Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [314]

The Qiumi Clan—or the Qiumi Family, as they were now called—were the descendants of a tribe that had existed over six hundred years ago.

After the Peris royal family unified Sterbe, the Qiumi Clan, seeing the inevitable, surrendered through negotiation. Because they had also advised and aided the unification effort, Empress Sylvia spared them.

Not only were they left unharmed, but Sylvia even granted them dominion over a larger and more prosperous territory than before.

Unlike the war-driven majority of Sterbe, the Qiumi Clan valued intellect over brute force. They were like a lone scholar among warriors, out of place yet indispensable.

For generations, Qiumi scholars had served in the imperial court, their contributions to Sterbe’s development immeasurable.

Each successive ruler trusted them deeply, and their position as one of the most influential noble families was unchallenged.

Had things continued this way, the Qiumi Family would have gladly remained loyal to the Peris Dynasty for life.

But then, everything changed.

With the arrival of the Interastral Peace Corporation, everything fell apart.

The IPC—an unstoppable force that had once colonized Sterbe-I—was beyond anything Sterbe could hope to resist.

Economically, technologically, militarily—Sterbe wasn’t even worthy of sniffing their exhaust fumes.

The Qiumi Family, having long been embedded in the imperial court, knew this better than anyone.

It wasn’t a matter of if they would lose, but when.

And smart people didn’t stand beneath a collapsing wall.

The Qiumi Family prided itself on being superior to the mindless brutes of Sterbe.

So, when the IPC’s agents approached them with an offer, they became the first to betray the empire.

It was nearly impossible to find intellectuals in Sterbe.

The only ones of note were the Peris royal family and the Qiumi Family.

And so, the IPC’s expansion division made a simple promise:

If the Peris Dynasty was overthrown, the Qiumi Family would be crowned as the new rulers.

The price?

Allow the IPC to resume operations in Sterbe.

Nothing more.

In addition, the IPC offered them unlimited, interest-free loans to purchase weapons and equipment.

After witnessing the corporation’s advanced military technology, the Qiumi Family didn’t hesitate.

Raising the banner of "revolution," they declared themselves the saviors of Sterbe, claiming they would end the suffering of their people and prevent further bloodshed between the Peris Dynasty and the IPC.

With the IPC’s constant supply of resources and the Qiumi Family’s reputation, it didn’t take long for provincial warlords to flock to their cause.

Armed with cutting-edge weapons, stimulants, and combat enhancers, the rebel forces crushed all opposition, claiming city after city.

The so-called "loyalists" who refused to defect to the rebellion were pathetically weak—falling within months.

In a mere few months, the rebels had advanced to within 3,000 kilometers of the capital.

Over 70% of the royal domain had fallen.

Victory was within reach.

But then, the unstoppable march came to a screeching halt.

The rebels had been winning on open plains, but in the imperial heartlands, things were different.

There, the Peris Family themselves could take to the battlefield.

To many Sterbians, the royal family were divine figures—and their "inhuman" powers made it almost impossible for the rebels to push forward.

While the Peris Dynasty’s direct bloodline was small, their extended family numbered in the dozens.

And every single one of them possessed some kind of supernatural strength or ability.

On the battlefield, they were a living nightmare for rebel troops.

Even so, the Qiumi Family wasn’t alone.

Plenty of opportunistic noble families had joined the rebellion, giving them access to near-endless manpower.

With overwhelming numbers and superior weaponry, they resorted to targeted, strategic warfare—

Avoiding battles where royal blood was present and relentlessly attacking vulnerable cities.

They besieged, starved, and cut off supply lines, forcing strongholds to weaken over time.

The war was turning against the empire.

And then…

Everything changed.

Just as the rebels prepared for their final push—as they tightened the noose around Princess Fia herself—

Something terrifying appeared.

A single being wiped out 200,000 elite troops in an instant.

The rebellion’s most powerful forces were shattered beyond repair.

Several key cities were reduced to rubble.

In a single night, the balance of power flipped entirely.

With their elite forces annihilated, the rebels could no longer rely on well-trained warriors—only forced conscripts with no real combat experience.

