A/N:
Chapter 2 is here. The author was always a huge fan of the Digimon series and its massive lore. The ending of Digimon Seekers left him with too many questions. So he started this story to explore those ideas alongside a fun and deep Full Dive into the world of Digital Monsters. ( • ᴗ - )v
The author sincerely hopes the readers will continue to watch over Blanc and Lily and their daily lives as they grow and evolve as partners. ( =ˊᵕˋ =)/
"Clang! Clang!"
The sounds of metal against metal echoed across the forest. Swords— not swords, but four sharp blades clashing against a golden trident.
One, two, three... I've lost count of how many times they've clashed in this brief exchange.
"Swoosh."
The demon beast lunges forward, its claws glimmering in the dim sunlight, aimed at the petite-looking girl standing before it.
"Swish."
With a graceful motion—like a dancer gliding across a ballroom—she narrowly avoids the beast's attack. Her delicate steps barely touch the soft patches of grass beneath her.
My eyes can barely follow them…. they're way too fast—this isn't how Digimon Battles usually go in the game!
The girl turns, readying her trident in her tiny hands.
"Clang!"
Dobermon's glimmering blade slices through the air, meeting the trident and sending a shockwave through the forest.
"Snap!" A nearby tree splits in half, crashing to the ground with a loud thud, causing my body to tremble. "Thump!" I feel my heart sink into my chest.
At a glance, you might think they're evenly matched.
But... the truth is...
"Clank!"
The demonic hound suddenly closes its fangs around the golden trident, twisting its head in an instant, sending the small girl flying through the bushes. Her small body bounces off a nearby boulder, cracking the rocky surface.
[Name: Dobermon]
[DP: 4000]
[Level: 4]
[Attribute: Vaccine]
I should've known... A Level 4... It's in a different league.
Starting from Level 1, a Digimon grows from infancy to childhood, to adulthood, finally obtaining a perfect form at Level 5. There are also rumors of the immensely powerful Level 6 Digimon—beings who have reached the realm of God, existing only in the game's lore.
As you might've guessed, the higher the level, the greater the Digimon Power or [DP]—the indicator of a Digital Monster's overall abilities.
Faced with a [DP] difference of 1000, any other Tamer would've chosen to evolve their partner, but I...
"Clutch." The girl—no, Blanc—stood up again. Her once pure white habit is bruised and dirty.
"Ugh, grabbing your opponent's weapon is unfair!" she complains, before glancing at me with a soft smile.
"I've got this, big sis! Blanc will give it a good beatdown for you!"
"Uh, okay... Good luck..."
How am I supposed to respond?
It's not every day you see your v-pet suddenly become real and talk to you. What is this? Some famous movie about an AI becoming sentient?
"Whoosh..."
A beautiful glow, like the first rays of dawn breaking through a dark night, swirls around her trident.
The box in my hand—the [Digimon Dock]—flashes again.
[Special Move Ready: Divine Pierce]
"Now! Go!" I shout, pressing the first button with all my might as soon as the slider reaches the red zone.
[Critical Point - 200%]
Yes! A 2x boost!
Responding to my voice, Blanc gripped her trident tightly, thrusting it at the charging Dobermon, leaving a radiant trail in its path.
Please... this time...
"Grrrr!"
The demon beast twists its body at the last second, easily dodging the trident coated in brilliant light. It glances at me, parting its jaws into a mocking grin.
"Not again!" I clench my fists.
This was the second time the special move was missed. But even if it had landed...
The earlier blow that saved me from certain death was the same Divine Pierce. Back then, it had only managed to momentarily stun Dobermon.
It knows we can't land a decisive blow... This damn dog... It's toying with us.
My eyes shift toward the screen of the [Digimon Dock] in my hand.
[Evolution: Unavailable]
A Digimon's evolution options are grayed out until a player unlocks the requirements. But for her, it was always blank.
At first, I thought maybe it was locked, or that it hadn't been implemented yet.
But she's super cute, and that's all that mattered to me back then. As they say—cuteness is justice, after all.
However, now that I'm fighting for my life... I'm not ready for this.
"Cling!"
Blanc takes a few steps back, regaining her balance as she grips the trident with trembling hands. Even I can tell she's struggling to stand properly.
The [Digimon Dock] has been flashing for a while now. The [SP] bar is already red. Her stamina is down. She can't keep this up for long.
"GRRRR!"
Dobermon steps forward with a terrifying growl, twitching its claws. Its crimson eyes lock on me as if piercing through my heart.
Ah, that's right... From the beginning... its target... was me.
"Thomp, thomp!"
With light, quick steps, Blanc instantly plants herself between me and the demon beast, her back to me, shielding me from the beast's glare.
