Chapter 60: The Promise

Everyone with true strength shares one common trait: confidence. Some possess an extraordinary confidence in themselves, so much so that it leads to their own undoing; yet those who recognize and master this self-assurance achieve remarkable success.

Zheng Qilin observed that the young man before him had just such confidence—not the kind born from being crowned the Newcomer King of Shashi, but a deeper, soul-rooted belief in himself.

"Zhao Jie, male, turning eighteen this October. Digital talent level A. Digimon: a mature Greymon. I haven’t made any mistakes, have I?" Zheng Qilin was mildly surprised by the A-level talent, for such a grade would prove advantageous in the future. At this stage, it merely meant a greater digital energy reservoir in the body, but those who mastered digital fusion with an A-level talent during their Digimon’s growth phase… Indeed, the boy before him had every reason to be confident.

"I must share some unfortunate news: your Greymon cannot undergo super-evolution. Are you aware of this?" Zheng Qilin enunciated each word carefully.

Though Digimon at the mature stage risk erroneous evolution—transforming into mindless monsters—Greymon’s success rate was the lowest of all, barely ten percent. With such dismal odds, and considering that the resulting MetalGreymon was not particularly powerful among perfect-level Digimon, the authorities officially removed this evolutionary path from the list of options.

From what he knew, some overseas groups deliberately raised Greymon in hopes of triggering erroneous evolution, using the resulting berserk Greymon to fend off beast tides in digital realms. The results, in practice, were quite effective. The RB Nation had repelled two major beast riots this way, but the rampaging Greymon exacted a terrible price before they could be subdued.

Such tactics—hurting the enemy at the cost of nearly equal self-harm—were not acceptable in Hua Nation. Thus, the official stance was to keep this evolutionary route undisclosed. Of course, if someone’s Digimon did evolve into Greymon, it was no longer the authorities’ concern.

"I know. I am confident I can help Greymon achieve successful super-evolution," Zhao Jie nodded quietly, though his heart grew heavier. To be honest, the challenge of super-evolution was a thorn in his side; whether he could overcome it, he himself was unsure.

"Heh, I’ve heard many say that," Zheng Qilin replied, unconcerned. It was far too early to discuss super-evolution; after all, the person before him had only entered the digital world less than a year ago.

One must understand: while every Digimon is capable of super-evolution, nurturing them to that threshold is another matter entirely. Most Digimon in the digital world remain at the mature stage. Even if this young man is a genius, to have Greymon super-evolve would require at least two years, perhaps even longer.

"My first gesture of goodwill is this: our academy will grant you free access to all materials on Greymon’s super-evolution. You must realize how precious this knowledge is to you."

Knowledge is wealth; this holds true in any era, but especially in a world where the digital and human realms coexist. In the early days, Digimon evolved solely on their own, and many Digi-users suffered backlash from erroneous evolutions—injury at best, death at worst.

During this primitive era, a Digi-user with scientific inclinations discovered that Digimon exhibited numerous gene sequences during evolution. Thus, the profession of Digital Researcher—or Digital Doctor—was born.

Through studying Digimon’s genetic codes, researchers found that supplementing certain evolutionary materials could induce specific evolutions, avoiding erroneous outcomes. Thus, under the guidance of digital researchers, the evolutionary systems for various Digimon at the mature stage were gradually perfected.

Every experiment carried its risks and yielded new discoveries. Normally, Zhao Jie would not have access to such experimental data. This gesture of goodwill greatly pleased him.

"And the second?"

Since Zheng Qilin had called it the first gesture, naturally there would be a second. Zhao Jie inquired calmly.

"The second is that our academy will provide you, free of charge, with one Flame Fruit, two Agility Fruits, two Endurance Fruits, and two Power Fruits."

At this, Li Ping, standing nearby, drew a sharp breath—these items together were worth 800 digital points. In all his years as a Digi-user, he had never possessed so many resources at once. Hearing Zheng Qilin’s promise, he couldn’t help but feel envious of Zhao Jie.

"Add three hundred points as well!"

To Li Ping’s surprise, Zhao Jie demanded even more, despite the generous offer already made. Wasn’t he afraid Zheng Qilin would walk away in anger?

"Impossible. The terms we’re offering are already substantial. I won’t mention the basic fruits, but you know the value of the Flame Fruit. We cannot add any more digital points," Zheng Qilin refused outright, without even thinking.

"However, for a talent like you, we can provide another service."

"Credit—we can lend you digital points, up to a thousand!"

Li Ping’s throat suddenly felt parched; he gulped water but only grew thirstier. A thousand points! If he could have a thousand points, he might even help his Ogremon attempt super-evolution.

"What must I pay?" Zhao Jie’s breath quickened. He had to admit, with a thousand points plus the previous gifts, Greymon could reach an entirely new level. But he doubted it would be so easy to obtain.

"You don’t need to pay anything, as long as you repay the points and interest during your academic period."

"There’s interest?" Zhao Jie was taken aback.

"Of course there’s interest. Did you think the academy’s points came for free?" Zheng Qilin replied matter-of-factly. "The interest is modest, just ten percent. Borrow a thousand, repay eleven hundred."

Very well. Zhao Jie regained his composure. He had thought there would be no interest, but upon reflection, it was impossible; as Zheng Qilin said, academy points were not given away for nothing.

"So? Is this offer generous enough? Borrowing points from the academy usually requires approval and is granted based on the assessment. You’re a genius, so I’ve given you the highest limit."

Watching Zhao Jie’s expression, Zheng Qilin felt confident that the deal was as good as sealed.