Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [316]

Fia froze for a moment. "Extermination Order?"

To her, this was an unfamiliar yet deeply unsettling term.

The word "extermination" was never associated with anything good in any civilization, let alone an Extermination Order seemingly targeting a civilization right next to Sterbe…

And that civilization was currently engaged in highly classified arms negotiations with the man standing before her.

There was no doubt in Fia’s mind—if she hadn’t signed that contract, its texture soft like silk, and if a part of her soul hadn’t been extracted and stored in another world, Chen Lin would never have let her know about this.

"That’s right~ It’s an Extermination Order."

"When my lord was drafting the laws of the Jarilo Star Sector, he devoted an entire chapter in the Governor’s Constitution to the significance and limitations of the Extermination Order."

"The Extermination Order represents the highest authority of the Interstellar Rift Empire—it is one of the Emperor’s supreme powers. It is typically only enacted in extreme circumstances—when a civilization poses a potential or active strategic threat to the empire and may endanger the interests of other innocent civilizations. In such cases, His Majesty and the imperial family have the right to sign the Extermination Order, authorizing the eradication of all life at the target location."

Before Chen Lin could explain, Phantylia had already grasped his intent and eagerly began elaborating on the Extermination Order for Fia.

"The Jarilo Star Sector hasn’t yet reached the highest threshold for implementing an Extermination Order. So usually, such operations are carried out through orbital bombardment and antimatter annihilation—methods that execute the order at the lowest possible cost."

Fia furrowed her brows. She felt like she had just stumbled upon a major loophole in the empire’s power structure. Hesitating, she asked, "But if something this dangerous is under the control of every governor, isn’t that… a bit too risky?"

"Star sector governors don’t have the authority to sign an Extermination Order."

Phantylia smiled, bowing slightly in respect as she glanced at Chen Lin. "My lord is of the imperial family and the next Emperor of the Interstellar Rift Empire—so he alone holds this special privilege~"

"Ah?!"

The explosive revelation struck Fia like a bolt from the blue, leaving her utterly stunned.

This was… shocking.

What had she just heard?

So the Governor before her wasn’t just an ordinary imperial official—he was actually a legitimate heir to the throne?

No wonder such terrifying authority could be wielded so easily. It turned out the man standing before her was the next Emperor of the Interstellar Rift Empire!

"For personal and imperial reasons, I volunteered to take the lead—to venture out alone with a few followers and some warships, to establish a foothold against cosmic calamities in the star sea the empire had neglected for millions of years."

Chen Lin suddenly recalled the few escort ships that had accompanied him at the beginning of his journey. Even now, that aged voice seemed to echo in his ears:

"Rather than leave our fate to the stars, let us decide the fate of the stars… May humanity’s glory endure forever!"

The commander of that ship had spoken with unwavering resolve. He had known he would die but never hesitated for a second, as if protecting Chen Lin was his natural duty—one he fulfilled even at the cost of his life.

The incident at Herta Space Station had been a rude awakening for Chen Lin, shaking him to his core. It had forced him to confront the brutal reality of a universe where barbarism and civilization coexisted.

That was when his deep-seated fear of insufficient firepower had been engraved into his DNA. From then on, when selecting technological advancements, he had focused heavily on weapon development.

To the point where, before he even realized it, he had nearly maxed out his weapons research—while his biological sciences remained virtually untouched. The few advancements in that field had been developed independently by the scientists at the Imperial Research Institute.

But it wasn’t an issue. To Chen Lin, national defense had always been the highest priority.

If he hadn’t funneled nearly 80% of his resources into building up his fleet and ground forces, would the Galactic Alliance have ever been established? Would corporations really have sat down to negotiate with him so peacefully? Would the surrounding civilizations have refrained from coveting his hyperspace travel technology?

Unlikely. He would’ve been picked clean—down to the bones.

In this starry expanse, weak military power meant being nothing more than cattle awaiting slaughter. Only with a strong enough force could one secure a seat at the negotiating table and avoid being placed in a position of passive vulnerability.

As for those who whispered behind his back, calling him a warmonger…

Hah. When the day comes that I wipe out your entire bloodline, I hope you’ll be able to talk your way out of it.

