On the way to the dormitory, Leo and Ben walked side by side.
"Ben, are you regretting giving me the precious Flame-Flame Fruit...?"
Hearing Leo's question, Ben immediately replied, "What's there to regret?"
Indeed, there was no regret.
Trading a Flame-Flame Fruit that even a dog wouldn't eat for a Great Superman physique was a huge win! Only an idiot would regret it. Luckily, these were just his thoughts; he didn't say them out loud, or it would have been rude to Leo.
Hearing the answer, Leo took a deep look at Ben.
"Then why did you choose to fuse with the Kryptonian bloodline? Is it really, like they say, just because...?"
The girl didn't finish her sentence, but Ben understood immediately.
It was nothing more than what netizens gossiped about—a super simp sacrificing himself so his goddess wouldn't feel burdened.
This was a tricky question to answer.
Ben hesitated for a moment and then said, "I always felt that the Kryptonian bloodline is so rare; it must have its own unique advantages. I just wanted to try and see if I could unlock its secret."
Leo clearly didn't believe him.
The Kryptonian bloodline holder in North America had studied it for a lifetime—with full government support—and still hadn't discovered its secret. Where did Ben get his confidence?
Moreover, the Flame-Flame Fruit was immensely powerful! As a Natural Logia Devil Fruit, once mastered to the point of elementalization, it made its user nearly invincible as long as they stayed out of the ocean.
Giving up a top-tier extraordinary chance to study a bloodline deemed worthless—who would believe such a story?
"Since you don't want to say it, I won't ask." Leo said after a moment. "Ben, have you thought about what kind of situation you'll face when you fuse with the Kryptonian bloodline and enter Chicago University?"
Ben smiled casually, "Isn't it just not being able to form a team? It's no big deal."
The more indifferent he was, the more Leo believed he was charging toward death without a care.
"Ben, don't be like this!" Leo couldn't help but urge, "Extraordinary opportunities aren't only produced in holy lands. You can also find them in the Spirit Realm. You should totally try there."
The two weren't quite on the same page.
But Ben was still interested in what Leo had said.
"There are also extraordinary opportunities in the Spirit Realm?" he asked, intrigued.
"Yes! Though very rare, every year someone gets an extraordinary opportunity there."
After a pause, Leo added, "So, don't give up—please work hard!"
"Oh... okay." Ben replied casually.
Seeing Ben's distracted look, Leo thought he lacked confidence and quickly said, "You don't have to worry about teaming up in the Spirit Realm—you already have a teammate!"
Leo hadn't planned on revealing this so soon, but seeing Ben's indifference, she was afraid he would lose hope and give up. So she spoke up.
"Huh?"
Ben was surprised now, finally looking at Leo seriously.
It was obvious who the so-called teammate was—Leo herself.
After all, who else would want to team up with someone branded with a "trash talent"?
"You want to team up with me?" he asked.
"Yes!" Leo nodded and calmly said, "The Flame-Flame Fruit was originally yours. Since you gave it to me, it's my obligation to protect your safety."
Ben frowned.
He appreciated Leo's kindness.
But—he had no interest in playing team games!
Solo clearing the Spirit Realm would be far more fun!
As far as he knew, the early stages of the Spirit Realm weren't too difficult. Even ordinary people stood a small chance of survival. With his strength one month later, clearing the first layer would be a piece of cake.
He didn't need teammates.
Also, he needed to keep his Great Superman physique a secret for now.
"You're just messing around!" Ben scolded, "Do you know what kind of talent I have? You want to team up with me? Aren't you afraid I'll drag you down? I refuse!"
Leo was stunned!
Ben's tone was just like her father, Henry!
No—more domineering than her father!
No boy had ever spoken to her this way.
She stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what to say.
Strangely enough, Leo's dazed look was very cute, with a natural moe charm.
"Student Leo, I know you're kind, but there's no need for this. Whatever I do is my own choice. Please put down your sympathy and respect others' fates."
Ben looked at her seriously. "Don't forget your former oath—you want to kill that monster king. From now on, you can't afford to take any wrong steps, understand?"
"I..."
Leo was stunned again.
She had come to persuade Ben.
How did she end up being persuaded by him—and even lectured?
But Leo was smart. She quickly thought of a counter-argument.
However, Ben didn't give her a chance to speak!
"The girls' dormitory is ahead. I can't go any further. Go find your dorm and settle in. We'll talk next time if needed."
After these words, Ben turned and walked toward the boys' dormitory.
Leaving Leo completely speechless...
Watching Ben's retreating figure, Leo took a deep breath, gathered herself, and walked into the girls' dormitory with her suitcase, restoring her cool temperament.
Even though she had been lectured, Leo wasn't angry.
In her mind, Ben's actions were completely for her sake.
The next morning.
Ben woke up early. He didn't go to the sunbath experience hall.
Because today was the official start of classes!
It was his first class, and he didn't want to be late—he didn't want to leave a bad impression.
When he arrived at the teaching building, he found a crowd of students standing at the door, drawing lots around a box.
Ben quickly figured it out: Class Division.
And it was decided by lottery.
Chicago University's freshman year had three classes: Class A, Class B, and Class C.
The university's annual enrollment was only three hundred students.
Obviously, cramming three hundred students into a single class wouldn't work—not for the teachers and certainly not for the classrooms.
Was three hundred students too few for a transcendent university?
Definitely.
Ordinary universities, like Sanford University, enrolled thousands of students each year. Compared to them, Chicago University's numbers were tiny.
This was because the number of people gaining extraordinary opportunities was extremely low.
And after filtering out those with trash talents, there were even fewer transcendent freshmen worth cultivating.
Thus, transcendent universities were naturally smaller in scale.
Ben also joined the line to draw lots.
When his turn came, he drew a "B"!
Not exactly lucky.
He already knew that at Chicago University, Class A was the priority class.
However, this division was only temporary.
A month later, the school would reshuffle classes based on the students' talents and Spirit Realm performances.
Students who performed well and ranked in the top 100 would be moved into Class A.
And once in Class A, they would receive key cultivation from the school—much better resources than Classes B or C.
(End of Chapter 18)