SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL

Ben woke up early. After washing up, he skipped breakfast and headed straight to the sunbathing experience hall to bask in the sun.

The staff was surprised to see him arrive so early.

They had just opened!

Under normal circumstances, the experience hall was nearly empty in the morning. Most people preferred sunbathing therapy in the afternoon or evening. Who would come this early?

Noticing their curiosity, Ben casually explained, "Oh, I haven't been feeling well lately. The doctor said I have too much dampness in my body and recommended sunbathing therapy."

Of course, there was no real need to explain. The staff would have welcomed him regardless.

After all, in business, no customer is ever turned away.

Moreover, their salary structure included a commission on top of the base pay—more customers meant higher earnings.

Ben's explanation was simply to avoid unnecessary attention.

After a brief interaction, a staff member guided him into a private room.

This wasn't his first time here, so he knew the process well. As soon as the staff left, he eagerly took off his clothes and lay inside the sunbathing machine.

Ding!

[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 system prompt flashed across his vision.

It appeared almost every second!

Ben couldn't help but smile.

Twenty Minutes Later

The prompts stopped appearing.

Ben opened his attribute panel through his left eye.

Race: Human

Physique: 30

Spirit: 17

Strength: 30

Agility: 30

Talent: Kryptonian Bloodline

Spiritual Energy Points: 0

This was his current status after finishing a sunbath.

Just like yesterday, his physique, strength, and agility had increased by 10 points, while spirit had gone up by 3 points.

Ben was satisfied.

As he stepped out of the machine, feeling the power surging within him, his face lit up with joy.

The sensation of growing stronger was exhilarating.

Based on his attribute panel, his physique and strength had already tripled compared to an average person.

And this was just the beginning!

A few moments later, Ben left the experience hall and returned to his hotel.

After retrieving his luggage, he headed straight to Chicago University for registration.

Welcome to Chicago University

Chicago University was an imposing institution.

The front gate alone stood over fifteen meters high, with the university's name inscribed boldly across the top in an elegant, powerful script.

It exuded grandeur.

Walking past the gate, the first thing that caught his eye was a massive garden.

At the center stood a towering statue.

Curious, Ben walked up to the stone plaque beside it and read the inscription.

The statue was modeled after the university's first principal, a hero who had sacrificed himself on the extraterrestrial battlefield.

Ben's heart filled with admiration.

This man was a legend.

His thoughts, however, were soon interrupted.

"Hey, are you a freshman here for registration?"

A voice came from behind him.

Turning around, Ben saw a slender young man with glasses, also carrying a suitcase.

"Yeah," Ben responded. "Are you a freshman too?"

"Yeah!" The young man chuckled. "I thought I came early, but you beat me to it."

Ben smiled internally.

I arrived last night.

"I'm Robert, by the way," the young man introduced himself. "What's your name?"

"Ben."

After a brief exchange, the two walked toward the main registration area together.

The playground was already packed with people.

A massive banner hung above the crowd:

"Welcome Freshmen!"

Apparently, others had arrived even earlier.

As they entered the crowd, a senior student approached them.

"Hello, are you both freshmen?"

The senior, a sophomore, introduced himself:

"I'm Lyra. I'm part of the welcoming committee this year."

Lyra had a sharp aura despite her ordinary appearance.

However, what stood out the most was that she only had one arm.

Her left sleeve was completely empty.

Ben and Robert both noticed it immediately.

Seeing their gazes, Lyra smiled casually and said,

"Oh, I wasn't born like this. I lost my arm during a mission in the Tenth Level of the Spiritual Realm—poisoned by corpse toxins. Had to cut it off myself."

Ben's expression instantly shifted to admiration.

Cutting off one's own arm to survive?

This was a person with extraordinary willpower.

A ruthless survivor.

Most people wouldn't have the courage to do something like that.

Moreover, Lyra had already cleared the Tenth Level of the Spiritual Realm—proof of her remarkable strength.

Realizing this, Ben and Robert immediately adjusted their attitudes, showing deep respect toward their senior.

Lyra didn't waste time.

"Alright, juniors, let's get your information registered."

Robert stepped forward first.

"My name is Robert, from XX City. Here's my admission notice."

Lyra scanned his document into a tablet device and uploaded his information.

Then she turned to Ben.

"Your turn."

Ben handed over his admission notice.

"My name is Ben, from Chicago."

As soon as Lyra heard his name, she froze.

"...Ben? From Chicago?"

A moment later, her eyes widened in shock.

"Wait… Ben?" She suddenly exclaimed. "Are you THE Ben? The guy who gave away the Flare-Flare Fruit?"

Her voice was loud, immediately drawing the attention of the nearby students.

People turned one after another, their gazes filled with curiosity and surprise.

In just one night, the story of Ben had spread like wildfire across the internet.

Ben suddenly found himself surrounded.

Robert, standing next to him, quietly took a step back, trying to distance himself.

Ben, however, wasn't bothered.

He simply sighed and said with a helpless smile,

"Yeah, yeah, I'm that idiot who traded away the Flare-Flare Fruit just to win a girl's smile."

Of course, he had already expected this reaction at school.

So he was mentally prepared.

After all, compared to his incredible Kryptonian bloodline, a bad reputation was insignificant.

Lyra, realizing her outburst, quickly apologized.

"Sorry, Ben. I just… I just saw the news this morning, and now I meet you in person! I couldn't control my reaction."

Ben waved it off.

"It's fine. Let's just finish the registration."

Lyra nodded and quickly processed his details.

Ben, meanwhile, braced himself—this was just the beginning of his journey at Chicago University.

And the real challenges were yet to come.