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Chapter 1, digimon seekers

Digimon Seekers: Chapter 1-11

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While we wait for Sunday’s chapter, I’ve decided to revise the Seekers story to fix some of the story’s awkwardness. I will keep the story the same but will try to make it sound nicer. This isn’t my story, so please make sure you check out the original chapter. Let me know if this is something worth continuing. Make sure you start at chapter 1-1

“Loogamon?” Eiji repeats as he begins to piece the mystery together. “You’re the voice aren’t you?” There is no response. “Can you explain what’s going on?”

This time the gruff voice replies, “Explain what exactly?”

“For starters, what is this place? Why can the Digimon talk? How did I get here?” Eiji is bursting with questions.

Loogamon scoffs. “Didn’t you listen to Ryusenji?”

“Ryusenji? The professor?” Eiji is surprised by how informally Loogamon referred to the professor. 

“Yes the professor,” Loogamon replies with a hint of judgment. “Didn’t you listen to his Mindlink explanation?”

Eiji remembers the professor talking about jailbreaking the Digimon Linker. In order to infiltrate the Sons of Chaos, some of the watch’s functions needed to be deactivated. Ryusenji worked on a hack that not only made the Digimon Linker more inconspicuous, it also boosted the user’s hacking affinity.

“Do you mean the function that turns me into an elite hacker?”

“Ugh…” Loogamon can’t hide its disappointment.

“I didn’t really understand his explanation…” Eiji was becoming uncomfortable with Loogamon. He isn’t making a good impression on Loogamon. Loogamon starts moving without responding. “Careful! There’s broken glass everywhere..” Eiji notices the reflection of one of the pieces of glass. It’s Loogamon.

Wait…Eiji thinks as he stares at the wolf’s reflection. Am I not here? Am I seeing through Loogamon’s eyes?

Character design/illustration illustrator: malo

Suddenly, a pink rat rushes up to Logamon and bows. then with its 

“Master!” It squeaks in a respectful tone. There is a slight trembling fear in its voice. “You’ve returned at last! All hail the Demon Wolf of the Castle of Nine! I…a lowly Chuumon, am at your service.”

Eiji watches the groveling pink Digimon and recognizes it as the Chuumon they rescued.

Eiji doesn’t have an answer.

“Where did you go? Rumor has it you were turned into a Digitama and captured by a human…”

“Who do you think you’re talking to?” Loogamon growls.

“Squeak! So..Sorry!” The Chuumon bows, desperate to apologize. 

“Do you believe me so weak to be caught so easily?!”

A bead of sweat starts to make its way down Chuumon’s trembling face. “P-p-p-please, forgive me, master.”

Loogamon takes a deep breath and raises its head, absorbing its surroundings. “I remember now,” it finally remarks, “The Dust Kingdom. You Chuumon served Sukamon, ruler of the Fifth Avenue Trash Heap.”

“Yes! That’s it!! You remember!”

Loogamon looks over the nervous-looking Chuumon who is on the verge of tears. “You serve me now and in return, I’ll look out for you.”

Chuumon is overjoyed by the news. “Thank you! Thank You! Thank you! You won’t regret it!”

“The Demon Wolf…Huh? It’s got a familiar ring to it,” Loogamon whispers.

“So Chuumon”

“Yes?”

“Everyone thinks I was captured by a human?”

“It’s only a rumor. You’ve been gone for so long. A lot has changed in your absence. Ninth Avenue is a shadow of what it used to be. It’s mostly deserted now.”

Loogamon looks over the dirty cracking concrete walls. Things have changed. It turns its attention to an eagerly waiting Chuumon. 

“Here,” Loogamon says as it tosses Chuumon some meat. “Take it.”

Chuumon stares at the piece of meat. It doesn’t know how to react. “Is this…is this real-world meat?” Chuumon gives it a deep sniff “Of course it is, a Digimon of your stature would only eat the best!” Chuumon bows its head respectfully. “Thank you, master. Until next time!” Chuumon gathers the meat and cheese and quickly scurries away.

“Are..are you done talking?” Eiji asks timidly.

Loogamon sighs, “You wanted an explanation?”

“Yes, please!”

Loogamon thinks for a moment. “What is it you humans say, seeing is believing?” Before Eiji can answer, Loogamon leaps out a broken window. Eiji finds himself in free fall as he watches concrete towers shoot up past him. Loogamon lands the four-story drop without issue. The pair find themselves in a valley of skyscrapers.

Loogamon begins its trot. Its claws dig into the dark asphalt. Eiji studies the deserted city as it blurs past the racing Loogamon. Suddenly, Loogamon begins his stride up one of the buildings.

Eiji feels the wind blow over him as Loogamon runs. He feels every step Loogamon takes. His senses are overloaded with new sensations. Sounds came more clearly, colors were more vivid, and smells were more pungent. It was like he and Loogamon shared senses. 

So this is Professor Ryusenji’s work? This is D4’s most confidential technology. Eiji remembers the professor’s explanation. 

The Digital world isn’t like ours. People can’t see it normally without special tools, and even then, it is never the full picture. 

But what if there was a tool that would give us the ability to experience the Digital World with all five senses? What if there was a tool that would let us explore it? Experience it like we experience this world?

After years of research, I finally found a solution. We can take a person’s mental data and convert it to Digicore, sort of like data. We then take this Digicore and inject it into a living Digimon where both consciousnesses can exist simultaneously. This is the essence of Mindlink.

It all makes sense now.

