That's right!
Ben came here to bet that these "artificial sunlights" would also be effective for Kryptonian bloodlines!
When he walked into the store, he noticed there were very few people inside.
Apart from a few bored clerks playing with their phones, there wasn't a single customer in sight.
Obviously, humans had already adapted to living without natural sunlight and had no interest in the artificial sunbathing experience.
The official revenue-generation plan seemed destined to fail...
According to his memory, these sunbathing experience halls had only appeared within the last two years.
Presumably, this was also why the secret of the Kryptonians had remained undiscovered.
"Welcome!"
Ben's arrival attracted the attention of the clerks.
A female clerk immediately greeted him and asked, "Sir, are you here for a sunbathing experience?"
She didn't look down on Ben, even though he was wearing a school uniform.
"Yes," Ben nodded and asked, "How much does it cost?"
"For our experience here, it's charged by the hour, 150 per hour," the clerk enthusiastically explained.
"If you buy a membership or a monthly package, you'll receive a discount..."
Ben frowned when he heard the price.
150 per hour?
That's too expensive!
No wonder the place was deserted.
He interrupted the clerk's sales pitch and said directly, "Give me two hours first. I'll try it out."
"Okay, sir. Please follow me," the clerk said warmly.
Under her guidance, Ben was led into a private room with good privacy.
Inside was a large device, roughly the size of a bed, shaped like a giant shell.
The clerk opened the lid, revealing a white interior, and carefully explained:
"Sir, after you remove your clothes, just lie inside. This is the lid control switch, this is the start switch, this is for adjusting the light intensity, and this is the emergency switch — only press it in case of an emergency."
After the detailed explanation, Ben understood how to operate the machine.
"Enjoy your experience!" said the clerk before leaving the private room.
Ben eagerly took off his clothes and lay naked inside the device.
The smell of disinfectant filled his nose — clearly, the facility was well-maintained.
Following the clerk's instructions, Ben operated the machine.
Soon, the shell closed, sealing him inside.
To be honest, Ben didn't like small enclosed spaces, but he endured it for the sake of testing the Great Superman bloodline.
He pressed the start switch…
Immediately!
The unknown material on the lid emitted a warm yellow light.
An expression of amazement instantly appeared on Ben's face!
On the attribute panel in his left eye, constant changes appeared:[You absorb sunlight: Constitution +0.01, Spirit +0.003, Strength +0.01, Agility +0.01...]Notifications popped up every second!
Ben was overjoyed!
He clenched his fists in excitement!
His eyes gleamed with an extremely thrilled look!!
He had won the bet!!!
He had really won a heaven-defying prize!
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 each increased by around 10 points!
Even Spirit increased by 3 points!
His overall attributes nearly doubled!!
Just lying still and absorbing artificial sunlight — gaining 33 attribute points in about 20 minutes — this would cause an uproar if made public.
Basic attributes were notoriously difficult to enhance.
Even people who acquired the best extraordinary powers from the Holy Land couldn't achieve such rapid growth.
Normally, extraordinary individuals had to rely on the "Extraordinary Land" for any meaningful improvement.
"Haha, this is amazing!"
"This feeling of getting stronger while lying down is incredible!"
"The Kryptonian bloodline is truly extraordinary!!"
Ben was so excited that he almost couldn't contain himself.
If he weren't worried about startling the clerks, he would have shouted at the top of his lungs.
Before, at Chicago University, when he had traded the Flame-Flame Fruit for the Kryptonian bloodline card, he had faced enormous pressure.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have rushed here to test it out.
Had the Great Superman card been useless, his life would have been ruined.
But now, the results exceeded his wildest dreams.
However, he noticed something strange.
"Only about 33 points increase at a time? Even if I continue lying here, the panel no longer changes..."
He reluctantly turned up the light intensity, but it had no effect.
"Could it be that the instrument's simulated sunlight isn't pure enough, limiting daily absorption?" Ben speculated.
Even so, he was extremely satisfied.
One sunbath for 33 attribute points.
In a month?
That would be nearly 990 points...
This speed was enough to crush anyone!
Although his attributes stopped growing after some time, Ben remained inside the shell for the full two hours.
The irradiation of artificial sunlight made him feel extremely comfortable — an effect clearly enhanced by the Kryptonian bloodline.
After two hours, Ben stepped out, feeling refreshed like never before.
It was even better than a good meal and a night's sleep.
He dressed and stepped out of the private room.
The clerk who had received him earlier was waiting.
"Mr. Ben, how was the experience?" she asked with a smile.
Ben nodded, "It was good, but the price is a bit steep."
The clerk quickly added, "If you think it's expensive, we offer membership cards!
If you visit daily, the average cost per hour drops to 70.
Plus, our sunbathing machines are the most advanced — regular use is great for the skin and helps remove body moisture!"
As she rambled, Ben suddenly asked, "If I want to buy one of these machines, do you sell them?"
The clerk's eyes lit up immediately.
A rich second-generation customer!
"Of course, we sell them!" she said enthusiastically.
"What's the price?" Ben asked.
"The deluxe version you used is 370,000," she said quickly, adding, "We also have a regular version starting at just 260,000."
Ben frowned.
Still way too expensive.
If he wanted to buy one, he would have to ask his family for help.
As he pondered, his phone rang.
Ben pulled it out and saw the caller ID: "Mom."
A headache instantly struck him.
Most likely, his mother was calling because he hadn't come home by noon.
According to his memories, aside from a few differences, his family in this world was nearly identical to the one from Earth.
The same names, the same appearances.
It made Ben wonder if he had transmigrated into a parallel world version of himself.
The main difference was his grandfather.
On Earth, Ben's grandfather had passed away young.
But here, Old Master Mark was alive, healthy, and a powerful extraordinary being.
He had acquired the steel-hardening ability from the Holy Land decades ago, amassing significant wealth and ensuring longevity.
Even though retired, Old Master Mark's influence endured, making the Ben family a small but prominent family in Chicago.
Old Master Mark had four sons.
Ben's father was the third.
Ben also had three older cousins, among them Robert, the Kylin Son of the family, who had acquired a Werewolf Fruit ability and graduated from a famous university, now strong and prestigious.
This information flashed through Ben's mind as he hesitated.
Finally, he answered the call.
"Mom..."
Ben tried to mimic the original Ben's casual tone. "Don't rush me, I played too much. I'm heading back now."
But his mom's voice wasn't angry.
Instead, she sighed heavily.
"Son, don't come home yet.
The stupid thing you did at school — trading the Flame-Flame Fruit — has already been exposed.
Grandpa fainted from anger and is in the hospital.
Your father is furious and said he's going to beat you to death — he even said he doesn't have a son like you anymore..."
Ben's expression changed drastically!
He had anticipated his family would be furious, but reality still made his scalp tingle.
He couldn't just explain the truth directly either.
Even if they believed him, how would he explain how he knew about the Kryptonian secret?
"Go hide at your maternal grandfather's place for a few days first," his mom added.
"Wait until your dad cools down."
[End of Chapter 8]