Solo Leveling: Digispirit.

Boarmon, King of the Ash Volcano, defeated.

Absorbing required Data...

Your DigiCore is undergoing changes...

High-density Fire Data detected...

Processing Fire Data...

The process caught Takuya completely by surprise. It lasted several minutes, which meant the amount of data had to be enormous.

For some reason, he couldn’t open the D-Scan panel. It seemed that the device was dedicating all of its processing power to whatever was happening inside his DigiCore.

When the process finally ended, however, the panel was still inaccessible.

"So it’s locked..." Takuya muttered.

He sat down on the scorched ground and took a moment to think.

He might have been impulsive, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t analyze the situation.

First, he had absorbed even more data, which didn’t make sense at first. According to the system, he had already met the evolution requirement.

Then it clicked.

Agnimon wasn’t just another Digimon.

He was a Fire Digimon.

"...So maybe there are additional requirements."

The idea made more and more sense the longer he thought about it.

Perhaps the 500 MB requirement was only the minimum needed to unlock the Adult evolution menu.

If he had chosen Candmon’s line, Ghostmon’s line, or Vorvomon’s line, maybe that amount of data would have been enough or maybe not.

But Agnimon...

Agnimon wasn’t a normal evolution.

He carried one of the Legendary Spirits.

If that were true, then gathering Fire Data—or proving his affinity with the Fire element—could be another hidden condition.

"...That would actually explain a lot."

It was only speculation, of course, but it fit everything that had happened so far.

There was another change as well.

After absorbing Boarmon’s data, the exhaustion that had accumulated from the battle disappeared almost instantly. His aching muscles relaxed, and the hunger that had been gnawing at him since the climb simply vanished.

He stood up and ignited a small flame in the palm of his hand.

The fire appeared effortlessly.

Before, he had always needed to focus to produce it.

Now it answered almost instinctively.

Even the oppressive heat surrounding the volcano no longer felt unbearable.

It was still hot—far hotter than any normal human could comfortably endure—but compared to before, it felt... manageable.

"...My affinity with Fire increased."

It was the only explanation he could think of.

Takuya placed a hand over his chest.

It felt warm.

No... it wasn’t just his chest.

His entire body carried a pleasant warmth now. It wasn’t burning or uncomfortable. It was the same comforting warmth as lying under a blanket on a cold winter day, except the heat came from within.

"...That’s nice," the boy muttered.

Still, there was no time to relax.

Three trials remained.

Three more Adult Digimon stood between him and Agnimon.

"...Sigh... this is going to be rough."

He looked back toward the volcano where Boarmon had fallen.

"And that was supposed to be the weakest one. I seriously hope it wasn’t..."

Boarmon had been incredibly difficult to defeat.

"A freaking tank..."

His gaze shifted toward the next volcano.

It was noticeably larger than the first.

"...Well, time to keep moving."

Without wasting another second, Takuya started walking.

Once again, the path was empty.

Not a single Digimon appeared.

Only volcanic rock, rivers of lava, and waves of scorching heat accompanied him as he climbed higher.

This time, however, Takuya was much more cautious.

He couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if he had chosen the largest volcano first.

He wasn’t afraid.

But he was careful.

There was a difference.

Charging blindly toward the strongest opponent wasn’t bravery.

It was stupidity.

As he finally reached the upper slopes of the volcano, he saw someone already waiting for him.

"...Salamandamon."

The Digimon resembled an enormous salamander nearly the size of a sedan. Brilliant crimson scales covered its body, while living flames constantly danced across its back.

The beast silently stared at him.

Unlike Boarmon, it looked... smarter.

Still, it didn’t speak.

Instead, it simply hissed.

"...I figured."

The flames surrounding Salamandamon suddenly intensified.

Its jaws slowly opened.

Inside its mouth...

It looked like a blazing furnace.

A heartbeat later, several condensed fireballs shot toward Takuya.

He immediately dodged to the side.

But Salamandamon didn’t stop.

It tracked every movement perfectly.

"...Different."

This opponent wasn’t like Boarmon at all.

It was faster.

Far more agile.

Its movements resembled those of a real salamander—sharp, unpredictable, and constantly changing direction.

Keeping track of it was difficult.

Before Takuya realized it, Salamandamon had already closed the distance.

The flames coating its body suddenly flared.

Then—

They exploded.

The blast launched Takuya backward.

He rolled across the rocky ground several times before finally managing to stop himself.

The flames themselves barely hurt him.

Both of them were Fire-type Digimon, after all.

But the shockwave...

That was another story.

It hurt.

A lot.

"Fuuuck!" Takuya shouted as he forced himself back to his feet.

There was no turning back now.

He charged straight at Salamandamon while firing Baby Salamander.

At the same time, he opened his mouth.

Fire Toss.

Salamandamon dodged the Baby Salamander.

But the Fire Toss struck it square in the face.

As the Adult Digimon shook its head to recover, it suddenly realized it had lost sight of Takuya.

Smoke.

The battlefield had already been covered.

A split second later—

Bang!

A powerful kick slammed into Salamandamon’s side.

Takuya had used the brief distraction created by Fire Toss to fill the area with smoke before closing the distance.

He didn’t stop after the first hit.

One strike.

