The worse you are, the stronger you become: My summoned beast is a photographer.

Benuna pondered for a moment, then her cool voice slowly rang out: "Tell me all the information about that person."

Hollen breathed a sigh of relief, immediately noticing that Benuna had taken an interest in Ming Luochen. His tense shoulders slumped slightly, and he quickly replied respectfully, "That person is Ming Luochen, the summoned beast of Aura, a second-year student at our school..."

"Summoned beast?"

Benuna raised her eyebrows slightly, her tone full of astonishment, clearly not expecting that a summoned beast could write "Saying Goodbye to Cambridge Again".

Hollen understood that incomprehensible emotion; to put it bluntly, it was the unwillingness to admit that a summoned beast was smarter than a human. However, he dared not hide anything from Lady Benuna and revealed Ming Luochen's extraordinary phenomenon in its entirety:

"It's absolutely true, he was summoned from another world. The Awakening Stone only showed him as having an F-rank talent, but on the day of his awakening, he triggered a sacred seven-colored pillar of light, a sight that appears only once every thousand years, and even received a personal blessing from the Goddess of Souls!"

Benuna's lips curled into an amused smile as she recalled a recent rumor about a human from another world becoming a summoned beast in Helma. She hadn't expected this human to be such a genius; it only made her more intrigued.

After Hollen gave a brief overview of Ming Luochen's situation, Benuna nodded, her fingertips lightly tapping the table, seemingly weighing something. After hesitating for a long time, she looked at the crystal ball and slowly said, "This year's first-place prize is an SSS-level Life Restoration Jade Milk."

Hollen was so shocked his mouth formed an "O," unable to believe that this year's reward was so incredible. It was an SSS-grade Life Restoration Jade Milk—simply drinking it would instantly revitalize any talent or physique, transforming them into SSS-grade individuals, creating an unparalleled powerhouse—a truly divine artifact. There was only one bottle in the entire country, and it was in Lady Benuna's possession; he never expected her to be willing to give it up.

He dared not imagine that if the news of the SSS-level life-restoring jade milk were to spread, the entire continent would probably go crazy!

"I...I'll go tell him right away, he'll definitely participate!" Hollen was so excited that his hands trembled and his voice shook. He wished he could fly to Ming Luochen's side immediately.

"Step back," Benuna said calmly, abruptly ending the crystal call. The crystal ball instantly returned to its clear state, leaving Hollen still holding it, stunned in place, for a long while before he came to his senses.

Hollen could no longer contain himself. He rushed out of the principal's office like the wind, his long trunk whistling behind him as he charged headlong towards Ming Luochen.

At this moment, Ming Luochen was embracing Aura, enjoying the sweetness of love. The two sat in the corner of the back row of the classroom, forehead to forehead, nose to nose, and their lips so close that there was almost no gap between them.

"My wife, you are so beautiful."

You're handsome too.

Hollen rushed over and pulled the two apart, yelling urgently, "Stop kissing!"

"What the hell is going on? All you do is kiss, kiss, kiss!" Hollen was so excited that he even swore. He grabbed Ming Luochen with his thick arm and pulled him outside, his elephant trunk curled up tightly in anger.

"Principal, what's wrong?" Ming Luochen was speechless—why do people in this world like to be so easily startled? Just a moment ago they were all lovey-dovey, and the next second they were being pulled like puppets.

"Good news! Ming Luochen, you absolutely have to participate!" Hollen dragged him toward the office incoherently, his steps so fast they seemed to be on fire, and he didn't even hear Aura calling after him.

"Could it be news of a competition prize?" Ming Luochen thought the prize must be very impressive, otherwise the principal wouldn't have lost his composure like this.

"That's right!" Hollen replied without turning his head, his elephant ears flapping excitedly.

"What kind of reward is it?" Aura also got excited, her four hooves clattering as she chased after him. Seeing that the principal didn't say, she became even more curious and followed behind, trotting along the way.

