Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [157]

The bustling metropolis of Belobog did little to disturb the tranquility within Qlipoth Fort, where the three of them spent a quiet night.

As the first light of dawn crept in, Chen Lin rose early to find that not a single servant was in sight within the inner palace. It was unclear whether Bronya had instructed them not to disturb him, but the absence felt deliberate.

Having successfully tested his leader’s teleportation technique and even resolved some of Belobog’s pressing issues along the way—not to mention helping out his students a little—Chen Lin figured it was time to leave.

There were no urgent messages on his phone, but he couldn’t shake the worry that it might be due to the Xianzhou’s current state of lockdown. He feared that something critical could be happening there while he was stranded on Jarilo-VI, unable to respond in time to avert a potential disaster.

After bidding a brief farewell to the two girls, Chen Lin set out alone for the Administrative District’s anchor point, planning to teleport back to the Astral Express and from there to the Xianzhou Luofu.

Meanwhile, Seele remained huddled under the covers. Earlier, she hadn’t had the courage to speak up, offering only vague, noncommittal responses. Now, hearing the sounds of activity diminish outside, she cautiously peeked her head out.

As soon as the light hit her face, Seele saw Bronya resting her chin on the bedside, watching her with a playful smile.

“W-what are you doing?”

Feeling inexplicably guilty, Seele tried to retreat back under the covers, only to have Bronya grab her wrist and stop her.

Seele’s heart skipped a beat. Her expression turned strange, as if she’d been caught in some awkward situation—like seducing someone in front of their spouse.

Just then, Bronya spoke in a leisurely tone. “The Teacher has left. Seele-jie, do you feel anything?”

“F-feel anything? Like what?” Seele stammered.

“Like… anything psionic?” Bronya clarified, rubbing her temple. “What else could I mean?”

Her question wasn’t baseless. Bronya had thoroughly studied Chen Lin’s psionic theories. As someone once chosen by the Builders to inherit Belobog’s mantle as the Supreme Guardian, Bronya’s intellect far surpassed that of ordinary individuals.

To be selected as the next leader wasn’t just a matter of luck—it required extraordinary capability and the weight of immense responsibility.

Bronya’s elite education had ingrained in her a habit of analyzing events through logical deduction and elimination. Her palace tutors had once taught her that by ruling out the impossible, whatever remained, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.

While this principle might not hold universally, it had proven invaluable in political strategy—allowing her to maximize gains, balance competing factions, and strengthen the Supreme Guardian’s authority.

Under Chen Lin’s influence, Bronya had honed this method even further. Reflecting on Seele’s envious glances, she applied the same reasoning to identify the difference between her and Seele’s psionic potential.

Forget the irrelevant details—this is the one thing that stands out!

Her feelings toward Seele were complicated. Bronya still carried guilt over her earlier compromises and weakness, which had forced Chen Lin into hiding in the lower districts. During those days, Seele had risked her life repeatedly to protect the person Bronya revered most.

Anyone Chen Lin acknowledged, Bronya would naturally acknowledge as well. Yet, when dealing with Seele, Bronya couldn’t escape a lingering sense of needing to make amends.

Seele blushed furiously, perplexed by her own thoughts. Why… why am I suddenly thinking such shameless things?

“I don’t feel much of a difference,” Seele admitted, scratching her head. She scanned her body but found nothing unusual. Her mental state was as sharp as ever, and, oddly enough, her body showed no fatigue from the previous night’s exertions.

She dismissed the sensation as a product of overexcitement, not wanting to offend Bronya by mentioning it.

“I see…” Bronya nodded thoughtfully. “Then we’ll wait until the Teacher returns and revisit the details.”

“That’s not necessary. It’s not a big deal…”

“No!” Bronya’s rare display of firmness startled Seele. “Can’t you see, Seele-jie? The Teacher’s future will only grow more perilous, and the enemies he faces will become stronger. Without comparable strength, we wouldn’t even qualify to fight alongside him!”

Seele opened her mouth but found herself at a loss for words.

