This sudden turn of events caused Renamon, who was about to collect the spoils of war, to freeze.
Ruki Makino's cool, clear eyes finally shifted completely from the afterglow of battle, sharply turning towards this suddenly appearing "uninvited guest."
"Ruki, be careful, there's something strange about this person," Renamon quickly moved, blocking Ruki Makino, and said in a low, wary tone.
After defeating a Digimon, absorbing its data is one of the immutable rules among Digimon.
This rule, like a law of nature, is extremely difficult to interfere with or violate by external forces; in other words, this "gift" after battle is almost impossible for a third party to simply snatch away.
Unless, of course, they possess some incredible special means.
Renamon had been through many battles, but it had never seen any Digimon with such an ability to directly intercept data, let alone a human.
Therefore, it was now highly wary of this young man who could so easily change the rules.
Ruki Makino's beautiful brows furrowed slightly due to Renamon's solemn attitude.
She carefully re-examined the young man in front of her: black sportswear, dark short hair, handsome features, with a unique youthful charm, and seemingly a few years older than herself.
But she was absolutely certain that she did not know this person and had never seen him before in any context.
"Who are you?" Ruki's cool voice rang out, carrying an undeniable tone of inquiry.
Listening to Ruki Makino's unceremonious question, the young man looked at her, his smile undiminished, with a hint of playfulness.
The young man thought for two seconds, seemingly organizing his words.
"My name is Bai Yu, I'm fifteen years old."
"My home is... I won't tell you that, lest you bother me."
As soon as he said this, Ruki Makino's gaze immediately changed; she looked at the young man as if he were an idiot.
"Psycho, narcissist," two unsparing words escaped her lips.
Bai Yu was unconcerned by this, instead finding it to perfectly match the "Digimon Queen's" personality.
Ruki did not dwell on this question; she was more concerned about something else.
"Why are you here? Are you also a Tamer?"
Generally speaking, the Digital Field, an unstable space overlapping with the real world, is not somewhere ordinary people can freely enter or exit, except for Tamers like them and a few others.
Upon hearing this, Bai Yu's smile widened, carrying an elusive meaning: "If you're asking about my purpose for being here..."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Renamon beside Ruki, then looking towards where Lynxmon had disappeared.
"I came to see Digimon, but more importantly, to collect data. From that perspective, I should thank you and your partner for saving me a lot of effort. As for being a Tamer..."
Bai Yu stroked his chin, seemingly weighing his words: "I suppose I count, but not purely. Compared to a legitimate Tamer like you, I'm definitely different."
Bai Yu's words caused Ruki's beautiful brows to furrow even tighter, and a vague sense of displeasure rose in her heart.
This guy had talked for so long, and the useful information was incredibly scarce.
Either he was a Tamer, or he wasn't; what did he mean by "sort of" and "not purely"? Did he think just any Tom, Dick, or Harry could know about the existence of Digimon?
Except for Tamers like them and a few others, ordinary young people simply couldn't access this level.
Was this guy trying to fool her, treating her like a child who knew nothing?
However, one thing was revealed: this person's purpose for being here was for Digimon data.
Ruki's cool gaze refocused, with a scrutinizing intensity, firmly fixed on Bai Yu.
"No matter who you are, it's a fact that you stole our spoils."
"Since you also consider yourself a Tamer, then call out your partner Digimon. We'll have a battle. If I win, you'll return the Lynxmon data you just absorbed to Renamon."
Renamon stood silently beside her, its golden beast eyes also sharply fixed on Bai Yu, clearly agreeing completely with Ruki's suggestion.
To Ruki's straightforward challenge, Bai Yu's smile not only didn't fade but deepened a few shades.
This was exactly what he was waiting for.
Having just acquired the Lynxmon Digimental, his hands were itching to thoroughly test this new power.
Bai Yu nodded almost without thinking: "Okay."
"However..."
He changed the subject, a hint of playfulness in his eyes.
"Only you benefit if you win, but I get nothing if I win. That's not very fair."
"What do you want?" Ruki's tone remained icy, seemingly not believing she would lose.
Bai Yu extended a finger, slowly saying, "It's simple. If I win, you'll cover my room and board for the next month."
