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

Upon arriving in the capital, Ming Luochen finally understood what a top-tier city truly meant.

Öster, a megacity with a population of over a million, is bisected by the River Arman. Several towering city walls divide the city like a cake, dividing it into distinct functional zones, layer upon layer from the outside in.

Upon entering the city, the thirty-meter-high city wall seemed to divide the world apart. The wall was as thick as a small mountain, and the bricks were covered with dark green moss, telling the story of the passage of time.

The moment Ming Luochen passed through the city gate, he felt as if he had entered a completely different world—a pungent stench assaulted his nostrils, as if he had entered a huge, bustling public toilet, where sewage, sweat, and rotting vegetable leaves were mixed together, making his eyes sting.

Herma's sanitation wasn't good either, but compared to the suffocating smell of Öster, Herma was indeed a clean little town. At least you could breathe on Herma's streets, whereas here it felt like walking through a garbage dump.

The bustling streets were packed with people, like a market day, with a constant flow of people coming and going.

All sorts of animal people huddled together—mouse ears, rabbit ears, dog ears, cow horns, deer antlers—tall, short, fat, thin, shoulder to shoulder, the cacophony of voices, hawkers' cries, horses' hooves, and wheels blending into a buzzing roar.

Ming Luochen was nearly suffocated by the stench. He covered his mouth and nose, frowning as he saw excrement flowing in the street. The dark brown liquid slowly crawled along the shallow ditches beside the road. Orcs wearing capri pants walked barefoot on it, their ankles stained a yellowish-brown, yet they seemed oblivious. Shops along the street were open, hawking various goods, including grains, vegetables, and fruits, displayed on open-air stalls, swarming with flies.

As you walk through the city's trading district and further into the city, the streets become cleaner and the houses become more orderly as you get closer to the center.

The road surface changed from a muddy dirt road to a gravel road, and then from a gravel road to a smooth stone slab road.

Six-story standard buildings began to appear on both sides, with fresh flowers and green plants on each windowsill, red, white and purple, blooming brightly in the sunlight.

Each building has windows of a different color, walls of a different color, railings of a different color, and window shapes of a different color—some are arched, some are square, and some have wrought iron railings—filled with dopamine-like vibrant colors, like an oil painting with an overturned palette.

Further in, the architectural style begins to change. Passing through another towering city wall, the heavy iron gates open, and the scenery changes abruptly—from rows of neat, template-like six-story buildings to dignified, classical, and magnificent architecture. The streets are clean and tidy, the stone pavement gleaming from being washed. The shops on both sides of the street have a romantic, bourgeois charm, displaying exquisite goods in their windows. Even the orcs strolling through the streets are dressed more appropriately, sporting leather shoes and trousers, no longer the barefoot shorts seen outside the city.

Pedestrians generally fall into three categories of attire: those wearing fine underwear on the outside are typically knights, instructors, or bodyguards, working in martial arts professions, with weapons at their waists, walking briskly, and exuding a strong, fierce aura; those wearing tight trousers, white shirts, and fitted jackets are dressed as humanities consultants, behaving politely, often carrying folders or books; and those wearing straight-leg trousers and jackets are in a casual workwear style, a more common and universally worn outfit, and the most common look on the street.

Cafes, clothing stores, flower shops, and department stores began to appear along the street, each exquisitely decorated with a European retro feel. Even the signs were pretty wooden plaques hanging from vine hooks, swaying gently in the wind. Someone was playing the harp on a street corner, the melodious tunes drifting in the air, mingling with the aroma of coffee.

Many of the goods sold in the shop window were things Ming Luochen had never seen before—glowing gems, exquisite magical artifacts, and strangely shaped sculptures. A faint stench still lingered outside the carriage, but a pungent aroma mingled with the scents of perfume, flowers, and toasted bread, making it difficult to distinguish between the pleasant and the unpleasant.

Further south, beyond another city wall, the scenery becomes even more peculiar.

The view opened up, and the original one-way street became a two-way street, wide enough for four horse-drawn carriages to drive side by side. The streets were exceptionally clean, and there were even people specifically picking up horse manure. Cleaners in gray overalls carried shovels and dustpans, immediately shoveling away any horse manure they saw.

There were even a few vehicles on the road – those vehicles were not pulled by horses, but floated on the road surface by magic circles on their chassis, and glided by silently.

There were young men dressed in exquisite clothes flying in the sky, hovering on hoverboards, weaving freely between buildings, their clothes fluttering like a flock of birds soaring across the sky. This scene completely dumbfounded Ming Luochen. He stuck his head out of the car window, his mouth agape, wide enough to fit an egg: "What the hell are those things?" His eyes were wide open, his pupils reflecting the gliding figures.

Hollen chuckled, his trunk curling slightly—Ming Luochen was clearly a first-timer in the city, his naiveté quite amusing: "That's a levitation platform, a new type of toy made with a levitation magic circle, very popular with young people. Almost every rich kid in the capital has one, flying around in the sky every day."

Completely shattered by his worldview, Ming Luochen stared at the orcs gliding through the sky, as if he were witnessing flight on swords. The hoverboards shimmered silver in the sunlight, leaving faint blue trails in their wake. He was utterly astonished, his voice rising several decibels as he asked the principal, "How much do those hoverboards cost?"

"It's a bit expensive, around 500 gold coins, and it only lasts for about 500 kilometers." Seeing that the students were very curious, Hollen patiently explained to them, swinging his elephant trunk back and forth.

