For humanity, burn the stars.

The three members of Senjougahara were quite surprised by the sudden turn of events.

The three exchanged a glance, then began a brief exchange in the channel:

"Is that newly appeared creature controlling the Shepherds? Could it really be aliens?"

Or perhaps we should call them indigenous people?

"It seems to possess the ability to control other creatures, or perhaps it can guide them."

"At the very least, judging from its ability to manipulate living beings using tools, it is definitely not an ordinary beast in terms of intelligence."

As they labeled the other party as an alien, the curiosity of the Senjougahara trio was instantly ignited.

I've seen several different species in the past two days, but this is the first time I've ever seen aliens.

[Battlefield Atomic Bomb] After a moment's thought, and without much hesitation, the next course of action was decided:

"No matter what, let's take a closer look first."

The other two brothers naturally had no objections and readily agreed.

After looking up again and planning their approach route, they quietly crept over.

The other party is on a hillside; if you approach them directly, you will be easily spotted.

Fortunately, they had positioned themselves behind a rock formation to observe the spirits, so they didn't have to worry about being seen for the time being.

In order to get closer to each other, the trio quickly adjusted their positions.

Using the rocks on the other side as cover, they slowly approached the hillside, trying not to make too much noise.

As they successfully closed the distance, the three of them saw more details about each other.

The creature was covered in short, gray hair, even on its face.

However, hair becomes sparse in areas such as the waist, neck, and joints, perhaps as an evolutionary adaptation for agile movement.

Their limbs are of similar length, and judging from their structure, they should be able to run on all fours while crouching on the ground.

Although its body is slender overall, the ends of its hands and feet are thicker than its joints, and are covered with thicker hair.

Overall, it resembles a short-haired animal.

However, I didn't see ears like those of cats or dogs on the top of its head, so I don't know if it has such an organ.

As for deeper details, such as facial features and specific appearance, it is impossible to know them from our current distance.

At the very least, the other party is completely unlike a human; the difference in species must be significant, and they are not a humanoid race.

Senjougahara Hitagi, seeing Sun Xiaochuan who seemed eager to try something, grabbed his arm and restrained him.

They've always known that this guy can't control himself.

The first time was when I came into close contact with "Niu Niu", I was naturally thrown away.

Although they weren't present when they were contacting Fog Owl, they learned about it through the live streams of the players watching.

If they were ordinary creatures, they would probably just watch as Sun Xiaochuan attempted physical contact once again.

Even if he gets injured or dies, at least we can find out more information.

But this time it's different.

This time, the opponent is most likely an alien; we can't let him try so easily again.

Sun Xiaochuan rolled his eyes at Hei Yi, but didn't actually rush out recklessly.

Although he does sometimes try to come into contact with new species, he doesn't always rush in recklessly.

He always checks whether the other party has any aggressive intentions before approaching and trying to make contact, right?

It just so happens that every time it was confirmed as a failure.

[Atomic Bomb] pondered for a moment, then looked toward the hillside where the creature was.

At this moment, the other party had already shaken the pole, summoning "Niu Niu" to the vicinity.

It swung the pole again, then slowly began to approach the other side.

The movements appeared somewhat cautious, perhaps not entirely 'in control'.

The trio's distance from the enemy was hardly close, making observation extremely difficult.

The three of them naturally wanted to go further and get a closer look.

Unfortunately, the current distance is probably the limit.

If they move forward further, their position and angle will change, and they will leave the area of ​​cover.

The opponent's position offers excellent visibility; anyone with a normal eye can spot them from above.

Getting any closer would be much riskier, and it would be unwise to approach such a new life.

Actually, it should be said that they were also very lucky.

The other party possesses a weak telepathic ability, and they are currently at the edge of that ability's limit; if they get a few more meters closer, they will be detected.

This was quite a twist of fate; the terrain actually prevented them from being exposed.

Unable to get any closer, the atomic bomb had no choice but to stop and wait quietly.

In the channel, he suddenly realized a problem and asked the other two:

"Speaking of which... we've been exploring outside for quite a while now."

"Even if we hadn't encountered this kind of life before, shouldn't we have seen at least a trace of civilization?"

"If the other party has been active in the vicinity, even without the concept of a 'house,' there should still be some traces."

【Hitagi】 nodded seriously, responding in agreement:

Indeed, it seems no one on the forum has detected any signs of civilization.

"With so many players exploring from all directions, they shouldn't be completely invisible."

Just then, Sun Xiaochuan thought of a possibility and said in the channel:

"Perhaps...it's not on the surface?"

"The creature doesn't appear to have any visible wings, so we can assume for now that it's incapable of flight."

[Hitagi] realized something and continued:

So... it's underground?

[Atomic Bomb] After a moment's thought, he nodded slightly.

"I can't be sure, but I can say there's definitely a chance."

Just then, the alien seemed to have finished calming "Niu Niu" and approached it.

The other person gently patted 'Niu Niu's' head twice, and then sat down on it with practiced ease.

Soon, the creature, perhaps an indigenous one, rode away on the "cow."

The trio of [Senjougahara] exchanged glances and nodded to each other.

They are temporarily unable to continue the tracking and will have to wait for some time.

They have to wait until they've gone far enough away and crossed the hills before they can come out to chase after them again.

In that case, they will actually have a height advantage due to the change in position.

While waiting, Sun Xiaochuan thought of something and whispered:

"Do you guys remember about faction reputation?"

"If we humans are one camp, then wouldn't this newly emerged alien species be considered a new camp?"

[Hitagi] gave him a strange look and asked in return:

"What? Besides wanting to be constantly rammed by those monsters, you now want to defect to the enemy?"

Sun Xiaochuan shook his head repeatedly, trying to shake off the 'hat' that had suddenly been put on him.

"Pshaw, I mean, is there any question of whether there are friendly or hostile factions?"

"Is this what you'd expect from a faction you're first encountering?"

The other two brothers naturally couldn't answer his question.

This kind of thing should exist, but it's not being shown at the moment.

Perhaps it will only be revealed after formal communication or contact.

Just as they were pondering, a new panel suddenly popped up in front of them:

[We have made contact with new intelligent life forms and unlocked their illustrations]

The three exchanged glances, their surprise barely concealed.

They haven't officially made contact with the aliens yet, which means other players have already had face-to-face contact?