Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [358]

No—there hadn’t even been time to capture the moment…!

Somehow, the space between dimensions had been forcibly connected through an inexplicable method. In the blink of an eye, the hand that had been about to touch Silver Wolf’s shoulder was suddenly severed.

A dark shadow sliced through the air in front of her, plunging straight down. A dull thud followed as something heavy hit the ground.

“My, my, Wolfie, are you really this scary? Good thing that wasn’t my real hand reaching out—close call~”

The voice behind her was laced with exaggerated fear but also filled with an unmistakable, teasing amusement. A girl stood there, pressing both hands to her chest, holding a cheap plastic grip in one of them.

Silver Wolf glanced down at the scattered fragments of silicone on the floor. She instantly understood who had arrived—just as she had suspected.

—No matter what, this bastard deserves a lesson!

She spun around with a sharp swish, her mouth twitching slightly before she leveled a blank stare at the newcomer.

“Had your fun yet? If you’re done, give me my face back.”

To most people, that sudden move and the display of skill just now would have been a dire warning—one misstep, and they’d lose more than a fake hand. But to Sparkle, it was hardly anything.

She’d dealt with far more dangerous people before. Sometimes, if you weren’t willing to take a risk, where was the fun in life?

Sparkle pouted, casually tossing aside the severed toy hand. Then she spread her arms with an innocent look.

“This isn’t just fooling around, you know! A detective game comes with clues, and do you have any idea how valuable clues are? If you want intel, you’ll have to take the job from me first.”

“……”

Silver Wolf looked at the all-too-familiar face before her, recalling Kafka’s cryptic hints. She clenched her teeth and scoffed before turning back to her claw machine game.

It’s not like she had a script to follow. She was a free agent—doing whatever, whenever. No one could control her. At most, she’d cooperate with Kafka when necessary, but beyond that? She had no reason to care.

Sparkle wasn’t discouraged by the lack of response. She leaned in close, whispering,

“Let me guess… this time, Destiny’s slave didn’t give you a script, did they?”

“……”

“I heard all about your little escapades on the Xianzhou—you guys were pretty busy. Every time it seemed like you were about to leave, you just popped right back up to run another mission.”

Sparkle pulled away from the visibly tense Silver Wolf and started pacing nearby.

“Once or twice wouldn’t be strange, but this many times? That’s a different story. It’s obvious that Destiny’s slave left some gaping holes in their Xianzhou script. Even when you’re supposedly ‘resting,’ you occasionally have to cover for your teammates who are still on board, don’t you~?”

Silver Wolf remained silent, wasting yet another attempt on the claw machine.

“No need to answer~ This is just the brilliant deduction of the great detective Sparkle, after all. I wasn’t expecting much when I first tested the waters, but surprise! I reeled in a big fish… all with just a broken old cartridge.”

“…What do you want?”

Silver Wolf finally lost patience, slamming a button on the machine. She turned to Sparkle with narrowed eyes.

“I don’t recall the Tavern having any beef with the Stellaron Hunters—or that idiot for that matter. And I definitely don’t see what you’d find interesting in this mess.”

The L-Gate Nano Plague was something even the IPC took seriously. When they realized the nano nebula could assimilate and control all kinds of machinery, they didn’t hesitate to pull their fleets away from the front lines.

Sure, half the star systems ran on IPC-printed money, but you couldn’t just keep printing money endlessly. That led to… problems—problems that would threaten everyone’s interests.

And the IPC’s armed fleets? Those were expensive, high-effort investments—military forces branded as “trade route security,” but anyone who knew, knew.

Losing some equipment was acceptable. But if the officers—personnel trained with obscene amounts of time and money—started going down? That would hurt.

So ever since the nanite outbreak, the IPC had only sent a few research vessels carrying nanoscience specialists to the periphery of affected zones. They were content to collect data on the disaster—rescue operations for afflicted civilizations had long since ceased.

Now, with Jarilo’s fleet forcefully opening the L-Gate and diving in—even though the first battle had ended in a decisive victory—there was still nothing “fun” about the situation.

A creature capable of wiping out any civilization below Tier 3 in an instant? No one found that amusing. Just terrifying.

