Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [310]

The Jarilo military parade lasted a full day and night.

From ground forces to atmospheric aviation units, from escort frigates to cruisers, from interstellar combat exercises to planetary bombardment strategies, from scorched-earth clearance to rapid ground deployments, from standard engines to warp engines—

Chen Lin made no effort to conceal anything.

He wanted every civilization present to witness the sheer might of the Interstellar Rift Empire, to feel both the security and the threat that power could bring.

After all, words—without a foundation of tangible strength—were meaningless.

Explanations were tedious, time-consuming, and often futile when reality could deliver the message far more effectively.

Hundreds of warships, ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of meters in length, swept through the starry void, their formations sending chills down the spines of every observer.

In one of the live military exercises, a segment of the fleet designated an uninhabited planet as a simulated enemy stronghold.

What followed was a full-scale tactical operation, complete with combined arms coordination and total annihilation maneuvers.

In just two hours, the entire planetary surface had been obliterated several times over.

The exercise concluded with the detonation of an antimatter bomb at a designated "capital city" coordinate.

The violent reaction instantly erased the target site.

Even with a basic astronomical telescope, observers on a nearby celestial body could see a newly formed planetary crater of prehistoric proportions—a scar left by the raw force of antimatter annihilation.

The assembled leaders were left in a cold sweat.

To an outside observer, it might have seemed as if the bombardments were meant for their homeworlds, as if the fully armed ground troops were about to embark on an involuntary "cultural exchange program" with their citizens.

Thus, with a final display of overwhelming force, the Empire declared the success of its first open military demonstration—an invitation to the surrounding civilizations, delivered with an undeniable message.

From that day forward, online skepticism about the mysterious Empire dropped by ninety percent—while conspiracy theories about it surged by the same amount.

...

"I sent word back to my homeworld yesterday. I expect to receive the referendum results before I even return. I firmly believe that the Galactic Community will become the guiding light of a new era."

"Our government has already approved the proposal to join the Galactic Community. We are currently preparing the necessary documents, and they should reach you soon, Governor Chen."

"Governor Chen, rest assured, I will convene a parliamentary session as soon as I return to discuss the monumental decision of joining the Galactic Community. This is an opportunity we, the people of Korfei and the United Civilizations, cannot afford to miss."

A thin, wiry man added with conviction, "Both the Presidential Office and the Chais Family place great importance on this matter."

Chen Lin nodded with a faint smile.

"The Galactic Community is founded on the principles of openness, inclusivity, and shared progress. Any civilization is welcome to join."

After confirming their commitments, the thin man and the other civilization leaders boarded their respective transport ships.

For civilizations with underdeveloped spacefaring capabilities, Chen Lin had dispatched his own fleet to escort them—an act of generosity that only those with keen political insight would recognize as a subtle power move.

This was already the thirty-fourth group of departing leaders.

Now, only two foreign dignitaries remained on Jarilo-VI:

Princess Fia of the Sterbe Autocratic Empire and Emperor Morav XIX of Rilusia.

Fia had been deliberately left behind—kept in Belobog under Chen Lin’s watch. She would return home alongside the Imperial Army to assist in the pacification of her own nation.

As for Emperor Morav XIX of Rilusia—

He had chosen to stay voluntarily.

Every day, he personally submitted requests to meet with Chen Lin, sending them to Qlipoth Fort without fail.

And as for what His Majesty so desperately wanted to discuss…

Chen Lin watched as another transport ship lifted off, murmuring under his breath,

"If you’re bold enough to buy, then I’m certainly bold enough to sell…"

"Truly, you’re digging your own grave with spectacular dedication."

Yes, this Emperor of Rilusia was most interested in—

Jarilo’s warships and military technology.

If Chen Lin hadn’t already known that Rilusia practiced extreme xenophobic policies, he might have assumed that Morav XIX was merely a weak ruler seeking protection from the Interastral Peace Corporation’s bullying tactics.

In such a scenario, Chen Lin might have entertained the idea of providing minor military aid, just enough to drastically increase the Corporation’s invasion costs.

However, the Corporation had long since withdrawn from Rilusia-I and Sterbe-I following the sudden appearance of Phantylia.

The Sterbe people, suspected descendants of former nomadic civilizations, had a natural aptitude for psionics due to their Great Khan lineage.

They were a people not meant for extinction.

Rilu-I, on the other hand…

Their national doctrine ensured they held no value whatsoever.

Rilusia’s xenophobia was deeply ingrained, making the cost of cultural reform prohibitively high.

And should anything go wrong, Chen Lin stood to lose more than he would gain.

There was no reason to risk anything for a mere six to seven population units.

The most efficient solution was simple: eradicate them.

