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

[Solution: Once the data integration is stable, this can be considered the new normal.]

“It’s not evolution,” Cheng Yuan’s voice clearly reached the ears of the students around him who were discussing it. “It’s a form reorganization caused by a surge in data volume. Just like some Digimon’s size increases as their strength grows, it has chosen a different, more efficient way of reorganization.”

He pointed to the center of the field, saying, "The core hasn't changed, but the 'core components' have increased."

An association expert wearing glasses, responsible for on-site observation and recording, also witnessed this situation in the chief examiner's room! He nodded repeatedly: "The form this Gear Beast X has been cultivated in is quite novel! Its growth stage has indeed remained unchanged, but its core data has experienced explosive growth, driving structural optimization and reorganization! This form... has enormous potential!"

"Holy crap! So that's why he was getting beaten so badly earlier, he was preparing a big move!" A boy in the audience suddenly realized and slapped his thigh.

"Awesome! A growth-stage monster defeating a mature monster? If this succeeds, it will definitely be on the news!" Kang Zhao excitedly waved his fist, as if he were the one on the field.

Amidst the clamor of discussion, the reassembled Gearmon X form was completely transformed!

The main structure is thicker and more robust, with four small gear beasts flying around like satellites, incredibly agile. Each rotating gear has its own independent consciousness, with lively eyes, closely connected to the core gear, and each performs its own function.

"Gear Beast X, counterattack!" Zhao Lu's eyes burned with fire as she decisively gave the order.

Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!

The four small gear beasts instantly detached from the main body, like four golden meteors, and crashed into the armored beasts that were waiting in battle from four tricky angles! They were no longer simple meshing parts, but combat units with independent action capabilities!

"Hmph!" The examiner snorted coldly, and the armored beast immediately activated [Heavy Barrier], and a thick energy shield instantly formed.

However, the four small gear beasts did not directly crash into the shield, but instead nimbly circled the armored beast at high speed!

【Gear Flying Saw】!

Four small gears unleashed flying gear saws, scrambling across the armored beast's shell and sending out blinding sparks and a chilling, piercing sound.

The armored beast was extremely annoyed by this all-around harassment. Its massive body moved clumsily, making it impossible to lock onto any small, fast-moving target.

"Now! Super Battery Cannon!" Zhao Lu seized the moment when the armored beast's defense was restrained!

Om-! ! !

The main body of Gear Beast X instantly transforms and reassembles! Its arms and core gear structure unfold and connect, and its energy conduits charge up rapidly!

A gigantic cannon barrel, its shape grotesque, its muzzle diameter several times larger than before, and crackling with terrifying golden arcs of electricity, took shape amidst blinding light! Deep within the muzzle, destructive energy frantically condensed, compressing into a blindingly bright golden-white sphere! The entire virtual battle space trembled slightly under the pressure of that energy core!

The examiner's expression changed drastically! The power of this shot absolutely exceeded the limits of a normal growth period!

Even during normal maturity, it may not be possible to reach this energy level.

"emission!"

boom--!!!!!!!

A massive, golden-white torrent of energy, like a divine spear tearing through the sky, pierced through the void in an instant, accompanied by a deafening roar and an aura of annihilation! The energy shield of the [Heavy Armor Barrier] shattered like fragile glass, failing to hold back the attack for even a second!

The beam of light, still powerful, slammed solidly into the armored beast's thick back armor!

"Roar—!!!" The armored beast let out a painful howl. A charred hole was instantly burned into its back, which was covered with super-alloy armor. The edges of the armor twisted and deformed, melting into a dripping crimson liquid. The enormous impact slammed its entire massive body away, crashing heavily into the edge of the energy wall of the virtual space. It slid to the ground, struggled a few times, and then completely lost consciousness. Its body turned into a stream of data and slowly dissipated, being sucked into the Digivice.

The armored beast has lost its fighting ability!

The entire Qingtian Digital Arena fell into a brief silence.

Immediately, it exploded like boiling oil being poured into cold water!

"Holy crap! We won?! We really won!"

"A growth-stage reversal of the mature stage! And a key examiner at that! A textbook example of a breakout performance!"

"Zhao Lu is awesome! Gear Beast X is awesome!"

"I'm fired up! I'm going to unleash my full power!"

Kang Zhaodi, Wenrou, Li Yue, and other members of the school team jumped up excitedly and clapped wildly. Whether the other candidates knew Zhao Lu or not, they were all ignited by this thrilling comeback. Cheers, whistles, and applause swept across the entire venue like a tsunami, creating an unprecedentedly enthusiastic atmosphere!

The examiner looked at the screen showing his armored beast's crushing defeat, shook his head helplessly, but his face showed a hint of appreciation and amazement. He raised his hand and heavily stamped "100" on Zhao Lu's score sheet, giving her a perfect score!

Virtual space deactivated.