Loogamon continues to run as Eiji takes in the beauty of this new world. This isn’t a pixelated image on a cheap LCD screen or a video on a virtual screen. This is real and vibrant. This is the Digital World.

“I can’t believe I’m a Digimon,” Eiji exclaims in excitement.

“This is your first Mindlink. You’ll get used to it soon enough.”

“How is it I can talk to you?”

“What do you mean? We Digimon have always been able to talk. You’re just getting to know is better”

Digimon are alive! Eiji repeats to himself. Loogamon, Tyrannomon, and all the rest…They’re alive!

Chapter 1-10
Chapter 1-12
Chapter 1, digimon seekers

Digimon Seekers: Chapter 1-10

Leave a comment

While we wait for Sunday’s chapter, I’ve decided to revise the Seekers story to fix some of the story’s awkwardness. I will keep the story the same but will try to make it sound nicer. This isn’t my story, so please make sure you check out the original chapter. Let me know if this is something worth continuing. Make sure you start at chapter 1-1

Eiji loses his senses as the room melts away into darkness. He no longer has control of his limbs as the darkness consumes him. Eiji loses consciousness and wakes up in a world full of bright colors. The colors spin around him as he falls quickly into the unknown.

Suddenly, a memory from his childhood flashes before him.

Its summer. The day he and his family spent by the river. He remembers how refreshing the water felt on a hot day, the sound of the river crashing over the rocks, and the games he and his friends played.

“Eiji!” his friend Leon calls to him as he gets out of the water. Eiji turns his attention to Leon, but he’d unknowingly walked in too deep. His foot slips him into the deep part of the river. His feet search but find no ground. He tries to swim, but the force of the river is too strong. He can’t find the surface. The river bubbles around him as his limbs desperately search for air.

Eiji isn’t in the river, but his senses are overwhelmed by the familiar sensation. He tries to calm himself. The bubbles start to settle and quiet. A new world begins to unfold before Eiji. Eiji finds himself overwhelmed by the sudden rush of stimulation.

A bright light. It blinds him, but he can’t close his eyes.

What’s going on here? 

Disoriented. Confused. Anxious.

Eiji tries to piece it together but can’t understand what he sees. His eyes continue to adjust, but he can’t seem to focus. Everything is a blur of color and light, zooming and changing as he attempts to make sense of it. His ears fill with a strange static buzzing in his ear, and the air fills with a putrid animal smell.

Is this a bad dream?

But it’s not a bad dream…

Over the static, Eiji can hear a voice speaking clearly to him.

Who…Who is it?

CRASH!

The sound of something being kicked over. Eiji hears someone running towards him.

Eiji’s eyes begin to adjust. He sees a small pink rat Digimon quickly scarring towards him. It clutches a piece of data in its hands as if it were cheese.

“Chuumon, child, beast, virus type,” his heads-up display reads.

Where am I?

Eiji’s eyes continue adjusting. He can see more clearly. He finds himself in an empty dirty room made of concrete. 

Suddenly, another Digimon appears. Another rat, but this one is made of cloth like a puppet.

ChuuChuumon, puppet, child, virus type.​

It rides on the back of metallic poo-shaped Digimon. It carries a tonfa and chases after the pink rat.

Damemon, mutation, adult, virus type.

Eiji is confused by the scene unfolding before him. He is overwhelmed by the excitement of seeing real Digimon but takes the moment to compose himself. This isn’t a theme park he reminds himself.

“How brave of you to try to steal from my family,” Says Damemon in its metallic voice.

“Squeak! Don’t let him do this ChuuChuumon! I beg you! For the love of all rats!” Chumon pleads.

Chuumon stole Chuuchuumon’s food and is trying to escape.

“Not good, not good” Chuumon mutters to itself.

Damemon readies the tonfa for an attack.

“Is that a dog?” ChuuChuumon says suddenly, looking towards Eiji.

Huh, a dog? The Digimon is talking?

Damemon stops its attack. ChuuChuumon continues “I haven’t seen you around here before. The Wall Slum’s Sixth Street is our turf. You better turn tail and run if you know what’s good for you!”

“A rat picking a fight with a wolf? Don’t make me laugh?”

The strange familiar growls in his ear. Out in front! Eiji isn’t in control.

“This is my turf now”

“Do your worst!” ChuuChuumon yells, accepting the challenge. “Damemon! Gun Vulcan!”

Bam-Bam-Bam-Bam!

Character design/illustration illustrator: malo

The Vulcan gun embedded in the tonfa erupts with fire. Bullets explode into the walls and floor. Chuumon zigzags, desperate to escape.

Whaaa?

Eiji is overwhelmed with nausea. A putrid smell fills his nostrils. The bullets Damemon fires aren’t particularly strong, but they release a foul odor, almost like a poisonous gas.

“Hahahaha! That attack must be torture for a dog. Digimon battles are all about exploiting weaknesses!” ChuuChuumon taunts.

“Not good, not good!” Eiji lets out.

“Shall we get rid of this stray Damemon? Finish it off with Boo-st Atta…”

But before ChuuChuumon could finish his sentence, strange energy begins to swirl around Eiji.

What is this feeling?

-Howling Fire!

A fireball erupts from Eiji’s snout and flies toward the enemy ChuuChuumon. Before Damemon has a chance to react, the flame engulfs the pair. The flame eats away at the room around them. 

“HOT! HOT! HOT!”

The force of the impact knocks Damemon off balance.

“Just one shot?! But how?” Chuuchumon rolls out of the Damemon’s cockpit and onto the floor. The flames continue to smolder. ChuuChuumon begins to short-circuit. It stares up as the wolf looms over it. It begins to tremble “Lo…Loogamon?”