The fact that Emperor Morav XIX sought to purchase weapons from him was all the proof Chen Lin needed of his ambitions.

Of course, Chen Lin had no intention of handing a future enemy the tools for its own rise.

Instead, he planned to use Rilusia’s attempt to purchase arms as political leverage.

By exposing the deal, he could bypass the "Masked Diplomacy" national doctrine, securing a legitimate casus belli for war.

"Pela, any updates on Emperor Morav’s actions?"

"This morning, he submitted yet another request for an audience," Pela replied.

"The documents are on my desk.

"Sir… do you wish to meet with him?"

Chen Lin smirked.

"Of course not. That would be beneath me."

He had a personal quirk—

Whenever he encountered extreme xenophobia, he felt compelled to respond with extreme xenophobia of his own.

Whenever he encountered racial purists, he found himself adopting a ‘racial purist’ stance—against racial purists.

In short—

He found them utterly disgusting.

"It’s the modern era, and these fools are still clinging to blind, indiscriminate exclusion?"

"I’m not even trying to be biased—this is just common sense."

After a brief pause, Chen Lin instructed,

"You will represent me in negotiations."

"Bleed them dry—take every ounce of resources from Rilu-I as an initial deposit."

"Tell him we are willing to sell anything—as long as they pay upfront."

"As for delivery dates and specifics—handle them as you see fit."

"Also, make sure he understands that the deal must remain strictly confidential."

Not that they’ll ever receive their shipments anyway…

Chen Lin mused silently.

Pela nodded.

"Understood, sir. I'll handle it immediately."

"Good."

Pela gathered her notes, signaled for several intelligence officers, and left to execute her orders.

Throughout the conversation, Phantylia had been silently observing.

She tilted her head playfully, swaying slightly, her every expression carrying an intoxicating allure.

"My lord~ You’re really planning to squeeze him dry, aren’t you?"

Chen Lin replied casually,

"If you don’t milk the cow while it’s still alive, wouldn’t that be a waste?"

Phantylia opened her mouth to respond—

But froze mid-sentence as realization struck.

"Wait… hold on—what do you mean ‘while it’s still alive’?!"

"A whole planet… gone?"

Phantylia froze for a moment. With her hands behind her back, she leaned forward cautiously and asked, "Master, aren't you just planning to wipe out that civilization?"

"Yes. Filth like them cannot be allowed to exist."

"Then… what about the planet?"

"It’s obviously going to be gone too."

Hearing this, Phantylia was momentarily confused.

She didn’t recall Jarilo possessing any weaponry capable of destroying an entire planet. Even if she were the one handling it, the best she could do was exterminate every living being on it—erasing an entire celestial body from existence was another matter entirely.

And more importantly—why go that far?

Chen Lin seemed to pick up on the confusion in her mind. With a casual wave of his hand, he explained,

"The planet itself holds nothing of value. However, some nearby worlds contain rare crystal deposits."

"Besides, Rilu-I isn’t even suitable for human habitation. Its habitability rating doesn’t even reach 50%. There’s no point in trying to develop it."

Rilu-I was a high-radiation planet, with vast landmasses permanently covered in ice and snow.

Aside from a handful of cities, most areas had radiation levels exceeding 0.4 Rad, frequently experiencing radiation storms—a catastrophic weather phenomenon.

Chen Lin had examined the personal traits of Emperor Morav XIX. More than half were negative, marked in red.

The only exceptional trait he possessed was a purple-tier characteristic—the sole reason why Rilusians could even survive on such a planet:

[Extreme Environment Adaptation].

This trait granted Rilusians a universal +60% survival adaptability on any planet with an atmosphere, making them remarkably resilient.

It was a shame that the Rilusians had to be eradicated. Otherwise, they would have been excellent frontier colonists.

"The heat from the military parade hasn’t died down yet," Chen Lin continued, "which means most civilizations are still highly tolerant of our actions."

"We should use this window of opportunity to push their boundaries as far as possible."

He gazed at the sky and added,

"When the Empire moves against an extermination-state, it must be swift and ruthless."

"The more spectacular the process, the better. The more mysterious the circumstances, the better."

"Trust me—human nature fears the unknown."

Phantylia hesitated before asking cautiously, "May I… ask what exactly you plan to do with that planet?"

"It’ll be a snack for Little Shi Sha."

"…?"

A planet the size of Jarilo-VI… as a snack?

Surely, he was joking.

Phantylia pondered for a moment before asking, "...Then, Master, how exactly do you plan to execute this?"

"Simple."

"A massive number of Sterbe corpses—mutilated beyond recognition—will appear on Relucia-I."

