[ Ding! Consumed the essence of the King-level monster East Sea Azure Dragon King. Energy +8000. Gained slight Water Affinity.] [You have successfully advanced to Star-level, Fourth Rank.]
The system prompt came through.
But the capybara seemed not to care at all, continuing to enjoy his meal as if nothing had happened!
"The flavor... is a little fishy. It's certainly packed with energy, though. As for the texture, it's a bit like chewing on an energy bar."
The capybara smacked his lips and gave his review. "Not bad. It just needs better seasoning. Next time, I'll have humans come up with some barbecue sauce made specifically for monsters."
Naturally, human satellites that were closely monitoring his movements captured the scene and transmitted it to the War God Palace in real time.
On the screen, the East Sea Azure Dragon King—the monster that had once taken several councilors and a considerable cost to drive back—was killed in an instant by the Golden Horned Beast.
Then the capybara turned it into "spicy strips" and chewed it up like a snack...
The War God Palace fell silent once more.
Everyone felt that their worldview had been crushed and rebuilt repeatedly over the past few days, only to be crushed again.
Monsters... could be "eaten" like this?
Just what kind of "foodie" was this capybara?!
Was he really just... clearing out his "snack stash"?
And, while he was at it... "cleaning up" Earth?
An extraordinarily complicated, indescribable feeling spread through the hearts of the human leaders.
Fear, awe, confusion, absurdity, and a touch of... strange "relief"?
At least, from what they could tell, this capybara really didn't seem interested in ruling over humanity.
What he cared about seemed to be... eating and getting stronger.
Meanwhile...
"Bzzzt!"
Babata, an intelligent life-form, was only too happy to stir up trouble.
It easily bypassed the information controls imposed by governments around the world.
It carefully edited high-definition footage of the capybara riding the Golden Horned Beast as it killed the Octopus Beast Emperor, along with footage of him casually turning the East Sea Azure Dragon King into "spicy strips."
It also included some of the most shocking clips of him devouring the Thunder Dragon Emperor.
Then it added rousing background music and concise, punchy captions.
Using every channel available—the global internet, underground information networks, and even forcibly hijacked signals on civilian television broadcasts—it spread the footage far and wide!
The scenes were no longer limited to senior officials at the War God Palace and a handful of people in the know. They were now playing directly before hundreds of millions of ordinary people around the world!
At first, there was sheer panic.
Seeing the terrifying monsters towering like mountains and the Golden Horned Beast's world-shattering battle, ordinary people were scared out of their wits.
But then they saw the once-arrogant Octopus Beast Emperor—hailed as humanity's ultimate nightmare—torn apart and devoured by the Golden Horned Beast.
They saw the Azure Dragon King, which had repeatedly triggered beast tides in the East Sea, turned into "spicy strips" and chewed up like a snack...
The panic gradually gave way to incredulous shock.
Then came Babata's carefully guided "interpretation."
The captions and voice-over kept driving home the same point: "Look! Who's eliminating the monsters that threaten humanity?"
"It's Lord Capybara and his companion!"
"He isn't humanity's enemy. He's clearing away our greatest threats!"
"The Statue of Liberty was destroyed? The Golden Horned Beast did that, and Lord Capybara has already tamed and punished it!"
"The Thunder Dragon Emperor, the Octopus Beast Emperor, the East Sea Azure Dragon King...
These Swords of Damocles that once hung over humanity are being snapped one by one!"
The footage also included scenes from the capybara's earlier "tours."
Though he had caused panic, he hadn't attacked any urban infrastructure. Other clips showed him having "friendly interactions" with Janet and Zhao Ruo.
The repeated visual impact and steady stream of information began to subtly change people's perceptions.
For ordinary people who had lived in the shadow of monster threats for years, constantly fearing that a beast tide would breach their city walls and their loved ones would die...
Game theory, the balance of power, uncertainty about the future... all of that was too distant.
Their simplest, most immediate desire was—safety! To survive!
And now, an unbelievably powerful being was crushing the top monsters they had feared for decades, one after another, as if getting rid of trash!
That direct, powerful sense of "security" was millions of times more effective than any empty propaganda!
The shift in public sentiment was especially dramatic in areas that had once suffered under the threat of those Beast Emperors.
"Is Lord Ye Xiu... protecting us?"
"He killed the Thunder Dragon Emperor! Does that mean it'll be safe for us to go out to sea now?"
"That man-eating Octopus Beast Emperor is dead! Oh my God!"
"He's strange, sure, but he's actually doing something!"
"Compared to those politicians who only know how to collect taxes and leave us to die in shelters, Lord Ye Xiu is actually out there killing monsters!"
Similar comments began spreading like wildfire across the internet and in private conversations.
Fear was gradually replaced by gratitude, admiration, and even fervent devotion.
In the hearts of a considerable number of ordinary people and low-level warriors, the capybara's image had undergone a complete reversal!
He had gone from being a "mysterious Beast Emperor" who brought fear of the unknown...
To a "savior" and "guardian" whose methods were strange, but who was genuinely ridding the world of evil!
Some people even began making posters of him on their own, setting up simple altars, and praising his name at unofficial gatherings.
At the War God Palace, the leaders of various countries watched reports tracking public sentiment and the fervor spreading online, their feelings more complicated than ever.
They knew, of course, that things weren't so simple. The capybara's motives were hardly as pure as "protecting humanity."
But public sentiment had already been ignited. No amount of rational analysis could easily reverse people's desire to support and rally behind a "powerful protector."
"Now... we've got a problem."
One councilor rubbed his temples.
"Not only do we have to deal with him and his increasingly outrageous 'underlings' in the real world, we're about to lose the battle for public opinion, too."
"Perhaps... this isn't necessarily a bad thing?"
Another person hesitated. "At least, his actions have objectively benefited humanity so far.
"And the public's support might give us a bargaining chip to communicate with him, or even establish limited cooperation?"
Just as the capybara had finished "tasting" the East Sea Azure Dragon King's "spicy strips" and was considering whether the Mountain-Quaking Whale King or the Antarctic Ice Phoenix should be his next "snack"...
Babata called him, its voice carrying a hint of amusement:
"Hey, your 'chief masseuse' and 'number one snack officer' want to see you, along with their very serious-looking teacher."
"Janet and Zhao Ruo? Teacher Jiang Fang?"
The capybara perked up.
Janet and Zhao Ruo were among the few humans he considered "friends," and Teacher Jiang Fang had also left an impression on him.
"What do they want?"
"Apparently, they're representing 'public opinion' and some 'friendly people at the War God Palace.' They want to pay you a 'formal visit' and, while they're at it...
"Possibly confirm a few things or establish a more reliable channel of communication?" Babata analyzed. "Want me to turn them away for you? Or have Hong and Thunder God deal with them?"
"No need. Let them come down."
The capybara waved a paw. He had a good impression of the two pretty young women; they were good at massages and feeding him, so there was no harm in seeing them.
"Besides, I could use a break. I'm a little thirsty after that snack. Have them bring some good human tea."
Before you continue