SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL

Ben came here to test a theory—that these "artificial sunlights" might also be effective for Kryptonian bloodlines!

When he entered the store, he noticed that it was nearly empty.

Aside from a few bored clerks playing with their phones, there wasn't a single customer in sight.

Clearly, humans had grown used to living without sunlight, and they had no interest in paying to experience sunbathing.

This didn't bode well for the business. The official revenue plan was bound to fail…

Based on Ben's memories, sunbathing experience halls had only appeared within the last two years.

That explained why the secret of the Kryptonian bloodline had yet to be discovered.

"Welcome!"

His arrival caught the attention of the clerks.

A female clerk immediately approached him and asked, "Sir, are you here to experience sunbathing?"

She didn't seem to look down on Ben, even though he was wearing a school uniform.

"Yes," Ben nodded before asking, "How much does it cost?"

"Our experience is charged by the hour—150 per hour," the clerk explained enthusiastically. "If you get a membership card or a monthly package, there's a discount…"

Ben frowned.

150 an hour?

That was way too expensive! No wonder no one wanted to visit.

He cut off the clerk's eager sales pitch and said directly, "I'll take two hours first. I just want to try it out."

"Alright, sir, please follow me."

The clerk led him to a private room with good privacy.

Inside, there was a large piece of equipment, about the size of a bed. Its shape resembled a giant seashell.

The clerk lifted the lid of the "shell" to reveal its smooth, white interior. She then began explaining:

"Sir, after removing your clothes, just lie inside… This is the switch to control the lid, this is the start button, this one adjusts the light intensity, and this is the emergency button—only press it if there's an emergency…"

After carefully listening to the explanation, Ben finally understood how to use the device.

"Enjoy your experience!"

With that, the clerk left the room.

Ben eagerly removed his clothes and lay naked inside the instrument.

The moment he settled in, he caught a faint smell of disinfectant, likely from regular cleaning.

Following the clerk's instructions, he started operating the machine.

As soon as he pressed the start switch—

Boom!

The unknown material on the lid emitted a warm, yellow glow.

And immediately—

Ben's eyes widened in shock!

In the attribute panel displayed in his left eye, numbers began changing rapidly.

[You absorb sunlight. Constitution +0.01, Spirit +0.003, Strength +0.01, Agility +0.01…]

These notifications popped up every second!

Ben was ecstatic!

He clenched his fists, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

He had won the bet!!!

This was an absolute jackpot!

Race: Human

Constitution: 20

Spirit: 14

Strength: 20

Agility: 20

Talent: Kryptonian Bloodline

Psionic Points: 0

In less than half an hour—

His Constitution, Strength, and Agility had each increased by 10 points!

Even his Spirit attribute had gone up by 3 points.

His total stats had almost doubled!

Just by lying down, he had gained 33 attribute points in 20 minutes. If word got out, the world would be in an uproar.

After all, increasing basic attributes was extremely difficult.

Even in Chicago University—where the best extraordinary powers could be obtained—no one could achieve such an exaggerated growth rate.

Normally, those who wanted to improve their attributes had to rely on the "Extraordinary Land."

But Ben?

He could just lie down and get stronger.

"Haha! This is amazing!"

"This feeling of growing stronger just by lying here is unbelievable!"

The Kryptonian bloodline is truly extraordinary!

Ben was so overjoyed that he wanted to shout. If he weren't afraid of alarming the clerks, he might have done so.

At school, when he had traded the Flame-Flame Fruit for the Kryptonian Bloodline, he had been extremely anxious.

That was why he had rushed here to test it immediately.

Because if the Great Superman Card had turned out to be a useless talent, his future would have been ruined.

But now?

He had won the bet.

And it was the best decision of his life.

However, something puzzled him.

"Wait… it seems like I can only increase 33 points at a time?"

Even after lying there for a while longer, his attribute panel showed no further changes.

Not wanting to give up, he increased the light intensity—but it had no effect.

"Could it be that this artificial sunlight isn't pure enough?"

"Maybe that's why my absorption is capped at this limit per day?"

Ben speculated.

Even so, he was beyond satisfied.

If he could gain 33 points every day, that would mean 990 points a month!

At that rate, he would soon surpass every other extraordinary person in the world.

Even though his stats had stopped increasing, Ben still stayed inside the sunbathing pod for the full two hours.

Why?

Because it felt incredible.

The Kryptonian bloodline was clearly working its magic.

When he finally stepped out of the device, he felt better than ever.

His body was brimming with energy—far more refreshing than after a full night's sleep.

He got dressed and stepped out of the private room.

Outside, the clerk was already waiting for him.

"Mr. Ben, how was your experience?" she asked with a smile.

Ben nodded. "It was okay. But it's a bit expensive."

The clerk immediately responded, "If you think it's expensive, you can apply for a membership. If you come every day, it'll only cost 70 per hour on average! Our sunbathing equipment is the latest technology—it's great for the skin and even helps remove moisture from the body. Nowadays, most people have excess moisture…"

Ben wasn't listening anymore.

Instead, he suddenly asked, "Do you sell these machines?"

The clerk's eyes lit up.

A rich second-generation heir, perhaps?

"Yes! Of course, we sell them!"

"How much?"

"If you want the deluxe version, like the one you used, it costs 370,000."

Sensing that the price might be intimidating, she quickly added, "But we also have a regular version for 260,000…"

Ben frowned.

Too expensive.

If he wanted one, he'd have to ask his family for help.

Just as he was considering it—

Ring! Ring!

His phone rang.

When he saw the caller ID, his head ached.

It was "Mother."

She was probably calling because he hadn't gone home for lunch.

According to his new memories, although this world was different, his family members were strangely similar.

His parents had the same names and appearances as the ones from his original world.

It was almost as if he had traveled to an alternate version of his own life.

However, there was one big difference.

Back on Earth, Ben's parents had been farmers. His family was poor.

But here?

The Henry family was a wealthy and influential household.

And the reason?

His grandfather.

On Earth, Ben's grandfather had died young from illness.

But here, Grandfather Mark was alive and well—and he was an extraordinary person.

It was said that when he was young, Grandfather Mark had acquired the Steel-Hardening Bloodline in the Holy Land.

He was powerful, healthy, and had built a small fortune over the decades.

Because of him, the Henry family became a prominent family in the region.

But none of that mattered now.

Ben hesitated for a moment before answering the call.

"Mom…?"

Before he could say anything else, his mother sighed.

"Son, don't come home yet. The family found out what you did at school… Grandpa fainted from anger and is in the hospital! Your father is furious. He said he'd beat you to death if he saw you… He even said you're no longer his son."

Ben's expression darkened.

He had expected trouble.

But not this much.

"Go to your maternal grandfather's house for now," his mother continued. "Come back once your father calms down."