The Note Inside the Box

Matthew gently opened the lid of the box. It was empty, save for a folded, yellowed slip of paper lying quietly at the bottom.

He took the slip of paper out and set it aside. Although the paper was bound to be of higher value than the wooden box, things had to be handled one step at a time.

He closed the lid again and placed his hands lightly on both sides of the wooden box. Condensing his Spirit, he let it seep slowly toward the interior of the box like a trickling stream.

This time, he was no longer merely sensing it on the surface. Instead, he attempted to penetrate deep into the wooden box to explore its internal structure and energy circuits.

However—

The moment his strands of Spirit brushed against the surface of the wooden box and tried to penetrate deeper, an invisible yet resilient resistance suddenly surged forth!

The sensation was not one of being repelled or bounced back. Rather, it felt as if he had touched a smooth, dense barrier, and his Spirit's connection was instantly “severed”—

It was not pushed away, nor was it swallowed. It was a clean, sharp isolation, as if an invisible shutter had suddenly fallen, completely separating his extended Spirit from the interior of the wooden box.

Matthew felt a chill in his heart and immediately withdrew his Spirit, his fingertips feeling slightly cold. He stared at the wooden box, a trace of realization flashing in his eyes.

“I see...” he muttered to himself in a low voice. “The function of this box is probably 'isolation' and storage.”

A probe of Spirit could normally penetrate most ordinary substances. Wooden boards, stones, fabrics, and even metal could be “seen through” to some extent under a strong enough Spirit, allowing one to perceive their internal structure or hidden objects.

It was similar to the X-rays of his previous life, capable of clearly scanning the interior.

Yet this wooden box could firmly block Spirit out, leaving not even a single crack.

Matthew reached out and lightly tapped the lid, producing a dull, solid thudding sound. The box itself had no lock; opening it only required lifting the lid, with no physical obstacles.

But on a spiritual level, it was like an airtight wall.

He pondered for a moment, placed the slip of paper back into the box, and then closed the lid.

This time, he released his Spirit again and tried to sense the inside of the box. Sure enough, the slip of paper he could clearly “see” just moments ago had now seemingly vanished. The moment his Spirit touched the surface of the wooden box, it was isolated. Absolutely nothing inside—be it the paper's existence, shape, or even material—could be detected in the slightest.

“A utility item... and most likely not unique,” Matthew muttered, leaning back against his chair as his gaze fell on the wooden box and his thoughts spun rapidly.

“If it were a precious and rare magic item, it would usually have more complex functions—either defending against attacks, amplifying mana, or storing spells. But this box, other than blocking Spirit probes, doesn't seem to have any other special properties.”

He recalled Sutton once casually mentioning that in areas with more developed magical civilizations, containers with similar functions were not extremely rare.

They were often used to preserve items that required secrecy or insulation from energy leaks—such as certain unstable alchemical potions, letters with strong spiritual imprints, or special materials prone to causing energy disturbances.

“If it really is a mass-produced utility container, then its value lies more in its 'practicality' rather than its 'rarity'.” Matthew's finger tapped the tabletop unconsciously. “But why would it appear in Nathan's hands? How did a horse bandit leader in the Kingdom of Cher obtain such a thing? Unless... the origin of the 'treasure' he discovered is related to the magical field.”

The material of the wooden box was unknown, but its function was relatively clear: a common container capable of shielding Spirit probes.

It might not be powerful, but in certain situations—such as hiding crucial information or preserving items that shouldn't be exposed—it could yield unexpected results.

Or perhaps placing precious materials inside to ensure their mana did not dissipate.

This function was just like an insulated bag, but the effect was clearly far superior. After all, being able to prevent even a single shred of mana from leaking out made it a truly rare treasure!

Matthew held the wooden box in his hand and scrutinized it carefully once more. His thoughts drifted.

This item could block Spirit probes, and its material was also extraordinary. If used to store certain precious materials that required absolute secrecy or contained mana, it would undoubtedly be an excellent choice.

However, for him at this moment, the box seemed a bit like “a hero with no battlefield.”

He had almost nothing on hand that warranted such tight preservation. The core of that goat demon from before might have been rare, but it had already been consumed and digested by him.

What he carried on him now was nothing more than some magic stones, ordinary potions, and personal weapons. He had no treasures that required such “safe-keeping.”

“A pity,” Matthew thought to himself. “Though it's of no use right now, its potential value cannot be underestimated. If I really manage to find top-grade magic crystals, high-tier magical beast crystal cores, or other even more valuable magic materials in the future, the function of this wooden box will be irreplaceable.”

Thinking of this, he hesitated no longer and carefully tucked the wooden box close to his chest. This was not a handy tool for immediate use, but it was a “future” worth investing in.

After putting away the wooden box, his attention fell entirely on the folded, yellowed slip of paper with slightly frayed edges.

He gently took it out and slowly unfolded it under the afternoon light.

Unfolding the paper, he found it to be about a palm long and half a palm wide. The paper was thin yet flexible, its edges slightly frayed, and its texture ordinary. It bore no energy fluctuations or special imprints.

The writing on it looked like the tracks of mosquitoes and flies. The strokes varied in thickness and were arranged in complete disarray. Some strokes even overlapped and blurred together, showing absolutely no characteristics of any systematic script.

“This...” Matthew's lips twitched slightly, and he was momentarily left speechless.

He thought of how carefully Nathan's wife had hidden it, of the peculiar isolating properties of the wooden box, and especially of his own previous speculation that “a slip of paper preserved so carefully must be extraordinary”—

And this was the result?

He couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. Pinching the thin, frayed slip of paper between his fingertips, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Going through the trouble of sneaking in, scaring the woman, and seizing this wooden box imbued with magic, all while full of anticipation for what kind of secrets or clues to treasure might be hidden inside...

Only to find in the end that what was so solemnly preserved inside was actually such a piece of “scrap paper,” devoid of any information, aesthetic value, or even logic?

“What on earth was Nathan... or rather, the person who left this behind, thinking?” Frowning, Matthew brought the paper close to his eyes, almost pressing it against his nose, as he tried to find even a single hidden pattern or cipher from those chaotic strokes.

Yet, there was none.

The lines were purely lines, completely disorganized. Aside from proving that the writer's hand might have been shaking violently at the time, or that they simply had no intention of letting anyone understand it, there was no other meaning.

“Could it be... that the wooden box itself is the key, and this paper was just stuffed inside to take up space?” An absurd thought popped into his mind.

But in the next second, he dismissed it himself. How could a container meant to block Spirit probes be used to hold a piece of actual scrap paper?

It made no sense.

.....................................................

......................................................