"Bzzzt!"
The Golden Horned Beast let out a howl far more shrill and despairing than any cry of physical pain!
It felt an even more overbearing and bizarre will forcing its way into the very core of its soul, as if it would swallow and enslave even the glory of its Starry Sky Behemoth bloodline.
"Roar! Roar!"
Its soul fought back frantically, roaring in defiance!
Its dark golden bloodline power burned fiercely on the soul level, forming layer upon layer of sturdy barriers in an attempt to stop that terrifying Soul Seal!
However, its body was being constantly weakened by the Black Hole.
Its mind was already utterly exhausted, and its bloodline power had been disrupted by the relentless battle and backlash.
Meanwhile, the "Black Hole Soul Seal" contained all of the Capybara's peak spiritual power, along with the mysteries of the Falling Ink Star's secret arts.
It even carried a trace of power that interfered with its very essence!
As the balance tipped further and further, the Golden Horned Beast's soul defenses...
Began to crack apart, inch by inch, before that special Soul Seal, like glass struck by a sledgehammer!
"No... I am... a Starry Sky Behemoth..."
A faint, unwilling ripple of its soul escaped, but was soon swallowed by the power of the Soul Seal.
The Soul Seal's dark golden and pitch-black radiance intertwined, finally washing over everything like an all-consuming tide.
It merged into the deepest part of the Golden Horned Beast's soul, leaving an indelible mark upon the very source of its life!
All its resistance, roars, and resentment swiftly ebbed away like the receding tide.
The light in the Golden Horned Beast's scarlet, savage eyes quickly dimmed and changed.
In the end, they filled with gentleness and reverence, along with...
Absolute submission to the Capybara, born from the depths of its soul.
It stopped struggling, allowing the Black Hole's devouring force to linger on its body.
Its massive frame slowly lowered its once-proud head toward the round figure hovering in the air.
A deep, respectful ripple of thought rang out, imbued with the distinctive, resonant weight of a Starry Sky Behemoth:
"Master."
Its voice echoed above the ruins, where the smoke had yet to clear.
The Black Hole behind the Capybara slowly contracted and vanished.
He looked with satisfaction at the Golden Horned Beast before him. Though its aura was weak, its gaze was meek and obedient, and joy bubbled up inside him.
A Starry Sky Behemoth servant! Nice!
Babata cried excitedly in his mind, "Hahaha! Beautifully done! What a jackpot!"
As the reverent, submissive "Master" echoed on the spiritual plane,
The Golden Horned Beast completed its transformation from a terrifying calamity into a loyal servant.
The Capybara nodded in satisfaction and released all the restraints he had placed on it.
The Golden Horned Beast slowly raised its head. Its aura was still weak, and its scales were battered,
But its dark golden eyes were no longer savage. They held only gentleness and the respectful patience of one awaiting orders.
"Not bad, not bad."
The Capybara flew a circle around the slightly shrunken Golden Horned Beast and patted its cold, intricately patterned horn.
"From now on, I'll call you... Hmm, Little Gold! Simple and easy to remember!"
Golden Horned Beast: "...Yes, Master."
Though it felt the name didn't quite live up to the majesty of a Starry Sky Behemoth, the mark in its soul left it no choice but to accept.
"Babata, is there any way to heal Little Gold's injuries quickly? It looks pretty rough."
The Capybara asked.
"Easy!
Just have it devour some metal ore or high-purity energy. Their kind recovers very quickly, as long as they have the resources."
Babata replied.
"Great. I'll arrange that later."
The Capybara nodded, then his eyes shifted as a brilliant idea came to him.
He flew to the Golden Horned Beast's broad, platform-like back. Though its scales were damaged, it was still flat.
He planted his feet firmly and waved a claw with a confident flourish:
"Little Gold, let's go! Take your master on a patrol—uh, I mean, an inspection tour of the major human Base Cities!
Let them see that the threat is over. And while we're at it... you can get used to your new look."
The Golden Horned Beast didn't understand exactly what "inspection" meant, but its master's orders were everything.
It gave a low growl in response, and its folded metal wings spread open with a loud "whoosh."
They were somewhat damaged, but still blotted out the sky!
The next moment, it pushed off with all four limbs and rose into the air.
It wasn't as fast as it had been at its peak, but it still carried terrifying might as it flew toward the nearest large human Base City.
Meanwhile, the Capybara stood brazenly on the Golden Horned Beast's back, facing the fierce gale high above.
He planted his little paws on his hips, looking every bit like he was saying, "This beast's under my protection."
Jiangnan Base City, Huaxia, Eurasia.
The alarm had just been lifted after the Golden Horned Beast was "dealt with."
The people were emerging from the shelters, still shaken, and discussing the incredible scene they had just witnessed on the global livestream.
Suddenly, the sky darkened.
A colossal shadow, so huge it was suffocating, slowly swept low over the city.
The dark golden body, covered in mysterious patterns; the savage head and horn; the damaged yet still imposing metal wings...
It was the very same terrifying beast that had rampaged through America on the livestream moments ago, plunging the entire world into despair—the Golden Horned Beast!
"Ahh! A monster! The monster's back!"
"Run! It's that Devouring Beast!"
"Oh my god! How did it get here?!"
The entire Base City instantly plunged into an even worse panic than before!
People screamed and wept as they rushed toward the shelters once more. The streets fell into chaos!
But the expected attack of destruction never came.
The Golden Horned Beast simply flew past at a steady pace, without even glancing down at the chaos below.
Some people brave or desperate enough to look, along with the defense forces that had hurriedly taken to the sky,
Peered at the Golden Horned Beast's back through binoculars or rifle scopes, gripped by terror.
Then they saw a sight they would never forget, and wondered if the shock had made them hallucinate—
Standing steadily on the back of that terrifying beast was...
A round, space-armored... Capybara?
The Capybara even waved a paw at the people below. Its spiritual power carried a clear and "friendly" message:
"Don't panic, everyone! Little Gold's one of us now!
It's my new mount and enforcer! Go on, get back to whatever you were doing!"
M-mount?
One of us?
Everyone who saw and heard this—civilians and soldiers alike—was left petrified, their minds completely frozen.
The information was too much, the shock too great. Their fear was replaced by an overwhelming sense of absurdity.
The Golden Horned Beast... had become the Capybara's mount?
What in the world was happening?!
But before they could process this shocking news,
The Golden Horned Beast had already carried its "master" off toward the next major Base City.
Over the next few moments, similar scenes played out above major human settlements across Eurasia, North America, and even other continents.
A Starry Sky Behemoth, the embodiment of ultimate terror, flew low over human cities.
On its back, a Capybara "inspected" the crowds below, who were frozen with panic and utterly beside themselves, like a tourist.
Every so often, it even offered a few words of "reassurance."
Everywhere they went, they sparked extreme panic, followed by utter confusion and numb disbelief as people's worldviews collapsed.
Inside the War God Palace, the senior officials watched the satellite feed showing the Golden Horned Beast carrying the Capybara on its "tour of the world."
Their expressions were so complicated that they couldn't cry or laugh.
"He... Is he showing off?"
Before you continue