"Alright, see you tomorrow then. Feel free to visit again next time you're free." At the doorway, Takeru said to everyone with a smile.
"Okay, we'll come bother you again next time!" Hearing Takeru's words, Yui unceremoniously replied.
"Welcome!" Upon hearing this, Takeru nodded with a smile.
After everyone left, the lively atmosphere quickly became quiet again. Takeru didn't mind. After saying something to Miu, he started training.
…
Soon, the next day arrived. Because Takeru had asked the military to specially craft a batch of alloy boxes for everyone, each with a volume of one cubic meter, as they were mainly for everyone to use in conjunction with their Item Slots.
Although Takeru had previously used cardboard and wooden boxes, neither was as convenient as these alloy boxes.
They were slightly heavier, but when using the Item Slot, one only needed to touch them to store them, and retrieval could be adjusted. So, being a bit heavier wasn't a big issue.
Moreover, everyone's strength had been enhanced, so a 20+ kilogram alloy box was nothing to them.
Everyone received two boxes. Normally, they could store things inside, greatly alleviating the dilemma of not having enough space in their Item Slots.
Because Takeru had more Item Slots, he even requested three alloy boxes. Seeing everyone's surprised and happy smiles, Takeru also smiled. Clearly, everyone was very satisfied with this gift.
Since this was an ordinary request, Takeru only needed to mention it to Rika Izumi, the assistant at the Ability Institute. She would do her best to prepare everything for Takeru and the others.
After everyone received their new alloy boxes and bid farewell to each other, they headed home. Returning home, Takeru took out the alloy box, organized some items, and placed them inside.
Of course, things like Life Recovery Potions wouldn't be stored inside just to save slots. After all, in an emergency, it wouldn't be convenient for Takeru to first materialize the box and then retrieve things from it. Also, the alloy box currently wasn't recognized by the Reincarnation Space, meaning Takeru would need to spend points to materialize this box first the next time he entered a mission world to use it normally.
As for the main world, keeping one on hand was fine. In the future, Takeru could buy fresh ingredients, put them inside, then store them in his Item Slot to keep them fresh, taking them out when needed. It was incredibly convenient.
During normal training, another three days passed quickly. However, on Wednesday afternoon, Takeru and the others received a message from Izumi.
Through the message, they learned that on an island not far from Chiba Prefecture, a terrifying mutated beast tide had erupted.
It was now preliminarily classified as an A-rank disaster, and an elite squad had already been lost. To prevent further losses or the island's creatures reaching human-inhabited areas, the Ability Institute hoped Takeru and the others would take on this task to resolve the crisis.
One thing Izumi didn't know was that, as time passed, more powerful thermal weapons were rapidly losing effectiveness.
Currently, thermal weapons on fighter jets and tanks had already lost their effect. According to national think tank speculation, thermal weapons might completely fail before the end of the year. Humanity might have to return to the era of cold weapons. This also led various nations to shift training from thermal to cold weapons.
Takeru, naturally, wasn't aware of this. Apart from the task briefing, Izumi sent some photos of mutated animals like giant bears and crocodiles taken at the scene.
According to the description, the strongest monsters currently were at most B-Rank. However, because the entire island's monster population was uncertain, it was classified as an A-Rank disaster.
Takeru thought for a moment and quickly replied, saying he could accept the task, but only his team members would go, and he didn't want other Ability Institute's personnel involved.
Takeru also guaranteed that if the strongest monsters were indeed only B-Rank, he would absolutely complete the task.
Receiving Takeru's reply, Izumi breathed a sigh of relief. As for Takeru saying only his team could participate, that wasn't a problem at all.
After all, since two Reincarnators died there, other Reincarnators didn't dare take the task. Of course, Izumi and others didn't know about the Reincarnation Space and they just referred to Takeru and the others as ability users.
"Alright. When will you head to that island? If possible, we hope you can arrange it as soon as possible. We will arrange a helicopter for you promptly." After getting Takeru's response, Izumi quickly sent a message.
"Then tomorrow. Tomorrow at 9 a.m., send a vehicle to pick us up at the Chiba Department Store. I'll tell you the number of people later." Seeing Izumi's inquiry, Takeru quickly replied.
"Understood. I'll contact the higher-ups and have them arrange it in advance." After receiving Takeru's message, Risa quickly responded.
"Takeru, did something happen?" Yukino and the others, noticing the change in Takeru's expression during their discussion, asked curiously.
"Mhm, a sudden task appear. An A-Rank beast tide mission. I've already accepted it. We depart tomorrow at 9 a.m. Those who want to participate can sign up now." Hearing Rikka's question, Takeru showed everyone the chat messages and pictures on his phone.
"Eh, B-Rank mission! Such huge monsters!" Noticing the monsters in the pictures, everyone showed surprise.
"They look quite formidable..." Tsumugi also stared blankly at the monster pictures.
"Actually, Takeru, you could probably handle this alone, right?" Looking at the monsters and descriptions, Yukino asked curiously.
"Indeed, if the intel is correct, I could easily complete it alone. The reason I'm asking you all is that I think this is an opportunity." Hearing Yukino's words, Takeru admitted without hesitation.
"An opportunity?" Hearing this, Yui still hadn't quite grasped it.
"Mhm, a training opportunity. These monsters seem quite strong. Everyone can gain practical combat experience by fighting them. Of course, since this is reality, not that place, if you die here, there's no chance to start over. So, I hope those who want to participate consider carefully. This isn't a game."
"Those who want to join this mission can sign up now. Of course, if you feel your strength is insufficient, it's perfectly fine not to participate. Remember, don't overestimate yourself, as I don't want anyone dragging the team down due to overconfidence."
"Since this is an A-Rank mission, I'm not sure exactly how dangerous it might be, so I can't guarantee your absolute safety." Takeru spoke seriously.
Hearing Takeru's words, those who were initially eager hesitated. Of course, Yukino, Umaru, and Rikka firmly expressed their desire to participate.
"I want to join too!" Following Yukino and the others stating their stance, Sylphin raised her hand and said loudly.
"Um, I need to discuss it with Ui first." Yui hesitated, then said to Takeru.
"Mhm, everyone can reply to me by 8 p.m." Hearing Yui's words, Takeru remembered that Ui and Taihei weren't here, then spoke to everyone.
As for Yukino, Rikka, Sylphin, and the others, Takeru directly confirmed their participation. Ritsu, looking at the huge monsters and then at Mio beside her, hesitated for a moment before deciding not to participate for now. They could join lower-level missions later.
Hachiman and Yuta, seeing this, sighed but didn't sign up. Takeru didn't see any problem with that. Although getting training was good, knowing one's limits was also very important.
After giving everyone some time to discuss, Takeru, when the time was almost up, bid farewell to everyone and left school.
By 8 p.m., all participants had been confirmed: Takeru, Yukino, Umaru, Taihei, Rikka, Yui, Ui, and Sylphin… eight people in total.
After confirming with everyone, Takeru arranged to meet at the department store at 8:50 a.m. tomorrow, then informed Izumi of the number of people.
Receiving the information, she quickly replied to Takeru, saying it was all arranged and no problem.
Seeing this, Takeru put away his phone and continued his training.