Chapter 97: The Conscious Black Tyrannosaurus (Fourth Update, Please Recommend)

Sporadic flames continued to burn relentlessly, the smoke from the fire spreading from the laboratory throughout the entire research base. The acrid smell began to permeate the air, filling the base with an unbearable stench.

“Boom!”

A deafening explosion erupted from within the laboratory. The Black Tyrannosaurus roared toward the sky, its dark flames, scorching with terrifying heat, surging fiercely toward the Angel Beast.

Whoosh!

The Angel Beast moved swiftly, evading the Black Tyrannosaurus’s super flames every single time.

On the contrary, many of her attacks struck the Black Tyrannosaurus, but with the black diamond crystal of the Apocalypse Beast embedded within it, her strikes seemed utterly ineffective.

“This can’t go on any longer.”

The Angel Beast returned to Zhao Jie’s side. As time passed, her strength was beginning to wane. Meanwhile, the Black Tyrannosaurus, empowered by the Apocalypse Beast’s energy, grew more relentless with each passing moment.

“We have to leave now!” the Angel Beast said sternly.

If they didn’t leave immediately, once her strength was completely drained, even attempting to escape would be impossible.

Leave?

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jie shook his head decisively without hesitation.

“I’m not leaving. If you want to go, then go alone!” he declared.

Leaving now would mean abandoning the Tyrannosaurus.

Though the Black Tyrannosaurus showed no sign of reason, Zhao Jie felt, through his bond with Agumon, that the beast still retained its own consciousness—it was merely suppressed by the dark power of the Apocalypse Beast.

The Tyrannosaurus needed his help.

“That’s just wishful thinking. Look at it—where’s its consciousness now? This Black Tyrannosaurus is no longer the one you knew,” the Angel Beast urged persistently. “Give up. If we leave now, there’s still time.”

If Zhao Jie died here, though the Angel Beast herself wouldn’t perish, she wouldn’t be able to think about Digivolution for a long time.

“You’ve definitely been corrupted by the dark power,” Zhao Jie said with a complicated gaze.

In his memory, the Angel Beast was powerful. Even if this one was newly ascended to its perfect form, it shouldn’t have performed so poorly moments ago.

As a high-ranking angel, the Angel Beast’s strength should be formidable, especially against dark-attribute Digimon, who should suffer from additional damage buffs. Yet, after effortlessly eliminating the Enlightened Bull Beast in a single strike, her performance against both the Giant Crow Beast and the Black Tyrannosaurus was inconsistent with her perfect form status.

Granted, she hadn’t been overwhelmed in battle. But facing a mature-stage Digimon as a perfect form and merely holding her ground was hardly something to boast about.

Moreover, the Apocalypse Beast’s fragment feeding dark energy to the Black Tyrannosaurus—a mere gene fragment—rendered the perfect-form high-ranking angel utterly helpless.

Was the Apocalypse Beast’s power simply too strong, or was the Angel Beast’s strength too weak?

Zhao Jie leaned toward the latter.

The Angel Beast stared at Zhao Jie’s serious expression, momentarily stunned. She suddenly realized that her Digimon partner had a certain charm.

Wait.

What am I thinking?

Pah! Pah!

“Impossible. I possess the Holy Ring. How could I be tainted by dark power? Besides, my mind is clear—completely different from the chaotic thoughts of Digimon corrupted by darkness,” she declared, raising the Holy Ring that had transformed into colorful ribbons, rejecting Zhao Jie’s accusations outright.

“Your power may be pure, but what about your heart?”

At that moment, the Angel Beast felt as if Zhao Jie’s eyes had turned into insight itself, capable of piercing all worldly truths.

Before him, she was utterly exposed.

“Angels are kind, noble, pure, and never give up. Even when facing certain death, they stand firm, defending justice in their hearts,” Zhao Jie said. “Angels are admirable and respectable. Even those who dislike angels must admit their virtues. Angel Beast, do you still possess the heart of an angel?”

Each word struck like a hammer against the Angel Beast’s soul. Her steps faltered, and behind the armor that concealed her eyes, doubt and uncertainty filled her gaze.

Could it be that she had truly been corrupted by the dark power?

“But the Holy Ring…” she protested, still unwilling to accept Zhao Jie’s assertion, brandishing the colorful ribbons formed from the Holy Ring wrapped around her. The Holy Ring was a servant of light; if she had lost her light, it should have abandoned her long ago!

In truth, it was the Holy Ring’s light that had sustained her through the years of grappling with the Apocalypse Beast.

Yet now, someone was telling her she was already tainted by darkness.

If it had been anyone else, she would have immediately fired a Sacred Arrow.

But the one speaking was her DigiDestined.

“A conscious being should focus on the goodness or evil within their own heart,” Zhao Jie replied. “Power itself is neither good nor evil. Even the dark power despised by all, when used righteously, is a force for good. Power wielded justly is just; wielded wickedly, is evil. What defines good or evil is only the heart within us.”

“Isn’t that right, Black Tyrannosaurus?”

Hearing Zhao Jie’s words, the Angel Beast felt a deep emptiness within. Could her angelic heart have truly been corrupted by darkness?

Especially with the solemn look on Zhao Jie’s face, though she still harbored doubts, she was already eighty percent convinced.

But when Zhao Jie uttered that last sentence, her contemplative expression froze.

Black Tyrannosaurus?

Why was he suddenly addressing the Black Tyrannosaurus? Wasn’t that a mindless monster?

Originally, Zhao Jie had been addressing the Angel Beast’s issue, but as he spoke, he realized that the Black Tyrannosaurus was actually listening.

This revelation astonished him, and he continued speaking.

When he mentioned that power held no moral alignment, the Black Tyrannosaurus’s emotion flickered briefly. Only then did Zhao Jie finally confirm that the Black Tyrannosaurus possessed its own consciousness.

Thus came that earlier sentence, which must have sounded like a thunderclap to the Black Tyrannosaurus’s ears.

“Roar!”

The Black Tyrannosaurus continued unleashing super flames, its eyes filled with destruction, seemingly unaware of Zhao Jie’s words.

“It has consciousness? If it does, then why does it still attack you? Aren’t you partners?” the Angel Beast looked at the Black Tyrannosaurus incredulously. She certainly couldn’t perceive any self-awareness within it.

---

PS: This is my fourth update. If you enjoy the story, please consider casting a recommendation vote. Today’s votes are fewer than yesterday’s. Thank you all kindly.