Upon entering the principal's office, Hollen locked the door behind him with a click, then drew the curtains. His expression was extremely grave as he lowered his voice and said, "This matter is of utmost importance. You must keep it a secret. Absolutely no word of it! If it leaks out, our academy won't even be able to keep its qualification for the competition!"

"Okay, go ahead and tell me." Ming Luochen looked at the principal expectantly, afraid of missing a single word, and even softened his breathing.

Hollen took a deep breath and spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice as heavy as a stone hitting the ground:

"The first place winner of this competition will receive an SSS-level Life-Restoring Jade Milk!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Aura screamed, "Ah—" Her face turned bright red, she covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes filled with disbelief, as if fireworks had exploded in her pupils!

SSS-level divine artifact? That's a legendary treasure, one that's hard to find even once on the entire continent, and it's become the prize for the first place in the competition?

Hollen quickly covered her mouth, his heart pounding in his throat, his hands trembling: "Keep your voice down! Do you want to leak this information?"

He understood her shock and warned her with unusual seriousness, his trunk almost touching Aura's face: "Quiet down, and remember to keep this a secret. Once the news gets out, those dukes and school board members will definitely scramble for your spots. Then you won't even have a chance to participate, not even a taste of the spoils!"

Aura then realized what was happening, and hurriedly nodded solemnly, covering her mouth tightly, her eyes wide open like a frightened pony.

Ming Luochen also learned roughly what the reward was through his wife—a divine medicine that could turn anyone into an SSS-level powerhouse. No wonder the principal and his wife were so shocked. On Earth, this thing would be equivalent to a magic pill that could turn an ordinary person into a superhuman.

His first thought was: this reward seems perfect for his wife. She only has S-rank talent, but drinking it would elevate her to SSS-rank, bringing her one step closer to her dream of becoming a female war goddess. As for himself? F-rank is fine, he doesn't need to fight on the battlefield.

Aura looked at Ming Luochen, her telepathic connection allowing her to clearly read his thoughts—his first priority was to give her the reward, not to shed his status as an F-rank summoned beast. A warm feeling welled up in her heart, and her eyes reddened slightly: [Husband—]

"Stop, stop, stop!"

Seeing the two about to kiss again, Hollen was so angry he was practically flailing his arms and swinging his trunk in the air. He shouted, "What time is it? Can't you two stop thinking about kissing all the time? There's something so important right in front of us, and you're still being all lovey-dovey!"

Aura lowered her head in embarrassment, her cheeks burning, and whispered, "Principal, please continue."

Hollen was speechless—newly in love couples are truly irrational, kissing is more important than life itself. He said seriously with a straight face, "You two must take this seriously. I shamelessly begged for this reward. If you fail, I'll lose all face, and you'll lose a chance to change your fate. My old bones can't withstand this kind of torment."

"I know, Principal, don't worry, Ming Luochen will definitely get first place," Aura said firmly. No one knew her man's strength better than her. The knowledge hidden deep in his memory, even just a little bit of it, was enough for the world to look up to for a lifetime.

"Okay, get ready. Just tell me what you need, and I'll fully support you." Hollen felt that Aura was more reliable. After all, Ming Luochen came from another world, and his behavior was indeed a bit unconventional, which made people uneasy.

"Then, Principal, please remember to book a good room, preferably a double room in a luxury hotel; and the food must be delicious and clean, preferably famous local specialties from the capital. It would be terrible if you got an upset stomach. Food, clothing, accommodation, and transportation may seem like small things, but they can all affect your mood, so you can't be careless." Ming Luochen took the opportunity to make his demands, with a serious expression that said, "I'm doing this for the sake of the competition," believing that the principal wouldn't refuse.

Hollen choked—this kid was really asking for the moon, demanding a deluxe hotel suite and Beijing specialties right off the bat. Why didn't he just ask for a private flying dragon? But then he thought of the SSS-grade jade breasts and the academy's reputation, and immediately gritted his teeth and agreed, forcefully flicking his elephant trunk: "No problem! As long as you can get into the top ten, I'll cover it all!"

