Chapter Sixty-Two: Hesitation

Qin Fei knew that the Ape Beast was still searching for the chosen children, wandering aimlessly like a headless fly due to the network malfunction. Previously, Taiyi and the others could rely on the vast, sparsely populated land to evade the Ape Beast’s pursuit, but now, things were different. The luxurious cruise ship they occupied was far more conspicuous than their previous hideouts; if the Ape Beast was nearby, it would easily spot them.

Thus, Qin Fei regarded the cruise ship as nothing more than a temporary resting place, ready to abandon it at any moment if necessary, though it seemed a pity.

“You all seem quite relaxed, don’t you?”

Amidst the lively party, an untimely voice suddenly rang out. It wasn’t loud, yet it reached everyone’s ears with clarity. All the celebratory movements halted simultaneously as everyone anxiously turned toward the source.

A pink Digimon, barely larger than an adult’s fist but with wings, holding a tiny spear-like weapon, appeared on the deck of the cruise ship. Despite its small stature, it possessed an aura that could not be ignored.

“You little brats, you’ve made it quite difficult for me to find you,” said the winged pink ball, its tone old and dignified, sounding both reproachful and concerned.

“Ah! Are you the Fairy Beast?”

Biyomon rushed out in surprise, as if unable to believe they had encountered such a rare Digimon.

“So cute!”

Mimi exclaimed, gazing at the tiny pink figure, seemingly tempted to reach out and hug it. The Fairy Beast’s appearance was indeed deceptive; its harmless look made it hard to imagine that it was a fully evolved Digimon.

Qin Fei breathed a sigh of relief. He had been on guard against the sudden appearance of the Ape Beast’s railcar, but now the Fairy Beast had shown up first. With its protection, the children should be much safer.

“Fairy Beast? Why are you looking for us... Are you an enemy?”

Hearing Fairy Beast’s words, Taiyi and the others grew wary.

“You’re the chosen children, aren’t you?”

Fairy Beast paid little heed to their caution and spoke for itself. However, when its gaze swept over Qin Fei, it paused briefly, saying nothing more, and continued to warn the children, “You must be facing trouble now—that’s why I came.”

“What kind of trouble?”

Joe blurted out, quickly realizing the situation. The chosen children were indeed troubled, each caught in self-doubt. If their psychological issues prevented their Digimon from evolving, it would be dangerous.

“Honestly, you already have your crests and evolution keys, so what’s wrong with you? How could such an accident happen?”

Fairy Beast’s blunt words dealt another heavy blow to the children’s confidence.

“This Digimon isn’t cute at all,”

Mimi pouted at Fairy Beast’s complaints, seemingly forgetting her earlier remark.

“You Digimon are really useless—so lazy!”

“Not only do you lack effort, you also lack perseverance.”

Fairy Beast, hearing Mimi’s muttering, seemed even more energized in its criticism.

“All you do is fuss and beep-beep-beep all day—aren’t you tired of it?”

Yamato finally scowled, quietly retorting, though perhaps lacking conviction, still reluctant to meet Fairy Beast’s gaze.

“But I just can’t try harder.”

“We just don’t have perseverance.”

Gomamon and the others, chastised by Fairy Beast, were left deflated, even showing signs of self-abandonment.

“In that case, starting today, everyone will train seriously with me.”

Qin Fei immediately understood Fairy Beast’s purpose: it was simply to stimulate the children.

“Training?”

“What’s that?”

The children were surprised, staring in confusion at the now cheerful Fairy Beast.

But Fairy Beast didn’t explain, instead fixing its gaze on Taiyi and Agumon and demanding, “Especially you two!”

“Me?”

Taiyi, hearing his name called, froze along with Agumon.

“That’s right, you and Agumon need more intensive training.”

“Intensive training?”

Taiyi was even more bewildered by Fairy Beast’s proposal.

“Come, follow me!”

Without waiting for a response, Fairy Beast swiftly flew off the cruise ship, striding ahead without concern for whether the children followed.

“What should we do?”

“Can we trust that Digimon?”

“I want to stay on this cruise ship—the outside world is too harsh.”

“No, staying here may be comfortable, but it’s such a big target. The Ape Beast will definitely come for us, and with our current strength, we can’t compete.”

“What do you all think?”

“It’s a bit nagging, but it’s not an evil Digimon.”

“It doesn’t have a black gear or black cables.”

“Since that’s the case, let’s go. We never really knew how to raise Digimon properly anyway.”

“And everyone’s together—there shouldn’t be any problems.”

“......”

The children gathered together, discussing their options, barely noticing Fairy Beast’s receding figure.

“Let’s go. We do need proper training. This cruise ship belonged to the Ape Beast’s minions—it’ll come for us eventually. Following Fairy Beast is better than wandering aimlessly.”

Qin Fei glanced at the barely visible Fairy Beast and spoke earnestly to everyone.

Hearing his words, the group appeared to make up their minds.

“What are you all dawdling for? Hurry up and come here!”

On the other side, realizing the children weren’t following, Fairy Beast shouted angrily from not far away.

...

“Are we there yet?”

On a barren land where only cacti grew, the children and their Digimon trudged behind Fairy Beast, exhausted and unsure how long they had been walking.

“We’re almost there!”

Fairy Beast replied confidently.

“Almost there, almost there... That’s all you ever say.”

Mimi, always outspoken, began to complain, even missing the comfort of the cruise ship.

“We’re here! This is the place.”

“Here? But there’s nothing here!”

Finally, Fairy Beast stopped in a deserted stretch of desert. Sora glanced around skeptically, doubting whether Fairy Beast was playing a trick on them.

But Fairy Beast ignored their complaints, leaping high and waving its spear, chanting an unknown incantation.

Suddenly, the space ahead seemed to tear open, revealing a lush and bizarre landscape within, as if another world had been unlocked.

“How... how is this possible!”

Except for Qin Fei, who had anticipated it, the other children stared in shock at the surreal scene before them.

“There’s nothing to be surprised about—you’re already inside my barrier.”

Despite Fairy Beast’s words, pride shone on its face.

“Come, follow me.”

With that, it led the way into the mouth of the forest.

Watching Taiyi and the others enter one by one, Qin Fei paused at the entrance, lost in thought.