"Big sis! Stay behind me!"
Her voice is gentle, almost comforting.
But that scary look in her eyes... Is this what they call bloodlust?
"You dummy mutt! Keep your paws away from Blanc's dear big sis!"
Wow, what a sudden shift... Aren't partners supposed to be pre-programmed? And why is she being so overprotective? I swear she wasn't like this when I first met her today after logging in.
Even when we challenged the Infinity Tower a few hours ago... Back then, she was the same as always...
A dark purple sky glows with an otherworldly light, stretching to infinity as if signaling the apocalypse. Various circuits cover the ground, emitting a beautiful luminance like sparkling fireflies. Strange blocks float in the sky, defying the laws of physics.
Amidst this strange realm—
[Black Ice!]
A horned beast sprints through the empty arena— no, a reptile, covered in a jet-black, tiger-like pelt, leaving a trail of massive icicles glittering in the artificial lights raining down from the sky.
It charges toward a small, silver-haired girl, like a beast hunting its prey...
Slowly, the girl raises her weapon with an expressionless face.
The incoming sharp icicles threaten to freeze her delicate figure solid. But just before they reach her—
[Divine Pierce!]
"Crack! Crack! Boom!"
Great! A perfect hit!
The trident, wrapped in dazzling light, pierces through the massive icicles like thin paper, striking the reptile's chest head-on.
The reptile falls, its black pelt bruised and tattered as it disappears into glowing particles.
[You have defeated Gabumon (Black)]
[Blackened Digimon defeated: 3/10]
I run to the girl with a bright grin. "Great job, Blanc!"
The girl turns to me, her silver eyes blinking. She tilts her head as if trying to say something.
[Scan Data: 99%]
[Exp obtained: 320]
[Drop items: Digi-Melon x2]
She stands on one leg before turning to me with a playful, adorable wink.
["Battle result is a victory as always! Kyu!"]
The same pre-scripted line. Yet, I can't help but smile and affectionately pat the head of the small girl.
Yes, she is my partner Digimon.
In Digimon Daydream, you can set a Digimon as your main partner.
Partners have several advantages: they join you on adventures, play with you, participate in battles… they can even be equipped with various accessories and battle items.
And this girl, looking up at me with those pretty, yet expressionless eyes, is nicknamed Blanc—my partner.
"Okay, the next target is... Galgomon Black? A Level 4?"
Well, it's not like higher-level Digimon are impossible to defeat. If only I still had my booster plug-ins to buff Blanc...
[Inventory: Empty]
"Whose idea was it to leave all the items outside the tower?"
What am I doing here? It's the new quest of the Infinity Tower storyline of the game.
Quest: Blackening Infection
"Digimon are being infected with a strange black element, turning them berserk.
The source is the newly discovered Infinity Tower.
Defeat the blackened Digimon and reach the heart of this mystery before the whole world is corrupted by darkness."
Well, it's no use crying over spilled milk.
I smile at the silver-haired girl. "Whatever! As long as you're with me, it'll be fine!"
The girl stays motionless, like a beautiful doll handcrafted by an artisan.
With a deep breath, I adjust my black short-skirt and sit down on a large glowing block on the ground.
"Well, let's eat something first!" I hand her the ripe [Digi-Melon] from my bag with a soft grin.
The girl tilts her head before adorably nibbling onto it, like a little rabbit, the ears on her klobuk twitch with each bite.
A scripted response. But no matter how many times I see it, I can't help but find it adorable.
"Okay, time to re-strategize! Wild Level 3 opponents aren't a match for you anymore. Now, for the next battle..."
Yes, thanks to all the training we went through these past few months, Blanc's strength is now beyond her level. Those late-night grinds were absolutely worth it.
"...So, that's pretty much it!" I softly smile at the expressionless girl, taking her hand.
"Now, let's head for-"
"BOOM!"
A deafening roar echoes throughout the silent realm, shaking the earth beneath my feet. Instinctively, I glance above my head...
"What's...?"
The sky shook, losing its glow as it shattered with a thunderous crash that resonated across the empty world.
My body trembles as I look up at the devastating scene unfolding before me, frozen in place.
Before I could process it, the shattered pieces of the sky swirled above us, forming a massive vortex, threatening to swallow up everything like the maw of a hungry giant.
End of the world— is the only way to describe such a scene.
"Some new event?! There wasn't anything like that in the notice!"
But before I could make sense out of this—
"CRACKK!"
The Earth shatters like fragile glass. The floating blocks, the ground beneath my feet, even the strange circuits—everything was drawn into the broken sky, swallowed up by the swirling vortex.
In an instant, my entire world vanished—swallowed up by a pitch-black darkness.