Night, dark and deep. The only sound was the swish-swish of raindrops hitting the ground. If not for that, the entire street would have been eerily silent.
A young man in a black tracksuit, holding an umbrella, walked quickly down the deserted street.
He had dark hair and handsome features, exuding youthful charm. His journey, it seemed, was not a casual stroll.
After several twists and turns through various alleys, a slight smile touched the young man's lips. He had found it.
“Looks like my luck isn't bad after all. I wasn't led astray by passersby,” he murmured to himself, a hint of relief in his voice.
Before him, a vast expanse of thick white fog dominated his vision.
This fog was highly unusual, like a giant, invisible dome, isolating a specific area from the outside world. At its edges, a faint, almost imperceptible glow seemed to shimmer.
“The world of Digimon…” the young man whispered, a spark of excitement flashing in his eyes.
“To be able to come here in person is truly a blessing. My new life, full of fun and challenges, starts now!”
He smiled, and his umbrella vanished into a peculiar system space.
Then, the young man stepped, one foot after another, into the dense white fog known as the Digital Field.
He encountered no obstacles, walking straight into its depths.
Upon entering, the fog was so thick it was almost impossible to see, and the surrounding sounds seemed to be swallowed up.
The deeper he went, approaching the center, the clearer the scene gradually became.
A low, suppressed roar, like that of a wild beast, pierced through the fog and reached the young man's ears.
He quickened his pace, and a few more steps forward, the mysterious veil covering everything was finally lifted completely.
It was a… giant lynx?
No, that’s not right!
It was a Digimon!
It was covered in fur as vibrant as burning flames, with fire seemingly dancing at the tip of each strand. Its overall silhouette was powerful, creating a strong visual impact.
A scorching aura washed over him, and at the same time, the system's notification sound rang in his mind.
【Lynxmon: Armor, Beast, Vaccine; Strength Assessment: D-rank.】
The young man observed the Lynxmon; its fierce aura was unsettling.
But his gaze did not linger for long, quickly being drawn to another figure.
It was a girl.
Her reddish-brown hair with golden streaks was tied high into a spirited, spiky ponytail. She wore a green and white T-shirt with a broken sea-blue heart design on the chest, cool denim jeans, and a trench coat that swayed in the breeze. A pair of dark sunglasses rested on her nose.
Even in the dimly lit fog, this outfit, coupled with her unique aura, made the young man feel that this girl was even three points cooler than the flaming Lynxmon.
“Tsk, Ruki Makino…” the young man murmured her name, a knowing smile playing on his lips.
“That spirit… the title of ‘Coolest Female Protagonist’ is indeed well-deserved.”
Ruki was clearly unaware of the extra observer in the shadows. All her attention was focused on the Digimon before her.
And the Lynxmon, with its crimson beast eyes, only saw Ruki. Its expression was ferocious, and it let out a threatening growl, as if it would devour her alive the next second.
Facing the Lynxmon, which was vastly larger and exuded a menacing aura, Ruki showed no fear. She calmly took off her sunglasses, revealing a pair of purple eyes. Her gaze was cold, and she spoke in a flat tone: “Lynxmon, Armor Digimon.”
As her words fell, Ruki slightly turned, revealing a golden fox-like Digimon behind her—Renamon.
Renamon elegantly stood up, its slender form facing the Lynxmon, adopting a battle stance, its eyes equally sharp.
【Renamon: Rookie, Beast Man, Data; Strength Assessment: D-rank.】
The system's notification reappeared in the young man's mind.
In a flash, the Lynxmon let out a deafening roar, its four limbs pushing off with immense force. Its massive body transformed into a fiery red afterimage, lunging forward fiercely!
Though Renamon was prepared, under the impact of absolute strength and speed, it was still slammed to the ground, shaking the earth and kicking up a cloud of dust.
Ruki merely glanced indifferently, seemingly unconcerned about Renamon's predicament, then averted her gaze.
“Renamon, Card Slash.”
Her clear, calm voice rang out, without a hint of emotion.
Three cards appeared between Ruki's fingers. Her eyes narrowed, and she quickly pulled out one, swiping it smoothly on her d-ark digivice!
Her movements were fluid, without a single wasted motion.
“High-Speed Plug-in B!”
The d-ark digivice emitted a faint glow, and an invisible force instantly surged into Renamon's body.
The previously suppressed Renamon's movements suddenly became incredibly swift. Before the Lynxmon's claws could strike again, it vanished from its spot, transforming into a golden blur!
It was so fast that its trajectory was almost imperceptible!
The next moment, it appeared like a phantom in mid-air behind the Lynxmon.
“Fox Leaf Arrowhead!”
Renamon let out a clear cry, pushing its palms forward. Countless white energy leaves, shimmering with cold light, condensed out of thin air and shot towards the Lynxmon's back like a sudden storm!
Each leaf carried the sound of tearing through the air.
Boom!
A series of violent explosions rang out, and smoke and fire instantly engulfed the Lynxmon's massive body. Powerful shockwaves spread outwards.
“Oh dear, fighting so intensely in the middle of the night. Aren't they afraid of disturbing others? Disturbing the peace is not good behavior.”
“But that card slash move was indeed cool. Never mind, I won't blame the system for not taking me to Tai's timeline. After all, I'm quite fond of this Tamer generation too.”
Witnessing this battle beyond imagination, the young man's blood began to boil, his face showing unconcealed excitement.
“Well then…” the young man flexed his wrist, a mysterious glint in his eyes.
“I've seen enough of the excitement. Next, it's time for me to attend to my own business.”
The lingering echoes of the loud explosion had not yet completely subsided, and the turbulent currents of smoke and energy gradually dispersed.
The previously ferocious Lynxmon was now completely devoid of life. Its massive body, under Renamon's Fox Leaf Arrowhead, had directly transformed into a swirling stream of data.
These data particles scattered in the air, shimmering with faint light, ready to return to their origin or be absorbed by the victor.
Renamon panted slightly, its golden pupils fixed on the spoils that were about to be its own. Just as it was about to step forward and instinctively absorb these data particles to strengthen itself, an untimely figure made a move.
The young man, standing not far away, raised his right hand high. In his palm, he held a circular object with a 'blank texture' throughout.
The moment the object appeared, the data particles that had been scattered in mid-air seemed to be subjected to a powerful and irresistible gravitational pull.
They suddenly changed direction, forming thin lines at an astonishing, visible speed, rushing to converge into the round object in the young man's hand.
A faint, rhythmic electronic synthesized sound seemed to ring in the air.
“Swish—!”
As the last bit of data was completely absorbed, the circular object in the young man's hand suddenly transformed.
Its original blank style vanished, replaced by a more ornate, intricately patterned, peculiar dial with the Lynxmon Digimental embedded in its center.
The young man's lips curved into an uncontrollable smile as he contentedly examined the result in his hand.
It was done. The Lynxmon Digimental, his first Digimon Digimental, was acquired so easily.