Bronya continued, “The Teacher didn’t explain his reasons for returning, but think about it. When he appeared in the palace hall, he seemed genuinely elated.”

“Because he saw you… or us?”

“No. It was a different kind of joy—one brimming with confidence, not the familial happiness of seeing us. That came later.” Bronya shook her head. “I’m certain of it. The Teacher must have been testing something unknown to us. That’s the only explanation for his unusual smile.”

“I didn’t notice…” Seele mumbled.

“You don’t want to be powerless to help him in the future, do you?” Bronya pressed. “Every method to improve our strength is crucial—especially breakthroughs of this nature!”

“But… there’s no guarantee it’ll work,” Seele murmured, her tone softening. “And I don’t want to disturb Lin-ge’s rest.”

“The Teacher wouldn’t mind, I’m sure of it!” Bronya declared resolutely. “He’s always said he fears us hiding our troubles from him, not troubling him with them. During his public speeches, he’s made it clear—his goal is the stars and seas, not some tiny corner to settle down in.”

Bronya’s words resonated deeply. Seele prided herself on her strength, and the thought of being a liability on the battlefield was unbearable.

But doing nothing wasn’t an option either.

“Alright! I’ll try to think of other possibilities when I have the time,” Seele finally agreed.

Bronya smiled warmly, pulling Seele close. “Then we’re on the same page. The Teacher always says, ‘There’s more than one solution to every problem.’ It’s impossible for me to be the only one to awaken under identical conditions. There must be another way.”

“Mm!”

The two, now united in their resolve, cheered as they headed off to bathe. Bronya had governance duties to attend to, while Seele needed to deal with captured pirates and study military strategies.

But as Seele approached the outer hall, she suddenly froze in place as if struck by an immobilization spell.

Bronya, at first concerned she might be unwell, quickly dismissed the idea. Ordinary illnesses were no longer a concern for psionic-enhanced individuals like them; any bacteria or viruses would be eradicated by their psionic energy before they could take hold.

Then, an intense, almost tangible wave of psionic energy erupted from Seele, radiating outward. The gusts it generated bent the trees and rustled their leaves violently, creating a symphony of sound that seemed to herald something extraordinary.

Bronya’s surprise quickly gave way to delight.

As expected!

Without warning, Seele had entered a second awakening. The phenomenon caused by her breakthrough far surpassed the commotion Bronya had made during her own awakening. The implications were staggering.

Belobog was about to gain its second psionic user.

---

Chen Lin returned to the Astral Express, which was still docked at the Xianzhou Luofu’s port. The train car was quiet, with only Himeko lounging gracefully on a sofa, sipping her signature coffee.

The glimmer of the anchor point had already caught Himeko’s attention. When she saw Chen Lin emerge, her expression turned curious.

The Xianzhou hadn’t established any anchor points yet—so how had Chen Lin managed to teleport directly onto the train?

“Lin? What brings you back?”

“I was testing something. I just teleported over from Jarilo-VI,” Chen Lin replied casually, avoiding a lengthy explanation. “Is Dan Heng still going through the Xianzhou archives?”

From Jarilo-VI…?

Himeko blinked in surprise before shaking her head. “Dan Heng was worried about your safety, so he went to the Xianzhou himself.”

It was only after Himeko’s explanation that Chen Lin pieced together why Dan Heng, who had been avoiding the Xianzhou at all costs, had suddenly decided to set foot there.

“You’re saying,” Chen Lin asked incredulously, “that there’s a dangerous individual on the Xianzhou who has hunted Dan Heng relentlessly in the past, and he was worried that person might pose a threat to us?”

“Exactly.” Himeko took another sip of her coffee. “The person Dan Heng mentioned is a member of the Stellaron Hunters, called ‘Blade.’ I’m not entirely sure why Blade has been after Dan Heng, but I’ve heard from a nameless informant that Blade’s identity before joining the Stellaron Hunters was… unusual. He’s now one of the most wanted individuals on the Interastral Peace Corporation’s bounty list. Definitely dangerous.”

