Impmon's Mortifying Moment

Before heading to their agreed meeting place to talk, the children went home to eat.

Guilmon led Mo Yan to the park, where they waited for everyone in the little house.

Once they arrived, Mo Yan released the Impmon he had captured, much to Guilmon's confusion.

"Hey, you! What do you think you're doing, dragging me here tied up?

Let me go already!"

The moment he was released, Impmon glared at Mo Yan and started shouting.

"No rush. Let me check what I have written about you first."

Mo Yan smiled, took out his Holy Scripture, and began leafing through it.

The Holy Scripture contained not only the magic Mo Yan had learned and mastered in Witchelny, but also the few memories he still retained of the six Digimon series.

Why had he written all that in a book instead of keeping it in his head?

Sorry, but Mo Yan's memory wasn't good enough to remember that much.

As for how much of what Mo Yan had written was true, only he knew.

Truth mixed with lies, lies mixed with truth.

"Found it!

Impmon, one of the first Digimon to reach the human world, had Tamers of his own. But for some unknown reason, he left his Tamers and began wandering.

Did I get that right?"

Closing the book, Mo Yan looked at Impmon with a smile.

"You... you know..."

To Impmon, that smile was so frightening that he involuntarily backed up against the wall, as though only that could give him a sense of security and keep him from showing fear.

"Okay, the information is all correct.

Now, according to the Wizard's Code of Daily Conduct, Revised Edition 3.0, compiled in Witchelny...

From this moment on, I'll be your mentor, Impmon."

Mo Yan reached into his dimensional space, took out a book, and turned to a particular page as he spoke to Impmon.

Meanwhile, seeing Mo Yan pull out another book, Guilmon scratched his head, then lay on the floor and pretended to sleep.

"I don't care about your wizards or your daily conduct rules. Let me go!

Or you'll regret it!"

Impmon was a little bewildered by Mo Yan's words, but he still struggled and threatened him.

"Oh, right. I suppose I'm not very convincing in this form."

Putting away the Wizard's Code of Daily Conduct, Revised Edition 3.0, Mo Yan rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

That look only made the already furious Impmon even angrier.

Ignoring Impmon's struggles, Mo Yan manifested a DigiCore beside himself.

Transfer Evolution!

Wizardmon!

Amid a white light, Mo Yan transformed into Wizardmon.

At the sight of Mo Yan's new form, Impmon fell silent for a moment.

Wizardmon was one of Impmon's regular evolved forms.

That innate aura of a higher-level being forced Impmon to grow cautious and rein in his pointless, impotent anger.

"It looks like you've calmed down. Very good."

Mo Yan was rather pleased to see that Impmon had stopped struggling and roaring.

"Starting tomorrow, you'll study magic with me until you evolve into Wizardmon and can proficiently use the magic I teach you."

Mo Yan pointed his Magic Wand at Impmon, his tone solemn.

"You... you really want to teach me?

And help me evolve?"

Rather than roaring and struggling when Mo Yan pointed the Magic Wand at him, Impmon spoke in utter surprise.

"Of course."

Mo Yan lowered his Magic Wand and answered as though it were only natural.

"Why?

Why do you want to teach me? Aren't you afraid I'll defeat you someday and absorb your data?"

Even though Mo Yan sounded completely serious, Impmon still couldn't understand.

"My teacher, SageMon, once said:

As wizards who study and research magic, we need to pass on our wisdom and prove that what we've learned is correct.

And what better way is there than teaching someone else?

Besides, I don't believe you'll ever be able to defeat me."

Thinking of SageMon, who had taught him, Mo Yan repeated his teacher's words to Impmon.

"But I still don't understand."

To Impmon, the words Mo Yan repeated remained utterly inconceivable.

Of course, Impmon automatically ignored Mo Yan's last remark.

Impmon was just as confident as Mo Yan. He didn't believe he would be unable to beat him in the future, either.

"There's nothing difficult to understand about it.

As a Wizardmon, you have four options if you want to evolve further:

First, serve a god.

Second, continue researching, delve deeper into your magic, and begin conducting magical experiments of your own.

Third, teach others with your wisdom, proving your knowledge and abilities.

Fourth, explore another path and incorporate it into your own path of magic."

Just as SageMon had once taught him, Mo Yan sat cross-legged in front of Impmon and began his lesson.

Though it wasn't a particularly formal one.

"But... but don't Digimon just need to absorb information and increase their data to evolve?"

Drawn in by Mo Yan's words, Impmon voiced his question.

"Digimon evolution is hardly such a crude affair!"

"Ow!"

Slipping into SageMon's manner of speaking, Mo Yan raised his Magic Wand and knocked Impmon on the head.

Under the pressure Mo Yan exerted, Impmon could only glare at him resentfully.

"Absorbing the information of defeated Digimon to increase your own data can indeed lead to evolution.

However, that method is ill-advised.

Evolution achieved through slaughter can easily lead to mental instability.

More importantly, it makes you liable to be judged by Digimon with a strong sense of justice.

That's the key point!"

Tapping his Magic Wand against the floor, Mo Yan solemnly explained the drawbacks of evolving through slaughter.

"Then... then how should I evolve?"

Feeling Mo Yan's increasingly imposing presence, Impmon asked timidly.

"Digimon primarily evolve in the following ways:

The first is through time.

As time passes, the information within a Digimon naturally increases, eventually leading to evolution.

However, Digimon that evolve this way usually have little fighting ability.

The second is through persistent training.

Through continuous training, the information within a Digimon also increases, until they reach the peak of their current form and finally evolve.

There are many ways to train, broadly divided into physical training, ability training, and training through personal interests.

Digimon that evolve through training are extremely powerful in combat, particularly in their areas of expertise.

The third is recognition from the world, or possessing a certain kind of authorization.

This kind of evolution can only come by chance, not by seeking it out.

No Digimon wants to find out exactly how powerful it is."

When he reached the third method, Mo Yan glanced at Guilmon, who was snoring and blowing bubbles.

"The fourth is the bond with the DigiDestined-in other words, the bond with a Tamer.

Human children possess the purest hearts. The Digital World gives tangible form to that purity, turning it into the driving force behind a Digimon's evolution.

I think you've seen it yourself.

After all, you once had it too."

As he explained the fourth method, Mo Yan looked at Impmon.

At the same time, Mo Yan dispelled the energy chains binding him.

Hearing Mo Yan say that he had once possessed it too, Impmon instinctively folded his arms around himself, his eyes filled with fear and dread.

"All right, don't be afraid. It's all in the past. I think they've grown too. They won't do things that frighten you anymore."

Seeing Impmon's reaction, Mo Yan reached out to pat his head and comforted him.

"Who... who's afraid? I've never needed any Tamers!"

At Mo Yan's words and the warmth of his large hand, Impmon immediately flushed red, slapped his hand away, and shouted.

With that, Impmon tried to leave.

Snap!

Mo Yan promptly snapped his fingers and cast a spell.

Impmon had taken only one step before Mo Yan froze him in place, leaving his eyes looking utterly foolish.

"Huh?

Impmon? What's he doing here?"

Just then, Takato Matsuki and the others arrived. Seeing the scene, Little Angel immediately asked what was going on.

Impmon closed his eyes in shame and anger, his mind consumed by the humiliation.