"All in all, Your Highness Fia, you’ve made the best choice. Following my lord comes with plenty of benefits!"

And plenty of resources, Phantylia thought to herself.

Endless supplies of Zro Dust and Arbor materials—other civilizations would kill to get their hands on even the tiniest scraps of these, yet her lord gave them away so casually.

Nanook? He was just a passing phase. Only my lord is truly worth following.

Hee hee.

Phantylia, a seasoned interstellar vixen, had long since realized that Fia had signed a similar Shroud Contract to her own. She had watched from outside the door as the contract was signed.

After all, Fia was a princess—there was bound to be some pride in her heart. Just like Phantylia back then. She had probably been a bit unwilling, maybe even resentful.

So Phantylia had deliberately waited a while before stepping in, pretending she had just arrived. Gotta give her some time to adjust, right?

Chen Lin glanced at her ever-charming face but chose not to call out her little act. Instead, he nodded gently, his tone warm. "I’ve always been generous to my people and my friends."

How generous? Just look at Xianzhou Luofu.

In three to four months, the entire Homeworld Ship had been stocked with enough food to last a century and minerals that would last several hundred years. Even companies commanding the markets of hundreds of thousands of civilizations wouldn’t dare to operate this way—one wrong move could cause total economic collapse.

And what price had Chen Lin paid?

None.

The resources he gave to Xianzhou were just surplus stock, too cheap in the P社 market to be worth converting into energy credits. At most, it amounted to three to four thousand apples and two thousand minerals.

At his current resource growth rate, that was barely a week’s worth of surplus after deducting maintenance costs and casually constructing a few cities.

"I might not like that man, but does that really justify signing an Extermination Order against him…?" Fia still couldn’t let it go.

To her, wiping out an entire civilization along with every living being in it was… too extreme.

She just found him unpleasant—besides, ambition was normal for most leaders.

This was far from deserving such a fate.

"Ahem…"

Phantylia cleared her throat softly, handing a document to Chen Lin.

A subtle reminder: Don’t forget who you are, and don’t forget that you’ve already sworn loyalty.

Her master’s favor determined not only one’s future quality of life but also whether one’s head would remain attached to one’s body.

She had finally gotten herself a "pet" similar to herself—Phantylia really didn’t want this princess, whom she had once faced on the battlefield, to end up dead.

Fia frowned. As a subordinate now, she had a duty to offer counsel.

Steeling herself, she spoke with a serious expression, "Governor, I truly believe this is inappropriate. If your goal is merely to deter other civilizations from resisting the Galactic Alliance, there must be better alternatives."

After speaking, she bowed, waiting for Chen Lin’s response.

"Ah, ah, ah…! My lord, that Extermination Order—I can explai—"

Phantylia moved to interrupt, but Chen Lin raised a hand, stopping her.

She thought, Why are you arguing with the master?! You’re already a pet—just accept your place!

But Chen Lin wasn’t angry. Instead, he casually patted Fia’s shoulder, signaling her to look up.

"Fia, do you know about the Rilusians’ national culture?"

"I don't" Fia said righteously.

"If you understood their deeply ingrained culture, you might not think an Extermination Order is such a cruel thing."

Chen Lin settled into the plush sofa, running a hand over the coffee table in front of him. Instantly, images and videos materialized in the air—holograms recreated through psionic energy, complete with clear and audible sound.

Since there were no outsiders present, Chen Lin gestured for Phantylia to sit as well, but she pretended not to notice and obediently remained standing.

Phantylia had a tendency to underestimate her own status. In Chen Lin’s eyes, sure, she was somewhat like a pet—but that didn’t mean she needed to lower herself this much.

To Chen Lin, she was like a pet he had adopted at the start of his journey, one that carried sentimental value. Even if she were completely useless—merely a decorative vase—he would still treat her well.

Whatever she wanted, he would try to provide. And if he couldn’t, he would make sure to grant it the moment he could.

But in Phantylia’s mind, she was no more than a stray cat or dog picked up from the streets. Every day, her thoughts revolved around pleasing Bronya, Seele, or Chen Lin himself—desperately proving her worth, to a point that was almost too humble.

