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

Ming Luochen stared blankly at the five-meter-high ceiling. Too many unbelievable things had happened today. He lay on the enormous bed, which was as big as the floor. The room was eerily quiet—even his own breathing sounded exceptionally clear. Occasionally, an unknown insect chirped in the distance, only to be quickly swallowed by the darkness.

What should I do now? How can I get back? The last thing that flashed through my mind was the suffocating pain I felt before I came into this world—the despair after being hit by a truck.

Surrounded by a foreign language and knowing nothing, how can one survive?

Lost in thought, Ming Luochen heard the faint sound of a lock turning in the dark room—a very soft sound, as if she didn't want to disturb anyone. He quickly sat up and, in the light streaming from the corridor, saw the centaur girl wearing a nearly see-through lace nightgown; her curvaceous figure appeared even more mysterious and alluring in the dim light. He nearly had a nosebleed, and his heart nearly leaped out of his chest.

"Excuse me... is there anything I can help you with?"

Unable to understand what the summoned beast was saying, Aura stiffened and nervously entered the room, closing the door behind her. With a soft click, the room plunged into darkness once more. Only faint starlight filtered in through the high window, along with the clatter of her horse's hooves—the sound of them gently tapping on the floor, once, twice, growing ever closer.

What...what is she doing? Ming Luochen stared wide-eyed in shock. In the darkness, a soft touch came from her lips—she was being kissed? Kissed by this beautiful centaur?

His mind was a complete mess. He didn't resist, feeling the unfamiliar yet gentle demands. Her lips were a little cool, her movements clumsy yet cautious, as if unsure of what she was doing, or as if she had mustered all her courage.

Ming Luochen recalled some strange tales he had read before—that the Inuit, certain primitive tribes, and ethnic minorities had a custom of arranging for women to sleep with them at night, mainly in order to obtain foreign genes and improve inbreeding.

But when it actually happened, he was still incredibly reserved. Because of his appearance, he had never been in a relationship. This was his first kiss, and the first time he had met such a proactive girl—no, a centaur girl.

Both seemed rather awkward, and the encounter was rushed. Ming Luochen, held in the arms of the enormous centaur girl, his face pressed against her soft chest, felt a mixture of humiliation and shame, yet also a line of poetry that came to mind in the quiet night:

The sky is high and the earth is vast, making one aware of the infinity of the universe; joy turns to sorrow, revealing the cyclical nature of fortune.

But... she smelled so good. Like morning dew mixed with a faint scent of grass. Her arms were wrapped around him, warm and strong, the strength just right, making him feel protected and needed.

Aura hugged her summoned beast tightly, unable to get enough of his scent. She couldn't stop squeezing his soft, chubby belly. She couldn't resist burying her face in his chest and kissing his soft lips again.

Enjoying the girl's kiss, Ming Luochen suddenly felt that the world wasn't so bad after all. He snuggled closer to her, thinking: What's so good about going back? Continue being a single dog? Continue earning a measly five thousand yuan a month like a beast of burden? Nothing compares to the fragrance of a passionate and proactive centaur girl—he'd be happy even if she paid him. But… wouldn't paying her be a bit illegal?

He closed his eyes, her scent lingering around his nose, and the humiliation he had felt had vanished without him noticing. In its place was a sense of peace he had never experienced before.

The first light of dawn had just crossed the mountains and fields, and a light mist still lingered in the forest. The light streamed in through the window, softly spreading across the huge bed. Ming Luochen was still asleep when the centaur girl pulled him out of bed—she bent down, put her hands under his armpits, and lifted him off the bed like a child, then quickly put a linen shirt and jeans on him.

She was going to be late for class. Without even having breakfast, Aura tossed her summoned beast onto her back and raced towards Pudiyeru Noble Academy. The wind whipped Aura's long hair around, constantly brushing against Ming Luochen's face, carrying her pleasant scent.

After their intimate encounter last night, Ming Luochen was no longer reserved or afraid. He wrapped his arms around the centaur's waist, rested his chin on her shoulder, and squinted at her stunning profile with adoration—he had a girlfriend now, and everything felt so wonderful.

Upon entering the city streets, he discovered that everyone in this world was extremely good-looking—even the ragged pedestrians on the roadside had a face like Daniel Wu.

Aura no longer cared what others thought of her carrying someone on her back. It was her man on her back, and walking down the street, she boldly flaunted her love. Her parents were already discussing the wedding; she would soon be marrying him.

She walked into the campus with her head held high, but even though she ran very fast, she was still a few minutes late.

But as soon as she entered the school gate, she sensed a subtle change.

The students in the hallway saw her, their gazes flickered for a moment, then quickly looked away. Some lowered their heads, pretending to organize their books, while others turned to talk to their companions, but their eyes still lingered on her out of the corner of their eyes. There was curiosity, pity, and a hint of inexplicable estrangement in their eyes.

Aura pursed her lips but didn't stop walking.

When the class teacher, Thor, saw Aura, he didn't scold her but said softly, "Come in."

He just felt a little sorry for this outstanding student. As the top student in the class in both physical fitness and combat, Aura had only managed to summon an F-rank beast, losing a powerful ally. From now on, she would have to rely on herself—otherwise, her achievements might have been even greater.

