Akira skimmed the global headlines—reports of mass panic, widespread infrastructure failure, government collapse, and terrifying, unexplained phenomena confirming the chaotic nature of the new reality. The gravity of the situation sparked a flicker of dark, nefarious thoughts in his mind—the countless opportunities for exploitation presented by a world in disarray.
He instantly suppressed them; the goal was stability, not global conquest.
He looked at Yukari, the decision firm in his eyes. The outside world was unusable, making his internal domain the only viable solution for building materials.
"The world's a mess. Buying materials is impossible," Akira stated. He then gave the directive: "Yukari, take us to the domain."
He explained the new plan, his tone filled with controlled anticipation: "We're going to place that special Portable, Self-Sustaining Island I summoned. I want to establish our core base there immediately. And," he added, a slight, expectant smile touching his lips, "it's a high-value gacha item. Maybe we'll find some surprise waiting for us on it."
Yukari gave him an approving nod, clearly pleased he was embracing the use of his summoned assets to solve real-world problems. She opened the Boundary, and the trio were instantly enveloped in the familiar sense of shifting reality.
The trio immediately materialized within the Infinite Domain, the vast, chaotic reality Yukari had crafted for Akira. Akira quickly pulled out the shrunken Portable, Self-Sustaining Island from his pack.
With Yukari providing the necessary boundary manipulation to stabilize the item within her creation, Akira expanded the island and carefully positioned it as the new, solid core of the domain.
The summoned asset was far more than just a patch of land; it was a miraculous, self-contained paradise, now ready to serve as their headquarters and the foundation for the ambitious expansion:
The instant the island fully materialized, it anchored itself in the domain, a beacon of reality amidst the infinite possibilities. Its features confirmed its immense value as a foundational asset.
The island was a marvel of natural production, ensuring their sustenance and providing functional building:
Earthly and Magical Fruits:
Everywhere grew an abundance of fruit trees, featuring normal Earth fruits alongside various magical fruits that shimmered with faint energy, offering unique restorative or strengthening properties.
Earthly and Magical Flowers:
The air was perpetually scented by vibrant flora. Normal flowers carpeted the meadows, interspersed with magical flowers that glowed softly and possessed properties useful for minor enchantments or unique dyes.
Freshwater Spring:
A perpetual freshwater spring bubbled up from the center of the island, guaranteeing an infinite, pure source of water that maintained the island's lush environment.
Beachside Hammock:
On the sun-drenched, white-sand beach, a sturdy hammock was perfectly strung between two sturdy palm trees, offering the ultimate spot for relaxation.
Big Medieval Castle-Styled Resort:
This was not a ruin, but a massive, fully furnished medieval castle resort. It seamlessly blended the security and grandeur of a castle with the luxury and comfort of a modern resort.
With the island now providing stability, sustenance, and a central headquarters, Akira's new world finally had a solid base from which to launch his financial strategies.
The trio stood outside the perimeter of the newly materialized island, speechless. The sheer grandeur of the Castle-Resort made the island's value instantly skyrocket. The original item description was truly inaccurate.
A dry laugh escaped Yukari. "Well, isn't this convenient," she chuckled, clearing her throat. "I was just about to lecture you on the vast amount of materials we'd need for construction, and this solves all of it."
She then turned serious, addressing the most pressing ethical and logistical boundary Akira had crossed. "Speaking of things you've acquired," she asked, "what exactly do you plan to do with the girls you've practically kidnapped from their worlds? Even the Voice of the World gave you a complaint about breaking the balance."
Akira, however, had already compartmentalized that problem. He wanted to focus on gathering immediate, high-utility resources first.
"That's a long-term project," Akira replied, pulling out his summoning mechanism. "Before we get into the selection process, I'm going to utilize my daily summon first."
The resultant flash of light and the appearance of the new item made even Yukari stare. What Akira got was even more ridiculous than his previous haul:
Akira had summoned a simple, unassuming backpack. It had two properties that instantly revolutionized his logistical planning:
Bag of Infinite Space: The interior of the backpack connected to a true, infinite extra-dimensional space, capable of storing any non-living item, regardless of size or volume.
Weight Reduction Effect: The backpack and all of its contents, regardless of how much was stored inside, would always weigh a constant, negligible amount (like a feather). This meant he could carry all of future monster spoils without any physical strain.
This instantly made the locked Doraemon Pocket completely redundant and solved all his long-term storage and asset transportation issues.
