Chapter 78: Another Digital World

“What’s going on?” Qin Fei gazed at the two Digivices in his hands, a surge of questions rising within him.

Just moments ago, as he had been quietly resting atop the grassy mat to recover from his injuries, both the Holy Plan and the third-generation Digivice had started vibrating inexplicably in his pocket. When Qin Fei took them out with curiosity, he couldn’t make sense of what was happening. Both devices—despite being from different generations—displayed the same symbol on their screens: a constantly rotating animation.

It was reminiscent of the icon that appears when a computer downloads updates.

“Ha, don’t tell me they’re actually updating,” Qin Fei scoffed at himself, finding the idea rather absurd. He had never heard of Digivices needing to update their systems. Yet, glancing at the still-unconscious Lorretta Beast and Black Dorulu Beast beside him, he couldn’t completely dismiss the possibility.

“Sigh, forget it. I’ll worry about everything else once my body’s healed.” Stuffing both Digivices back into his pocket, Qin Fei rested his hands behind his head and gazed out of the cave.

He had no idea when Puppy Beast would return.

There were simply too many things he didn’t understand, especially his own current physical condition, leaving him no energy to worry about anything else.

“Is this really the original Digital World?” Though he occasionally caught glimpses of familiar Digimon flickering past the cave entrance, a strange sense of disharmony still lingered in his heart…

In a half-dream, half-wakeful state, Qin Fei drifted off once more.

“Wake up. There’s some food here.” He didn’t know how long he’d slept before Puppy Beast’s cold voice suddenly rang out by his side, instantly rousing Qin Fei from his shallow slumber.

“Thank you.” Forcing his weary eyes open, Qin Fei managed a grateful smile for Puppy Beast.

“It’s nothing. But what’s the story with those two Digimon by your side?” Puppy Beast’s icy demeanor softened a little at Qin Fei’s genuine gratitude, but his curiosity toward Lorretta Beast and Black Dorulu Beast remained. From those two unconscious Digimon, Puppy Beast sensed a subtle difference in their aura compared to the Digimon here… as if they didn’t belong in this Digital World at all.

Earlier, their conditions had been so dire that Puppy Beast hadn’t pressed for answers. Now, seeing the human gradually recover, he couldn’t hold back his question.

“They’re my partners.” Qin Fei explained between bites, casting a worried glance at Lorretta Beast and Black Dorulu Beast, anxious that they still hadn’t awakened.

“So, they’re Digimon that mix with humans,” Puppy Beast sneered, clearly disdaining Digimon who associated with humans.

Qin Fei paused, picking up on the contempt in Puppy Beast’s tone, and recalling the earlier trace of hostility toward him as a human, he felt a flicker of confusion.

“You… don’t like humans very much?” After a moment’s hesitation, Qin Fei voiced his question.

“Digimon generally don’t like humans…” Puppy Beast shot Qin Fei a sidelong glance, his response tinged with a cold laugh.

Qin Fei was genuinely surprised. With the legend of the Chosen Children so widely spread, even if not all Digimon adored humans, they shouldn’t be universally despised.

“If it weren’t for that thing you’re carrying, which gives me an inexplicable sense of familiarity, I wouldn’t bother with whether you lived or died.” Puppy Beast’s tone remained frosty, his gaze drifting subconsciously to Qin Fei’s pocket.

Startled, Qin Fei pulled the object out.

It was the Holy Plan.

As Puppy Beast stared at the Holy Plan in Qin Fei’s hand, his eyes seemed to lose focus, and his body unconsciously drew nearer.

“This… what is this?!” Qin Fei’s eyes widened in disbelief as the Holy Plan suddenly burst forth with light. Why would Black Dorulu Beast’s Holy Plan Digivice react to Puppy Beast?

“It’s a warm feeling… like the power of light…” Puppy Beast instinctively placed his paw atop Qin Fei’s hand. Suddenly, countless streams of data surged from all directions, flowing through Puppy Beast’s body into the Holy Plan.

“This… this is!!!” Qin Fei’s eyes grew wide in shock. On the screen of the Holy Plan, the endlessly circling symbol had disappeared—almost as if the “system” had finally finished updating.

“I sensed the will of the Digital World from that device. Who exactly are you people?” When everything calmed, Puppy Beast, his reason restored, abruptly stepped back, regarding Qin Fei and the Holy Plan with wary vigilance.

A groan interrupted Puppy Beast’s question.

“Mm~”

“Ah…”

Two pained sighs cut through the tension. Qin Fei brightened instantly, paying no heed to the wary Puppy Beast as his attention shifted to Lorretta Beast, who had begun to stir.

“Lolo, how are you feeling?” The pain in his ankle still burned fiercely, but Qin Fei gritted his teeth and hobbled over. Lorretta Beast mattered most to him. He had to check on her and Black Dorulu Beast before he could answer Puppy Beast’s questions.

Seeing the deep concern in Qin Fei’s eyes for his Digimon companions, Puppy Beast let out a silent sigh, suppressing his unease. A human child who could show such worry for Digimon surely wasn’t a bad person.

“Qin Fei, where are we?” Noticing that she was in a strange cave, Lorretta Beast’s mind quickly cleared.

“It’s alright, Lolo. We’re safe for now.” Qin Fei reassured Lorretta Beast, then turned his gaze to Black Dorulu Beast, who was blinking in confusion.

“That’s Puppy Beast—he’s the one who saved us.” Seeing Lorretta Beast and Black Dorulu Beast slowly coming to, Qin Fei introduced their rescuer with genuine relief.

“Thank you for saving us,” Lorretta Beast said kindly to Puppy Beast, but only received a scrutinizing look in return.

“What kind of Digimon are you?” Puppy Beast, unable to sort out the puzzle, asked directly.

“She’s Lorretta Beast, and this is Black Dorulu Beast,” Qin Fei answered first, hoping to bridge the gap between both sides. Puppy Beast nodded and asked no further.

“Qin Fei, what’s wrong?” Suddenly, Lorretta Beast noticed something off about Qin Fei’s movements, as if he was enduring severe pain.

“His foot is injured—he needs rest,” Puppy Beast replied for him after a glance.

Qin Fei just smiled, steering the conversation away. He looked at Puppy Beast and asked the question that had been nagging at him: “Why did you say the Digimon here don’t like humans?”

“You don’t know?”

“What should I know?”

“About how your kind betrayed us—even carried out a massacre against Digimon!” As Puppy Beast spoke, his expression twisted with anger, baring his teeth at Qin Fei.

Lorretta Beast’s eyes turned cold, stepping protectively in front of Qin Fei.

“…”

“…”

“Sorry, I lost my composure…” Noticing the wary glances from Lorretta Beast and Black Dorulu Beast, Puppy Beast apologized. “But I can tell you’re not like those other humans.”

Qin Fei didn’t hear the latter part. He just stood there in shock.

Humans massacring Digimon?

That wasn’t part of the story he remembered from the first series. Could it be…