Chapter Thirty-Five: The Founders' Village

Pain—his entire body ached, as though every bone and muscle had been ruthlessly battered. Earlier, when life and death hung in the balance and adrenaline coursed through him, Qin Fei had managed to ignore it. But now, with the pressure eased, both fresh and old wounds flared at once, nearly causing him to black out.

Gritting his teeth, Qin Fei forced himself to move his limbs, enduring the agony. Thankfully, he hadn’t broken any bones or suffered massive blood loss, though he must look utterly wretched.

“Qin Fei, are you alright?” Loretta Beast’s voice was tinged with worry as she looked at him. Blood and raw flesh marked his knees and elbows, making him appear truly pitiful—and stirring her heart with pain for him.

“I’m… alright, I think. Nothing serious, I suppose—ah!” The pain made him grimace, but he shook his head. Now was not the time for delay.

The Dark Spider Witch Beast had already reverted to Loretta Beast’s form. Though Demon Beast was also gravely wounded, bolstered by those numerous black gears, its strength remained formidable. In their weakened state, he and Loretta Beast stood little chance against it should they continue to fight.

“Let’s go. We need to leave here. Although Demon Beast has fled, that cunning creature may well return.” Qin Fei glanced up at the ruined Dark Temple atop the summit, now long since emptied of life.

“Are you sure you can walk?” Loretta Beast offered him a hand to pull him up.

“I’ll manage. Let’s go.” With trembling steps, Qin Fei started down the mountain.

He picked up his fallen backpack and pulled out a stash of hardtack biscuits, forcing himself to share the dry, difficult meal with Loretta Beast. They had to fill their stomachs—if danger struck again, they’d have no strength left to respond.

“These taste awful.” His parched lips rebelled at the dry biscuits, but Qin Fei still forced down what few he had. Once they reached the foot of the mountain, they’d find water.

“Where will we go next?” Loretta Beast asked cautiously after finishing her share.

Qin Fei bowed his head, lost in thought, then watched as the fragments of Faloui Island drifted back across the sea. It seemed unlikely he would reunite with Tai Yi and the others anytime soon.

“Let’s try the Village of Beginnings. Maybe Awu is there.” He finally settled on a destination. The story had already diverged so far from his memory that he couldn’t be sure Awu would truly appear there—but at least now they had a clear direction.

…

Perhaps it was numbness from walking for so long, but Qin Fei found his body gradually adapting to the pain. He no longer staggered, and his gait was almost as steady as usual—though his dust-covered appearance was decidedly ragged.

The descent was much faster. With only a short rest along the way, they reached the foot of the mountain just as the sun was about to set.

“Shouldn’t we find a place to camp?” Loretta Beast asked, watching as Qin Fei gulped down handfuls of stream water before pressing on.

“No. The Village of Beginnings isn’t far, and I worry that if I rest for the night, I might not be able to move at all tomorrow.” Qin Fei shook his head. He knew his own condition too well—if he didn’t push forward while his body was still half-numb, tomorrow’s soreness might completely immobilize him. It was just like the day after intense exercise—the muscles would be in agony.

Seeing his determination, Loretta Beast refrained from stopping him despite her worry. She knew he was right.

“Qin Fei, did I really evolve before?” As they walked, Loretta Beast’s voice grew complicated. Her memories from before were muddled, but she recalled transforming—becoming strange, and feeling strange emotions towards Qin Fei. Everything else was a blur. The fear that her evolved self might no longer be her, or that she’d forget these moments with Qin Fei, filled her with unease.

“You did evolve. Well, more like a deviation, but yes—you became much stronger. That Demon Beast nearly stood no chance against you.” Qin Fei managed a smile, swallowing back the words “wrong evolution.” For some reason, he couldn’t forget what the Dark Spider Witch Beast had said—she didn’t want to be called a mistaken evolution. She was a Digimon, Loretta Beast’s evolved form, though she looked nothing like the adult stage he’d designed.

Bang! The memory of the Dark Spider Witch Beast’s reluctant gaze before devolving made Qin Fei lash out, punching a nearby tree in frustration.

“Qin… Qin Fei?” Loretta Beast flinched, puzzled by his sudden outburst. Everything seemed to point to her evolved form—something must have happened during the evolution to trouble Qin Fei so deeply.

“Sorry. I’m just not myself, Loretta Beast. Don’t worry about me.” Noticing her anxious gaze, Qin Fei shook his head and gave her a bitter smile.

Loretta Beast was silent.

“Let’s go. Don’t mind me—the Village of Beginnings should be close.” Acting as though nothing had happened, Qin Fei strode ahead toward the train tracks and warning lights visible in the distance.

“What should I do?” Loretta Beast whispered in confusion, a faint resistance to evolution stirring in her heart.

…

“Is that it?” Loretta Beast’s eyes widened with curiosity at the sight of a playground-like village built from what seemed like toy blocks. But she waited in vain for Qin Fei’s answer.

“Qin Fei?” Panic crept in as she turned to look behind her.

At some point, Qin Fei had collapsed onto the soft ground at the entrance to the Village of Beginnings.

“Qin Fei? Qin Fei! Wake up! Don’t lie there—get up!” Loretta Beast’s face paled as she hurried to prop up the unconscious boy.

“What do I do? What should I do?” Yet, feeling Qin Fei’s steady breathing, her fear eased a little—though the situation was still far from hopeful.

…

“Hey, isn’t that Qin Fei and Loretta Beast?” Suddenly, a familiar, curious voice called from nearby, making Loretta Beast start and then burst into joy. It was indeed the youngest child and the yet-unevolved Patamon.

“How did you get here? No—help me! Qin Fei is hurt!” As Loretta Beast called for help, Awu and Patamon rushed over in concern.

“But… but I don’t know what to do!” Awu stammered.

“Do you have any medicine with you?” Loretta Beast asked urgently, grasping at any possibility.

“No, all the medicine is in Azhu’s pack…” Awu shook his head.

“We should move Qin Fei to a safer spot first.”

“There’s nothing else for it.” Watching Awu struggle to drag Qin Fei, Loretta Beast sighed and lifted him herself, heading deeper into the village.

“What are those?” As they ventured further, countless cradle-like structures made of earth appeared before them. Awu, full of curiosity, hurried over to inspect them.

“These are all Digimon—the babies, freshly hatched,” Patamon explained with a smile.

Awu’s curiosity got the better of him, and he dashed from one cradle to the next, peering at the newborn Pokémon.

“Hm?” With a small sound of surprise, something else caught Awu’s eye.

“What’s this one?” He picked up an oval object and called out to Patamon.

“It’s a Digi-Egg.”

“A Digi-Egg?”

…

Elsewhere, seeing Awu and Patamon so absorbed in their exploring, Loretta Beast sighed—she couldn’t rely on them. She settled Qin Fei beneath a tree hung with toys, letting him rest for a while.

“Can I really evolve successfully?” Staring intently at Qin Fei’s face, Loretta Beast lay down beside him, seeking rest.

Yet, on Qin Fei’s other side, a Digi-Egg with beautiful patterns was quietly taking shape.