Chapter 115: Guidance from the New Teacher (Third Installment)

"By the way, our new teacher is quite strict, so be careful not to get on his bad side."

In order to bolster the Digital Class at Wuling No. 1 High School, the administration had finally secured two Digimon Tamers willing to serve as permanent faculty. This was a vast improvement over the previous arrangement of borrowing Tamers from the Wuling City Digimon Association to teach classes. It wasn’t that the borrowed teachers were inadequate, but they were ultimately temporary, and they lacked the meticulousness of a dedicated instructor when it came to long-term development.

Zhao Jie had heard rumors that Wuling No. 1 was planning to hire permanent Digimon instructors.

"Don't worry, there won't be any issues."

Zhao Jie didn't take Liu Cheng’s warning to heart; "strict" meant little to him. Both Agumon and Gatomon were already capable of Super Evolution, and if they were to actually fight, the results would likely shock everyone.

School was not a particularly pleasant experience, especially for the students in the Digital Class; the morning academic lessons were nothing short of torture. However, to get into better universities, they had no choice but to study. Very few students were admitted through special recruitment; for most, academic scores were their ticket to higher education.

"You must be Zhao Jie, right?"

In the combat training room downstairs, the first-year Digimon instructor, Ji Zhanhui, leaned against the doorframe, curiously sizing up Zhao Jie and the Agumon and Gatomon following him.

*Two Digimon!*

This was a rare sight. Only individuals with immense reserves of digital energy within their bodies could manage such a feat. Even then, many chose not to contract two Digimon; cultivating even one was difficult enough, and the resources required for two were unimaginably high. Most people would only consider raising a second Digimon after fully developing their first to the Ultimate level.

What surprised Ji Zhanhui even more was that Zhao Jie, a student he had yet to meet, had already brought his second Digimon to the Champion level. He finally understood the meaning of the phrase, "Heroes come from the youth."

"Yes, and you must be Mr. Ji Zhanhui."

Zhao Jie also observed the instructor with curiosity. There was a faint scar on the man’s face, and whenever he spoke, the scar seemed to wriggle like a worm, which was slightly unsettling. A scar like that, combined with the status of a Tamer... it was clear that this man had fought in the Digital Realms.

At that thought, Zhao Jie’s gaze turned respectful. This was a Tamer worthy of respect.

"Oh?"

Ji Zhanhui felt a slight surprise. Every other student looked at him as if he were a ghost, desperately trying to keep their distance. The look in this boy’s eyes, however, was unexpected.

"Alright, go to class first. Leave your Digimon here; you can pick them up this afternoon."

As the school bell rang, Ji Zhanhui waved at Zhao Jie, and Agumon and Gatomon walked into the combat room.

"Then I’ll leave them in your care, sir."

...

The morning passed quickly, and before long it was afternoon—the time the students looked forward to most, as they were finally finished with academic lessons.

"Uh..."

Walking into the combat room, the scene before them felt surreal. A large group of Digimon was gathered around Agumon, all shouting at once.

"Build Thornmail! Build Thornmail! The enemy hits way too hard, Jiang Ziya must build Thornmail as a jungler!"

"Pah, nonsense! Brother Agumon, I heard my master say that Jiang Ziya junglers must build Attack Speed items, otherwise there's no damage."

"I've seen your master play *Honor*; he’s terrible. Brother Agumon, don't listen to him, listen to me—build the Lightning Dagger, it clears the jungle faster."

Amidst the clamor, a weak voice piped up from the back.

"Aren't there recommended builds? Why not just follow those?"

As soon as the words were spoken, the Digimon surrounding Agumon fell silent for a moment. But the next second, Betamon spoke up.

"What kind of talk is that? Brother Agumon is our leader! How can our leader use the same build as everyone else? Vulgar! Utterly vulgar!"

Betamon grew more and more agitated, feeling as if it had reached the peak of its existence. Then, it saw Zhao Jie at the door.

"B-Big Brother! The Big Boss is here!"

Hearing Betamon, Agumon looked up, saw the 10/0/0 score on the screen, and slammed the phone shut. So, sometimes when a teammate goes AFK, it’s not because they’re busy—it’s because the person behind the character isn't even human!

"Mr. Ji Zhanhui, what is going on here?"

Zhao Jie glared at Agumon before turning to Ji Zhanhui, who was sitting to the side looking perfectly calm.

"It’s a good thing, a good thing. I found that since Agumon arrived, the group is much easier to manage."

Ji Zhanhui wore a smile. Previously, these Digimon refused to submit to anyone, especially that Betamon, which was as useless as mud on a wall. But today, the creature had completely refreshed his perception. It had become a total sycophant.

"Alright, everyone, go and reunite with your Digimon."

Once all the students had gathered with their partners, Ji Zhanhui stood up from his chair. As he rose, digital energy fluctuated beneath his feet. Only then did Zhao Jie realize what the instructor's Digimon was: a Rookie-level Chameleomon, possessing skills in camouflage and concealment. If it hadn't revealed itself, Zhao Jie never would have noticed it.

Agumon’s eyes widened; it had been here for so long and hadn't realized a Digimon was hiding nearby. In fact, not even Gatomon, who was in her Champion state, had noticed—though that was likely because she had been too absorbed in binge-watching a show to pay attention to her surroundings.

"Alright, our scheduled content was a practical combat lesson, but before we begin, I want to see just what level Wuling No. 1’s 'number one genius' has reached. I want you all to see the gap between yourselves and a true genius!"

As he spoke, Ji Zhanhui kept his eyes locked on Zhao Jie. Seeing that the boy's expression remained unchanged, he felt a flicker of surprise. *Good composure.*

"Zhao Jie, interested in letting your Digimon spar with my Chameleomon?"

As Ji Zhanhui’s words fell, the eyes of every student in the room turned toward Zhao Jie.

*A show of force.*

The thought flashed through their minds. It was clear that Mr. Ji Zhanhui intended to teach the student who had been absent from his classes a lesson. It was an experience they had all endured; now, it was Zhao Jie's turn.