The room was silent.
Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting warm light across the wooden floor. Outside, birds chirped softly in the Carter estate gardens.
But inside the bed, Bruce Carter had already closed his eyes.
To anyone watching, it looked like he had simply fallen asleep.
But Bruce's mind was far from resting.
His consciousness slowly drifted inward.
Deeper.
Further.
Until the familiar, strange sensation appeared again.
A vast emptiness.
Then—
Light.
Bruce opened his eyes.
But this time he wasn't inside the bedroom.
He stood on soft grass.
Endless green fields stretched out before him.
A gentle wind brushed past his face.
Bruce slowly looked around.
"So this is it. …"
The space world.
The mysterious dimension hidden inside his mind.
Even with Aron Turner's calm mind, Bruce felt genuine surprise.
The place was enormous.
Much larger than he had first imagined.
Rolling farmland spread across the distance, filled with different crops and fruit trees.
Golden wheat fields swayed gently in the wind.
Rows of vegetables grew neatly in fertile soil.
Beyond them stood thick forests full of towering trees.
Birds flew through the sky above.
It felt like an entire hidden kingdom.
Bruce slowly took a few steps forward.
Unlike his body outside…
His leg didn't hurt here.
There was no brace.
No weakness.
No limp.
His movements felt natural.
Bruce looked down at his leg in shock.
"So inside this world …"
"My body is normal?"
Interesting.
Very interesting.
But that wasn't the most incredible thing here.
In the distance stood something even more impressive.
A massive ancient castle.
Dark stone walls rose high into the sky.
Tall towers stood like silent guardians.
The castle looked ancient, powerful, and mysterious.
Bruce narrowed his eyes slightly.
"I'll explore that later."
For now, something else had caught his attention.
The glowing river.
The same river he had seen earlier.
Crystal blue water flowed slowly across the land, glowing faintly like liquid light.
Even from several metres away, Bruce could feel the energy coming from it.
Warm.
Powerful.
Alive.
Bruce approached the river carefully.
The closer he got, the stronger the energy became.
His entire body began reacting to it.
The moment he reached the riverbank, Bruce knelt down.
He extended his hand slowly.
The moment his fingers touched the water—
A strange sensation spread through his body.
Warmth.
Pure warmth.
It flowed from his fingertips up through his arm.
Bruce quickly cupped some water in his hands.
He studied it carefully.
The water shimmered faintly, as if tiny stars were floating inside it.
"This must be the healing water. …"
Without hesitation, Bruce drank it.
The moment the water entered his body—
Boom.
Energy exploded inside him.
Bruce's eyes widened.
The energy rushed through every part of his body.
His muscles trembled.
His bones vibrated.
His blood seemed to boil.
It wasn't painful.
But it was overwhelming.
Bruce fell to one knee.
"What the—?!"
The energy gathered around his right leg.
The crippled leg.
Bruce could feel something happening inside the bones.
Tiny cracks.
Bones shifting.
Muscles rebuilding.
The energy kept flowing.
Bruce clenched his fists tightly.
Aron Turner had endured countless painful trainings in his previous life.
Compared to those experiences, this was manageable.
After several minutes, the energy slowly calmed.
Bruce breathed heavily.
Then he slowly stood up.
Carefully.
He placed weight on his right leg.
For the first time in years—
There was no pain.
Bruce took a step.
Then another.
His leg moved normally.
Bruce stared down at it in disbelief.
"It worked. …"
The magical river had healed his crippled leg.
But that wasn't the only change.
Bruce could feel something else.
Strength.
His muscles felt stronger than before.
Not like a trained warrior yet.
But far stronger than the weak body he had earlier.
Bruce took a deep breath.
This space system was far more powerful than he expected.
He looked back at the glowing river.
"If the water can heal injuries…"
"Then it can probably improve the body too."
Bruce's mind began analysing possibilities.
With time, training, and these resources…
He could rebuild his strength.
Even surpass his previous life.
Bruce stood there quietly for a moment.
Then his eyes moved toward the distant castle again.
The massive structure seemed to watch him silently.
"What secrets are inside there?"
Before Bruce could investigate further—
The world suddenly flickered.
His consciousness was being pulled back.
Bruce blinked.
The space world disappeared.
Bruce's eyes opened inside the bedroom.
The sunlight had shifted slightly.
Only a short amount of time had passed.
Bruce slowly sat up.
Then he looked down at his leg.
Carefully.
Slowly.
He removed the brace.
Bruce swung his legs off the bed.
Then he stood up.
No pain.
No weakness.
Bruce walked a few steps across the room.
Perfectly normal.
A slow smile appeared on his face.
"This changes everything."
But suddenly—
A voice came from the doorway.
"Well… that's interesting."
Bruce froze.
He slowly turned his head.
Standing at the doorway was Luna Carter.
Silver hair.
Mischievous eyes.
She leaned against the doorframe with crossed arms.
And she was staring directly at him.
At his healed leg.
Bruce's mind instantly shifted into calculation mode.
Luna tilted her head slightly.
Her lips curved into a playful smile.
"Little brother…"
"I thought you couldn't walk."