Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [318]

Another heavy snowfall blanketed Belobog.

The snow had yet to melt, and the garden was sculpted in ice and jade, a vast expanse of white.

Svarog, who had long been responsible for establishing the internal network of the Jarilo sector and overseeing the construction of armament factories producing mechanical combat units, was now strolling through the garden with Chen Lin, who was significantly shorter than him. As they walked, Svarog shared the knowledge and insights he had acquired through the X Ark.

Since communication between inorganic entities was far more efficient, Svarog could load weeks’ worth of Chen Lin’s data into his own database in just a single day. That was why Chen Lin had assigned him to communicate with Saik inside the X Ark.

Most of the information revolved around the unique technologies of the Kruz civilization, particularly those related to the modification of inorganic bodies or intelligent modules. A significant portion was military-related—

Technology for taming artificial intelligence to assess the risks of war simulations, data collection methods to predict enemy attack patterns…

Almost all of it was scientific knowledge primarily applied to military advancements.

But that wasn’t surprising. The Kruz civilization had once operated under an extinction-based regime, so their heavy focus on military development was only natural.

After talking for a while, Svarog suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Through continuous verification and communication, the Kruz civilization has gradually opened up to us. The day before yesterday, I retrieved partial records from the X Ark regarding a project they initiated roughly 14,000 Amber Epochs ago. This project aimed to improve the survival conditions of organic life and was thus named the Ideal City Project."

"So, you want to go take a look?"

"Based on surveyed star charts and data provided by the X Ark, risk assessment: low. Recommendation: viable for exploration."

Svarog’s mechanical voice resonated, "Calculations indicate that the Jarilo sector lacks sufficient alloy production. The Ideal City Project of the Kruz civilization included urban designs and highly efficient equipment specifically tailored for mass alloy production. However, due to an abrupt evacuation, the blueprints and relevant data were ultimately left behind inside the transformed planet."

"Did Mr. Seck teach you how to build an Ideal City?"

"Accessing database… Retrieval successful. Ideal City Project concept is incomplete. However, we may still derive answers from unfinished structures."

Chen Lin glanced at him but was lost in thought.

Can I even afford to forge an Ideal City with my current resources…?

To merge the world into a single city, and to build a city as a world unto itself.

Despite its name, the Ideal City was not merely a city. It was a fully urbanized planet—a world completely transformed.

Once a planet was converted into an Ideal City, it would lose its original features, with its entire surface being divided into smaller-scale Ideal Cities.

What Chen Lin referred to as "forging an Ideal City" was one such small-scale variation, a favorite among all players.

The reason was simple: alloy production.

Besides the Forging Ideal City, there were three other types—the Residential Ideal City, the Industrial Ideal City, and the Leisure Ideal City.

The first of these, the Forging Ideal City, specialized in alloy mass production. A single district of such a city could accommodate hundreds of millions of metallurgists working around the clock, producing vast amounts of alloy without pause.

The efficiency of a Forging Ideal City was several times that of a standard industrial district. More importantly, it maximized productivity with minimal manpower, which was the real game-changer.

But such high efficiency naturally came at a steep price.

Not only did an Ideal City require rare resources for maintenance, but due to its sheer production output, the Forging Ideal City was also known by another name—The Mineral Black Hole.

As the name suggested, the resource consumption of a Forging Ideal City was astronomical. Without proper planning for resource allocation, it could easily fail to sustain itself, or worse—cripple an entire nation.

That was why Chen Lin would only activate the Ideal City Project when the Matter Decompressor was nearly completed.

So why didn’t he outright refuse to search for the lost, unfinished Ideal City of the Kruz civilization? Because, at present, his mineral income—when measured on a monthly basis—was already comparable to having a built-in Matter Decompressor.

His hesitation stemmed from uncertainty: would an Ideal City require a fixed 40 minerals per job per month, or would it escalate to 40 minerals per job per day?

If it were the latter, then he truly couldn’t afford to sustain this bottomless beast…

And most crucially—he hadn’t even unlocked Ideal City Ascension yet!

Unfinished—unfinished, indeed.

If he found it but couldn’t even construct it, wouldn’t that be a joke?