Aura walked into the classroom with her head down and went to her seat. In this prestigious school, there were only sixteen students in a class, and each student had their own desk. The desk was large, two meters long and seventy centimeters wide, more than enough for two people to sit comfortably.

She noticed that several classmates who used to always chat with her didn't even greet her today. Some even glanced at her quickly before averting their gaze, their expressions indifferent as if they were looking at a stranger.

Each orc was accompanied by an animal—a white rabbit, a pink piglet, a red raven… Ming Luochen didn't understand why they all had a small animal with them. He looked around, wondering if this was an agricultural academy? Teaching animal husbandry?

Aura, inexperienced in such matters, was completely captivated by her adorable summoned beast. Knowing he couldn't understand her, she pulled him to sit beside her and affectionately patted his head.

Class teacher Thor stood on the podium, waiting for all the students to arrive with their summoned beasts. He cleared his throat and said, "You all summoned your companions yesterday. After a year of theoretical study, this year is a crucial year in your lives—the transition from theory to practice. The final exam this semester will be a practical test in a secret realm, and the final division of academic and martial arts tracks will also take place. I hope you all study hard and get into your desired professional colleges next year."

"Teacher Thor, I will definitely get into the Combat Department!" Rurik shouted confidently, glancing instinctively at Aura and the F-rank summon beside her. That confidence quickly returned—what use is a pretty summon? His future achievements would definitely far surpass hers.

Class teacher Thor slapped the table: "Confidence is a good thing. Now let's begin today's lesson—establishing telepathy with summoned beasts."

"Telepathy is the spiritual resonance between a Beastmaster and their summoned beast. Once telepathy is established, both will share emotions and be able to coordinate at the fastest speed in battle, forming a silent understanding. The higher the spiritual resonance, the more they share. Turn to page nine of your textbooks." The homeroom teacher directed the students.

Aura opened her textbook, and dense text filled her eyes, giving her a headache just from looking at it. The text seemed less like words and more like chunks of raw iron, heavy and hard, making her feel like her head was going to explode.

Thor wrote on the blackboard with chalk as he spoke: "The higher the spiritual resonance, the more content is shared—including sensory sharing, emotional sharing, memory sharing, talent sharing..."

"The most perfect spiritual resonance can even achieve body sharing, where the Beastmaster and the Summoned Beast simultaneously control the same body, or exchange bodies with each other." Thor explained carefully on the podium, dissecting the textbook knowledge in a simple and easy-to-understand way.

"The moment a summoned beast is summoned, a soul contract is formed between the two parties. This contractual bond is initially very weak and can be dissolved at any time as the relationship between the two parties deteriorates. It is necessary to continuously strengthen the contract and the bond for the summoned beast to become the most reliable and trustworthy ally of the beast tamer."

Although she didn't like reading, Aura listened attentively in class. She took notes according to the teacher's explanation—to achieve spiritual resonance, one needed to perfect the soul contract first.

There are two ways to perfect a soul contract: one is through the tacit understanding and mutual recognition accumulated over a long period of time, and the other is for the summoned beast to take the initiative to sign a soul contract with the beast tamer.

Ordinary summoned beasts do not understand language and writing, making it difficult for them to comprehend what "signing a soul contract" means, let alone complete the signing ceremony. Only through long-term training can summoned beasts gradually complete the contract ceremony—just like training a dog to be a guide dog.

Ming Luochen sat next to her, listlessly flipping through the thick textbook. He didn't recognize a single word. The crooked characters looked like ants crawling across the paper, neatly arranged but utterly meaningless.

He had almost forgotten how long ago it had been since he last attended a classroom. He looked around at the summoned beasts—some of the little animals were dozing on the desks, some were nibbling on the corners of books, and a pink piglet was trying to snuggle into its owner's arms.

It seems... nobody cares about them?

Ming Luochen hesitated for a moment, then imitated the little animals, propping his textbook up on the table and crouching behind it, only half his head showing. He looked at the writing on the blackboard—though he couldn't understand it at all—but his mouth moved in sync with the teacher's rhythm, pretending that he was also reading attentively.

Occasionally, when the class teacher's gaze swept over him, he would nod, his expression as serious as that of a model student.

Aura caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye, and a smile involuntarily curved her lips. She reached out and gently patted his head again.

The morning's classes ended. None of Aura's close friends invited her to lunch, and no one even spoke to her.

Only Aura in the entire class managed to summon an F-rank summoned beast, while the others were at least C-rank. In the eyes of the nobles, summoning an F-rank summoned beast was basically equivalent to being useless—their potential depended entirely on themselves.

There was a feeling of being suddenly isolated. The students in the elite school were mostly scions of families with titles to inherit, receiving elite education from a young age. In their eyes, only by playing with outstanding people could they become outstanding themselves.

What's more, Aura rejected the daughter of the Duke of Ainbo yesterday. Nobody wanted to provoke that, fearing the Duke's family would hold a grudge.

Aura sat in her seat, watching her classmates leave the classroom in twos and threes, her fingers unconsciously curling a corner of a book page. She didn't say anything, but quietly packed her things, then looked down at Ming Luochen beside her.

He was tilting his head to look at her, a hint of confusion in his eyes, as if asking: Why didn't anyone call you?

Aura didn't explain. She stood up, put the summoned beast back on her back, and walked out of the classroom alone.

The corridor was empty, and her footsteps echoed on the stone floor.

But she walked very steadily.