"Five hundred gold coins? My God, that's so expensive!" Anthony and Ellie stared at the sky, their mouths agape, even wider than Ming Luochen's. Five hundred gold coins would be enough for their whole family to eat for several years.

Ming Luochen was also shocked by the price. Five hundred gold coins, equivalent to five million on Earth, and it could only travel five hundred kilometers, breaking down after a few hours. The price was indeed outrageously expensive; probably only children from wealthy families could afford it, and ordinary people didn't even have the right to look at it.

Prices and incomes in this world are basically the same as on Earth.

Ming Luochen had previously spoken with Huai En, the owner of a grain and oil shop. In Helma, the average person's monthly income was around three to four thousand copper coins, and ten thousand copper coins a month was considered an excellent income. Ten thousand copper coins was equivalent to one gold coin, and five hundred gold coins were enough for them to work for over forty years without eating or drinking. The key point is that they could retire after working for over forty years, and some races only had a lifespan of ten years or so, such as the Rat-eared Tribe, who couldn't accumulate that many coins even in their entire lives.

With money you couldn't earn in a lifetime, you only flew 500 kilometers, which might take several hours, not even enough to get from Beijing to Herma.

Ming Luochen thought this was outrageously extravagant. He had originally considered buying one for fun, but after hearing the price, he decided against it. He gazed at the young people in the sky, their figures so free and radiant under the azure sky, freely displaying the exuberance of youth, and couldn't help but sigh, "No wonder it's a big city."

"Yes, as expected of the capital, there are so many rich people." Ellie was shocked, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes. As the child of a viscount, she received fifty silver coins of pocket money every month, which she felt was more luxurious than many of her classmates. She probably had to sell her entire family's possessions to barely afford a toy from a rich young master in the capital—and that was without eating or drinking.

"You are all future geniuses. If you work hard, you might be able to afford it." Seeing their discouraged yet hopeful expressions, Hollen kindly comforted them. "I once had a student who, through his talent, rose step by step to become a professor of pharmaceutical medicine in the capital. He invented several new drugs and earned several hundred gold coins every month by selling them. Your talents are not bad either. As long as you are willing to work hard, your future achievements will definitely not be bad."

Listening to the principal's words, Aura nodded affirmatively, her amber eyes filled with trust. Ming Luochen could definitely earn a lot of money selling alcohol and pre-made meals; a mere toy was something he was confident he could afford in the future. She placed her palm on the back of his hand and gently squeezed it.

Ming Luochen looked at his wife, who was still comforting him. He felt a warmth in his heart. Indeed, his wife was the best.

The carriage finally stopped in front of a luxury hotel. Before anyone could get out, a handsome doorman with bull horns enthusiastically opened the door and unloaded the luggage. The doorman was dressed in a crisp red uniform with gleaming gold buttons, and his smile was just right, revealing eight teeth.

The hotel's luxurious decor and layout were almost identical to the five-star hotels Ming Luochen had previously stayed at on Blue Star—magnificent and full of European classical style. Crystal chandeliers hung from the dome like frozen waterfalls, illuminating the entire lobby with an air of supreme opulence. Thick cashmere carpets covered the marble floors, making no sound underfoot. A faint fragrance permeated the air, unconsciously relaxing everyone.

Hollen led the group to the front desk to check in. The receptionists were several bunny-eared girls with sweet smiles and quick movements. Hollen took the room keys and distributed them to everyone: "Ola, this is your room key. Don't lose it. Remember to leave it at the front desk if you go out." Hollen gave her the key to the executive king room separately. The key had a small gold tag with the room number on it.

"Thank you, Principal." Aura took the keys somewhat shyly, her ears slightly flushed. She was the only one staying in the executive suite; even the two teachers from the school could only stay in standard rooms. The principal was slightly better off, staying in a business room. She secretly glanced at Ming Luochen, who was looking around, full of curiosity about everything in the hotel.

Anthony and Ellie each had a standard room, but they had noticed along the way that Aura and Ming Luochen were being treated well. After all, they were blessed by the goddess, so they couldn't say anything. Anthony shrugged and took the key, while Ellie politely thanked him.

Hollen turned around, took two silver coins from his pocket, and handed them to the doorman pushing the luggage cart: "Take our luggage to the room, and don't send it to the wrong room." His elephant trunk pointed to the boxes piled on the cart.

"Yes, sir." The doorman happily took the silver coin, weighed it in his hand, and diligently pushed the luggage toward the elevator. The cart rolled silently on the thick carpet, and the doorman's steps were light and professional.

The hotel elevator was an old-fashioned gate elevator, with iron bars that rattled as they went up and down. But this already shocked Ming Luochen somewhat—he thought this was a medieval world, but the capital city was clearly on the verge of entering the industrial age, yet elevators still existed. He had greatly underestimated this world.

"Alright, you all go to your rooms and rest first. We'll meet in the lobby at 5 p.m. and go to the best restaurant in the capital for dinner together tonight." Hollen gave everyone instructions, raised his trunk, and was immediately greeted with cheers.

"Yay!" Ellie was the first to shout, her fox ears perking up excitedly.

Anthony smiled expectantly, and even the chimpanzee jumped up and down excitedly.

The coach leading the team felt that the team's standard of living and treatment had significantly improved this time. In the past, when they came to competitions, they stayed in ordinary hotels and ate at small restaurants. Now, they were staying in five-star hotels and eating at the best restaurants. He secretly glanced at Hollen's retreating figure; the principal had really gone all out this time.