Chapter 153: A Trace of Subtle Loss (Third Update)

"Come, Angewomon, let us see if we can achieve evolution once more!"

Zhao Jie held the blue card in his palm, looking earnestly at Angewomon standing before him as he spoke.

Achieve evolution once more?

Hearing Zhao Jie’s words, Angewomon was stunned.

Naturally, she knew that beyond the Perfect level lay the even more formidable Ultimate level, yet she had not the slightest clue as to how one might attain it.

Previously, aided by the light energy contained within her Holy Ring, she had already entered her Shining Form. Her strength in that state was immense, but even then, she could glimpse no dawn of reaching the Ultimate level.

And now, Zhao Jie standing right before her was telling her to try and enter the Ultimate level?

Just by relying on a blue card like this?

*Why does this feel rather unreliable?*

Angewomon murmured inwardly, though her body was utterly honest; a look of faint anticipation flickered across her masked face.

If she could truly evolve once more, she would become unprecedentedly powerful.

"Angewomon, Ultimate Evolution!"

Clutching the blue card, Zhao Jie gazed at Angewomon and pointed the card directly at her.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

The two stared at each other, and an atmosphere that could only be described as awkward hung thick in the air. No light of evolution appeared on Angewomon's body, nor did the blue card in Zhao Jie's hand undergo the slightest change.

"Cough, cough, cough."

Giving a few light coughs, Zhao Jie withdrew the blue card and scrutinized the blue card in his hand closely.

Could it be that he had overthought things?

No, that couldn't be right.

If it were merely an ordinary card, Angewomon ought to have been able to pick it up rather than being entirely unable to touch it.

Something must have gone wrong somewhere.

"Let's try again!"

After a moment of contemplation, Zhao Jie turned his gaze back to Angewomon beside him.

"Angewomon, Ultimate Evolution!"

This time, he proactively channeled the digital energy from between his brows into the blue card.

Buzz...

With Zhao Jie's digital energy serving as the catalyst, the blue card blossomed with a deep, eerie blue radiance.

Under Zhao Jie's watchful eye, the light coiled and wrapped around Angewomon standing not far away.

"Whoosh!"

The moment this deep blue radiance fell upon Angewomon, her wings unfurled involuntarily, and the light of evolution surged upward from the soles of her feet.

"It worked!"

Seeing this sight, Zhao Jie's breathing grew hurried, his eyes tracking the deep blue radiance as it settled upon Angewomon.

Was Angewomon's Ultimate form—Magnadramon—about to be born?!

Yet soon enough, the deep blue radiance faded, and the light of evolution that had already begun to rise gradually dissipated into nothingness, as though it had never appeared at all.

The blue card in his hand likewise returned to its tranquil state once more.

"What is going on?"

Zhao Jie's expression turned bewildered as he blankly stared at the scene before him. His previously blazing heart felt as though a basin of cold water had been dumped over it, chilling him to the bone.

"It seems... it doesn't match the digital genetic sequence within my body."

Angewomon spoke with a hint of uncertainty.

The moment that deep blue radiance had coiled around her body, she had almost believed she was about to evolve once more!

In truth, she really had been evolving.

After all, even the light of evolution representing the process itself had already risen from beneath her feet.

Yet shortly afterward, the deep blue digital energy radiance vanished, causing her evolution to halt mid-way.

"It doesn't match?"

Hearing Angewomon's words, the tightly furrowed brow on Zhao Jie's face did not smooth out; instead, it deepened into the shape of the character for three.

That shouldn't be the case!

In the anime, there was never an instance where a blue card could only allow specific Digimon to evolve.

A blue card ought to be a key that unlocks genetic locks; regardless of what Digimon used the blue card, they should all be able to evolve.

Zhao Jie found it somewhat difficult to agree with Angewomon's explanation.

The method must have been wrong!

"Let's try again!"

This time, rather than ceasing the infusion of digital energy once the card was activated, Zhao Jie maintained a continuous and steady flow!

Buzz...

The blue card was activated once more, blooming with a deep blue radiance that cast a cobalt glow over Zhao Jie himself.

"Angewomon, Ultimate Evolution!"

Zhao Jie's gaze locked onto Angewomon, and the deep blue radiance found its outlet, surging toward her in a torrent.

Swish!

The light of evolution rose from beneath Angewomon's feet once more.

"Huh?"

Sensing the movement of the blue card, Zhao Jie noticed that the energy within the card stopped gushing forth the moment the light of evolution appeared on Angewomon.

Snap!

Realizing something was amiss, Zhao Jie once again increased the input of his own digital energy.

Yet it was of little use; the blue card refused to be activated any further!

Before long, the light of evolution faded away once again, and Angewomon's evolution failed.

"Angel type, incompatible."

The input of a massive amount of digital energy allowed Zhao Jie to establish a profound, esoteric connection with the blue card in his hand.

Then, a single sentence was transmitted directly from the blue card into Zhao Jie's mind.

"It really is incompatible?"

Receiving this feedback, Zhao Jie wore a look of utter astonishment as he stared at the blue card in his hand.

"What is it?"

Angewomon asked curiously, looking at the silent Zhao Jie.

"I have some good news."

Zhao Jie recovered from his deep thought, looking at Angewomon before him and speaking.

"Uh..."

Angewomon did not wish to press further; she could already sense that this news was likely not good news for her at all.

"The good news is that this blue card can indeed allow Perfect-level Digimon to evolve!"

Clutching the blue card in his grip, Zhao Jie wore a somewhat excited expression.

Although Angewomon could not use this card to achieve Ultimate evolution, he still had Agumon.

If this blue card could enable Agumon to achieve Ultimate evolution, the result was something he could certainly accept.

"Then why couldn't I evolve?"

Angewomon looked somewhat depressed as she gazed at the blue card in Zhao Jie's hand.

The Ultimate level, after all—she desired it very much as well.

A trace of minor disappointment lingered in her heart.

"Incompatibility, just as you sensed yourself earlier."

"However, we can search around this digital settlement a bit more; perhaps a second blue card exists here!"

Very well!

Angewomon reluctantly gathered her spirits and began to search through this abandoned digital settlement once again.

Over an hour passed, and both Zhao Jie and Angewomon searched the place thoroughly twice over.

Facts proved that they were simply daydreaming.

Finding one abandoned blue card here already counted as striking great fortune; expecting to find a second one was pure fantasy.

"Forget it, forget it."

"Let's go, time to head back. There's nothing of value left here!"

Looking somewhat disappointed, Zhao Jie ceased his search for the blue card and waved to the reluctant Angewomon.

To obtain such an item by sheer luck was already a stroke of immense fortune; to keep hoping for a second blue card was indeed rather greedy.