The next day.
Ben got up early and, after washing up, rushed to the sunbathing experience hall to bask in the sun, skipping breakfast altogether.
The staff were a little surprised to see Ben arrive so early.
They had just opened the doors!
Normally, the experience hall wouldn't get any customers in the morning. Most people preferred to come in the afternoon or evening.
Who comes in so early?
Ben explained: "Oh, I haven't been feeling well recently. The doctor said I have too much dampness in my body and recommended sunbathing therapy."
Actually, Ben didn't need to explain at all; the staff would have gladly welcomed him regardless.
After all, it's business—there's no reason to turn customers away.
Moreover, their salary structure included commission on top of their base pay. More customers meant more income for them.
Ben's explanation was just to avoid attracting unnecessary attention.
Under the staff's guidance, Ben entered a private room.
This wasn't his first time; he was already familiar with the process. As soon as the staff left, he eagerly took off his clothes and lay in the sunbathing machine.
[You absorb sunlight, physique +0.01, spirit +0.003, strength +0.01, agility +0.01...]
[You absorb sunlight, physique +0.01, spirit +0.003, strength +0.01, agility +0.01...]
[You absorb sunlight, physique +0.01, spirit +0.003, strength +0.01, agility +0.01...]
The familiar prompt kept appearing.
Almost every second!
Ben couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.
About twenty minutes later, the prompts finally stopped.
With a thought, Ben opened the attribute panel displayed in his left eye.Race: Human
Physique: 30
Spirit: 17
Strength: 30
Agility: 30
Talent: Kryptonian Bloodline
Spiritual Energy Points: 0This was his current status after a session of sunbathing.
Just like the day before, his physique, strength, and agility had each increased by 10 points, while his spirit had risen by 3 points.
Ben was very satisfied.
Feeling the enhanced power coursing through his body, he smiled brightly.
This feeling of growing stronger was simply incredible.
Based on the attribute panel, his physique and strength were now roughly three times that of an average human.
And this was only the beginning!
A while later, Ben left the experience hall and returned to the hotel.
He collected his stored luggage, then headed straight to Chicago University to register.
Chicago University was built on an impressive scale. The main gate alone was over fifteen meters high. On the lintel, the flamboyantly written characters "Chicago University" exuded grandeur!
Passing through the gate, he found himself facing a sprawling garden.
In the center of the garden stood a giant statue.
According to the stone tablet next to it, the statue was modeled after Chicago University's first principal, who had sacrificed himself on an extraterrestrial battlefield.
After reading the principal's story, Ben was filled with awe.
A true hero!
"Hey, are you a freshman here to register?"
A voice interrupted Ben's thoughts.
Turning around, he saw a thin young man with glasses dragging a suitcase.
Like Ben, the young man seemed to have just arrived.
"Yeah!" Ben replied. "Are you a freshman too?"
"Yes!" The young man smiled warmly. "I thought I arrived early enough, but it seems you beat me to it."
I came last night, Ben thought silently.
"My name's Robert," the young man introduced himself. "What's yours?"
Ben appreciated Robert's easygoing nature despite his frail appearance.
"Ben," he answered.
The two quickly became acquainted and walked together.
They followed the main road, passed through the garden, and arrived at the school's large playground.
There were already many students gathered there, and a massive banner hung high: Welcome Freshmen!
It seemed some people had arrived even earlier than them.
As they stepped into the crowd, a senior student approached them.
"Hello, are you freshmen?" she asked.
She introduced herself: "I'm Lyra, a sophomore, and one of the welcoming committee staff members."
Lyra looked ordinary at first glance, but she carried a powerful presence. Most noticeable of all—she had only one arm.
Her left sleeve hung empty.
Noticing their gaze, Lyra spoke frankly: "I wasn't born disabled. I cut off my arm myself after getting poisoned by corpses in the tenth level of the spiritual realm."
Hearing this, Ben immediately felt a surge of admiration.
Cutting off one's own arm to survive required unimaginable courage.
Clearly, Lyra was a person of incredible toughness.
Ordinary people could never have done it.
Moreover, the fact that she had passed the tenth level of the spiritual realm showed she was exceptionally strong.
Respect rising within him, Ben, along with Robert, quickly adjusted their attitudes toward the one-armed senior.
"Please come over here to register your information," Lyra said.
The two freshmen nodded.
Robert went first: "I'm Robert, from XX City. Here's my admission notice."
Lyra glanced at Robert's documents and input his information onto her tablet.
Then she turned to Ben. "Your turn."
Ben stepped forward: "My name is Ben, from Chicago. Here's my admission notice."
Hearing his name, Lyra froze for a moment.
"Ben, from Chicago…" she muttered.
Suddenly, her eyes widened in recognition, and she exclaimed loudly: "You're Ben?! The one who gave away the Flare-Flare Fruit?!"
Her voice carried, immediately drawing attention from nearby students.
Everyone looked toward Ben with astonishment and curiosity.
After a night of online frenzy, news of Ben had spread widely across the country.
In an instant, Ben found himself surrounded.
Robert quietly edged away, clearly wanting no part of the commotion.
Ben didn't mind Robert's reaction. Smiling helplessly, he said: "Yeah, I'm that biggest idiot on the internet who used the Flare-Flare Fruit to win a beauty's smile."
In truth, Ben had already anticipated this situation when he enrolled. He was mentally prepared.
That's why he could face it all so calmly.
Compared to the powerful Great Superman bloodline he now possessed, a mere reputation as a "fool" meant nothing.
"I'm sorry, Junior Ben," Lyra quickly apologized, realizing she had lost her composure. "I just saw the news this morning and couldn't believe I'm meeting you in person. It wasn't intentional..."
"It's fine," Ben replied with a smile. "Senior, please continue registering me."
"Of course," Lyra nodded quickly.
She returned her attention to the tablet and entered Ben's information.
Meanwhile, the curious gazes of students around him didn't fade.
Some pointed at him discreetly.
Some whispered to each other.
Some were openly sizing him up.
Ben ignored all of it.
He had more important things to focus on.
[End of Chapter 15]