Akira stared at his new backpack, momentarily speechless. To receive two items with the same core function—infinite storage—the Doraemon Pouch and now this infinitely superior backpack, was truly a testament to his chaotic luck. The Doraemon Pouch was instantly and hilariously redundant.
His focus then was broken by a sharp, clear knocking sound on a door that shouldn't logically exist in the domain. Because Yukari had perfectly connected the domain and his rented room, he could still hear external sounds, signaling a breach of their privacy.
"Someone's here," Akira murmured, his expression turning serious. He immediately stepped out of the domain, and the reality of the spatially expanded penthouse suite solidified around him.
Waiting at the main door were several uniformed military personnel. They were courteous but intensely focused, and their presence alone confirmed the speed with which the world was adapting to the new chaos.
The lead officer politely but directly addressed Akira: "Sir, we're here regarding the recent global phenomenon,"
They quickly presented their proposal: The military, they explained, had immediately begun patrols to search for survivors after the trial has ended, is a mandatory command for the military, police, fire fighter and medical personel across the nation. Their proposal is to recruit Akira.
"We are offering you a position as a governmental military agent," the officer stated. "Your mission would be to help us scout, assess the environment, and search for other survivors."
They then give him an extra: They would offer access to resources and priority treatment otherwise unavailable in the current chaos.
His identity, powers (if he one of the 'trial' takers), would be classified at the absolute highest level, known only to the President and the Minister of Defense.
Akira, his expression unreadable, cut to the chase: "Why me? How did you find me?"
The officer pointed vaguely in the direction of the streets Akira had walked earlier. "A patrol unit saw you roaming the street a few hours prior. We tracked this location down immediately based on the limited reports we had of surviving individuals that doing something that can be called careless outing amids of Chaos."
Akira realized his brief, aborted trip to the hardware store had instantly registered him on the military's radar.
Akira quickly weighed the pros and cons of the military's offer:
He will get access to resources, protection and complete confidentiality.
But he willl loss a lot of his autonomy, and will be under constant scrutiny.
He decided on a strategic compromise. "I appreciate the offer, but I need time to consider becoming a government agent," Akira stated calmly. "However, I will assist you in locating survivors, but only after I've had time to consolidate the resources I currently possess."
The officer, sensing an opportunity, pressed: "Resources, sir? What resources might those be?"
Akira, now confident in his assets, decided to give them a limited, plausible truth. He bluntly stated that his unique ability involved large-scale, time-accelerated farming. "I'm a Trial taker, and my ability allows me to cultivate any fruit or flower in a dedicated farming area with a time-shifting effect that causes crops to mature almost instantly."
The military officers were completely dumbfounded. They exchanged wide-eyed glances, their faces a mix of shock and dawning realization. In a world collapsing into chaos and scarcity, a self-sustaining food source was a resource more valuable than everything else.
The lead officer quickly pulled out his phone and made a rapid, terse call, speaking for a few minutes to someone clearly high up the chain of command.
He ended the call and looked at Akira with a new, highly motivated demeanor.
"Sir, we can bypass the recruitment paperwork for now. Consider this a military order for fruits from you," the officer declared. "We will be back as soon as possible, and we will bring with us various seeds for fruits and staple foods: rice, corn, wheat, cassava, sweet potato, potato, and sugar cane."
He extended a hand. "We desperately need this. You help us stabilize the city food supply, and we will pay you according to the pre-chaos market price for the result. We will ensure your needs for consolidation are met."
The negotiation was successful. Akira had not only secured a legitimate cover story but also an immediate, high-value demand for the goods he could easily produce in the domain.
The lead officer, now operating under direct, high-level orders, quickly added an amendment to their frantic resource procurement list.
"And one more thing, Sir" the officer added urgently. "We will also bring a vast assortment of various vegetable seeds. We are hoping for a miracle that they can be farmed at your location with the same efficiency as the Fruits."
He gave Akira a final look that conveyed the sheer weight of their desperation and hope. "You focus on preparing your area. We will return with the seeds and the first payment. For now, you are officially under government contract to solve the food crisis."
Akira gave a sharp nod, the deal finalized. He had successfully leveraged his unique ability to secure his needs.
With the military gone and the immediate task clearly defined, Akira returned inside, ready to inform Yukari and Kurumi that the operation was officially a go, and their first order of business was transforming the island into a literal, time-accelerated farm.