The First Superhuman: Rebuilding Civilization from the Moon

Chapter 244 244: Lizardmen Native

The soft glow from the bundle of fungi faintly illuminated the immediate area, making it stand out starkly against the dark cavern.

Upon closer inspection, Sergeant Will's suspicions were confirmed. This was absolutely not a natural formation!

The stalks of glowing fungi had been deliberately uprooted, bound together with a crude fiber rope, and arranged neatly. Would a mindless beast do something like this? Impossible. Even the smartest primates on Earth didn't weave their own flashlights.

This pointed to one thing: intelligent life. Something far smarter than a simple animal!

Will's heart began to hammer against his ribs. Intelligent life? There are actually sentient beings down here?!

The other quick-witted Marines quickly caught on, their eyes widening in sheer disbelief behind their visors.

Suddenly, a Marine whispered urgently over the comms, "Contact! One o'clock! Everyone, look at the one o'clock position!"

Through their low-light optics, they spotted a strange creature, barely a meter tall sprinting frantically. It looked like a reptilian humanoid, running upright on two legs. It was a completely unknown alien species, and it was bolting toward the nearest tunnel exit at top speed!

One of the younger Marines instinctively tightened his finger on the trigger of his plasma rifle, but Will immediately slapped his weapon down, barking over the local channel, "Hold your fire! Do not shoot!"

"Don't you dare ruin this!"

The rest of the squad realized the gravity of the situation and lowered their weapons, staring nervously into the dark passage where the creature had vanished. Their blood pumped with adrenaline. Relying on their rigorous Federation training, they maintained a tight, back-to-back defensive circle, keeping a vigilant watch on their surroundings.

They scanned the area, hoping to spot more of the creatures, but saw nothing but shadows. However, the cavern floor was marked with several strange footprints, three-toed tracks that looked like triangular pitchforks.

Sergeant Will was a disciplined Federation commander at heart; he hated the idea of provoking unnecessary conflict or firing without cause. This strange, lizard-like being hadn't displayed any hostile intent, so there was zero justification for shooting it.

Furthermore, if these reptilian natives were truly intelligent, they likely lived in tribes or colonies! If the Marines killed one, it could spark a blood feud with an entire hive, ruining any chance of future diplomacy.

And diplomacy, not war, was exactly what they needed right now!

Based on the crude torch, these indigenous lizardmen clearly hadn't developed advanced technology. If an interspecies war were to break out, Will and his men knew that the Federation's military might would crush the natives effortlessly, easily wiping them off the face of Nyx.

They had total confidence in their superiority. How could a primitive, spear-wielding society possibly defeat fully armored Space Marines?

Because of this, the eight-man team felt no fear. Instead, they were filled with an eager, restless excitement.

Will hesitated for a split second before making the call. "We track it and see where it goes. Weapons on safe. Nobody fires unless fired upon! Is that clear?"

The other seven Marines nodded eagerly. This was it—true, intelligent alien life! Even if they seemed primitive and far less advanced than humanity, they were still sentient extraterrestrials!

"Sarge, I think this is their weapon!" another Marine reported. He pointed to a strange, fibrous wooden pole discarded on the ground. One end was sharpened to a point, looking very much like a crude spear.

Most likely, the lizard-creature had spotted the armored Marines approaching and dropped its weapon in a blind panic to flee faster.

This was definitive proof of intelligence! Their society was probably equivalent to Earth's Stone Age, or perhaps early feudal eras!

Private Leo asked curiously, "Sarge, if these lizards are smart, could we negotiate a trade? Maybe get them to guide us to the surface? As the locals, they have to know the fastest way out of these caves!"

"That assumes they have a spoken language," another Marine pointed out. "If they haven't developed a complex language yet, their intelligence might still be too basic... They'd be like apes. Try negotiating with an ape."

Will cut the chatter with a stern expression. "Alright, stow the theories and follow my lead. I repeat: do not open fire unless it is a life-or-death scenario."

"We've all read the briefs on xeno-sociology, but nobody knows how these specific aliens think. They might be skittish, or they might be hyper-aggressive. If they have a pack mentality like wolves, killing even one could trigger a blood feud. If they hold a grudge, any hope of communication goes out the window!"

"Furthermore, we are just grunts. If we blindly trigger an interspecies war and cause a massacre, that blood is on our hands. We cannot shoulder that kind of historical responsibility. Am I understood? You do not fire the first shot!"

"Sir, yes sir!" the fireteam replied in unison.

Adrenaline surged through their veins, but they forced themselves to remember their duty. They absolutely could not create a diplomatic nightmare for the Federation, even if the opposing force was just a tribe of primitive cave-dwellers.

The Federation prided itself on being ethically superior to the ruthless colonial conquerors of old Earth's history.

Back then, when heavily armed explorers encountered primitive native populations, the massive technological gap always led to tragic massacres and brutal exploitation. They stole land, resources, and lives to enrich themselves overnight.

But humanity had evolved past that. The Federation had advanced robotics and automation; they didn't need to enslave indigenous populations for cheap labor, nor did they covet whatever meager resources a primitive tribe might hold.

Most of these Marines were decent, disciplined men. They weren't barbaric butchers who took pleasure in slaughtering natives.

Of course, this benevolence was strictly conditional, provided the reptilian locals didn't pose a lethal threat.

The Marines' eyes practically gleamed behind their visors. Discovering an intelligent species could be incredibly beneficial for humanity!

Even if these lizardmen were still in their Stone Age, they were the true natives of Nyx. They knew the terrain, knew which cave systems were stable, and could even help the research teams gather biological specimens safely.

Either way, they were a massive tactical asset!

Deciding how to officially interact with these natives was above their paygrade, that was a headache for Captain Jason and the Federation brass. The Marines' only job was to secure the asset without starting a war!

Private Leo keyed his comms, his voice buzzing with excitement. "Sarge, what's the play once we track down their hive? Do we bag and tag them?"

"No," Will replied firmly. "We establish dominance and show them we aren't prey. But we do not harm them without cause!"

Will thought for a second before addressing the squad loudly. "We are Federation Space Marines. We aren't going to cower from a bunch of spear-toting primitives. We need to project strength so they know not to mess with us. We represent the Federation, and we won't look weak!"

"But at the same time, we keep our posture strictly defensive and open to communication. I will personally handle first contact. I'm telling you one last time, keep your fingers off the triggers. If there's a body on the floor, diplomacy is dead. Are we clear?!"

"Crystal clear, sir!" the team echoed, their morale skyrocketing.

"Form up! Let's move!"