Unfortunately, Chen Lin hadn’t lived through hundreds or thousands of Amber Eras like she had. He didn’t fully understand her thoughts, nor did he know how to get her to hold herself in slightly higher regard.

There was a natural hierarchy between master and pet, sure—but too much self-deprecation wasn’t to his liking.

That was something to adjust over time.

For now, Fia was watching the psionic projection, eyes widening as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

"Yiyyahh—!!"

She cursed in Sterbian profanity, golden irises flashing with streaks of red as her sharp tiger-like fangs emerged. "This… this is what’s happening in Rilusia?!"

Chen Lin nodded leisurely. "Yes. According to the assessments of Luofu’s generals and Diviners, the footage involves refugees from more than 15 different civilizations. They either arrived in Rilusia by smuggling themselves in, or were captured by interstellar pirates fleeing from persecution. In any case, their fates were all the same."

"Why?"

"Because they have a cleanliness obsession."

"A… cleanliness obsession?"

"A racial cleanliness obsession," Chen Lin clarified with a casual wave, making the projections vanish. "This is a recorded case of genocidal regimes from the Imperial Archives—one of the more extreme forms of nationalism. Maybe that doesn’t explain it well enough, so I’ll put it in simpler terms… You understand the concept of racial superiority, right?"

Fia nodded. Seeing that, Chen Lin continued, "When racial superiority is taken to the extreme, it mutates into the belief that one’s own race is inherently superior, while all others are evolutionary mistakes of the cosmos—mistakes that need to be purged."

"@!@$!"

Sterbian culture was violent, brutal, even somewhat savage. But they had never harbored the kind of ideology that sought to eradicate all non-Sterbian races. In fact, they hated civilizations that justified mass slaughter under the guise of superiority—those that abused power to fulfill their personal delusions.

You Rilusians are more savage than we are. .JPG

Even the descendants of the Great Khan would loathe you.

Chen Lin shrugged and chuckled. "The empire has long been aware of this civilization’s existence. And since it’s right next to our home sector, we naturally embedded plenty of intelligence agents within it… including some from Sterbe."

"That’s normal—we understand."

Fia didn’t mind this at all. If Sterbe had a sector as powerful as Jarilo, she would have suggested her mother gather intelligence on the surrounding factions too.

Preparedness is never a bad thing. What’s there to be surprised about?

Chen Lin continued, "When our agents submitted their findings, my reaction at the time was probably the same as yours now. So I sent the intel back to the empire. It didn’t take long for specialists to cross-reference it with our civilization records and classify the situation. The Rilusian civilization falls under the genocidal regime category of racial purity extremists. This means they must be eradicated at all costs—before innocent civilizations suffer."

Innocent civilizations?

Who, exactly?

Other than the untouchable superpower of Jarilo, which civilization near the Rilusian sector was both conveniently close and easy to bully?

Obviously, Sterbe.

Realization dawned on Fia, and her expression darkened even further. If Rilusia ever gained independent spacefaring capabilities, the warlike Sterbe might not be able to withstand the onslaught of these absolute lunatics. If that happened, Sterbe would truly be erased from existence.

"That’s why, when you asked me if I had spoken with Rilusia’s emperor that night, I told you—there was nothing to talk about."

Fia let out a long breath, then bowed her head in apology. "I’m sorry, Governor. I shouldn’t have questioned your decision before understanding the full situation."

"There’s no need to apologize," Chen Lin replied nonchalantly, waving a hand. "Just learn from this—gather all the facts before forming a judgment. As long as you can recognize and correct mistakes, that’s what matters."

He then shifted topics. "Fia, I wonder—are you interested in the imperial space fleet’s traditions? If you are, I can have Seele teach you military tactics over the next few weeks."

The Great Khan’s descendant had natural-born commander written all over her. Letting that talent go to waste would be a shame.

Fia froze for a moment, then looked at him in shock. "You’d really let me learn something this important?"

"Of course—if you’re interested."

Fia’s face lit up. "I want to! I want to!"

Getting up close with those massive warships soaring through the skies?

That was the coolest thing ever!

At the moment, Fia thought Chen Lin was simply letting her enlist as a foot soldier.

In reality, he was planning to train her as a fleet commander.

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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!