"Minister Topaz’s covert investigation unit will release a classified report on the Relucian Empire, exposing their widespread xenophobia and mass execution of non-Rilusians. The report will contain photographs and video evidence of their crimes."

"Qlipoth Fort will launch a formal investigation.

"And during the investigation, we’ll 'coincidentally' uncover additional classified records from the Imperial Archives—clear evidence that Relucia matches the behavioral patterns of historical extermination-state regimes."

Chen Lin shrugged.

"After that, for some mysterious reason, all of Relucia’s communication systems will fail."

"And even after repairs, their government will still refuse to respond to external inquiries—effectively confirming their genocidal nature."

"It’s only natural, don’t you think? Any issues with that?"

…

More like their messages wouldn’t even be allowed to leave the planet.

With the Empire controlling the narrative, whatever it declared as "truth" became the truth.

And with Topaz now acting as the Company’s local director, the Interastral Peace Corporation had no reason to waste time sending additional investigators.

With just a bit of coordination between the Empire and the Corporation, the neighboring civilizations would come to the only possible conclusion:

The Empire and the Corporation had worked together to eliminate Relucia, a potential third Rupert in the making—a ticking time bomb of genocidal extremism.

And in doing so, the Empire had saved the region.

This narrative alone would accelerate the Galactic Community’s expansion, reinforcing its image as a beacon of justice.

If things progressed well enough, "supporting the Galactic Community" could even evolve into a political doctrine of moral correctness.

And once that happened…

Supporting the Galactic Community would effectively mean supporting the Empire.

As more and more civilizations joined, Phantylia would finally have the stage she had always dreamed of.

In the past, whenever people heard her name, it was only the common folk who feared her.

Among the Emanators, she was merely regarded as the weakest.

She had no prestige, no respect.

But this time… this time, things would be different.

She had seen the future of her own power—one without limits.

If she leveraged the media and the Empire’s authority correctly, she could soon become the Empire’s First Emanator—a name that would make even her peers hesitate.

The same Emanators who had once ignored her would soon have to acknowledge her.

Maybe even bow their heads.

The thought alone thrilled her.

Phantylia’s gaze shimmered with admiration as she moved closer to Chen Lin, gently massaging his shoulders.

"Master’s strategy is impeccable."

"Not only does this operation eliminate a potential threat, but it also strengthens diplomatic relations with surrounding civilizations."

"The Empire’s forces will be seen as righteous warriors, saving the galaxy from a lurking evil."

As she spoke, she subtly inched closer, her delicate fingers kneading his shoulders.

"And since Master has such grand ambitions… this plan is truly a stroke of genius—two birds with one stone, executed flawlessly."

"Master, you mentioned before that I would have a role in this operation… could it be…?"

She had been worried that her moment of glory had been forgotten.

Now, she was subtly hinting that she wanted her share of the credit.

After all—if there was one thing Phantylia loved, it was stealing the spotlight.

Chen Lin, of course, saw right through her.

This little fox was always clever with her words, never forgetting her place despite knowing his secrets.

He had to admit—she was quite endearing in her own way.

More importantly, Phantylia had absolute loyalty to him.

And a pet is always easier to keep when it knows its place.

Chen Lin closed his eyes for a moment. Phantylia waited patiently.

A few seconds later, he spoke.

"You will lead one hundred Psionic Legionnaires to ‘repel’ Phantylia from Sterbe-I, severely injuring her in battle."

"The next day, under direct orders from Qlipoth Fort, you will launch an operation to neutralize the threat on Relucia-I."

"And then, Relucia-I will be gone."

"The outside world will speculate that it was destroyed by Phantylia, the Imperial Chief Guard."

"How does that sound?"

"Master, this is a kindness I shall never forget!"

Phantylia was ecstatic beyond words.

She didn’t care how much of the rumors were exaggerated.

All that mattered was that the legend of Phantylia would spread.

A warrior who had faced and wounded A Lord Ravager…

A commander suspected of wiping an entire planet off the map in mere hours…

The sheer weight of such a reputation…

She could already imagine the reactions of her peers.

They would be forced to acknowledge her strength.

And she did have the power to back up the legend.

She was no longer the weakest Emanator—

She was an unstoppable fusion of Destruction, Abundance, and Psionics.

Just as Phantylia was losing herself in excitement, Chen Lin handed her a simple task.

"Draft an Extermination Order for Relucia-I."

"Use the information I just gave you to fully justify it."

"Once it’s ready, Bronya and I will sign it and make it public."

---

T/N: honestly prob best to gloss over the fact that her name is the same as the Lord Ravager, anyways i think i like Galactic Community more than Starborne Collective so I'll use Galactic Community from now on (still 15 bonus chaps left)

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!