Ben stayed at home for one night. The next morning, he decided to return to Chicago University. It wasn't that he didn't want to stay home longer; he just didn't want to interrupt his sunbathing routine. Staying home for a night was enough for him. Once his father's company was fully on track, Ben planned to have his father buy a sunbathing device for the house so he could live there permanently.
After returning to the city, Ben went to his apartment, basked in the sun for a bit, collected his gains from the day, and then made his way to school. He first met with Adore, his professor. Since he had asked for leave, it was only polite to greet him upon his return.
"You're back?" Adore said with a smile, clearly pleased to see Ben. "Good to have you back. Make sure you're on time for class tomorrow."
Ben nodded. "Okay, Professor."
"By the way, you're from Chicago, right? Yesterday, a spatial rift appeared there. Did it affect you?" Adore asked.
"No, I hid in a shelter for a while. The crisis was resolved," Ben replied.
Adore sighed in relief. "Chicago was lucky this time. There was a young powerhouse who stopped the monster. Otherwise, the consequences could have been unimaginable!"
Ben's heart raced. He immediately asked, "Professor, I saw the video of that young powerhouse. How would you rank his strength nationally?"
Adore shook his head. "I don't know. But based on his performance on the battlefield, he might reach the sixth-tier standard."
Ben nodded, already knowing these details. "What about the seventh-tier and King-level powerhouses?"
Adore explained further, "Above the sixth tier, there are the seventh tier and King-level powerhouses. The fifth to sixth tiers are the middle level of transcendents. The seventh tier is considered powerful, and King-level powerhouses are the trump cards of each country."
Ben was familiar with all of this. However, Adore then said something that caught his attention.
"When the Central Government set the standards for powerhouses, there was a level above the King-level that remains unknown. It's rumored to be the God-level. To reach God-level, one must have the power to destroy a planet with a single blow. But no one has achieved that yet."
Ben was stunned. "If no one has reached it, why even set such a level?"
Adore shrugged. "I don't know either. But the higher-ups are hopeful. There's a document that clearly states that if a God-level powerhouse appears, national resources will be at their disposal, and everyone must cooperate."
Ben's heart stirred. He suspected the higher-ups were creating this policy to cultivate a God-level powerhouse, potentially to fight against the existence on the sun.
After parting ways with Adore, Ben went to the cafeteria for lunch and then arranged to meet with Leo from the Henry family. Leo had just finished eating and was in a break period. They met at a coffee shop.
"I didn't see you in the cafeteria. Where did you have lunch?" Ben asked.
Leo explained, "To prevent poisoning, the school set up a small kitchen for me. I eat alone at noon."
Ben understood. Despite Leo's extraordinary mental strength, which allowed him to detect most poisons, there were still toxins that could bypass even the sharpest senses. With bounties being placed on Leo, caution was certainly necessary.
After a brief pause, Leo asked, "Did my father say anything about me when you went back home?"
Ben chuckled and nodded. "He did. He even sent me a list of your likes and dislikes—cats, spicy food, cartoons... everything."
Leo's face turned slightly red, but she quickly recovered. "Don't mind him. He's just worried about me. He thinks I'm still a child."
Ben smiled warmly. "I completely understand. If I were in his shoes, I'd feel the same. Any father would want to protect their daughter from someone they don't trust."
Leo sighed in relief at Ben's words.
Ben continued, "By the way, Leo, your dad doesn't know that Jem Odessa is actually me. It would be best if you explained it to him. If I do it, there could be misunderstandings."
Leo nodded. "I'll figure out a good time to tell him. It's just that... telling him today would be a bit awkward after yesterday's situation."
Ben agreed. "Exactly. Let me know when you think it's the right time."
The two spent some time chatting in the coffee shop before parting ways. Leo had to go back for training, and Ben headed back to his apartment.
As Ben reached his apartment door, the neighbor opened their door. He turned and saw Leon.
"Sister Leon, what a coincidence!" Ben said, smiling.
Leon responded with a grin, "It's not a coincidence. I've been waiting for you."
Ben raised an eyebrow. "Waiting for me? Is something up?"
Leon smiled slyly. "Did you go back to Chicago yesterday?"
"Yes," Ben replied. "I was away for a few months, so I went to visit my family."
Leon looked at him seriously. "Next time, could you tell me in advance before you leave on a long trip?"
Ben smirked. "Are you planning to keep me under close surveillance?"
She rolled her eyes. "Dream on. When you're gone, I get a break and can go out for a stroll. It's just too boring staying here every day."
Ben laughed awkwardly. "Okay, next time, I'll definitely let you know before I go."
Leon nodded in satisfaction. "Good."
Before Ben could ask more, Leon said, "How long are you planning on staying here? How long are you going to be under my protection?"
"I'm not sure," Ben said casually. "I'm just following orders."
He knew that with his current strength, unless a seventh-tier powerhouse was sent after him, he was practically invincible. But he couldn't say that. Doing so would only attract unnecessary trouble.
"Thanks for your hard work, Sister Leon," Ben said.
The following day, Ben woke up early and headed to Chicago University. Today, Adore would be discussing the content of the fourth layer of the Spirit Realm.
Sorry for the delay in updates. I originally planned to post last night, but the content regarding the fourth layer of the Spirit Realm needed some adjustments, so I postponed it. This chapter is a transitional one. The protagonist is about to enter the Spirit Realm and show off, and this time, things are going to be very different…
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