Victory was ripped away from them overnight.

Now, they had no choice but to retreat into fortified strongholds, using their remaining weapons to hold the line.

At the very least, they could buy time—the royal forces couldn’t breach their defenses easily.

Meanwhile, the Interastral Peace Corporation was in complete shock.

Their proxy army had been obliterated.

What… what the hell had just happened?

As soon as they launched an investigation, the truth was revealed.

The IPC’s expansion division was horrified.

"Oh, fuck. We’ve pissed off a Lord Ravager."

Shortly after, reports circulated among the rebels.

The one responsible for their humiliating defeat…

Was a Lord Ravager named Phantylia—a Herald of Destruction.

According to records, she had personally orchestrated the collapse of over a thousand civilizations in the past few Amber Eras.

She was not one for mind games.

She didn’t manipulate from the shadows.

She didn’t sow chaos through trickery.

She simply stepped onto the battlefield… and annihilated everything in her path.

The Interastral Peace Corporation’s expansion division had wasted no time fleeing Sterbe once they realized what they were dealing with.

Before leaving, they gave the rebels a simple message:

"We’ll send reinforcements once the Lord Ravager is no longer a threat."

"Until then, we can provide you with moral support, as well as any assistance that isn’t actually helpful."

With the weapons and equipment they had previously received, the Qiumi Family and their allies had managed to hold their ground against the Peris Dynasty.

For now, they could only wait—for the Lord Ravager to leave, and for the IPC to return with more supplies.

As both sides settled into a stalemate, only small-scale skirmishes continued to occur.

Both the rebels and the imperial forces had seemingly agreed to hold their positions.

For now.

Chirla City was one of the most critical strongholds in the region.

Built deep within Sterbe’s rare hilly terrain, it was a fortified transport hub with well-established defensive positions.

One of Qiumi’s commanders had been stationed there, and at this very moment, he was feasting and drinking alongside his allies—completely at ease.

A middle-aged man raised his glass, turning toward the frail-looking elder seated at the head of the table.

"Lord Qiumi Huo, your wisdom is unparalleled!" he said with a flattering smile.

"Those fools can’t even reach us here! The longer we wait, the stronger our position becomes."

"The Peris fools in the capital? They’re just waiting to die! Hahahaha!"

"Hah! Ain’t that the truth!" another round-bellied noble chimed in.

"What do those royal brutes think they can do? Their raw strength is nothing against our energy weapons!"

"Ugh, don’t even mention them!" a burly warrior spat.

"Our Shanhe Clan has hated them for centuries! Wasting wealth and food on peasants—what a joke!"

"When we take the capital, I say we drink from the heads of the Peris royal family!"

"Hah! That’s boring," another hulking warrior grinned.

"Why not ride them like beasts? They’re stronger than our mounts anyway—might as well put them to use!"

"Hey, Hubei, didn’t you already ride one to death? Wasn’t he some Peris prince’s nephew?"

"Bah, don’t remind me," Hubei waved dismissively.

"Looked strong, but didn’t last worth a damn. I barely rode him a few dozen kilometers before he dropped dead!"

"Now, that emperor or her daughter—I bet they could run around the whole planet and still have energy to spare!"

"Guess we’ll find out soon enough, huh?"

"Hahaha! Can’t wait!"

As the debauchery continued, a squad of power-armored soldiers entered the hall, whispering a few words into Qiumi Huo’s ear.

The elderly strategist frowned and raised a hand, signaling silence.

Despite his frail appearance, Qiumi Huo was a highly respected elder of the Qiumi Family—formerly the imperial treasurer of Sterbe.

The other noble families instantly fell silent at his gesture.

Qiumi Huo commanded, "Bring the bodies inside. Let’s see them."

"A problem?" one of the middle-aged warlords asked.

"Did the royal army try to attack us again?"

Qiumi Huo shook his head and gestured toward the sky.

"No. They wouldn’t dare."

"A few hours ago, some… strange objects passed over us. I ordered an increase in patrols."

"They just found several corpses—dressed oddly. They don’t look like our people."