Loogamon? Eiji asks himself as he looks down at the cowering ChuuChuumon.

“So you’ve returned to the Wall Slums?” 

ChuuChuumon’s tone suddenly becomes more respectful.

Eiji is at a loss.

“You’re looking good..”

Loogamon turns away for a moment. ChuuChuumon attempts to make its escape.

Eiji regains his composure. “Loogamon? Can you hear me? Loogamon!”

Chapter 1-9
Chapter 1-11
Chapter 1, digimon seekers

Digimon Seekers Chapter 1-9: The Interview

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I’ll be rewriting the novel to fix some of the awkwardness of the translation. My version comes out the Monday after the official release, but make sure you always check out the original. If you’ve been enjoying this project, make sure you like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.

The Sons of Chaos is an organization full of the strongest code cracking teams, but have come together with the worst intentions. Rumors has it that the Sons of Chaos are planning something big. Something that could shift the balance between the Digital World and humanity. Intelligence agencies and police units from all over are investigating the organization, but Ryusenji has no faith they’ll find anything. Instead of dealing with the tiresome channels of bureaucracy the selfishness of global politics, Ryusenji recruits Eiji to protect the Digital World, and the Digimon who inhabit it.

The job pays very well, but the passion that the professor fosters for the Digital world is what moves Eiji to action. If Tartarus and the Sons of Chaos are allowed to cause havoc in the Digital world, the international community will view Code Crackers and Digimon as dangerous.

“The lives of Digimon will be at stake. People are afraid of what they don’t understand, and if this gets out of hand, it could mean the end of everything. Digimon are alive and we can’t let such a group to be their extinction.” The professors words continue to ring in his head.

Eiji sits on the futon in his cramped apartment. “So I’m supposed to be a spy,” Eiji says to himself. He looks down and finds Loogamon asleep across from him. It rest comfortable on the bed with its belly exposed. Occasionally, the hologram will flicker, but it it emits a steady blue glue into the apartment. “We’ll be dealing with really bad dudes Loogamon,” Eiji says to the unresponsive pup. “They’re hardcore code crackers who are into some really scary stuff. My Tyrannomon don’t stand a chance against them, but you might be alright.”

Eiji stretches out his hand in a feeble attempt to pet the wolf. Loogamon lets out a low growl as it flashes its teeth viscously at the encroaching hand. “I thought you were asleep?”

An alarm goes off. Eiji raises his wrist to shut it off. “It’s time to go to work. Let’s go Loogamon.” Loogamon disappears into the Digimon Linker screen. Eiji puts on his headset. Leaning against the back wall, he scrolls through the different menus in a virtual terminal projected from the watch.

Character design/illustration illustrator: malo

Eiji logs into GriMM. Joining the Sons of Chaos isn’t a difficult. Once you obtain the invitation code from their recruitment page, you join the official channel and apply like any other job. Eiji had already submitted his application and was logging in for his first interview.

A heavily modified voice comes through his headset. “The Sons of Chaos deal with government agencies, corporations… important people with high-level security. We need highly skilled code crackers who aren’t afraid of anything. This is a risky job. It’s easy to apply, but it’s hard to get into the Sons of Chaos. Do you think you have what it takes, newbie?”

“It’s Fang”

“Code Cracker Fang, huh? Are you ready to earn that name?” Eiji looked at the hologram of a generic avatar staring back at him. His username reads “interviewer. His voice was gravelly and sweet, like a cartoonish old man’s.

“Will I get to meet Tartarus?” Eiji asks without wasting a minute on pleasantries.

“You’re interested in our leader?” the voice asks suspiciously.

“Who wouldn’t be?! He’s the legendary Code Cracker Tartarus! He’s my idol.” Eiji feigns excitement.

The interviewer laughs “How old are you kid?”

“That doesn’t matter. Will I meet him or not?”

The voice on the other end remains silent for a moment. “Tartarus is a mystery even to us. Most of us have never seen him. If you are as much of a genius as you say you are, one of the executives will reach out to you. If you get invited into one of their chats, you might be able to talk to Tartarus.”

Eiji smiles. He will take advantage of the organization’s meritocracy and climb up the organization. “So this job, is it a test?”

“That’s one way of looking at it. It’s a semi-A ranked mission…I’ve shared the details on GriMM. I’ve also opened a dedicated channel for the mission. Use it for future comunications.” Eiji begins to read over the mission details. “What do you want to call the mission?” the voice asks.

Eiji thinks for a moment. “How about, Operation Wolf?”

The interviewer goes silent as the name of the channel changes to Operation Wolf. “This isn’t going to be easy,” the interviewer explains. “A Ranked missions aren’t for noobs. You are going to lose some Digimon. We don’t insure Digimon or provide compensation for any losses. Is that understood?”

“I understand, just be ready for my welcome party.”

“Welcome party?”

“We’re celebrating the birth of the Sons of Chaos’ newest executive.” Eiji is confident that Loogamon and his raw ability as a Code Cracker were more than enough for anything the Sons of Chaos threw at him.

The interviewer laughs. “Please check the file for the mission details. Good luck, I’m praying for you.”

“Thanks!”

The interviewrer logs off, leaving Eiji alone in his small apartment. He lets out a sigh of release as he looks down at Loogamon. He remembers the Professor’s words. Digimon are alive!

Eiji scrolls through the watch’s menu. His finger hovers over the word “Minlink“

Eiji stares at the word for a moment and takes a deep breath.