Then another.

And another.

He relentlessly attacked Salamandamon’s ribs until—

Crack.

He felt something give way.

A rib.

Salamandamon hissed in pain.

Even without using a special technique, the Digimon reacted instantly.

Its powerful tail whipped around and smashed into Takuya’s side, launching him several meters away.

Before he could recover, Salamandamon lunged forward.

Its jaws clamped around Takuya’s upper body.

Then it repeatedly slammed him against the volcanic ground.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

"Ghh...!"

Takuya gritted his teeth.

One of his arms was trapped inside Salamandamon’s mouth.

Perfect.

He immediately fired Baby Salamander point-blank.

The flames exploded inside the Digimon’s jaws.

Salamandamon instinctively released him.

Takuya rolled across the ground before forcing himself back to his feet.

He was bruised all over.

His body ached.

Across from him, Salamandamon was breathing heavily as well.

"...Interesting."

Unlike Boarmon, only a few minutes had passed.

Yet both of them were already exhausted.

"I have to admit..."

Takuya wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Flamon is no joke."

"I can actually fight an Adult Digimon."

That alone confirmed he had made the right choice.

A normal Rookie probably wouldn’t have stood a chance.

Takuya rushed forward once more.

His fists ignited with flames as Noble Heart activated.

The two exchanged blow after blow.

Punches.

Tail strikes.

Fire.

Unlike Boarmon, this was a true close-quarters battle.

Takuya’s smaller frame allowed him to dodge many of Salamandamon’s attacks.

On the other hand, Salamandamon possessed the superior endurance expected of a fully evolved Adult Digimon.

Neither side held a decisive advantage.

Then Takuya noticed something.

Every successful strike had landed around Salamandamon’s neck.

Without realizing it, he had been targeting the exact same spot over and over.

So he committed to it.

Again.

Again.

Again.

Until finally—

A deep wound opened.

Beneath the torn scales, glowing streams of digital data became visible.

"I got you..."

Salamandamon noticed the injury immediately.

The Digimon instinctively shifted its body, trying to shield the vulnerable spot.

Before Takuya could capitalize on it, Salamandamon’s tail crashed into him once more.

The impact hurled him backward.

This time...

His legs almost gave out beneath him.

"...Sigh."

For nearly two minutes, Takuya and Salamandamon simply stared at each other.

Neither moved.

It was an unspoken agreement.

Both of them needed a moment to catch their breath, and neither was willing to give the other an opening.

The silence lasted until, almost simultaneously—

They charged.

Salamandamon lunged low, trying to catch Takuya from below.

Takuya jumped.

As he rose into the air, Salamandamon opened its jaws, gathering flames for its signature attack.

At the same time, Takuya pulled both of his hands back to his waist.

"Baby Salamander!"

His entire body ignited with fire as he unleashed the attack.

The two blasts collided in midair.

A violent explosion shook the volcano.

Both combatants were thrown backward.

Salamandamon tumbled across the rocky ground.

So did Takuya.

The difference was that Takuya reacted first.

He dug his fingers into the volcanic rock, stopping his momentum almost instantly before launching himself forward.

By the time Salamandamon regained its footing—

Takuya was already there.

Without hesitation, he wrapped one arm around Salamandamon’s neck, locking it in place.

His other hand drove straight into the open wound he had created earlier.

"Noble Heart."

Flames erupted around his arm.

He thrust it even deeper.

Salamandamon’s entire body froze.

For a brief instant, cracks of glowing data spread from the wound across its body.

Then...

The enormous Digimon collapsed.

It dissolved into countless streams of data.

The second King of the Volcanoes had fallen.

As before, the screen before the eyes of Takuya suddenly lit up.

The king of the scorch volcán had fallen.

Absorbing required Data...

Your DigiCore is undergoing changes...

High-density Fire Data detected...

Processing Fire Data...

Your DigiCore has become further ignited...

Takuya could feel the changes.

Not as if he were evolving, but from the warmth spreading through his body.

The comforting heat inside him grew stronger, flowing through every part of him like a steady flame.

At the same time, the exhaustion from the battle—both physical and mental—began to fade.

His sore muscles relaxed, and his mind felt clearer than it had only moments before.

"...Much better."

About five minutes later, the process finally came to an end.

A new message appeared.

The Fire within your DigiCore has become more defined.

Takuya immediately tried opening the D-Scan’s status window.

Nothing.

It was still locked.

"So I still can’t check it..."

There was no explanation beyond the message.

Only the pleasant warmth remained.

Still, he understood one thing.

This wasn’t a power-up.

At least, not a direct one.

He didn’t feel any stronger than before, and he doubted he would receive any noticeable increase until he finally evolved.

For now, there was only one thing left to do.

Continue challenging the Kings of the Volcanoes.

With that thought in mind, Takuya stood up and resumed walking.

His destination was the second-largest volcano.

Unlike the previous ones, this mountain was far more active.

Thick rivers of lava continuously poured down its slopes, bathing the entire landscape in an orange glow.

"...Yep."

Takuya stared at the towering volcano for a moment before letting out a slow breath.

"There’s definitely something strong waiting up there."

A/N: hello, today Chapter, remember, I will release and extra Chapter every 100 power stones.