Moments later, the soldiers dragged in six or seven bodies.

No one batted an eye.

In Sterbe, a few corpses at a banquet were nothing to get worked up about.

The revelers simply gathered around the bodies, casually examining them.

"Definitely not one of ours."

"And look at their ears—positioned on the sides of their heads."

"Kinda like some of the IPC’s people, no?"

"Impossible," another noble scoffed.

"The IPC left ages ago."

"If they came back, they would’ve contacted us first."

"Let me see."

Qiumi Huo stepped forward.

Flipping one of the bodies over, he inspected it carefully.

There were no visible wounds—how had they died?

"Wait! Lord Qiumi, look at this!"

One of the warriors pointed at the small text on the back of the corpse’s uniform.

And the emblem on the chest badge.

A few of them leaned in for a closer look.

Thanks to linguistic beacons, written language wasn’t much of a barrier.

Someone immediately read it aloud:

"Interstellar Rift Empire – Jarilo Sector Institute of Physical Sciences – Research Director of the Third Division."

"…What the hell?"

"That’s a ridiculously long title."

"And what kind of person has a name like that?"

"Don’t care," Hubei muttered, kicking one of the bodies dismissively.

"It’s not the IPC, right?"

"As long as they aren’t here to meet with us, what’s the problem? Just dig a hole and bury them."

"Shut up!"

Qiumi Huo’s brow furrowed.

His voice carried a rare trace of unease.

"Interstellar Rift Empire…

"Why does that name sound familiar?"

After a moment, someone spoke up.

"I remember something!"

Qiumi Huo snapped his head toward him.

"Speak."

The others also turned to listen.

The man hesitated for a second, then said:

"A while back, I was drinking with IPC officials and asking about off-world politics."

"I heard them mention the Interstellar Rift Empire."

"They called it an incredibly powerful and mysterious civilization."

"Even the IPC had to pay a massive price just to do business with them."

"And ‘Sector’? That’s how they refer to their territories."

"So ‘Jarilo Sector’ means… it’s part of their domain."

"Are you serious?"

"Why would I lie?

"Remember? The Peris Family got an invitation from them not long ago."

"Their governor sent it personally. The news even went public."

"And that little wildling of theirs—she left the planet on a pointy-looking ship, didn’t she?"

Hubei scowled.

"You’re talking nonsense."

"Why the hell would people from a civilization like that show up here—"

"And just die in the middle of nowhere?"

A heavy silence fell over the hall.

Qiumi Huo stared down at the corpses, deep in thought.

And then—

His face turned white.

The youngest person in the room was over 130 years old.

Just because they preferred brute force didn’t mean they were idiots.

Seeing Qiumi Huo’s reaction, a few quicker minds began to piece it together.

And within seconds, someone shouted—

"Something’s wrong!"

"Wait… wait, wait, wait!"

Qiumi Huo snapped back into action, barking orders at his men.

"Get these bodies out of here!

"Dump them into Peris territory—NOW!"

As the soldiers rushed to comply—

A dozen tiny, palm-sized drones silently zipped into the room.

Click!

Click, click, click!

Flashes erupted everywhere.

The rebels flinched, momentarily thinking it was an attack—

But the drones vanished instantly.

Leaving behind thousands of photographs.

One of the men cautiously picked one up.

His hands shook.

The pictures captured everything.

Them mocking the bodies.

Hubei kicking one of the corpses.

Clear, damning evidence.

Cold sweat dripped down their backs.

This was a civilization so powerful that even the IPC had to bow.

And now?

Their people had died on rebel-controlled soil.

And worse—

They had just desecrated the bodies.

No explanation would save them now.

They were screwed.

Outside—

A soldier’s terrified scream pierced the air.

"LOOK UP! WHAT ARE THOSE?!"

A massive swarm of black dots descended from the sky.

And then—

The city erupted in flames.

On the front lines, columns of steel-clad war machines began their advance.

With a single thunderous cannon blast—

The stalemate was over.

---

T/N: goddamn rebels how dare they kill our empire's soldiers!

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!