“Well then…” Eiji presses down on the screen.

Mindlink!

Chapter 1, digimon seekers, Uncategorized

Digimon Seekers: Chapter 1-8: The Assignment

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I’ll be rewriting the novel to fix some of the awkwardness of the translation. My version comes out the Monday after the official release, but make sure you always check out the original. If you’ve been enjoying this project, make sure you like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.

Code Crackers make up a community of anonymous individuals whose goals are to create a free Digital World, one not bound by the traditional social construct. Within this group exist multiple factions, each with unique beliefs of what a free Digital World should look like. Sometimes these beliefs clash, creating a healthy amount of infighting.

Code Crackers exist on the wrong side of the law, made up of misfits with nowhere to go. Whatever goal of dream they chase now, all crackers owe their roots to the original code cracking team.

“I’m a bit hazy on the details. I got into code cracking when I was a young kid in high school. One of the seniors talked me into it. Told me there was decent money in it, and it was at first. It definitely is a good side hustle for a high school kid, but I wanted to do something more serious. I want to use my skills to make a living.”

“You can do whatever you want” the professor replies, “But code cracking isn’t a stable profession. You’re always going to be breaking the law because the government doesn’t understand the Digital World yet.”

“Yeah. The DigiPolice make things…difficult” The DigiPolice is a secret organization only known to code crackers. They’ll stop at nothing to catch all code crackers, regardless of their intentions.

“Are you also trying to forge a free Digital World?” asks the professor

Eiji shakes his head “Shallow of me right? I just want a job so I can eat, and a clean record”

“And where will that lead you? What are your goals Eiji?”

Eiji thinks for a moment. “I…I want to win” he responds sincerely.

Ryusenji is taken aback by the response “Win? What are you trying to win?”

“It’s hard to explain. I can’t really do it in real life, but online….I’d like to be something so big that it changes reality. I want to make money, evolve Digimon, and become the best Code Cracker ever. I want to have a team of my own and be a boss”

“Do you have to be a code cracker to do that?”

“Yes!” Eiji startles himself with his sudden outburst. He composes himself before continuing. “For me, the Digital World is the only place where I can make a difference” Eiji pauses for a moment as he looks over the professor. “I want to be on your level professor. I want to be able to experience the Digital World with all five senses, not just through a monitor. That’s what I want to do.”

Eiji’s words make Ryusenji smile. “The Digital World can change a person”

Eiji thinks about his life. He pictures his small cramped apartment and about his empty fridge. He’s a high school drop out without a steady job. Eiji has nothing, and as he looks onto the world’s wealthiest man, he wants more. Eiji makes up his mind. He has no intention of being a lowly code cracker anymore. He was going to learn everything he could from Professor Ryusenji, and finish training Loogamon no matter what.

Ryusenji murmurs something unintelligible.

“Professor?”

“You passed the test.”

“Again?”

The professor nods his head. “I needed to make sure you had the right intentions. If you were some run-of-the-mill code cracker kid drunk on freedom and ideology, I wouldn’t have offered you the job”

A familiar symbol flashes on the screen. It is of a gear wraps around a skull creating a radioactive halo. Under the symbol the words read “Sons of Chaos”

Illustration illustration: PLEX

Eiji lets out an involuntary sigh.

“Do you know them?” Ryusenji asks

“Of course I do. They’re a pretty infamous group of code crackers”

“What is your honest impression of them?”

Eiji takes a moment before responding “They’re on another level. They’re the best at what they do.” Eiji admired their skill, but the Sons of Chaos were right-wing extremists. They were almost militant in their organization. If you wanted to live a good and carefree life, you stayed away from them.

“They’re a group of code crackers known for using Digimon for crime,” Eiji continies. “They’ve made a name for themselves through extortion, theft, and terrorism. They’re bad news.”

The Sons of Chaos are run by the legendary Code Cracker Tartarus. No one knows Tartarus’ true identity, but he’s extremely popular on GriMM. Over the years, Tartarus has built a following of crackers who have adopted his ideology and created havoc in its name.

Ryusenji looks at Eiji “The Sons of Chaos are breaking the delicate balance between the Digital World and humanity. They are abusing Digimon and their ecosystem for personal gain and interfering with my research.” Ryusenji takes a moment to compose himself “It would be a shame if the Digital World and ours became isolated because of the misdeeds of a few punks. Wouldn’t you agree Eiji”

Eiji shrugs. “Can’t you just ask the government to help”

Rysenji shakes his head, “they don’t understand enough about Digimon yet. The Prime Minister only wants to use government resources to study them, and the police are too focused on stopping Code Crackers to care about one individual…There isn’t enough being done!” Ryusenji’s voice is filled with anger and frustration.

“Is that why you hired me?”

The professor calms down and nods his head. “You can say no. I know I’m asking for a lot”

“No, it’s not that at all. I’m here to help, whatever it takes!” The offer is too exciting to pass up. Eiji has been searching for meaning in his life. He knew he was meant for something more than simply collecting Digitama and training Digimon. This was his chance to do something real. To start winning.

“Good!” Ryusenji exclaims as he clasps his hands to gather loudly. “For this job, I want you to infiltrate the Sons of Chaos and find out what Tartaros is up to.” The professor walks over and gently places his hand on Eiji’s shoulder “This isn’t just another job Eiji off the message board. The stakes are real, and much bigger than both of us in this room. This is for the sake of all Digimon. This is for the sake of the Digital World”

Chapter 1, digimon seekers

Digimon Seekers: Chapter 1-7: Loogamon’s Data

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‘ll be rewriting the novel to fix some of the awkwardness of the translation. My version comes out the Monday after the official release, but make sure you always check out the original. If you’ve been enjoying this project, make sure you like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.