Himeko then gave Chen Lin a rundown of the Stellaron Hunters’ bounty rankings.

Topping the list was Kafka, whom Chen Lin had met upon his arrival in this universe, with a staggering bounty of 10.8 billion credits. Blade followed closely with a bounty of 8.1 billion, and even Silver Wolf—whom Chen Lin had once unceremoniously “unboxed”—had a bounty of 5.1 billion.

People really aren’t what they seem.

Chen Lin mused to himself: If I pulled off some grand calamity, like causing a planetary collapse or creating a black hole, how much would the corporation put on my head?

Surely, it would have to surpass Kafka’s bounty, right?

“Lin?”

Himeko’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Holding her coffee cup, she approached him. “You seem distracted. Are you too tired? Would you like a cup of coffee?”

“No, no, no! Thank you, Himeko. I’m not thirsty!”

At those words, Chen Lin snapped back to full alertness.

What a joke. I’ve never had a drink worse than Himeko’s coffee in my life.

Chen Lin would sooner gulp down an entire box of herbal snake water than take a sip of Himeko’s espresso. Its flavor was… something even starfish would find unbearable.

He briefly explained the situation on the Xianzhou. He had already forged ties with the General and the Diviner, who agreed to help him locate the others. They’d uncovered significant clues and confirmed the general safety of March 7th and the others, even if they hadn’t located them yet.

“With Welt around, his strength rivals that of most people. There’s no need to worry,” Himeko reassured him. “Just stick to your plans, Lin. If you encounter danger, you can always return to the train and find me or Pom-Pom. As Navigator and Conductor, we’d never stand by and let a passenger face peril alone.”

She really means it.

Himeko was one of the few people Chen Lin had met since transmigrating who genuinely helped without expecting anything in return. Sure, her housekeeping left much to be desired, often requiring him and March 7th to pick up the slack. Sure, her coffee was borderline inedible. Sure, her cooking often involved swapping seasonings entirely by mistake…

But when it came down to it, if you needed her, she’d be there.

Chen Lin nodded. “All under control. The Stellaron will be in hand soon—no problem!”

“Good. Dan Heng hasn’t been gone long. He has… a complicated history with the Xianzhou. If you can, Lin, give him a hand when he needs it.”

“Understood.”

Back at the familiar Xianzhou port, the area seemed noticeably quieter. The mara-stricken monsters had been nearly eradicated by the Cloud Knights, and Chen Lin didn’t encounter a single one during his walk.

He sent a message to Jing Yuan.

Chen Lin: “Big bro, can you send someone to pick me up at the Jade Gate port?”
Jing Yuan: “How did you end up there? I’m currently handling some administrative matters. I’ll send my Chief Advisor to escort you. When I take my lunch break, how about joining me for a game of chess?”
Chen Lin: “Got a message from Jarilo-VI about something that needed my attention, so I went back to take care of it. Took about a day. As for chess, I’d be delighted.”
Jing Yuan: “Wait at the dock. Someone will be there shortly.”

In the Divine Foresight Office, Jing Yuan set down his reports, a subtle trace of astonishment flashing across his face.

At the same time, news arrived from the Divination Commission. The Yuzhao dynamic logs had been checked, confirming that no one had entered or exited the Jade Gate port in the past few days. The system recorded no ships departing, and the Cloud Knights reported that Chen Lin had remained in his inn since his arrival.

One day… to travel between the Jarilo system and the Xianzhou? The Empire is as mysterious and powerful as rumored. Unfathomable.

Jing Yuan thought about the evidence carefully. Chen Lin had no reason to lie, and the proof was clear. He had likely returned to the Empire-controlled planet under his jurisdiction, handled some business, and returned in a timeframe that defied all conventional spaceflight technology.

Lost in thought, Jing Yuan reached for his communication device and connected to the Diviner. Without waiting for a greeting, he spoke with a lighthearted tone:

“Fu Xuan, delay the capture operations for now. Come to the Divine Foresight Office—I have an important matter to discuss with you.”

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T/N: no way it worked LMAO

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!