Morning sunlight slowly spread across the Carter estate.
Birds chirped softly in the gardens, and the quiet sound of water fountains echoed through the mansion courtyard.
Inside his room, Bruce Carter sat calmly on the edge of his bed.
His eyes were open, but his thoughts were far away.
Last night's conversation with Luna had confirmed something important.
She was already watching him.
Carefully.
Every word.
Every movement.
Bruce leaned back slightly.
"That girl doesn't miss anything."
In his previous life, Aron Turner had dealt with intelligence agencies and elite interrogators.
Yet Luna Carter's instincts were just as sharp.
Perhaps even sharper.
Bruce stood up from the bed.
He stretched his arms slowly.
His body already felt different from yesterday.
Stronger.
More stable.
The magical river inside the space world had already begun improving his physical condition.
But Bruce understood something clearly.
If he wanted to truly rebuild his strength, he needed training.
Serious training.
He walked toward the window and looked outside.
The Carter estate gardens stretched across the horizon.
Beautiful.
Peaceful.
But not a good place to train.
Too many eyes.
Bruce closed his eyes again.
His consciousness sank inward.
The familiar sensation appeared instantly.
The space world.
When Bruce opened his eyes again, he stood on the endless grassland beneath a bright blue sky.
The glowing river flowed nearby.
The farmland swayed gently in the wind.
And the massive castle stood silently in the distance.
Bruce walked toward the castle.
Since unlocking the black ring yesterday, the castle had begun revealing more of its functions.
He stepped inside the main hall again.
The stone corridors felt less mysterious now.
But Bruce could still sense many locked sections.
"This place probably unlocks gradually."
He walked deeper into the castle.
Eventually, he reached a corridor he hadn't explored before.
At the end of the corridor stood a large metal door.
Unlike the ancient stone doors in other parts of the castle, this one looked modern.
Smooth metal.
Strange symbols are engraved along the edges.
Bruce placed his hand on the door.
The black ring on his finger suddenly glowed.
A mechanical voice echoed inside his mind.
"Authority verified."
"Training facility unlocked."
The heavy metal door slowly slid open.
Bruce stepped inside.
The moment he entered, his eyes widened slightly.
The room was enormous.
Far larger than the castle hall.
The floor was made of smooth black stone.
Strange metallic structures lined the walls.
Weapons.
Training equipment.
Combat simulators.
Mechanical dummies.
And something even more surprising.
A massive holographic projection appeared in the centre of the room.
It displayed multiple combat training programmes.
Hand-to-hand combat.
Sword training.
Firearms control.
Reaction speed training.
Battle strategy simulations.
Bruce crossed his arms slowly.
"So this system even provides training tools."
Impressive.
Very impressive.
Bruce walked toward one of the mechanical dummies.
It looked human-shaped but was made from reinforced alloy.
He punched it lightly.
The dummy absorbed the impact easily.
Then the holographic screen suddenly activated.
"Physical strength: low."
"Combat experience detected: advanced."
Bruce raised an eyebrow.
It could analyse him.
Interesting.
Then the system continued.
"Recommended training programme: basic physical reinforcement."
Bruce cracked his knuckles.
"Let's see what you can do."
The training room suddenly shifted.
The mechanical dummies moved into position.
Three of them stepped forward.
Bruce lowered his stance.
Although his body was still young, his mind carried decades of combat experience.
The first dummy attacked.
A straight punch.
Bruce dodged easily.
He countered with a low kick.
The dummy staggered slightly.
The second dummy attacked immediately.
Bruce moved smoothly.
Block.
Step.
Counterattack.
Even with a weaker body, his technique was flawless.
Minutes passed.
Then hours.
Bruce continued fighting the training dummies.
Each movement refined his body.
Each attack rebuilt his instincts.
Sweat covered his forehead.
His breathing grew heavier.
But his eyes burnt with focus.
Finally, Bruce stepped back.
The training system paused.
"Training session complete."
"Physical development increased."
Bruce exhaled slowly.
Good.
Very good.
With this facility, he could rebuild his combat abilities much faster.
Bruce looked around the training room again.
"This space system is more advanced than I imagined."
But suddenly—
His instincts sharpened.
Something felt wrong.
Bruce's consciousness immediately returned to the real world.
Bruce opened his eyes in his bedroom.
Someone was standing beside his bed.
He sat up instantly.
Luna Carter.
She was leaning casually against the wall with her arms crossed.
But her silver eyes were focused directly on him.
Bruce blinked.
"How long have you been standing there?"
Luna smiled slightly.
"Long enough."
Bruce remained calm.
"Watching people sleep is creepy."
Luna shrugged.
"You weren't sleeping."
Bruce said nothing.
Luna stepped closer.
"You were sitting still with your eyes closed for almost twenty minutes."
Bruce stretched his shoulders.
"Meditation."
Luna tilted her head.
"Meditation?"
Bruce nodded.
"Helps with focus."
Luna stared at him for a long moment.
Then she suddenly asked something unexpected.
"Do you know what my job is?"
Bruce pretended to think.
"Tech company CEO?"
Luna laughed softly.
"That's the public version."
Bruce looked curious.
"Oh?"
She leaned closer.
"My real job is finding lies."
The room became quiet.
Bruce held her gaze calmly.
"So did you find one?"
Luna studied his face carefully.
Then she slowly stepped back.
"No."
She smiled again.
"But I will."
Bruce watched her walk toward the door.
Before leaving, she turned slightly.
"You've changed, little brother."
Bruce said nothing.
Luna opened the door.
"But I think I like the new version more."
The door closed behind her.
Bruce leaned back against the bed.
His expression remained calm.
But his mind was fully alert.
Luna Carter had moved from suspicion…
To investigation.
And if the Underworld Queen truly decided to uncover something…
She would not stop easily.
Bruce closed his eyes again.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Good."
"Let's see who figures it out first."
Author Thoughts
Thank you for reading Chapter 8.
Bruce has now discovered the hidden training facility inside the castle system. This will allow him to rebuild his combat abilities and physical strength much faster.
However, while Bruce is gaining power inside the space world, Luna Carter has become increasingly suspicious of his sudden change.
Her instincts are extremely sharp, and she has begun actively observing Bruce's behaviour.
The relationship between Bruce and Luna will become more complex as both of them continue testing each other.
At the same time, the mysterious space system still contains many locked areas and hidden secrets that Bruce has yet to discover.
In the coming chapters, Bruce will explore deeper parts of the system, while the outside world will begin introducing new forces that could threaten the Carter family.
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See you in Chapter 9.