Eiji barges into Ryusenji’s lab in a huff. “Professor! Professor Ryusenji”

The professor looks up from his work nonchalantly. People suddenly barging into his lab was no novelty. “Good morning, Eiji.” It was already afternoon, but the professor often loses all sense of time when he’s at work.

“Good morning” Eiji responds with a quick bow, remembering his manners. “What’s with this Digimon?!? It’s not moving.” Eiji rushes to the professor’s side to show him the small blue pixelated wolf on his Digimon Linker. Loogamon naps soundly.

Ryusenji pulls Eiji’s arm close and examines the sleeping Digimon. A smile forms on the professor’s face. “He’s just having a little nap. You’re doing a great job Eiji, he’s a healthy happy boy. I can’t wait to see what he evolves into. If you can get him to his ultimate form, we’ll give you a nice… incentive.”

“An incentive? Like more money?”

Ryusenji nods his head. “You’ll get a very generous payout. I’m curious to see the type of Digimon Loogamon turns into. You guys will probably look super cool together!” The professor can’t hide his excitement as he starts theorizing about all the possibilities.

“I’ll do my best” Eiji replies. He was beginning to warm up to the eccentric old man. “Oh. Did you see yesterday’s training report? I sent it to your email.”

“Oh?!” the professor responds as he opens up his email client. “I get hundreds of emails a day. I hardly ever open them. I don’t have the time to look through every single…here it is in your own little folder. I keep all your emails separate so they don’t get lost”

Eiji hugs himself and gives the professor a warm smile. “That makes me feel important”

“You’re a very important business partner of mine, Eiji”

The professor sounded sincere, and Eiji was slowly learning to trust him. Eiji felt strange having someone so important put so much worth onto him, but he was determined to make him proud. Here in this lab, Eiji wasn’t just another Code Cracker punk, he was a partner of the world renowned scientist, Professor Ryusenji. This made Eiji feel good.

Ryusenji plays that video from Eiji’s report.

Loogamon, child, dark beast, virus type

Loogamon sits in front of four bowls of food, but eats from one of them. Three Tyrannomon wait patiently across from the small wolf as it devours the food. Ryusenji’s face inches towards the monitor as he observes the behavior.

“Loogamon is already stronger than three Tyrannomon.” Eiji explains to an unmoving professor.

“Interesting…” Ryusenji’s eyes remain glued to the screen. “Loogamon seems to have become the alpha. See how the Tyrannomon are behaving? It’s like they respect him as their leader. This is truly fascinating. Putting them in the same cage has created this…dynamic…”His voice trails as he continues his observations. His face is full of excitement.

“That must be why they don’t bother him, even when he eats their food. He even tried eating this guy,” Eiji says, pointing to one of the Tyrannomon.

“Oh?! That’s interesting”

“Loogamon eats so much food though.” Eiji begins to complain.

“That’s normal.”

Eiji pulls up another report. “Here’s the data for a benchmark I conducted. Loogamon is showing an above-average growth score”

“Interesting.” the professor strokes his chin as he reads over the data.

“Oh!” Eiji blurts out suddenly. He points to the jeweled mask on its forehead “What’s this thing on Loogamon’s forehead?” Eiji pauses the video and zooms in so that the face plate is fully visible. “That jewel even glows sometimes.”

Ryusenji moves closely so that his forehead is almost touching the screen “I am not sure, but that’s very perceptive of you Eiji.” The professor then turns to Eiji “How do you like Loogamon? Have you been using it for anything exciting?”

“I’ve been having trouble evaluating its performance as an AI tool”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s not that the command tools don’t work, it’s more like Loogamon won’t do what I tell it. It won’t work or walk either. It is a very stubborn dog”

“So you don’t think you can raise it?” Ryusenji asks

Eiji panics. “No! I mean yes. I didn’t mean it like that. Raising it is my job and I take all my jobs seriously. I was just pointing out how…different it is from other Digimon I’ve raised.”

Ryusnji smiles back at the frantic Eiji “Try summoning Loogamon’s hologram.”

Eiji scrolls through his Digimon Linker before choosing the command. Loogamon appears in the room, sound asleep. It is about the size of an adult husky with soft-looking grey-blue fur. As it wakes, he blinks indifferent red eyes at the two men looking down at it. It wakes slowly, throwing slow indifferent blinks at the two men who now crowd him. It lets out a loud yawn.

“Fascinating!” Rysenji suddenly shouts as he continues looking over the data “Look at these numbers!” The professor points excitedly at the evaluation report on the screen.

Eiji attempts to understand the information. “DS value…? I’m not sure what that means,” Eiji admits reluctantly.

“It’s an indicator I designed to calculate the compatibility between a Digimon and its partner. In other words, you and Loogamon are extremely compatible!” Rysenji doesn’t hide his excitement.

“Seriously?!” Eiji looks down at Loogamon who has since gone back to napping on the floor.

“I knew I chose the right person for the job,” the professor claps.

“So…Does that mean that Loogamon can evolve right away?”

“I can’t say for sure”

“Why not?”

“The DS value doesn’t measure potential, only the user’s compatibility with a Digimon.”

“So it is possible to train,” Eiji whispers to himself. He had only ever used Tyrannomon, and a few other Digimon common in the code cracker circles. The more common the Digimon, the easier it was to train. Loogamon was unique, and would require more work to train.