The Kruz civilization had long since perished, leaving behind only a black box. From Svarog’s words, it was evident that the X Ark contained no records about the Ideal City Project. This was likely tied to the reasons behind its abandonment.

But Chen Lin didn’t bother asking Svarog—he could figure it out on his own. The Ideal City Project had undoubtedly been meant to house the Zroni Saviors. Its abandonment could only be attributed to another faction—the Divine, who posed an existential threat to the Kruz civilization.

Most likely, the Divines' offensive had been so overwhelming that the Kruz civilization was forced to halt Ideal City conversions, redirecting all surplus resources toward delaying the enemy's advance.

In the end, the Kruz civilization was still annihilated by the Ascensionists…

Oh, wait—if they had survived to this day, they’d probably be like the Fallen of The Contemplation, and Chen Lin would’ve had to fight them one-on-one.

Svarog stood quietly, waiting for Chen Lin’s response without rushing him.

He understood that, after eons of time, with the ever-changing tides of the star sea, the unfinished Ideal City might not even exist anymore.

Chen Lin nodded. "Do we have a rough location?"

Svarog replied, "Through calculations, I have identified 1,429 planets that partially match the descriptions. Among them, 524 have drifted off-course and were shattered upon collision with other celestial bodies. If the Kruz civilization’s legacy is not among those 524 destroyed planets, I will find it."

His tone was unwavering.

That was expected—after all, a psionic can was bound to be more powerful than an ordinary tin can, especially when it came to data processing and orbital predictions.

By the lakeside, willow branches swayed over the frozen surface, where a thin layer of ice had formed.

"Go search for it. If we can’t find it, it doesn’t matter—we’ll build our own Ideal City in the future. We don’t necessarily need the Kruz’s legacy." Chen Lin withdrew his gaze from the frozen lake. "How many people do you need?"

"Two science ships and three escort ships. The rest, I will deploy from the mechanical legion."

Chen Lin was surprised. "That’s all? No psionic army?"

Svarog nodded. "No deep exploration is required—only confirmation of whether the planet was previously transformed by the Kruz civilization. Such an operation does not necessitate large personnel involvement. Furthermore, psionic troops would be significantly hindered in harsh environments, increasing unnecessary casualties. Recommendation: psionic army should not participate."

Chen Lin pondered for a few seconds before nodding. "Alright, then prepare on your end. I’ll have the ships dock at A3 orbit. Just notify them before you depart."

"Understood."

Svarog turned and left. He still had to refine the mechanical legion’s adaptive protocols—there was much to prepare.

Even within the Jarilo sector, some planets had extreme environments, unstable weather, or hazardous geology, making the search perilous.

But it was just an Ideal City—the prerequisite tech, Antigravity Engineering, was already unlocked. All he needed was a minor ascension slot, which he could activate anytime.

Hiding at home just because the outside world was dangerous? That wasn’t an option for either of them.

That was why Svarog had volunteered to search for the Kruz legacy. And that was why Chen Lin had agreed—while the gains were uncertain, it was still worth the attempt.

Both organic and inorganic intelligence required experience to grow.

Svarog wished to act—so he would be given the chance.

At the threshold of the inner courtyard, Svarog paused. "Governor, if I do not return, please take care of Clara."

With that, he left without looking back.

Chen Lin turned around, watching the towering figure fade into the morning mist.

He smiled wryly.

After all, Svarog didn’t know that no matter where he or the escort fleet went, or what exploration tasks they undertook, even their progress could all be monitored in real-time.

If danger arose and Belobog couldn’t be alerted in time, Chen Lin could simply warp in an entire army and fleet to assist.

Danger? As long as it wasn’t instant annihilation, it wasn’t a concern.

His star map existed for God’s-eye view control!

---

In the heart of the Lower District, within a sprawling complex that resembled a palace, stood the Imperial Research Institute.

Unlike other research institutions with clearly defined specializations, the Imperial Research Institute gathered the best of the best—the most brilliant minds across the entire Jarilo sector.

Or to put it plainly, it was just a high-level research facility.

Inside the grand hall, Clara had been waiting for quite some time. Around her, dozens of tightly sealed crates were stacked, and in her hands, she held a glass canister filled with a shimmering liquid that shifted between shades of purple and green.

