Reputation Shift: Half of Humanity Sees the Capybara as a Savior

[Ding! Absorbed the essence of the King-level monster East Sea Azure Dragon King, energy +8000, obtained faint Water Affinity.]

[You have successfully advanced to Star Level 4.]

The system's notification arrived.

Yet Pybara seemed completely indifferent, continuing to enjoy his meal as if he were alone!

"The taste... is a bit fishy, though the energy is quite sufficient. As for the texture, it's a bit like chewing on an energy bar."

Pybara smacked his lips and commented, "It's alright, but the seasoning is lacking. Next time, I'll have the humans research some monster-specific barbecue sauce."

This scene was naturally captured by the human satellites closely monitoring his movements and transmitted in real-time back to the War God Palace.

Watching the screen, the East Sea Azure Dragon King—a monster that once required several council members to mobilize and pay a heavy price just to repel—was being killed in seconds by the Golden Horned Beast.

And then, it was being chewed up by Pybara like a "spicy snack"...

Inside the War God Palace, there was another dead silence.

Everyone felt their worldview being crushed, reshaped, and crushed again over these past few days.

Monsters... could be "eaten" like this?

What kind of "foodie" is this Pybara, anyway?!

It seems he really... is just cleaning out his "snack pantry"?

And while he's at it... "tidying up" the Earth?

An extremely complex, indescribable emotion began to permeate the hearts of all the human high-level officials.

Fear, awe, bewilderment, absurdity, and a trace of... eerie "relief"?

At the very least, from what we can see now, this Pybara truly seems to have no interest in ruling over humanity.

The only things he seems interested in are... eating and becoming stronger.

Meanwhile...

"Zzzzt!"

Babata, that intelligent lifeform, feared nothing more than a world at peace.

It easily bypassed the information controls of various nations.

It took the high-definition combat footage of Pybara riding the Golden Horned Beast to kill the Octopus Beast Emperor in seconds and effortlessly snacking on the East Sea Azure Dragon King like a "spicy stick."

It also took the shocking clips of him devouring the Thunder Dragon Emperor and edited them meticulously.

Accompanied by stirring background music and concise, powerful subtitles.

Through the global internet, underground information networks, and even by forcibly cutting into civilian television broadcast signals, it spread it everywhere!

These images were no longer limited to the high-level officials of the War God Palace and a few insiders, but were presented directly to hundreds of millions of ordinary people around the world!

At first, there was extreme panic.

Seeing the mountain-like, terrifying giant beasts and the Golden Horned Beast fighting in a way that destroyed the world, ordinary people were scared out of their wits.

But immediately after, when they saw the arrogant Octopus Beast Emperor, once touted as humanity's ultimate nightmare, being torn apart and devoured by the Golden Horned Beast.

When they saw the Azure Dragon King, which had repeatedly triggered the East Sea beast tides, being turned into "spicy sticks" and chewed up like a snack...

The panic began to slowly transform into a state of unbelievable shock.

Then came the "interpretation" carefully guided by Babata.

The subtitles and voiceover kept emphasizing: "Look! Who is it that is eliminating these monsters that threaten humanity?"

"It is Lord Pybara and his companion!"

"He is not an enemy of humanity; he is clearing away our greatest threats!"

"The Statue of Liberty was destroyed? That was the work of the Golden Horned Beast, and Lord Pybara 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 the heads of humanity are being snapped one by one!"

The footage also interspersed scenes from when Pybara was "touring" earlier.

Scenes where he caused panic but did not attack any city facilities, as well as clips of him engaging in "friendly interactions" with Janet and Zhao Ruo.

The repeated visual impact and information infusion began to subtly change people's perceptions.

For ordinary people who have lived long under the shadow of monster threats, constantly worrying about beast tides breaching cities and their loved ones perishing.

Concepts like game theory, balance of power, and future uncertainty... are all too distant.

Their most simple and direct demand is—safety! To survive!

And now, an existence powerful to the point of being unfathomable.

Is using a crushing posture to take out the top-tier monsters they have feared for decades, one by one, just like clearing out trash!

This intuitive, powerful bestowal of "a sense of security" is a thousand times more effective than any empty propaganda!

This was especially true in regions that had long suffered under the threat of the Beast Emperors, where the shift in public sentiment was most drastic.

"Is Lord Ye Xiu... protecting us?"

"He killed the Thunder Dragon Emperor! Does this mean it will be safe for us to go out to sea from now on?"

"That man-eating Octopus Beast Emperor is dead! My God!"

"Even if he is strange, he is actually getting things done!"

"Compared to those politicians who only know how to collect taxes and leave us to rot in shelters, Lord Ye Xiu is at least actually eliminating monsters!"

On the internet and in private among the populace, similar sentiments began to spread like wildfire.

Fear was gradually being replaced by gratitude, admiration, and even fanaticism.

In the hearts of a significant portion of the lower-class citizens and ordinary martial artists, the image of Capybara had undergone a 180-degree turn.

He had transformed from a "mysterious Beast Emperor" who brought unknown terror.

Into a "savior" and "guardian deity" with a peculiar style of conduct, but one who was truly ridding the world of harm.

People even began to spontaneously create posters for him, set up simple memorial tablets, and praise his name in unofficial settings.

Inside the War God Palace, high-ranking officials from various countries watched the public opinion monitoring reports and the fanatical trends online, their moods complex to the extreme.

They certainly knew that things were not that simple; Capybara's motives were by no means as straightforward as "protecting humanity."

But the emotions of the masses had already been ignited, and that longing and support for a "powerful protector" was something that no rational analysis could easily reverse.

"This is... troublesome."

One council member rubbed his temples.

"Not only do we have to deal with him and his increasingly outrageous 'servants' in reality, but now we are even losing our hold on public opinion."

"Perhaps... this isn't necessarily a bad thing?"

Another person hesitated. "At the very least, his current actions are objectively beneficial to humanity.

Besides, public support might become a bargaining chip for us to communicate with him, or even establish limited cooperation?"

Just as Capybara had finished "tasting" the East Sea Azure Dragon King "spicy strip" and was pondering whether his next "snack" target should be the Mountain-Quaking Whale King or the Antarctic Ice Phoenix, Babata's communication came through with a hint of mockery in its tone:

"Hey, your 'chief masseuse' and 'number one snack officer' want to see you, along with that teacher of theirs who looks so serious."

"Janet and Zhao Ruo? Teacher Jiang Fang?"

Capybara became interested.

Janet and Zhao Ruo were among the few human "friends" he had, and Teacher Jiang Fang had also left an impression on him.

"What do they want?"

"They say they are representing 'public opinion' and 'some friendly individuals from the War God Palace' and want to pay you an 'official visit,' and by the way...

Perhaps they want to confirm some things or establish a more stable communication channel?"

Babata analyzed, "Do you want me to decline for you? Or should I let Hong and Thunder God handle it?"

"No need, let them come down."

Capybara waved his paw; he had a good impression of those two little beauties, as their massage skills and feeding were both spot on, so seeing them wouldn't hurt.

"It just so happens I need a break. I'm a bit thirsty after finishing my snack, so tell them to bring some good human tea."