Chapter 14: World Announcement

The first method is external evolution.

In the game shop, there is a crystal known as the Evolution Crystal, which comes in superior, intermediate, and inferior grades. The inferior Evolution Crystal can be used to evolve a creature from its growth stage to maturity, with about a ninety percent success rate. The intermediate Evolution Crystal allows a mature creature to evolve into its perfect form, with a success rate of around fifty percent. The superior Evolution Crystal enables a perfect form to evolve into its ultimate form, but the success rate is only about ten percent.

If evolution with an Evolution Crystal fails, the creature’s maximum attributes will be reduced, the extent of which depends on luck.

An inferior Evolution Crystal costs about one hundred gold coins—not particularly expensive, and most people can afford it. However, being able to afford something and actually wanting to purchase it are two different matters.

Additionally, inferior Evolution Crystals can sometimes be discovered in wild mines. These wild crystals are of slightly higher quality than those sold in the shop, granting a somewhat higher success rate and yielding greater overall combat strength after evolution.

For instance, if an Agumon with a combat power of one hundred evolves successfully using a shop-bought crystal, its combat power would rise to around two hundred to two hundred twenty. But if it evolves with a wild Evolution Crystal, the combat power could reach at least two hundred fifty.

Moreover, among these wild crystals, there exists a special kind called the Superior Evolution Crystal. This crystal can not only support evolution from perfect to ultimate form but can also enable evolution beyond the ultimate stage. Its success rate can reach as high as fifty percent, far surpassing that of the shop’s superior Evolution Crystal.

The second method is opportunity evolution.

Just as before, once the evolution conditions are met, a creature can evolve without the use of an Evolution Crystal, relying instead on a chance event. However, this form of evolution is entirely subject to fate.

It might happen in battle, where evolution is triggered in the midst of fighting; it could occur in sleep, with evolution taking place as the creature dreams; or it might happen while simply walking along the road.

Opportunity evolution is not as reliable as external evolution, but Digimon that evolve through chance events often possess greater potential than those that rely on Evolution Crystals.

For example, given two Agumon with identical combat strength, one that evolves through an Evolution Crystal might only become a Greymon, while the other, through a chance event, might evolve into a GeoGreymon.

Afterward, the player returned from the Agumon Plains with his Digimon. Once he turned in his quest, he went back to the Agumon Plains to continue fighting Agumon.

At present, he had no more available quests. If he wanted to reach level ten and leave the beginner village, he could only keep battling Agumon in the Agumon Plains. Of course, it wasn't that he couldn't attempt a dungeon, but with his Digimon's current combat strength, he feared he wouldn't be able to clear it. If his Digimon died, losing stats and then having to resurrect, the outcome would only be worse.

[Server-wide announcement: Congratulations to the Ancient Ten Warriors team members—Ancient Sphinxmon, Ancient Greymon, Ancient Garurumon, Ancient Beetlemon, Ancient Mermaimon, Ancient Troiamon, Ancient Wisemon, Ancient Megatheriummon, Ancient Rainbowmon, and Ancient Volcamon—for being the first to clear the Gabumon Cave dungeon in ten minutes, six seconds, and nine milliseconds!]

[Server-wide announcement: Congratulations to the Olympian Gods team members—Jupitermon, Junomon, Apollomon, Dianamon, Venusmon, Neptunemon, Mercurymon, Minervamon, Marsmon, and Vulcanusmon—for being the first to clear the Biyomon Nest dungeon in ten minutes, one second, and nine milliseconds!]

[……]

Many more server-wide announcements followed, as if everyone, having been beaten to the punch by Omegamon's team earlier, was now eager to prove themselves, emerging one after another like bamboo shoots after the rain.

Though none could match Omegamon’s team in terms of timing, each group tried to clear the dungeons as quickly as possible. For those who simply couldn’t, there was nothing more to be done.

“It seems I really need to reach level ten as soon as possible…” Those who hadn’t attempted the dungeons would be unaware, but those who had, like our protagonist, understood well. These players appeared to be simply clearing dungeons, but in truth, they must have already reached levels eight or nine, or perhaps even ten.

For example, before attempting the dungeon, the protagonist had only been level six. After clearing it, he leapt straight to level eight. As for Omegamon’s group, it wasn’t unusual for level seven players to reach level nine, or level eight to reach level ten after a clear.

Strictly speaking, those who are now level ten or eleven are already among the top players. These individuals would likely leave the beginner village after clearing the dungeons. If they managed to acquire Zero the Digimon’s data ahead of everyone else, what then?

“Well, I suppose I’ll have to tackle some dungeons after all,” he sighed, his gaze settling on the distant dungeon entrance.

In truth, even if it weren’t for these developments, he would have had to attempt the dungeons eventually. The Agumon in the Agumon Plains were now yielding almost no experience after so many battles. If he continued at this rate, there was no telling how long it would take to reach level ten.

At this stage, the shop still carried red and blue potions for restoring status. However, these were of little use—their effectiveness barely noticeable when combat power was low, but negligible once combat strength increased. That explained why Omegamon’s team hadn’t bothered with potions before.

Of course, there might be more advanced potions, but they were likely unavailable in the beginner village, so there was no point dwelling on it.

Man and Digimon—or rather, two “beasts”—readied themselves and set off toward the dungeon entrance. With the Digimon’s current strength, the five Agumon at the entrance were each dispatched with a single blow.

In truth, what concerned him most was the Agumon Boss, whose combat power had reached one hundred fifty. Despite the protagonist’s Digimon having improved its attributes through countless battles in the Agumon Plains and now just barely reaching one hundred forty-two, the gap remained.

On the surface, the difference didn’t seem great, and in a one-on-one fight, his Digimon might even hold a slight advantage. However, the key issue was that the boss was not alone. Alongside the Agumon Boss were nine Agumon minions, each somewhat stronger than the five guarding the entrance.

Still, they had known all this beforehand. Having come this far, there was no turning back. Together, they ventured onward to the Agumon Boss’s lair.