Zhao Lu practically rushed off the command platform. With a clear goal in mind, she pushed through the excited crowd and ran straight to the audience area where Cheng Yuan was.

The principal, physical education teacher Cao Jin, and a group of students including Kang Zhaodi all gathered around, offering their congratulations in a flurry of voices.

Zhao Lu stood in front of Cheng Yuan, her chest rising and falling slightly, her cheeks flushed with excitement and running. Her bright eyes stared unblinkingly at Cheng Yuan, churning with a multitude of emotions—the joy of finding what she had lost, the relief of a heavy burden, and a hint of suppressed, hazy girlish feelings.

She took a deep breath, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just pursed her lips, raised her clenched fist, and punched Cheng Yuan's chest lightly. Her fist was there, and her fingertips could feel the warmth of his chest and the strong heartbeat under his school uniform.

"So you've finally decided to come back?" Her voice tried to maintain its usual clarity, but a slight, almost imperceptible tremor lingered at the end. "I knew it... you're incredibly lucky, even the King of Hell wouldn't dare take you." A thousand words ultimately condensed into a single sentence, tinged with both reproach and certainty—

"I knew it."

Cheng Yuan looked down at the pale fist pressed against his chest, then looked up to meet Zhao Lu's incredibly bright eyes. He grinned, a smile that conveyed both the carefree relief of surviving a disaster and a hint of barely perceptible fatigue.

He raised his hand and gently patted Zhao Lu's still tightly clenched fist with his warm palm.

"Hehe," he chuckled carefree, but his eyes were incredibly serious, "I really had a brush with death, and almost didn't make it back. But..."

Before he could finish speaking, his name appeared on the huge battle platform screen in front of him: "Cheng Yuan, please proceed to assessment platform number 7 to prepare."

"It's my turn." Cheng Yuan stretched his neck, and the familiar fighting spirit rekindled in his eyes.

"Little Dog Beast!"

A soft beam of data light shot out from the arc light machine and condensed at Cheng Yuan's feet.

When the light faded, what appeared was not a Champion-level Gatomon, but... a Puppymon!

"Woof! I'm ready!" The little dog raised its head, its voice clear and its eyes pure.

Everyone: "???"

The students watching, including Kang Zhaodi and others, almost popped their eyes out.

"Where's Gatomon? How did Cheng Yuan's Gatomon degenerate into a puppymon?"

"Damn! A puppy-like creature in its growth stage? The opponent is a mature-stage examiner! How am I supposed to fight this?"

"Oh no, oh no, is the double champion going to crash and burn?"

"What's Cheng Yuan up to? He took a leave of absence and his partner has already deteriorated?"

Whispers of doubt and worry instantly filled the air. Zhao Lu was also stunned, looking at Cheng Yuan with concern. Even Gatomon had regressed to a small dog-like beast; Zhao Lu truly believed he had narrowly escaped death.

Cheng Yuan seemed oblivious to the surrounding chatter, simply stretching lazily with a big yawn, his bones cracking slightly as if dispelling the fatigue of days of travel.

He patted the little dog's head and strode towards assessment platform number 7.

On assessment platform number 7, the examiner was already prepared. His partner was a centaur Digimon—Centamon!

Centaur

[Vaccine Type - Beastman Type]

[Maturity Stage]

[Skills: Hunting Cannon, Jet Kick, Horn Charge]

[Description: A Digimon with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse. It is brave, honest, loyal, and reliable, excelling in mid-range charges and long-range artillery fire, possessing both strength and speed.]

The centaur, holding a cannon, stood tall and proud, covered in light metal armor. Its muscles were bulging, and its four hooves trod on the virtual grassland, exuding the calm and imposing aura unique to its mature stage.

Its gaze toward Cheng Yuan and the puppy beast was calm, showing no contempt for its opponents despite their being in the growth stage, but also radiating absolute confidence.

"Examinee Cheng Yuan, please send out your partner Digimon." The examiner's voice came through the loudspeaker.

"BlackGatomon... I'm counting on you this time." He whispered, inserting the core containing the Dark Flower into the slot at the top of the Arc Machine!

"Puppymon evolves into BlackGatomon!" A wave of cold, mysterious, and incredibly pure dark energy swept out, causing those near station 7 to involuntarily shiver.

The black cocoon of light dissipated, and the creature standing in the arena was no longer the harmless little white dog.

It has a slender body covered with jet-black fur, and its golden pupils stand upright, gleaming with a coldness, arrogance, and wildness that are completely different from the gentle blue of Gatomon.

On its left ear, a red and gold earring swayed slightly with its movements. The most noticeable change was on its tail—the original sacred ring had disappeared, replaced by a deep, obsidian-like [Shadow Tail Ring], emitting a faint shadowy aura.