The hall bustled with activity. Researchers and members of the Psionic Guard moved about, carrying crates and loading them onto transport ships docked outside the institute.

Each time Clara tried to help, an older researcher would immediately stop her, insisting that tasks like these should be left to the younger and stronger members of the institute. And then—without a hint of irony—these same researchers, well into their seventies or eighties, would take the equipment she had been about to lift, leaving Clara utterly baffled.

Wait… are you saying you’re one of the young and strong ones…?

It was obvious that they were worried she might injure herself while carrying things, so they refused to let her do any physically demanding work.

After all, Clara was leading many of the institute’s projects. Others could afford to suffer some fatigue or minor injuries, but the project lead absolutely could not. Especially since many pieces of equipment required Clara’s personal assembly—if something delayed her, the entire research schedule could be thrown into disarray.

On top of that, Clara was easygoing and never acted like a superior, which meant that most of the researchers treated her like a granddaughter or daughter. Naturally, she had become the institute’s beloved, unofficial mascot.

And so, Clara found herself standing there awkwardly, completely at a loss for what to do since no one would let her help with anything.

Seizing a moment when no one was paying attention, she bent down to grab a crate filled with spare components, intending to carry it alongside the others. But before she could move, a Psionic Guard quickly approached her.

"Lady Clara, the Governor has arrived in the Lower District. He should be here soon."

This guard had previously been instructed by Clara to notify her as soon as Chen Lin’s arrival was confirmed.

A faint blush appeared on Clara’s cheeks, and she smiled shyly. "Thank you, sis. Clara understands."

"No need to thank me."

The Psionic Guard returned a warm smile, then—without hesitation—took the crate from Clara’s hands and briskly walked toward the transport ship outside, executing the move so smoothly that Clara had no chance to react.

Before stepping out, the guard exchanged a glance with a colleague standing nearby. The other guard gave a small nod in acknowledgment and then, from time to time, began glancing at Clara out of the corner of his eye.

Clara: "……"

For someone who had been self-sufficient since childhood, being prevented from working felt like torture.

Clara was unbearably frustrated. I’m not that weak! With a little psionic assistance, I could easily carry a hundred or two hundred pounds!

Pressing her lips together, she retreated to a corner. Fine. If they won’t let me help, I won’t make trouble for them. I’ll just sit quietly and wait…

As the number of crates on the floor dwindled, the researchers began loading dismantled modules of large instruments onto another transport ship. Clara remained silent, hugging her small canister to herself.

Then, a shadow appeared before her as someone crouched down.

"Little one, why the gloomy face?"

Chen Lin brushed aside a few stray strands of hair from Clara’s forehead as he spoke.

After a brief silence, Clara shook her head with a small smile. "Clara isn’t unhappy!"

"Oh? Really? You don’t look like it to me."

Lifting her into his arms, Chen Lin carried her over to a nearby bench and sat down. "Alright, tell me—what interesting new thing have you come up with this time?"

He had originally sent her a message asking, but the little girl had insisted he come in person before she’d say anything. Given the sheer number of project proposals she had submitted—easily in the tens of thousands—it wouldn’t be surprising if she had come up with something particularly wild again.

Clara had a real talent for developing large-scale destructive weaponry.

Especially in recent months—her weapon concepts had grown more terrifying by the day. If it weren’t for the fact that her mental state was perfectly fine, Chen Lin might have started wondering if she had been through some kind of trauma.

"This is an excitation fluid. It’s used to actively heat up a reactor and activate the Theta-class plasma bombardment system…"

Sitting on his lap, Clara held out the glass canister in her hands, her eyes lighting up with excitement as she explained.

"Simply put, after activation, the weapon’s first-stage warhead will employ a high-focus lens system combined with laser beams at the optimal resonance frequency to pierce through a planet’s surface. The payload will then penetrate the planetary core and detonate an antimatter warhead inside.

"Its… its most ideal effect would be a severe destabilization of the planetary structure. At the very least, the surface would be completely engulfed in high-temperature magma—or, in extreme cases, the celestial body might break apart entirely."

---

T/N: jesus fuck

This is a fan translation of 在星穹铁道点群星科技树真的没问题吗? by 杏雨诗韵 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!