Sparkle fluttered her long lashes and put a playful finger to her lips.

“Oh, Wolfie~ You’ve got it all wrong. Since when did anyone at the Tavern need a reason to do anything?”

“Fair enough. A bunch of nobodies who can only prove they exist by entertaining themselves… I wouldn’t put anything past you.”

Silver Wolf scoffed. Though she seemed to be directing all her ridicule and hostility at the Tavern, her true frustration was clearly aimed at the one person standing in front of her.

Purely personal.

Everyone in the Stellaron Hunters knew—if Silver Wolf had a grudge, she would settle it. Unless, of course, she couldn’t win.

And right now? That wasn’t the case.

“Of course, if you really want a reason, I can make one up on the spot. Pick your favorite, and I’ll tailor it just for you~”

Silver Wolf clicked her tongue, expression dripping with reluctance. Her fists clenched tighter and tighter.

“Not interested. Just cut the crap already—you’re pissing me off.”

“Aww, don’t bare your fangs at me, Wolfie~ I’m only trying to help clear your path. Oh, and don’t worry about your little treasures—I’ve been keeping them very safe. Just waiting for the perfect moment to return them to you, good as new~”

“Oh? Then I guess I should say thank you?”

“You’re very welcome~”

Seeing the girl in front of the claw machine teetering on the edge of an outburst, Sparkle blinked and spoke slowly:

“Hasn’t your companion told you? Belobog is about to stage two unprecedented dramas of ‘Destruction.’ Those who don’t make it onto the stage in time either step back into the shadows or—become disposable props in the performance.”

She stretched lazily, a flicker of mischief dancing in her eyes. Then, her lips curved into a languid smile.

“And as the great detective Sparkle, I want the best seat in the house. Even if the ticket vendor for this show happens to be my colleague.”

Destruction?

Silver Wolf’s fingers paused.

Kafka hadn’t mentioned a single thing about ‘Destruction.’ She still had no idea what her actual role was. Why would that idiot, the one who personally constructed Belobog into an impenetrable fortress, need her help—when she couldn’t even hack into the place?

Ever since she received Elio’s mission order, everything had felt baffling.

Sparkle caught the flicker of doubt in Silver Wolf’s eyes, and that only confirmed her suspicion—Silver Wolf had no script.

From the moment she intervened, Sparkle hadn’t cared if Destiny’s slave, Elio, was watching her actions. Everything she did was for her own amusement. If someone bore witness to her plans, or even interfered, then in a way, that was a form of recognition.

After all, it meant that even as a Masked Fool, she had managed to brush against something as mysterious and fascinating as destiny itself.

Whether Destiny’s slave was pleased or not—Sparkle couldn’t care less. As long as she was having fun, that was all that mattered.

Silver Wolf’s expression remained blank.

“You’re looking for the wrong person. You should be talking to Kafka, not me.”

“Hahahaha! Relax, Wolfie~ I wouldn’t have come if your dear companion hadn’t given me the go-ahead.”

Sparkle giggled, her voice lighthearted.

“The Stellaron Hunters do enjoy plenty of freedom outside of missions, don’t they? You can do whatever you want, whenever you want—otherwise, you wouldn’t be making casual trips to the IPC’s headquarters to borrow a few things, right?”

Silver Wolf grunted in agreement.

“And right now, you are on a mission… but without a script, you’ve become an actor forced to improvise. Isn’t that a fitting description?”

Silver Wolf locked eyes with Sparkle for a few seconds before giving a slow nod, acknowledging the accuracy of the statement.

Sparkle smiled—a smile that was impossible to decipher. It held both warmth and kindness, yet also cruelty and indifference, as if she were a walking contradiction. It was a smile that could draw people in while simultaneously making them recoil.

“The security here is so tight that I didn’t even get the chance to scout things out before arriving. So, I’m also an actor forced to improvise… Given that, why don’t we perform a duet in this little play?”

Silver Wolf watched as another plush toy slipped through the claw machine’s grip and shook her head, her tone disinterested.

“Let me be honest—I have no interest in these kinds of pranks. Especially when my so-called ‘partner’ is a Masked Fool. I’m not about to let you sell me out again.”