“Where have you been getting your Digimon up until now? GriMM?”

“Yeah. Since it’s illegal in Japan, I have to get them from other countries. There are no borders in the Digital World.”

Ryusenji almost chuckles, “Do you know who you’re quoting?”

Eiji shakes his head no. It was a meme everyone repeated. “Do you?”

Ryusenji shrugs his shoulder as an involuntary smile escapes him. “What do you do again Eiji,” the professor asks, changing the subject.

“I’m a Code Cracker”

“Then you are familiar with the famous code cracking team?”

Illustration illustration: PLEX

Chapter 1, digimon seekers

Digimon Seekers Chapter 1-6: Eiji Becomes a Breader

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I’ll be rewriting the novel to fix some of the awkwardness of the translation. My version comes out the Monday after the official release, but make sure you always check out the original. If you’ve been enjoying this project, make sure you like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.

Eiji heads home with his new Digimon Linker and his new companion. His glances regularly fall onto his new accessory. He admires the sleek design. Watches as the face glimmers under the street lamp. Occasionally he wakes it up to read over all its menus and is greeted by a sleeping Loogamon. Around him, crowds or people move around him and a train passes in the distance.

His stomach growls and wakes him from his trance. He goes to the restaurant near the station and orders a meat bowl. The aroma is intoxicating and Eiji almost drowns in a pool of his own drool as he waits for a meal that only existed in his dreams until recently. He savors every bite and wonders when Loogamon’s last meal was.

Eiji takes a crowded train to his small apartment. The apartment is small and empty except for a few mats and a small alter. Small led candles flicker weakly as he stops in front of an old family pictures and one of a dog he used to have. “Hey, I’m home. Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Grandma. I’m home.”

Eiji makes his way to his loft where he can finally examine the Digimon Linker without distractions. “I’ve never seen a Digimon like this before…Loogomon huh?” Eiji examines the blue dog sleeping on the watch.

Character design/illustration illustrator: malo

“I want you to train the Digimon” Ryusenji had told him. Eiji begins scrolling through GriMM for advice on raising Loogomon. Digimon training jobs are extremely common on GriMM. Eiji needed to learn to be a competent Digimon breeder and trainer. He needed all the help he could get.

“I am interested in seeing how you raise Loogomon. It is important for my research“

Eiji goes sighs as the the conversation replays in his head.”If Ryusenji expects so much from me, I have no choice but to give it my all” Eiji promises to no one. As the the days events begin to sink in, Eiji can’t help but feel excited. But there was also

He had never been so excited in his life. But Eiji had no experience raising a Digimon, especially one so unique.

Eiji Looks over at the monochrome LCD screen that rests on his desk. A dotted Tyrannomon fills the display. It was Digimon Dock like the one he wore on his wrist, but an outdated model he built himself. The schematics can be found easily online. Eiji built it with readily available used parts he found online. Eiji owned a few Digimon Docks, but none of them were as good as the one he wore on his wrist.

The professor had mentioned something about the memory being corrupt in the Delivery Dock Eiji used to capture Betamon. “I’m going to need some parts,” Eiji says examining the parts scattered on his desk. But he already has a Digimon linker and doesn’t feel any urgency.

Eiji lays back in his bed and stares at the Loogomon. He smiles as he stares at the dog-like Digimon who seems to stare back. Loogomon felt like a good luck charm. One that he was determined to take good care of. But this meant that he would have to wear the Linker all the time. While the thought slightly bothered Eiji, he couldn’t help but feel excited. But there was also some apprehension. He had never done anything this important before.

Eiji spends the next few days learning how to use his new Digimon Linker properly, and watching Loogamon grow quickly. He spends lot of time on GriMM’s breeder forums, asking questions and going through older threads. Eiji picked up a few basic concepts, but Loogamon was uncharted territory.

This might be tougher than I thought. He thinks to himself as the anxiety of failing the professor begins to settle. He begins thinking of what he saw in D4 and all of the professors accomplishments. Digital World is real, Digimon are real, Loogamon is real, and I am just some high school drop out code cracker. But Eiji wasn’t just some Code Cracker, he was Cracker Fang. There was a small part of Eiji that was terrified of failure, but an even bigger part of him that was excited for the challenge.

“I’ll get you to Ultimate Loogamon,” he says to the Digimon Linker. Suddenly, notification flashes over the screen. Someone replied to his question on GriMM.

Fang! Gratz on becoming a breeder! If you want to raise a Digimon past its child stage, I recommend keeping it with other Digimon. If you have more than one, they will play together and learn from each other

“I see,” Eiji says as he rushes to his desk, and searches for his old Digimon Dock. He brushes off the dock it’s been collecting and links the devices. “Loogamon, meet the family,” he says as he begins the transfer. In his excitement, he failed to read the rest of the message.

Be careful though. Some Digimon become obsessed with their rank in their pack. It’s important to train them a bit before introducing them to the new Digimon. 

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, digimon seekers

Digimon Seekers: Chapter 1-2: Abadin Electronics

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I’ll be rewriting the novel to fix some of the awkwardness of the translation. My version comes out the Monday after the official release, but make sure you always check out the original. If you enjoy this project, please leave me a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!

Tokyo University of Electrical and Computer Engineering is a world leader in research and innovation. The school started as a government-funded program in an effort to promote the advancement of science and technology for the benefit of society. Despite being a newer institution, the universe has earned prestige through its advanced research in the field.

