buy me a big meal. You keep your word."

"Rolling stones!" Wang Baole was the first to attack. The pangolin immediately curled into a ball, its hard shells rubbing against each other and sparks flying. Like a chariot, it rolled across the field, plowing deep furrows in the sand.

"Rapid charge, dodge and then follow up with a puppy's bark!" Cheng Yuan responded calmly.

Rapid Charge is a skill that allows the Puppy Beast to move quickly, while Puppy Roar is a move that uses high-frequency sound waves to intimidate opponents and interrupt their skills.

The little dog beast nimbly dodged the attack, then let out a piercing roar. The high-frequency sound waves jolted the pangolin, forcing it to disengage from its rolling state.

"Now! Charge!" Cheng Yuan seized the opportunity. The little dog beast condensed a holy light shield on its forehead and charged towards the exposed belly of the pangolin.

"Scratch!" Wang Baole hurriedly gave the order. The pangolin stretched out its sharp claws, trying to intercept, but its movements were slowed by the interruption of its skill.

"Don't stop, dodge, keep accelerating!" Cheng Yuan shouted. The little dog beast turned into a blur, nimbly passing through the claw blockade, and crashed heavily into the pangolin's soft belly, knocking it three meters away.

"Gah! Gah!" the pangolin groaned in pain, but quickly stood up again with the encouragement of its tamer.

"Tsk." Cheng Yuan sighed. This was the difference in physique. Even if the little dog beast charged at top speed and rammed into the weak spot on the pangolin's abdomen, it would still be difficult to cause much damage.

If you replaced it with a pangolin that shines brightly on the ground, its abdomen would probably be as hard as an iron wall.

"Roaming tactics, attacking at opportune moments!" Cheng Yuan changed tactics. The little dog beast began to circle the pangolin at high speed, launching surprise attacks from time to time.

The pangolin's eyes stung as it watched the afterimages of the running creatures around it. It could only swing one paw to block the small dog beasts that tried to approach, while using the other paw to protect its injured abdomen.

But the chubby boy believed that the little dog beast couldn't maintain this high speed for long; sooner or later its stamina would drop, and then it could overcome its speed disadvantage.

"The puppy beast is too fast, completely restricting the pangolin's movements," Ling exclaimed.

Wang Baole's father saw that his son was at a disadvantage and that he had achieved his goal of suppressing him, but he was also afraid that his son's Digimon would be seriously injured, which would be too much of a blow to his son, so he was very conflicted.

"Use that move!" Cheng Yuan suddenly shouted.

"Huh? Which move?" Wang Baole looked bewildered.

Wang Baole's father covered his face, exclaiming, "What an idiot!"

"Woof!" The little dog suddenly accelerated and charged towards the pangolin, unleashing a high-speed ramming attack.

Wang Baole grinned, knowing that as long as the pangolin guarded the area closely, the little dog beast's attacks would be like tickling him and posed no threat whatsoever.

The puppy beast charged directly at the giant claw on the pangolin's abdomen, and at the moment of contact, it vanished in a blur.

"what?"

"Fake!"

"Is it a clone?"

That agile figure suddenly appeared in the pangolin's line of sight, like a white lightning bolt, striking the pangolin's unsuspecting face.

"Huh?!" The pangolin only saw a dog's face with a triumphant smile rapidly enlarging in its field of vision after it swung its paw.

"boom!"

The face, which was also not covered by scales, was smashed open by the little holy shield.

The pangolin collapsed to the ground with a dull thud as its carapace struck the earth. Its eyes swirled with mosquito coil-like patterns, and it could never rise again.

The referee's whistle blew immediately: "The Pangolin has lost its fighting ability, so the winner is Cheng Yuan!"

In the audience, the toothpick in the fat dad's hand fell to the ground.

Lin Ge then revealed a meaningful smile: "Interesting, they've actually been hiding their strength all this time."

He learned of Cheng Yuan's strength from Xu Xin. He still had at least 3-4 skills unused, two of which were still in development stages; otherwise, he wouldn't have hired a sparring partner whose background was unknown.

Wang Baole stood frozen in place, staring incredulously at his pangolin.

Cheng Yuan had already squatted down and gently stroked the little dog's head: "Well done! Extra food tonight!"

"Woof!" The little beast wagged its tail happily, as if all its previous fatigue had been swept away.

At the same time, Wang Baole sighed and used the Tyrannosaurus Rex to recall the Pangolin.

"A truly spectacular battle." Manager Ling crossed his arms, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Cheng Yuan and the little beast. "It's hard to imagine that a battle of this caliber would take place between two rookie beast tamers." His tone seemed to be praising the entire battle, but Cheng Yuan could sense that the praise was mostly directed at him.

The chubby dad patted his son's shoulder, so hard that Wang Baole stumbled: "Xiao Bao, look at him, and then look at you. We're both newcomers. If you don't work harder, don't blame me for disowning you as my son!"

"Dad, he kept dodging because of his speed... he didn't dare to face me head-on..." Wang Baole was about to retort when his chubby father smacked him on the head: "Still talking! Not embarrassed enough? Go sign up for a class right now, and until you win the battle again, cut off all your allowance except for feeding your Digimon!"

"Come on, you're making a fool of yourself!" The fat dad kicked his son in the butt. Cheng Yuan could already see the grueling training this rich kid was about to face.

He turned to Ling Ge and said, "I'm handing this brat over to the Dragon Clan. I'll transfer his tuition to the club's account later. Train him like crazy."

After seeing the two off, Lin Ge's entire demeanor changed as he turned around. He walked over and directly transferred money to Cheng Yuan via mobile phone: "2000, you deserve it."

He lowered his voice, "You seem to be in good spirits. Are you coming again this afternoon? We can schedule a few more sessions to put those rich kids to their knees."

Upon hearing the notification that his wealth points had increased by 2000, Cheng Yuan grinned from ear to ear: "Come on, of course I'll come if there's money to be made!"

Chapter 27 Starting Today, I'll Be the Demon King?

The battlefield was particularly lively in the afternoon, with Cheng Yuan facing off against two new beast tamers who had signed up for the advanced training class.

The first Airdramon was caught off guard by the speed of the Puppymon's charge as soon as it entered the arena, and the second Sandslammon was defeated before it could even use its Rolling Stone move.

“This is a ‘baseline test’,” Lin Ge explained from the sidelines, “to let them recognize the gap in their abilities.”

Watching the two dejected newcomers leave, Cheng Yuan couldn't help but wonder, "These training courses must be very expensive, right?"

“It starts at 100,000,” Lin Ge said casually, “not including subsequent private coaching fees.”

Cheng Yuan almost choked on his own saliva: "One hundred thousand?!" He suddenly felt that his sparring fee was too low.

“So that’s why I say!” Lin Ge patted him on the shoulder, “The profession of beast tamer either requires someone who is rich or someone who is exceptionally talented.”

The next morning, Cheng Yuan appeared at the club on time again. When Lin Ge saw him, his eyes lit up: "Hey kid, not bad endurance."

Cheng Yuan smiled without saying a word.

Of course, he wouldn't tell Ling that he immediately converted the reward into attribute points as soon as he received it, and that this temporary boost from spending money greatly accelerated the little dog's recovery speed.

With the club providing top-notch energy drinks and medical care, the little guy can stay in a state of combat readiness almost around the clock, as long as the intensity isn't too high.

Of the three battles on Sunday morning, the most troublesome was the dual-attribute Firewave Beast.

When it briefly took off with its rocky wings, Cheng Yuan had to change tactics and openly use the Holy Light Bullet for the first time in a battle.