Teacher and Student

After the light of evolution faded, Impmon's new form appeared in the space.

He looked almost identical to an ordinary Wizardmon.

The only difference was that the red scarf he had worn as a Rookie had remained, now wrapped around his upper arm.

Before Wizardmon could get a feel for his newfound power, he keenly sensed something strange about this place.

The change in his life-form and the enormous increase in his strength had also brought tremendous changes to Wizardmon's senses.

"This place..."

His increasingly keen senses alerted Wizardmon to something wrong with this space.

Before Wizardmon could think it through or begin exploring, everything seemed to spin around him.

Then, through his dizziness, Wizardmon saw Wizard Mo Yan sitting in the void, holding a crystal ball.

"Teacher."

As his magic power circulated on its own, Wizardmon immediately regained his clarity, then dropped to one knee with a hand over his chest.

"Oh, so now you acknowledge me as your teacher?"

Looking up at Wizardmon kneeling before him, the Wizard spoke half in jest.

"The past is the past, and now is now. Having evolved to Champion, I won't be as childish as I was when I was a Rookie."

After paying his respects, Wizardmon supported himself with magic power just as Wizard Mo Yan did, then sat cross-legged in the void.

"I suppressed your evolution for so long. Have you gained any insights into how we Digimon evolve?"

Putting away the crystal ball, Wizard Mo Yan questioned Wizardmon.

"Our evolution is actually very similar to human growth.

"It's just that our evolution seems more like skipping over the process of human growth and arriving directly at the corresponding stage."

Wizardmon thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully.

"Yes, it is indeed very similar to the stages of human growth.

"But there is a fundamental difference.

"Our ability to evolve is precisely what distinguishes us from humans and other intelligent species.

"It signifies that we are a unique species.

"And our evolution exists to preserve our uniqueness, our breadth, our boundlessness, and, most importantly, our possibilities as Digimon.

"We are born from data, use data to generate all kinds of power, and thereby gain the tremendous strength to influence the Digital World, the Human World, and countless dimensions.

"And that ever-growing, increasingly complex and expansive data has become our most essential foundation as Digimon-the source of our power.

"That is why the Digital World has preserved our ability to grow and evolve differently according to our data.

"Even if our initial data is identical, differences in the data we download can ultimately turn us into two completely different individuals."

Wizard Mo Yan was pleased that Wizardmon had reached such an understanding, and repeated what SageMon had once told him.

During SageMon's earliest lessons, he had taken Mo Yan to see the distinctive features of various worlds.

The Human World, intimately connected to the Digital World, possessed a power of the mind that could "infect" Digimon.

There were Sub-Digital Worlds similar to the Digital World, yet different because each had chosen different primary data.

Examples included the legendary Golden Land and Witchelny, the City of Magic.

And there were other worlds that the Digital World had encountered as it expanded and extended its reach.

Endless dimensions and countless differences had given rise to countless brilliant civilizations.

The Digital World was merely one of those worlds, albeit a somewhat unusual one.

Had the Digital World not retained the unique quality of data evolution, it would never have become renowned across so many dimensions, nor would various weaker worlds have chosen to attach themselves to it.

Evolution was therefore the Digital World's core advantage in competing with other worlds, as well as the foundation that allowed the strongest Digimon to stand proud across infinite dimensions.

"Is that how Digimon evolution works?

"Then, Teacher, why did you keep suppressing my evolution?

"I remember that you can change forms. Even if I evolved into another form, shouldn't I still be able to undergo subspecies evolution at the same stage?"

His mind had lacked clarity before, but now that he had evolved into Wizardmon, his logical thinking allowed him to connect and fully understand the knowledge Mo Yan had taught him.

So, after giving it some careful thought, Wizardmon noticed various things about the past that did not add up.

Different data led Digimon to evolve in different ways.

But Wizardmon had many subspecies evolutions.

Why did I have to evolve into Wizardmon?

Couldn't I evolve into a subspecies, collect the appropriate data, and then evolve into Wizardmon?

"Wizardmon, achieving Transfer Evolution between an original form and a subspecies requires an extraordinarily vast and complex store of knowledge.

"If you first evolve into a subspecies and then try to undergo Transfer Evolution into the original form, the differences in data will multiply the difficulty.

"If you first evolve into the original form and then study how to transform into a subspecies, the difficulty will be greatly reduced."

Segments of data appeared in Wizard Mo Yan's hands, and he explained while simulating various transformations.

"Why is it easier for an original form to undergo Transfer Evolution into a subspecies?"

Wizardmon did not quite understand Wizard Mo Yan's explanation, so he humbly sought guidance with the respect due from a student.

"Because the data of an original-form Digimon is the most stable.

"Not only is it easy for us to record ourselves, but it is also easy to guide in a specific direction, thereby producing different forms."

The data in his hands changed again as Wizard Mo Yan patiently explained.

"Besides, you shouldn't compare yourself to me. I am an exception, not the norm.

"I possess the Twelve Digicores, so naturally I can keep changing forms with ease.

"All I need to do is inscribe the corresponding data, and I can transform into the corresponding Digimon.

"So you cannot use me, your teacher, as your point of comparison."

Shifting his tone, Wizard Mo Yan addressed Wizardmon's use of him as a comparison.

At the same time, Wizard Mo Yan again emphasized that a Wizard should use typical cases as a basis for comparison, not exceptional ones.

"Teacher, I still don't quite understand what the Twelve Digicores you mentioned actually mean."

His expression turning serious, Wizardmon indicated that he understood.

At the same time, Wizardmon asked a question he had always wanted to ask.

What exactly did the Twelve Digicores signify?

Why did Wizard Mo Yan keep emphasizing that he possessed the Twelve Digicores?

Why had Wizard Mo Yan previously said that his consciousness would split because of the Twelve Digicores?

Wizardmon had wanted to ask these questions back when he was Impmon.

But because of his childish way of thinking as a Rookie, he had never dared to ask Mo Yan.

Now that Impmon had evolved into Wizardmon, both his logical thinking and his strength had changed considerably.

And the teacher before him seemed to be a part of Mo Yan as well.

So, after properly recognizing his position as a student, Wizardmon immediately sought his guidance.

"The Twelve Digicores are one facet of divine power. They represent the Digital World's blessing and are also one of the strongest powers apart from permissions."

With no intention of concealing anything, Wizard Mo Yan directly explained to Wizardmon the significance of his Twelve Digicores and the vast future they offered.