1 Ancient Chest

Chapter 1

In a moderately sized room, a 27-year-old man is seen sitting on a bed, looking at several worn-out books in front of him.

"I never thought that an old chest I randomly stumbled upon could have such a profound impact on my life and that of my family," said the man, his happiness evident.

Moments ago, he received a call from his parents informing him that their durian farm had attracted the government's attention as a potential high-end commodity. If cultivated successfully, durian was believed to have a significant impact on the local economy.

Without hesitation, the government offered substantial subsidies to him and his family to promote the growth of this extraordinary durian.

If everything went as planned, he wouldn't have to worry about his future anymore—it was all guaranteed!

Lost in his thoughts, the man found it difficult to recall an incident from six years ago.

During that time, Alex Caniago was engaged in practical lectures in the Java region. He was assigned to develop and share relevant knowledge about agriculture in a village on the island of Java, as part of his community service while pursuing an undergraduate degree in agriculture.

Those were challenging times, marked by numerous obstacles and differences in perspectives between the community and student groups. Often, what was learned in college couldn't be easily implemented when faced with real-world scenarios.

Nevertheless, everything proceeded smoothly.

Once upon a time, Alex decided to plant a tree in a remote forested area. Initially, he dug a hole effortlessly, but soon encountered a hard object with his hoe.

At first, Alex assumed it was an ordinary, random rock. However, as he continued digging deeper, he discovered a not-so-large chest.

The chest measured 29 inches in width, 42 inches in length, and had a thickness of 20 inches. At first glance, there was nothing remarkable about it. Nonetheless, Alex took it seriously, considering the possibility of stumbling upon some treasure.

However, the island of Java differed from other islands in Indonesia. With its historically high population density, it was plausible that people from earlier times might have left behind some treasures. Thus, he could potentially uncover remnants of an ancient civilization, if he were lucky.

Upon examining the chest's grand appearance and the iron ornaments adorning it, Alex hurriedly planted the previously forgotten tree. Once the tree was in place, he carefully carried the chest away, ensuring no one would notice it.

When Alex arrived at the house in the village, he didn't open the box until he finished his task there.

Alex only dared to open the chest when he returned to his rented house after completing his one-year duty.

After suppressing his curiosity for a long time, Alex finally had the opportunity to see what was inside the box.

With caution, the young man opened the black wooden chest adorned with rusty iron carvings. The chest didn't have a key, allowing Alex to easily open it despite it being a little stuck. Eventually, several random items came into view before Alex's eyes.

"What kind of junk is this?" Alex exclaimed, feeling a little annoyed.

He proceeded to take out all the items from the chest to examine them more closely.

Inside were three books, a machete, and an earthenware jug. Each item had an old appearance. Alex felt unsatisfied with his findings, especially since he couldn't read the ancient texts in the books.

However, due to the ancient nature of the texts, Alex lost interest in the items and carried on with his daily life.

After graduating from his undergraduate program, Alex became passionate and eager, seeking any trending job opportunity even if it wasn't related to his field.

Given the abundance of startups and community initiatives, Alex's network expanded. However, the money he earned wasn't as significant as it seemed.

It could be said that Alex tried anything he wanted and took the opportunities that came his way.

After several years immersed in these modern endeavors, Alex eventually grew tired of keeping up with the fast-paced nature and work pressure of startups and similar businesses. Consequently, he found himself seeking employment in a bank.

Alex could only complain at the time because he realized that what he had previously laughed at was happening to him. In Indonesia, many bankers were agriculture graduates disconnected from their fields. Alex had initially mocked such individuals, but he eventually had to eat his words.

Working at a bank provided Alex with a more relaxed and less pressured environment compared to his experience with startups and similar businesses.

Just imagine, during his time at a pioneering startup, he had to be available for work 24 hours a day whenever the boss called.

Alex couldn't help but feel dissatisfied with his current job...

Having more free time on his hands, he began developing new hobbies. Being an agriculture graduate, he naturally had an affinity for plants. Consequently, he followed the flora trends in Indonesia, ranging from ancient ones like bonsai and orchids to more modern ones, which unfortunately had a lot of fraud involved.

When Alex found himself with some free time, he recalled the chest he obtained a few years ago. With the advancement of technology, translation applications for ancient texts started to emerge. Even if there were errors, finding an expert was as easy as typing a few words on the internet.

Upon discovering the contents of the three tattered books he had taken, Alex couldn't contain his excitement. The first ancient book contained information on plant care, which was directly relevant to his field of expertise.

Confidently, he affirmed that the book contained genuine information, some of which surprised him with its usefulness and novelty, previously undiscovered in the world.

The second book covered animal care, while the third book detailed various martial arts moves that Alex believed to be ancient silat techniques.

Though unable to verify the authenticity of the contents, Alex was certain that the books held value.

With this realization, Alex's idle period after returning from work became more vibrant. He delved into researching the first book, aiming for a breakthrough in agriculture. If he could independently develop advanced fertilizers, wouldn't that lead to prosperity? Even if he didn't achieve riches through fertilizer sales, he could still benefit his hometown since his parents had a large garden.

Initially, the research progress was slow, as many items mentioned in the book were unfamiliar to him in terms of their form and usage. However, gradually but surely, Alex gained understanding and even modified the recipes and procedures in the book.

This demonstrated Alex's talent in the field.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of pride.

"Who said my agricultural studies were in vain? Even though I work in a bank now, just look at my invention—it has the potential to benefit me, my family, our country, and perhaps even the world!"

Alex's research continued up to the present, during which he was supported by the provincial government.

During this time, Alex had been sending his parents a 100% organic nutritional liquid to fertilize the vegetables and fruits in their garden.

At first, Alex's parents were skeptical of their son's claims, but after being persuaded, they eventually agreed. After all, their son was an agricultural scholar, while they were just ordinary parents who had been farming since childhood.

And indeed, the harvest from the garden using the nutrient solution fertilizer provided by Alex increased significantly. Not only did the quantity improve, but the quality as well.

This brought immense happiness and pride to Alex's family.

Lost in his thoughts, Alex's face lit up with a contented and joyous expression!

"Hehehe, I still have a long way to go!" Alex chuckled, gazing at the random items before him.

Then, Alex headed to the kitchen to fetch a knife.

Not with the intention of self-harm, but merely driven by his curiosity, Alex lightly cut his fingertip, allowing a few drops of blood to fall onto the machete. Seeing no immediate effect, he proceeded to drip his blood into the jug. Alex repeated this act of dripping blood until all three books, the machete, and the jug were completely stained.

Observing that nothing happened, Alex let out a bitter smile and scoffed.

Lately, Alex had been experiencing more and more periods of unemployment. Thanks to the success of his nutrition-related work, he resigned from the bank, leaving him with plenty of free time.

Having an abundance of free time had influenced Alex, leading him to indulge in teenage fantasy stories, which had made him the eccentric person he was at present.

"It seems I've read too many fantasy stories, to the point where I wish I had a magical relic..."

With that thought, Alex tidied up the random items, placing them back into the chest.

Afterward, Alex ventured out to occupy himself with something else.

Meanwhile, inside the chest, some of the bloodstains that Alex had splattered earlier began to dissolve. It appeared as though the objects were rejecting Alex's blood.

After a while, the bloodstains finally settled at the bottom of the chest. In contrast to the previous random items, the chest did not repel the blood; instead, it avidly absorbed it before emitting a brilliant light.

The light expanded with great intensity, engulfing the not-so-large room. Even adults wearing sunglasses in that space were unable to discern anything.

Then, moments later, the light gradually dimmed, leaving the room as if nothing had ever occurred within its walls.