"Who do you think you are? I'll definitely bring you first place." Ming Luochen promised confidently, thumping his chest loudly. Now someone was covering his honeymoon expenses, and there was also a competition as an entertainment activity. The post-wedding arrangements were all taken care of. It was simply perfect—he got a wife for free, a honeymoon for free, and a competition championship for free.

"Don't be careless either. The nation's elite will be gathering here, so you must be well prepared," Hollen reminded Ming Luochen, afraid that he wouldn't take it seriously and act nonchalantly. Whether the academy could become famous this time depended entirely on him, and he didn't want to fail at the last minute.

"Don't worry, we'll win." Ming Luochen patted his chest, completely disregarding the geniuses of this world, his tone as casual as saying, "The weather's nice today." Suddenly remembering something, he added, "By the way, Principal, we won't be coming to school for a while. We'll be at home preparing for the competition and also planning the wedding. What about... asking for leave..."

Although Ming Luochen's tone was hesitant and he seemed to be in a difficult position, it was clearly a blatant threat—he was certain that Hollen couldn't refuse, and a sly smile was hidden at the corner of his mouth.

Sure enough, Hollen could only nod dejectedly, his trunk drooping listlessly: "Go, go, just don't delay the match! If you lose, see how I deal with you!"

"The headmaster is so kind, I definitely won't let you down." Ming Luochen happily pulled Aura out, her steps light as if she were walking on clouds. Now she didn't have to go to school anymore, and she could have time to prepare for the wedding at home, make the wedding cake, and amaze everyone—just thinking about the expressions of those nobles was amusing.

Aura doted on Ming Luochen enough; if he didn't want to come to school, so be it—there wasn't much for him to learn anyway. He led her away from the school, and behind them came a long sigh from Hollen, whether it was helplessness or anticipation, it was hard to tell.

As soon as they arrived home, Ming Luochen couldn't wait to jump off his centaur wife's back. The moment his feet touched the ground, he grabbed her hand and headed for the bedroom, his steps hurried and fast, as if something extremely urgent had happened.

"Didn't you say you were coming back to study?" Aura was being pulled along by him, the horse's hooves clattering behind them, but she couldn't help but smile.

"This is learning, the most important lesson in life—the continuation of life," Ming Luochen replied without turning his head, pushing open the door and pulling her inside.

The tenderness subsided, but the affection lingered; everything returned to tranquility in silence.

Aura, lying in bed, found it amusing. She turned to her side and looked tenderly at Ming Luochen, who was covered in sweat. She reached out and wiped the sweat from his forehead, teasing him with a smile, "Is this how you study hard at home?"

"It's all about balancing work and rest. What can I do? My wife is so beautiful." Ming Luochen turned to look into Aura's eyes. His wife was so beautiful, her amber eyes reflecting his face. He couldn't get enough of looking at her. "And if we try, maybe we'll have a child. Wouldn't that be even better?" His tone carried a hint of hope, but also a hint of trepidation.

Aura chuckled, her eyes full of tenderness and doting on him: "I can't do anything with you." She reached out and rubbed his chubby cheeks, her fingertips gently caressing his face.

Aura also wanted to conceive Ming Luochen's child, but felt the chances were slim. They were two different species, and he came from another world; reproductive barriers weren't something that could be overcome with effort alone. Aura had resigned herself to never having children, silently planning her escape route. If all else failed, she'd ask her parents to try again—even though her mother had already gone through menopause, this world had magic, maybe…

Ming Luochen, whose wife was so filial, dared not even consider having his mother-in-law, who was over fifty, have a second child. The worst part was that his father-in-law said his mother-in-law had gone through menopause; how could she possibly have another child? Thinking of this, Ming Luochen felt a pang of guilt, as if something was stuck in his chest. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't have had such a radical idea; he was the one who had dragged her into this mess.

"It has nothing to do with you. Maybe we can have it if we try." Aura gently stroked Ming Luochen's cheek, her fingertips brushing against the corners of his slightly reddened eyes. She felt sorry for him seeing him like this. She lowered her head, gently leaned in front of him, and kissed him. Her soft lips pressed against his, silently telling him: No matter whether we have a child or not, I will never leave you.