BlackGatomon

[Virus type? Monster type? Dark theme]

[Maturity Stage]

[Skills: Dark Claws, Shadow Strike, Dark Bubble]

[Description: A viral variant of Tailmon, a child of evil, it roams and lives in the chilling darkness. Its entire body is black, with a dark red glow in its eyes. It once inhabited dark regions, possessing a cunning and highly aggressive nature. It excels at using shadows for ambushes, and its claws can tear through defenses made of light energy.]

"Meow." BlackGatomon elegantly flicked its jet-black tail, its golden vertical pupils scanning the entire area with a sense of aloofness that looked down on all living beings, finally fixing on the Centaurmon opposite it, its gaze sharp as a knife.

An eerie silence fell over the entire room once again, followed by an even greater uproar!

"A black...black Gatomon?"

"Did they change the skin? The fur color looks so natural!"

"No! The aura is completely different! It's mature! And it's mature in the dark element!"

"My God! What on earth happened to Cheng Yuan? Gatomon can turn into a black cat?"

"This 'skin' is so cool! I love this black cat!" Some test takers who like dark-themed digital beasts already had their eyes shining.

"His Digimon can even have different skins?" a classmate familiar with Cheng Yuan murmured, immediately sparking a discussion of curiosity and envy among those around him.

After all, aside from the color of their fur and pupils and the accessories, the difference in appearance between Gatomon and Black Gatomon is not drastic. To an uninformed person, it would look like they have unlocked a special outfit.

The examiners and the centaurs also became serious.

This black cat-shaped Digimon exudes a pure and stable dark aura, far from the chaotic evil of being corrupted. Instead, it carries a cold and powerful pressure that should not be underestimated!

Chapter 153 Fulfilling the Promise

"The assessment begins!" The examiner dared not delay and immediately gave the order.

"Neigh—!" The centaur neighed, its four hooves pounding the ground, instantly transforming into a streak of silver-white light. Leaning forward, it activated the skill [Horn Charge]!

Its speed was so fast that it almost left afterimages! A barrier that could pierce through everything formed in front of it!

BlackGatomon's golden pupils contracted slightly. Faced with this thunderous charge, it did not choose to confront it head-on, nor did it even look back at Cheng Yuan!

[Shadow Strike]!

Its figure suddenly blurred, leaving only a faint black afterimage in place. Its true form, like a ghost merging into the shadows, slid sideways at a speed no less than that of a centaur! Its speed was as fast as a purple lightning bolt skimming across the ground!

The centaur charged forward with unwavering determination, only to find its target empty!

Just as the Centaur's charge was about to end, its old strength exhausted and new strength yet to arise, BlackGatomon's figure appeared like a ghost behind it! Its jet-black claws silently extended, the tips wrapped with a dark purple light as solid as a substance, and with a shrill whistle that tore through the air, it fiercely grabbed at the Centaur's relatively vulnerable belly joint!

【Claws of the Night】!

The frenzied claws lashed out at the centaur like a whirlwind, the ear-piercing sound of metal scraping against metal accompanied by sparks flying!

Countless deep claw marks with eerie purplish-black corrosive edges were instantly left on the centaur's armor and uncovered skin!

Dark energy, like a maggot clinging to a bone, erodes inward along the claw marks!

"Hiss!" The centaur cried out in pain, its massive body twisting violently, its thick hooves kicking backward with a whooshing sound, trying to force BlackGatomon back.

However, BlackGatomon, having landed a successful blow, did not linger in the fight. Its figure once again transformed into a blurry black shadow, like a slippery eel, and with a few light leaps, it widened the distance.

It landed on a virtual rock not far away, gently shaking off the metal shavings remaining on its claws. Its golden vertical pupils held a hint of disdain as it coldly stared at its opponent.

The entire battle was fluid, swift, and ruthless, entirely executed autonomously by BlackGatomon!

Cheng Yuan stood on the command platform, his hands in his school uniform pockets, looking relaxed, and even yawned, as if he were just a spectator!

There's nothing I can do. Even when I give the orders, BlackGatomon mostly just goes along with whatever I say, its beast personality splitting, and it's no longer the cute and clingy Gatomon it used to be.

"Such speed! Such a tricky attack!"

"The dark energy attached to those claws is corrosive! The centaur's armor won't withstand more than a few blows!"

"This black cat...it's kind of cool, but also kind of scary!"

The audience was stunned.

BlackGatomon's close-combat abilities, timing, and independent, arrogant fighting style are completely different from Gatomon's ranged attacks, and are full of the mysterious and deadly beauty unique to dark Digimon.

The examiner's forehead was already beaded with sweat.

Centaur wasn't seriously injured, but BlackGatomon's speed and the accompanying dark corruption were too troublesome.

Long-range "hunter cannon" saturation attacks? The enemy is too fast; the effect will likely be limited. Defense? Melee? They can't even touch the enemy!

Looking at the black cat wiping its claws in the arena, its eyes cold and arrogant, and then at the several glaring, corrosive claw marks on its partner's armor, the examiner decisively pressed the communicator: "Stop! Assessment terminated! Cheng Yuan, full marks passed!"