Chapter 27: The Fairo Island Arc, Concluded!

Standing on the head of Whamon, Taichi silently calculated their next move.

According to Whamon, if they maintained their current speed, they would reach Server Continent in no more than five days. Taichi’s mission was to locate the dark power wreaking havoc on the continent and defeat it.

"As for the Digivices and Tags that Devimon hid, I suppose I’ll just have to leave that to fate," Taichi muttered to himself.

Not to mention the Tags scattered across the vast Server Continent, even Gennai couldn’t provide so much as a general direction for the Digivices. Taichi sometimes couldn't even find the remote for his home air conditioner; how was he supposed to find such small items in a place as expansive as the Digital World? Did the world really think he was a protagonist around whom all plot items simply revolved?

Hearing Taichi’s words, Whamon, who was cruising along the ocean surface, suddenly came to a halt. "Did you say... Devimon?"

"Eh?" Taichi was stunned. "Don't tell me you know about him, Lab?"

"Lab... are you calling me that?"

"Don't worry about it; Taichi just likes giving people weird nicknames," Zeromaru consoled.

Whamon broke into a sweat, though given his massive size, it was negligible.

"Well, I don't know what a Digivice or a Tag is, but Devimon once hid some things on the ocean floor."

Taichi’s eyes widened instantly. Could it be that I really am the protagonist? He wasn't sure yet, but he decided to wait and see.

"Can you take me to see them, Lab?" Taichi asked.

Lab nodded. "You two should come inside my body for a while."

As he spoke, Lab opened the blowhole on his head. Having been inside before, Taichi and Zeromaru didn't resist and immediately slid through the passage into Lab’s interior. Because Lab frequently expelled water, the passage was incredibly slick, and Taichi reached the depths without any obstruction.

Lab then rolled over and dove into the deep sea. Taichi could distinctly feel the change in pressure as they descended. Before long, Lab arrived at an underwater cavern composed of stalactites. Whether due to the water pressure or some mysterious power, the cave was isolated from the surrounding ocean, much like an underwater bubble, providing a dry, traversable landmass.

Once they arrived, Lab could go no further, so Taichi stepped out from his open mouth.

"I will wait for you here," Lab said.

"Many thanks." Taichi nodded and led Zeromaru directly into the cave.

As they ventured deeper, white light began to illuminate the cavern. Continuing inward, they were shocked to find a convenience store.

"Devimon really has the leisure time to run a shop," Taichi remarked, having long since become immune to such incongruous elements of human society.

Just as he reached for the entrance, the ground burst open, and a purple mole-like creature emerged.

"That’s a Drimogemon," Zeromaru noted.

Seeing the creature’s bloodshot eyes, Taichi realized what was happening. Looking at its back, he spotted a Black Gear.

"How many Digimon has Devimon controlled with these Black Gears, anyway?"

To the current Taichi, a Drimogemon wasn't even worth considering a grunt. Zeromaru moved with a speed the Digimon couldn't react to, appearing behind it and shattering the Black Gear with a single punch.

"I’m so sorry... for causing you trouble," the Drimogemon stammered. The entire encounter, from his appearance to the destruction of the gear, took less than two seconds; he hadn't even had time to fully crawl out of his hole. Taking the opportunity, he flipped over and dove right back into the tunnel.

"Taichi, isn't this place surrounded by ocean? Where is he planning to dig to?" Zeromaru asked.

"Maybe the other side of the Digital World," Taichi replied offhandedly.

With the Drimogemon dealt with, Taichi finally entered the convenience store. It was no different from a store in the real world, with rows of shelves stocked with snacks and drinks. Taichi’s eyes lit up—it had been ages since he’d had a cold soda. He grabbed a green basket at the entrance and began a locust-like sweep of the aisles.

However, amidst the snacks and drinks, he didn't forget his original purpose. Following standard tropes, he had expected Devimon to seal the Digivices with some sort of magic. But on second thought, if Devimon had that kind of power, he could have just sealed them on File Island instead of going to the trouble of hiding them on the ocean floor.

Sure enough, while browsing, Taichi spotted an exquisite wooden box on a shelf that looked entirely out of place among the snack packaging. He opened it to find exactly the Digivices he had seen in Gennai’s projection.

"That was too easy. There’s no sense of accomplishment in finding a key plot item at all," Taichi muttered. He hung the seven Digivices around his neck and tossed the wooden box aside. The important thing was the Digivices; the box was just dead weight. Besides, Taichi needed his hands to carry the six baskets full of snacks.

Taichi and Zeromaru returned to Lab’s interior, laden with goods in every sense of the word. They ascended back to the surface and resumed their course toward Server Continent.

The remainder of the voyage was relatively uneventful. Thanks to the supplies from the convenience store, they didn't have to worry about food or water. As for their daily waste... there was no need to describe that in detail; it wasn't exactly a sight anyone would enjoy.

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"We have arrived."

On the fifth day of travel, prompted by Lab’s call, Taichi rubbed his sleepy eyes and stood up.

Before him stretched a massive landmass that filled the horizon—rolling mountains and endless plains. By simple observation, it was thousands of times larger than File Island.

"This is Server Continent!" Taichi stared at the land ahead with immense excitement. What kind of adventures awaited him? What powerful enemies would stand in his path?

Reaching the shore, Taichi leaped from Lab’s back. Since Whamon was a water-dwelling Digimon, this was where they had to part ways. Over the five-day journey, Taichi and he had formed a deep friendship.

Watching Lab’s retreating form, Taichi waved. "Goodbye, Lab! And please, don't go crashing your head into any mountains!"

Though he didn't know why he should be reminded of such a thing, Lab acknowledged the request as a gesture of a friend's goodwill.

As Lab’s figure vanished into the distance, Taichi turned his gaze forward and took his first step onto the new stage. The seven Digivices around his neck clinked together.

"Zeromaru, let's go!"