The Digimon Black Market—as the name clearly suggests—is a black market dedicated specifically to trading Digimon.
As previously mentioned, ever since hackers discovered Digimon scattered within the EDEN network, these new, intelligent AI-like "viruses" rapidly piqued their intense curiosity.
Especially after the dissemination of the program known as Digimon Capture, the majority of hackers became utterly obsessed with the idea of capturing and raising their own personal Digimon.
It soon became common knowledge among hackers that a Digimon's evolution path varied greatly depending on the data it absorbed and the environment it inhabited.
In theory, if one could consciously guide a Digimon's development from infancy, then each hacker had the potential to cultivate their ideal Digimon partner.
Digimon continuously absorbing and learning from various virus programs would almost certainly evolve into aggressive Virus-types.
Those stationed permanently within certain computers, mimicking antivirus software, would likely become Vaccine-types, and the strongest among them might even gain the coveted "Virus Buster" attribute.
By comparison, the conditions to evolve Data-type Digimon weren't so strict. Generally, as long as a Digimon enjoyed learning and was exposed to new information frequently, it would naturally become a gentle Data-type.
But there was a crucial precondition: this careful guidance had to begin from a Digimon's earliest Fresh stage, to prevent Error Evolution caused by attribute conflicts.
Fresh-stage Digimon were unique—they had no fixed attributes, their DigiCores not yet fully formed. They could freely absorb data of any attribute, steadily growing and developing along the way.
Under these circumstances, obtaining a Fresh Digimon whose evolutionary path was still uncertain became a core problem for powerful hackers.
Thus, various types of Digimon black markets emerged.
These markets were where elite hackers exchanged their captured Digimon, or where those without Digimon came to select their future "partners."
In these shadowy markets, hundreds, even thousands, of Digimon became merchandise—quietly awaiting selection by humans.
Rookie-stage Digimon were somewhat fortunate. Though powerful, their fixed evolutionary paths made them less popular commodities.
The real stars of the market were Fresh-stage Digimon.
Docile and gentle, their evolutionary futures still undecided, these Digimon held endless possibilities, making them the most sought-after items.
Additionally, compared to Rookie Digimon—who required substantial time and effort to tame—Fresh Digimon, still immature, were akin to real-life infants, easily forming bonds with humans.
Perhaps among hackers there might exist those who genuinely felt compassion towards Digimon. But most—particularly those who frequented the Digimon Black Market—had long discarded such naïveté.
Tools, slaves, pets, hunting dogs…
No matter how hackers labeled them, the terms bluntly revealed their attitudes. And the malicious existence of the Digimon Capture program only amplified this.
When necessary, hackers could even use this sinister program to forcibly suppress or erase Digimon intelligence entirely, reducing them to mere tools.
Kei was one of the few neutral merchants in the Digimon Black Market. To him, Digimon were both companions and merchandise.
Because he knew firsthand that Digimon weren't merely simplistic "artificial intelligences," as the rumors suggested.
Before being ensnared by Digimon Capture, every Digimon had its own unique intelligence and personality, just like real, living beings.
Sadly, only the elite hackers who had personally ventured into the Free Areas to capture Digimon understood this.
For those hackers who purchased Digimon directly from merchants, having never witnessed a Digimon's desperate struggles or despairing cries, they naturally couldn't grasp that a mere "program" could never behave in such a vividly lifelike manner.
In his darker moments, Kei had once cynically speculated that the one who created and spread the Digimon Capture program wasn't truly human, but rather some inhuman demon.
At the very least, the unbreakable encryption of the Digimon Capture program seemed to support that theory indirectly.
Whether it was the sophisticated architecture, generations beyond contemporary hacker technology, or the uniquely precise mechanisms specifically designed to control the "human-like" aspects of Digimon, no ordinary being could've created something so sinister.
Kei disliked using Digimon Capture, because this mysterious, unknown-origin program filled him with fear and dread.
Yet he was forced to rely on it. Without this program, capturing Digimon to sell would be impossible.
"I really don't like this feeling."
Standing in front of his usual stall, Kei glanced down into the cage at several glassy-eyed Digimon, a bitter smile forming on his lips—not for the first time.
"It feels like I've become a slave trader from the sixteenth century."
"If you don't like it, then just stop."
Right then, a gloomy, slightly sinister voice suddenly sounded in Kei's ear, interrupting his thoughts.
"Stopping isn't an option. How else are we supposed to earn money?"
Kei quietly turned up the volume near his ear. He wasn't surprised by the voice's sudden appearance and calmly refuted its words instead.
"I need money. At the very least, enough to pay my medical bills."
Hearing this, the voice on the other end of the network fell silent. After a long pause, it finally spoke again.
"And that's precisely why I chose you—because you're sufficiently selfish."
Hearing his "partner" describe him this way, Kei once again revealed a bitter smile.
"If you'd been paralyzed from birth, unable to even move your limbs, you'd be just as selfish."
Without the invention of EDEN's virtual reality technology, Kei had no idea if he'd ever have stood up again in this lifetime—much less moved freely within this vast digital network.
"I may not understand exactly how that feels, but I understand your 'selfishness,'"
the gloomy voice murmured quietly, continuing. Even though the entity on the other side of the network didn't comprehend what "paralysis" meant, it knew selfishness was a core aspect of humanity—indeed, of all living beings.
"Kei, selfishness itself isn't frightening. What's truly frightening is when selfishness becomes the only thing left."
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T/N: the original chinese characters represent Keisuke, however since game protag's name is also Keisuke I changed balck market guy to Kei
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
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