"..."
Both Ruki and Renamon beside her were stunned.
They had imagined all sorts of conditions Bai Yu might propose, such as demanding cards or other Digimon-related requests.
But they never expected him to propose something as... unbelievable as free food and lodging.
Did this guy have nowhere to eat or nowhere to sleep?
Ruki looked at Bai Yu with the eyes one would use for a beggar.
She was half right; Bai Yu was indeed homeless at the moment.
Thanks to that enthusiastic dump truck driver, Bai Yu had transmigrated to this world three days ago.
In these three days, besides getting a basic understanding of this world and activating his system, Bai Yu's biggest gain was a legitimate ID and a meager amount of cash in his pocket.
That money, even with careful budgeting, would only last him a few more days.
If he couldn't find a stable source of income soon, this esteemed transmigrator would likely have to experience the "miserable life" of living on the streets and begging.
That would be too embarrassing. How could he face his fellow transmigrators in the future?
How would the folks back on his home planet judge this "promising" transmigrator?
So, when Ruki proactively suggested a battle, Bai Yu went with the flow, thinking of finding himself a long-term meal ticket.
"How about it? Is this condition not excessive?" Bai Yu's smile was harmless.
Ruki was silent for a few seconds, seemingly weighing her options.
She had absolute confidence in herself and in Renamon. This mysterious guy, even if he had some trump card, could never be a match for Renamon.
"Alright, I agree," Ruki said coldly, accepting the wager.
"Then it's settled," Bai Yu's smile grew brighter, and he flexed his wrist, making a faint "click-clack" sound.
"However, I need to state in advance that I don't have a Digimon partner. My fighting style might be a bit different from what you know."
Bai Yu's gaze held a strange meaning as he looked at Ruki and Renamon.
"So, from now on, you'll need to keep your eyes wide open. This might be the moment that redefines your worldview."
As his voice fell, Bai Yu slowly raised his left hand. Without any warning, a uniquely shaped device appeared out of thin air in his palm.
It was the Time-Space Driver.
"This is..." Ruki's pupils slightly contracted.
Renamon also let out a low gasp of surprise, its fur bristling with wariness.
They both saw it clearly: Bai Yu's hand had been empty just moments before.
This was definitely not some magic trick.
Bai Yu ignored their surprise, placed the Time-Space Driver on his waist, and the belt automatically extended and fastened. With his right hand, he picked up the Lynxmon Digimental he had just acquired.
The originally blank-textured Digimental had undergone a complete transformation. Burning orange-red and deep black-purple intertwined, and a lifelike, offset Lynxmon head emblem was engraved in the center of the Digimental.
Bai Yu gently rotated the edge of the Lynxmon Digimental, then pressed the button on the side of the Digimental.
"Lynxmon!"
A powerful electronic sound effect suddenly rang out, exceptionally clear in the silent mist.
Immediately after, under the shocked gaze of Ruki and Renamon, Bai Yu inserted the Lynxmon Digimental into the right slot of the Time-Space Driver on his waist!
"Henshin!"
Bai Yu let out a low cry, and his right hand violently rotated the Driver three hundred and sixty degrees!
Buzz—!
The Time-Space Driver erupted with dazzling light. The Lynxmon Digimental released a scorching flame intertwined with data streams, like a fierce fire dragon, instantly enveloping Bai Yu's entire body.
Within the flames, a phantom of Lynxmon roared into existence, incredibly majestic.
"Digimon Time—Lynxmon!"
The Driver issued a stirring declaration.
The scorching flames and data streams began to solidify, and plates of armor rapidly covered Bai Yu's body.
An orange-red main color scheme, accented with deep black-purple and dazzling gold.
The helmet mimicked Lynxmon's head features, with burning beast ears standing tall. Orange-red light glowed from the eyes, and a wild radiance emanated from the vertical pupils, as if a true beast had descended.
His arms and legs were covered in lightweight, streamlined armor, with sharp claw blades glinting at the joints.
A flexible mechanical tail extended from behind him, swaying slightly, carrying an indescribable sense of oppression.
When the last flame extinguished and the data stream completely integrated into his body.
Bai Yu's figure had completely transformed.