The campus is also home to the world-renowned Abadin Electronics Corp (AE). AE leads the industry in electronic terminals, network equipment, and fabless semiconductors. The site is also where you find the Abadin Electronics Lab (DDL), a world-famous research and development lab.

Character design/illustration illustrator: malo

Eiji walks into the DDL to find a bare room with only a reception desk and a small metal bench sitting across it. There are no visible logos or markings to suggest the building was connected to AE except for a large display mounted on the wall. The display loops peaceful videos of nature to serene music, occasionally ending in one of Abadin Electronic’s promotional videos.

“Abadin Electronics Corp, discovering the impossible” the video trails off. The line makes Eiji smirk as he continues to make his way toward the front desk. The cute girl behind the desk watches Eiji suspiciously. She is shorter than Eiji, with thick short hair tucked at the collar. She is dressed plainly in her receptionist’s uniform.

Before Eiji could say a word, the girl says and says, “This is a research facility, if you are looking for the school, it’s out those doors and to the left.” It was a speech she’s made too often.

Eiji is dressed in his usual casual attire and looks out of place amongst the well-dressed professionals that occasionally walk around him. He can’t help but feel out of place. He smiles warmly. “Hi there. I have an appointment. Do you want me to sign in?”

The receptionist studies Eiji for a moment before handing him a tablet. A camera stares down at Eiji as he picks up the tablet and begins to fill out the form. The receptionist looks confused and slightly annoyed by the information as it appears on her screen. “Your name is Fang?” she asks incredulously.

“It’s an alias. I use it for work”

” Are you in streamer?”

“No”

Fang is Eiji’s code name. Most code crackers use them on the job. It was to keep anonymity in a field that wasn’t always on the legal side.

“Please use your real name,” the receptionist replies flatly.

Eiji updates his information on the tablet before setting it down. “Is that all you need from me…” Eiji reads over her nameplate “Hatsune?”

Hatsune turns to her computer and begins typing away. “Don’t be so casual.”

“Sure thing…Hatsune”

Hatsune’s temples give an involuntary twitch “If you are here on company business I need your company’s name”

“I don’t have a company yet.” Hatsune doesn’t seem to appreciate the response. Instead she continues to look annoyed as she waits for an answer. “I’m sort of a freelancer. I’m here to see…oh what’s his department” Eiji’s voice trails off as he pulls out his phone and begins scrolling through his messages “I’ll just wait for him over here..” his voice trails as he walks towards the bench.

Eiji clicks on the contact: Tomonori Ryusenji, professor. “I’m here” the message reads.

Eiji takes a seat. A few people wait with him. He begins to scroll through his phone as the serene lobby music plays around him.

“Fang!” a voice calls from behind the security gate.

Eiji turns to see Professor Ryunsenji waving at him. The professor was a chiseled man with graying hair. He must be in his sixties, but he looks younger. Everyone in the lobby is surprised by the professor’s sudden appearance.

“Hello Professor” Eiji says as he walks over to greet him.

Professor Ryunsenji is one of the founders of Abadin Electronics. He owns more than 20% of the company shares and is worth around $100 billion, making the professor one of the world’s richest people. Professor Ryunsenji’s work has been instrumental in making Aberdin Electronics a world-class company since its inception some 20 years ago.

“It’s nice to finally meet you Fang, but it feels like we’ve known each other well enough already” The professor shakes Eiji’s hand. The two had been talking over the phone for a while now, but this is the first time meeting in person.

Eiji fires back an untrusting smile “Eiji Nagasumi. It’s a pleasure.”

“Well Fang. ER. Eiji let’s get going. Sorry for all the trouble” He stops “Were you able to get your guest pass?” the professor looks over to Eiji. Before Eiji has a chance to answer, the professor continues, “I’ll get you one” as he walks over to the desk.

Hatsune is confused by the request. She looks over Eiji, then back at the professor before working on the guest pass.

“Oh and I’m going to D4, Eiji here is my guest”

“Excuse me, sir?”

“The board gave their approval this morning”

“Oh right, understood,” Hatsune taps away at the terminal.

Pass in hand, the two make their way towards the gate. The guards look at Eiji and nod as they walk through the metal detector. Eiji feels like a real professional as the pass hangs comfortably over his neck. They pass by employees and researchers who warmly greet the pair. Eiji does his best to keep up as he returns smiles and greetings. Eiji couldn’t help but enjoy the attention. It made him feel important.

“Why do they call you Professor instead of President or Chairman?”

“Because Professor describes me best.” Ryunsenji enjoyed research more than he enjoyed running a company. He had already left management to his formal subordinates so he could focus on his projects. “Before we go to the office, there is something I would like you to see. Follow me.”

Eiji agrees as he becomes filled with curiosity. They take an elevator to the next floor and cross another guarded gate. A large metal plate on top of the gate “D4”. It is a strange-looking building that seems to exist on its own.

“This is our secret department. It is where we keep our most important work” The Professor explains.

After a rigorous search, Eiji is forced to leave his phone and personal belongings at the gate. Eiji enters the room nervously and asks “What is it?”

The Professor smiles “It’s an experience”

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Digimon Seekers: First Impressions

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Bandai has been releasing their weekly installments of Digimon Seekers, and it’s fine for what it is. There is still much room for growth, but I will sit here being hopeful.

Digimon Seekers is the companion story for their Vital Bracelet fitness tracker game. The Vital bracelet is a basic fitness tracker that lets you train and level up your favorite character from one of Bandai’s popular IPs. I will be focusing on Digimon, but you can also have characters from shows like My Hero Academia or Ultra Man. 

