"Teaming up is fine!" Ben said with a smile. "However, you have to listen to me."
To compensate for Ben's losses, Leo didn't want to complicate things further. So, she agreed to go along with whatever Ben said.
"Okay, I'll listen to you."
"First, regarding the number of people in the team, it's limited to just you and me." Ben smiled. "Can you agree to that?"
It wasn't that Ben was unwilling to help his other classmates, but he had his own considerations. Besides, Ben's goal was the extra reward! A reward like that had to be shared with teammates, and bringing in two more people would reduce Ben's gains.
Hearing Ben's words, hesitation appeared on Leo's pretty face. However, she didn't hesitate for long before nodding in agreement:
"Okay, just the two of us then."
Mainly because after she had said in class that she would definitely bring Ben along, fewer people were willing to team up with her. Everyone unanimously believed that Ben was a super burden! Although Leo's Flare-Flare Fruit was powerful, it would only show its potential in the future. Right now, the difference between everyone wasn't that big, and relying on Leo alone wouldn't provide much assistance. So, after weighing the pros and cons, many people no longer considered Leo as a viable teammate. The remaining boys who were willing to team up were mostly harboring ulterior motives, aiming for Leo herself.
Leo felt it would be better not to have those teammates at all.
"Okay, the matter of teaming up is settled then." Ben revealed a smile. His sudden agreement to Leo's request was also a whim. In simple terms, he wanted to use Leo as his "shield."
Since the Spirit Realm could check everyone's scores, if he went alone and obtained a super high reward, it would definitely arouse suspicion. But bringing Leo along would be different. After all, Leo possessed the Flare-Flare Fruit, which was classified as a genius ability.
A genius!
Isn't it normal for them to perform exceptionally well? Even if he were a burden, Leo could still pull off god-like feats! When the time came, as long as Ben pushed all the credit to Leo, he could remain hidden and inconspicuous. As for reputation… when he becomes invincible, both fame and fortune would come naturally!
"By the way!" Seeing Leo preparing to leave, Ben suddenly remembered something important. "Leo, do you have money?"
This question stunned Leo, but she still nodded honestly.
"I do."
Her father, Henry, was a Transcendent and also the president of the Transcendent Association. So, her family conditions were definitely very good—much better than Ben's family.
"How much money do you have on your card right now?"
"I don't know the exact amount. Before coming to school, my dad gave me some money, plus the lucky money I've had since I was little. Adding it all up, it's probably more than a million!"
Hiss!
Good heavens. A little rich girl! More than a million wasn't a large sum, but it was rare for a student to have that much. It could only mean that Leo's family was quite wealthy.
"Can you lend me 500,000?" Ben opened his mouth and added, "Don't worry, I'll write you an IOU, and I'll definitely pay you back."
"There's no need to write an IOU, I trust you," Leo said indifferently. Then she asked, "Is 500,000 enough? If not, I'll transfer a million to you! Anyway, the money is just sitting in my account, and I don't need it."
For Leo, Ben asking to borrow money was just a small matter. The value of the Flare-Flare Fruit couldn't be measured even with tens of billions. What was a million? Moreover, she wasn't lying. The money was just sitting in her bank card, gathering dust. She didn't need it.
"Uh… okay!" Ben was a little unaccustomed to the girl's generosity. This was the first time he had encountered someone lending money so easily. Suddenly, he felt that Leo had many good qualities. She was beautiful, kind-hearted, and generous! Most importantly, Leo wasn't like those other princess-like girls who thought that men should revolve around them despite not having the fate of a princess.
Aside from being a little stubborn, Leo's personality was far superior to those "little fairies." Thinking of this, Ben became increasingly satisfied with Leo. She was simply the perfect "shield" candidate.
"Send me your card number."
Leo didn't play games. After Ben sent her his card number, she transferred the money immediately. Not long after, Ben received a notification that a million had been credited to his account.
…
With money in hand, Ben became busy in the following days. He first spent more than 400,000 to directly buy a small apartment near Chicago University, then ordered a deluxe version of the sunbathing equipment and moved into the apartment. Sorting these things out took him a full ten days, mainly due to the procedures for buying the house and ordering the equipment.
Initially, Ben had considered simply putting the sunbathing equipment directly in the dormitory. But he quickly rejected the idea. The deluxe version of the sunbathing equipment was too large, comparable to a bed! It wouldn't be easy to fit such a big thing into the dormitory, and it would attract too much attention. Moreover, the equipment consumed a lot of electricity. Ben didn't want to deal with the dormitory staff every day about electricity bills. It was much more convenient to move out. Besides, the school didn't prohibit students from living outside. In fact, most students with good conditions lived outside the school to relieve the pressure of their intense lives.
Time passed, and it was now the last day of May.
Early morning. Ben woke up from the sunbathing equipment. Since buying it, he had been using it as his bed, sleeping inside every day. Although constant sunbathing didn't increase his attributes, it kept his body in excellent condition.
The first thing he did after waking up was to check his attributes:
Race: Human
Constitution: 290
Spirit: 95
Strength: 290
Agility: 290
Talent: Kryptonian Bloodline
Spirit Points: 0
Explosive attributes! As a newcomer who had never entered the Spirit Realm, his attributes were definitely off the charts. The Great Superman physique was really great! He would enter the Spirit Realm tomorrow, and he could gain another attribute then. By the next day, he would have three attributes breaking 300. If there were no powerful monsters in the first layer of the Spirit Realm, then don't blame Ben for going wild…
After washing up, Ben ate breakfast downstairs before heading to school. When he arrived at the classroom, it was just in time. The class bell rang, and then Adore walked in closely behind.
"Tomorrow is the day you enter the first layer of the Spirit Realm, so after class today, don't go to training anymore. Have a good rest and enter the Spirit Realm in the best condition!" Adore said.
Hearing that they could rest, the crowd didn't show joy, but many people looked nervous. Just the thought of entering the Spirit Realm tomorrow and facing the test of life and death was enough to make anyone anxious.
Adore, with a serious expression, asked, "Have you all found your teammates?"
The students nodded one after another, and then, everyone subconsciously turned their attention to Ben…