“Aww, Wolfie, don’t be so quick to refuse~ How about I throw in some exclusive intel for you?”

Sparkle put her hands on her hips, half-jokingly.

“The esteemed Governor of Jarilo is extremely wary of outsiders—especially those who smile while hiding a dagger behind their backs~

“That’s why he built that whole ‘Space Corridor’ and organized this grand military exercise. On the surface, it’s a celebration of Belobog joining the Empire, but in reality, it’s a show of force.”

Silver Wolf shot her a deadpan stare and flicked the joystick of the claw machine with a scoff.

“That’s it? Anyone who didn’t know better would think you’re a Pochirian—completely cut off from the latest intel. I mean, sure, the signal there sucks, so I get why it’d be hard to keep up.”

“Oh? You don’t know the Pochirian meme? I can explain it to you. Anyone unfamiliar with an internet meme is basically a certified Pochirian.”

Sparkle smirked before continuing.

“Anyway, I don’t really care what that idiot is up to. And as for your so-called ‘intel,’ let’s just say I’ll take it with a huge grain of salt. No one in their right mind would believe the words of a Fool. Especially not the Thousand-Faced Sparkle.”

Among the Tavern, Sparkle was in a league of her own. Most Masked Fools knew their limits—they played, they caused mischief, but they wouldn’t gamble away their lives too recklessly.

…Well, most of the time.

Everyone understood that in their pursuit of pleasure, survival and wealth were necessary tools. That’s why, before indulging themselves, they made sure to minimize collateral damage—at the very least, ensuring they didn’t piss off the wrong people.

But Sparkle was different.

After getting backstabbed, Silver Wolf had immediately known that the culprit had to be a Masked Fool.

Few of them had the guts to risk making an enemy of the Stellaron Hunters. After eliminating the obvious candidates, she had arrived at a single conclusion: Sparkle.

If you called her a hedonist, Silver Wolf would need a moment to think about it.

But if you called her a lunatic?

Silver Wolf would agree without hesitation.

Even the Stellaron Hunters thought this girl was too extreme.

“No rush~ Just hear me out.”

Sparkle wasn’t bothered by the interruption and continued, her voice dripping with mystery.

“When I first came to Belobog—ah, well, the former Belobog—I was intrigued. Unfortunately, I had to step away before I could see the full show. By the time I returned, this place had become far less welcoming to outsiders.”

She sighed dramatically.

“But let’s get back on track. The Empire and the IPC have a delicate relationship, but the IPC didn’t get this far by being stupid. Add in the Xianzhou Luofu alliance, and you’d think Jarilo would be more aggressive with its military action, right?”

“That thought bugged me, so I laid low for a bit—until a well-meaning colleague passed me an outdated report: The Ever-Flame Mansion canceled its campaign against Jarilo.

“At first, I was confused—when had Tofait’s Fire Demons ever planned to march into Imperial territory? Turns out, it wasn’t a war declaration… just their kids’ ‘coming-of-age ceremony.’”

Sparkle threw her arms wide and burst into laughter.

“What really caught my attention wasn’t that they called off their campaign. It was when they called it off—perfectly aligned with Jarilo’s military exercise.

“Now, the Emanators may be a bunch of zealots, but they don’t fear death—they worry about not dying gloriously enough. And yet, our dear Governor had the foresight to prepare for an external ‘Destruction’ before making his move. Convenient timing, don’t you think?”

She chuckled, raising a finely arched brow.

“But Destiny’s slave? He knew. And he… just so happened to have been spending plenty of time around the Stellaron Hunters while in the Xianzhou. So the answer? Pretty obvious, isn’t it~?”

Silver Wolf narrowed her eyes.

“And if I refuse?”

“Then someone… might end up framed as the murderer of the Governor’s assistant. After all, the weapon’s already in your hands.”

“Tch…”

Sparkle shrugged.

Snap!

She snapped her fingers, and the air around her stirred—flame-colored fish darting through the currents.

“You think I’m here to mess with Jarilo? I’m the one standing on its side—or rather, on our dear Governor’s side~”

Then, she lifted something up.

Silver Wolf’s eyes widened.

“…You’re serious?”

“Of course~ Sparkle the Director loves unexpected twists!”

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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!