The Digimon Vital bracelets have a vast selection you can choose from to level and take on adventures with you. You train your Digimon by staying active. Your Digimon earns XP based on the steps you take or exercises you complete. It isn’t a particularly advanced tracker like you would get with a Fitbit, but it has the added benefit of having a cute little character to motivate you to stay active. Once your Digimon is leveled up, you can transfer it to the official companion app where you can battle other players, join tournaments, or participate in special events. If you are thinking of getting a Vital Bracelet, the Vital Bracelet BE is the latest edition and the best place to start.

UPDATE: Didn’t think this was going to blow up so I wanted to amend my statement. I chose to link the VV bracelet because it comes with a dim. If you are a fan of the Ghost Game anime, this is the newest generation of the watch on the show. This version still runs BE memories, but it may be too loud for some. The Vital Be is available in Black and White as seen on top. These won’t come with BE memory chips (where the Digimon are stored). You can get some of the older dims for cheap or get them imported from a retailer that you trust. I saw a few on Amazon, but they were kind of expensive. Older chips aren’t as strong, but they’re nice if you’re starting a collection.

To sell more of this toy, Bandai has Digimon Seekers to give the toy some meaningful lore to go with it. As of writing this post, the first eight chapters of this web novel are available on the official website with a new one coming out every Sunday. So far, the story is okay. There are some syntax errors and some poor translation, but it is fine for what it is. It is written for a younger audience, so expect the language and imagery to be on the simpler side. The story does a solid job of introducing the conflicting factions, building the world, and showing off its cute mascots. There isn’t enough for a proper critique, but it is a promising start. 

I am excited about this project, and I hope it gets the traction it needs to grow into something worth reading. It is too early to tell for sure, but I can be hopeful. I love the idea of different mediums collaborating to make a unique experience. Fans will be able to get the lore from the novel and videos, carry their Digimon while they go about their day, and even connect with people from around the world who also love the hobby. I am always fascinated by the idea of people from different walks of life communicating through a single hobby. 

I love Digimon, so there is a clear bias. I will follow it until it isn’t worth it, but until then, I am all in. So far, I love the neo-Tokyo aesthetic and the tone the story is starting to take. Make sure you go check it out if you want some more Digimon in your life. Don’t forget to watch the trailers, and listen to the audiobook if you understand Japanese. 

Edit 2: I have since started revising the published chapters. The story will be the same, I just fixed some of the issues I had with the translation to make it sound nicer. Go check it out and let me know what you think!

Images taken from the official Bandai website. I don’t own them.

video game reviews

Game Review: Noel the Mortal One (2022)

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Screenshot

I received Noel the Mortal Fate as a review code. I want to thank Playism for the opportunity to review this title. That said, I will not let this sway my opinion of the game. This will be an honest review of the game.

Noel the Mortal Fate is a visual novel with some minor gaming elements to it. This is a book, and any gameplay, whether it be puzzles or boss fights, is a railroad you to a certain ending. The choices you make and any exploration available don’t matter. The puzzles and boss fights are simple, as the focus of this title is to tell a story. If you like manga or anime, this is a solid revenge plot with a lot of the anime tropes you are familiar with. I had a lot of fun with this title, but I understand that it isn’t for everyone.

Noel is a young prodigy pianist who has lost the most important piano competitions in her town. Angered by the loss, she is tricked into making a deal with the devil. Unbeknownst to her, the deal will restore her honor at the cost of her limbs. Caren, the devil she summons, takes pity on Noel and promises to help her get her revenge on the person who tricked her into making the deal. The game then follows Noel’s journey toward vengeance. This is a game full of interesting characters, epic fights, and devil pacts. Will Noel be able to exact her revenge? You will need to play to find out.

Gameplay-wise, this is a book. There is a lot of reading and no voice acting. The reading is occasionally broken up by puzzles, fights, and light exploration. I enjoyed the story, but I am speaking as an anime fan. The characters are unique and interesting, although some of them are anime archetypes. I loved the style of storytelling. Most of the story exists in 2D animated sprites, but they make it work. The use of flashbacks, fight scenes, music, and comic strips all come together to tell an engaging narrative. Boss encounters felt epic, character growth was exciting, and the flashbacks were woven in nicely. My only complaint would be with the translation. I noticed some grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, but none of it was unplayable. 

I played this game on the Nintendo Switch and loved it. Undocked, the game runs great. The letters are easy to read, and the maps were very visible. When docked I used a controller. It was nice to have a bigger screen, but it isn’t necessary. In both modes, I preferred the d-pad for movement because it allowed for more control. Movement in this game is awkward, and I often overshot targets. The d-pad offers more control over the movement, but it isn’t perfect. The awkward movement added unnecessary difficulty to the puzzles and boss fights.

Overall, I enjoyed this game a lot. I liked the story and loved the music, but I wish the game offered meaningful choices to give it replayability. It would be nice to have multiple endings instead of being railroaded into one. Some of the gameplay feels like padding, like when you control a character to walk through a hallway. That said, I still enjoyed it. There was enough world-building where I wasn’t lost or overwhelmed. The characters were interesting and memorable. I ended up becoming very invested in the narrative, often rooting for the heroin’s success. 

This is a niche game. If you like anime and visual novels, this is a solid one. If you are curious about the genre, Noel the Mortal Fate is a nice starting point. The story is interesting but easy to follow, the characters are unique and well developed, and it isn’t overly sexualized. Just know that you aren’t buying a game, but a novel with gaming elements. 

It is available for the Nintendo Switch, Sony Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Links lead to respective store page.