Chapter 126: Yu Ren's Photograph
“Qin Fei, it’s my turn to keep watch tonight. You all go get some rest.”
Shunai smiled to herself, seemingly recalling something as she looked at Loretta Beast cradled in Qin Fei’s arms. After adding a few more logs to the campfire alongside Lala Beast, she settled down.
Qin Fei nodded, carrying the still somewhat unconscious Lolo into the cave.
He gently laid Lolo beside him, then began pondering the meaning behind the Dark Spider Witch Beast’s words from not long ago.
“Is it that Lolo herself refuses to accept the existence of another self? Or is it...?”
Lost in thought, Qin Fei unknowingly drifted off to sleep.
...
Early the next morning, Qin Fei was awakened by his internal clock, his mind still foggy.
Outside the cave, Toma, who was keeping the last watch, was adding the remaining wood to the fire. The sky had yet to fully brighten, but the dangers of the wilderness kept him from wanting to lie down again.
“...”
“You’re not going to sleep a bit longer?” Toma asked lightly, observing Qin Fei’s yawning face.
“I can’t sleep. My body’s tired, but my mind won’t let me rest. Haha.”
Toma nodded in understanding. In such a perilous place within the Digital World, sleeping soundly without worry was simply impossible.
In contrast, Daemon and Agumon were sleeping so deeply it was enviable.
“By tomorrow night, we should reach the Infinite Ice Wall where Mercury Beast resides...” Toma suddenly remarked.
“So, we need to prepare thoroughly for our discussion with Mercury Beast.”
“Yeah, I wonder what answers we’ll get.”
Toma glanced curiously at Qin Fei. “Are you sure what you said about Akihiro Kurata is true?”
“Yeah, that guy’s not easy to deal with. He has tools that allow him to freely enter and exit the Digital World, and even commands vast armies of modified Digimon.”
Toma’s expression grew serious. “So, this time, are we siding with the Digimon?”
“No. We’re siding with those who want our Digimon partners to survive and those who seek peace between the Digital World and the human world.”
“...”
As Qin Fei and Toma conversed, Loretta Beast emerged from the cave, seemingly puzzled.
She appeared to have forgotten how she fell asleep the previous night, only vaguely recalling a troublesome enemy’s arrival and then nothing else.
“How did you sleep, Lolo?”
Qin Fei handed her some warm milk tea and bread.
“Not bad, I guess. But did anything special happen yesterday?”
Lolo asked as she looked at Qin Fei and Toma.
“No, everything was calm yesterday.”
“Yeah, everyone should be well rested now.”
“Really?”
Seeing Qin Fei and Toma say this, Lolo suppressed her doubts.
...
As the sky shifted from orange to white, Daemon, Shunai, and the others rose and replenished their food supplies before resuming their journey toward the Infinite Ice Wall.
Finally, they reached the foot of a snow-capped mountain. The grass was faintly covered by a thin layer of snow, and a biting chill permeated the air.
Though Qin Fei and the others wore light clothing, the protection of the Digital Souls allowed them to endure the cold.
“Come on, Agumon, hurry up!” Shunai urged, glancing back at the yellow-headed dinosaur who appeared weak.
“I’m exhausted. Let me rest a bit,” Agumon replied, grimacing and weakly speaking.
“I’ve been telling you to lose weight for ages,” Lala Beast teased mercilessly, but Agumon had no energy to respond.
Checking the time anxiously, Shunai said, “If we dawdle any longer, it’ll be dark.”
“But... we’ve been walking since early morning, and I’m hungry,” Daemon sighed, rubbing his head helplessly, looking at his partner Agumon.
“Fine, then we’ll rest a while.”
“No!” Shunai rejected immediately, pointing to the snow-covered ground. “There’s nowhere to hide here. What if enemies attack?”
Seeing the surroundings, Agumon reluctantly continued onward.
After some more walking, they seemed to reach halfway up the mountain. Just as they searched for a place to rest, a familiar child’s figure suddenly leapt out from the thick snow, launching a surprise attack.
“Oh, it’s Yuren!” Qin Fei greeted calmly, raising his arm to block Yuren’s kick with a martial arts move.
“We’re not that close!” Yuren snapped, frustrated by Qin Fei’s nonchalant smile, and prepared to strike again.
“Wait!!!” Qin Fei suddenly shouted, causing Yuren to freeze in place, genuinely startled.
“What do you want?” Yuren’s face flushed with anger, realizing he had been momentarily intimidated by this boy who looked so much like himself.
“I want to show you something your mother left you.”
Hearing this, Yuren’s anger swelled. His mother was a Snowmon, not some despicable human!
“Just look first,” Qin Fei said, then without waiting for refusal, pulled out a photo.
It was a picture of Yuren as a child, hugging a square-shaped robot in a cradle, smiling happily.
“...”
“It’s been ten years. How could Yuren possibly remember this!” Shunai expressed disbelief.
But unexpectedly, tears began streaming down Yuren’s face as he looked at the photo.
“So it is...” Qin Fei’s anxious heart finally eased. In the original animation, Yuren recalled his lost memories in the Digital World through the robot in the photo, eventually realizing his parents were human.
Though seeing the photo now was no substitute for witnessing his parents in the human world, it could still plant a seed in his heart.
“Is this... really me?”
Looking at the toddler in the photo who bore a striking resemblance to himself, Yuren seemed deeply affected.
“Yuren!”
At that moment, Night Hawkmon arrived, rushing over.
Seeing Yuren frozen, he assumed Qin Fei had scared him and immediately stepped in front to protect him.
“What have you done to Yuren?!”
Qin Fei paid no mind to Night Hawkmon’s hostile glare, waving the photo in front of him as well.
“Hey, isn’t this what Yuren looked like as a kid? I remember now...” Night Hawkmon said, further confusing Yuren’s mind.
“No, I’m a warrior of the Digital World, not possibly human!” Yuren shouted, then dashed off in an unknown direction.
Just as Night Hawkmon ran to pursue him, the frozen ground suddenly trembled.
A fierce mammoth with iron tusks burst forth, breaking through the ice, seemingly intent on crushing everyone before it.
“Mammothmon!” Toma and the others exchanged grim looks.
“Kill all the humans,” ordered the Ore Monster riding on Dragonflymon.
With the Mammothmon’s roar, an avalanche began.