"BushiAgumon?"
Kei froze for a moment, carefully recalling how he'd caught this Agumon, and found that this one really was an oddity.
Because, in a sense, it wasn't Kei who had found this BushiAgumon—rather, it had actively sought him out.
As a true "Digimon Hunter," Kei differed from other black market dealers in that every single Digimon he sold was personally caught by him, without exception.
And due to this professional habit, Kei documented every Digimon he captured in meticulous detail, clearly describing the time, location, and exact process of each "hunt."
He'd encountered this BushiAgumon about a week ago when he visited Kowloon Level 3.
Initially, Kei hadn't even sensed the presence of this BushiAgumon, as the creature seemed proficient in some sort of breathing concealment technique, flawlessly hiding itself in the chaotic environment.
But perhaps recognizing Kei's identity as a "Digimon Hunter," BushiAgumon suddenly appeared right in front of him and directly issued a challenge.
In the BushiAgumon's own words: "I am BushiAgumon, a Digimon who seeks battle and the thrill of challenging the strong. You have proven worthy of my blade."
Truthfully, it was Kei's first time encountering a Digimon bold enough to proactively challenge him, and also the first time he realized a Rookie-level Digimon could be this powerful.
In that battle, his partner, who had never once shown signs of exhaustion since successfully evolving, actually became completely drained when fighting this Rookie-level Digimon.
If not for eventually overwhelming it with sheer level difference, Kei honestly wasn't sure whether he, as a so-called "Digimon Hunter," might have capsized in a gutter, humiliatingly defeated by a Rookie-level Agumon.
Surprisingly, after the fight, the profit-driven Kei didn't choose to capture BushiAgumon, instead planning to abandon this "failed" hunt right then and there.
Even though BushiAgumon's potential was incredible, even though BushiAgumon had been entirely defenseless at that moment…
Kei pursued wealth solely to heal his own physical disabilities in the real world. Aside from this, he wasn't genuinely the kind of businessman who pursued profit above all else.
On the contrary, after witnessing BushiAgumon's determination and perseverance, Kei found deep admiration for such a creature within his heart.
So, in that moment, Kei chose to give up capturing it, abandoning a Digimon that could've brought him a significant fortune.
But unexpectedly, after BushiAgumon recovered a bit of its strength, it actually chased after Kei, who hadn't yet left.
"Accepting defeat honorably is the samurai's code. Since I have lost at your hands, my life is yours to do with as you wish."
Kei struggled to find words to describe his feelings at that moment, but the final outcome was that he ultimately captured this peculiar Digimon, bringing it back to the black market.
Yet, for reasons unknown even to himself, Kei never actively "recommended" BushiAgumon to his customers, even consciously placing it aside.
...
"Pathetically softhearted."
After silently listening to the entirety of Kei and BushiAgumon's story, the young hacker standing quietly beside them offered his blunt assessment first.
Though perhaps it was Chen Ze's imagination, he sensed a certain unusual undertone hidden within the young hacker's remark.
Considering the young hacker's true identity as Piddomon and his evident hatred for those who enslaved Digimon, Chen Ze felt he'd grasped a certain hidden truth that the hacker wasn't willing to reveal.
"I'm sorry."
After staring blankly at the young hacker for a moment, Kei finally whispered an apology.
"There's nothing to apologize for. Leaving back then was my own choice."
Just as Chen Ze began wondering what exactly the relationship was between this young hacker and the black-market dealer, an unexpected interruption occurred.
Boom—Crack!
With the familiar sound of space breaking apart, the all-too-familiar black-and-white tentacles tore through the barriers of digital space, suddenly appearing above the trading center.
"An Eater?!"
"What's that thing doing here?"
"This is bad—doesn't that thing usually only appear in EDEN's open areas?"
"How could it appear this time without any warning? This doesn't make sense at all!"
Unlike the lower-level hackers in the dark web black market, every single individual present at the Digimon black market was a prominent figure within Japan's hacker circles. Naturally, they knew about the existence of the "Eater," an almost urban legend-like phenomenon.
They might not know exactly where Eaters came from or fully comprehend the significance of their appearance…
But as top-tier hackers, each of them, to varying degrees, was aware of the connection between the Eaters and EDEN Syndrome.
Every time a large-scale EDEN Syndrome incident occurred, those bizarre, nearly eldritch-like Eaters would appear on the scene.
Simultaneously, a ghost-like youth in white would appear.
Or, more precisely, that ghost-like youth in white served as a kind of omen, a prelude indicating the imminent arrival of Eaters.
Right now, the hackers here had no idea why the "warning sign," the youth in white, hadn't appeared this time.
But the undeniable fact was that an Eater had penetrated the black market firewall, appearing outside of the EDEN open area.
"Run!"
Without any hesitation, the previously scattered hackers at the trading center decisively chose to leave.
Even those who weren't fully informed quickly picked up on the seriousness after observing the reactions around them and hurriedly logged off as well.
Some survivors who had personally witnessed past Eater incidents went so far as logging off, unplugging network cables, and cutting power entirely in one smooth action, leaving no opportunity for the Eater to exploit.
In this way, even if the Eater traced their digital trails, it could never harm their real-world bodies.
That was the distinction between top-tier and ordinary hackers.
Having faced countless crises, they could restrain their curiosity about unknown entities and avoid unnecessary trouble.
Within moments, the previously bustling trading market became deserted, leaving only Kei, Chen Ze, and their groups behind, staring up at the suddenly appearing Eater's tentacles.
"Are Eaters always this relentless?"
Though Chen Ze already knew this Eater was special, seeing it so persistently targeting him made him doubt whether he'd committed some unforgivable sin.
If I'd known that thing was this troublesome, I shouldn't have messed with it back then.
Though he thought this, if Chen Ze ever found himself in the same situation again, he'd still never just watch those hackers be turned into vegetables.