Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [155]

In Stellaris, there are four possible events tied to the L-Gates. Chen Lin couldn’t be sure if the real-world L-Gates would function exactly like their in-game counterparts. What if, for some bizarre reason, there were additional possible outcomes? That thought alone gave him a headache.

Based on his experience, the most dangerous outcome was the Grey Tempest. The second possibility, a nation of nanobots masquerading as a normal civilization, was comparatively benign. While such a nation could present a challenge, it was typically manageable if addressed promptly.

The third outcome was the L-Drake, which in the game was more of a mascot—harmless, like a floating balloon. And the fourth was the jackpot: a nanite entity capable of freely switching between being a leader, a starship, or an army.

Of all the outcomes, the Grey Tempest was by far the most impactful. Chen Lin vividly remembered the times he’d rolled it during his early Stellaris games. These swarms were not only immensely powerful but also capable of reviving after destruction—a true nightmare for any newcomer.

Nicknamed Shifty Little Grey by players for its versatile nature, the nanite entity was a prize Chen Lin had long dreamed of acquiring. He was tempted to open the L-Gate just to see what lay beyond.

But now wasn’t the time.

If the Grey Tempest emerged, Jarilo-VI would be doomed.

His current fleet, boasting a strength of just over 30k, was far from sufficient. Most of that firepower was concentrated in a few heavily armed ships, and the loss of even one would be a massive blow.

No way could they handle it.

“Bad guys?” Seele’s interest was instantly piqued, and she cracked her knuckles enthusiastically. “Can we go all out on them?”

Chen Lin shot her a glare. “If we had ten times our current fleet, the only ones getting wiped out would still be us.”

As the planetary governor, Chen Lin had immediate access to all fleet movements upon his return to Jarilo-VI. He was well aware of Seele’s recent exploits, leading her fleets into battle.

While he admired her natural talent for warfare, he worried that her early successes against weak pirate fleets might skew her perspective. Facing scattered pirate raiders was nothing—those fleets couldn’t even scratch the station’s defenses, let alone his warships.

Still, he reminded himself that Seele’s boldness wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Experience was the best teacher.

When she eventually encountered a real challenge, she’d learn from her mistakes.

For now, his priority was accelerating the planet’s development. Expanding the fleet and pushing research on battleship production were critical next steps.

As he reviewed the Ascension Perks unlocked by the Shroud tradition, Chen Lin zeroed in on a new ability: Psionic Shipyards.

This ascension perk, tied to the Shroud Ascension origin, allowed for the construction of special shipyards capable of producing psionically-enhanced ships.

What drew his attention, however, was the latter half of the perk’s description.

Ships built in these shipyards would come equipped with cost-free Psionic Shields and a material he’d never encountered: Psionic Manifested Alloy Coatings.

Even more intriguing was the dual-mode construction of the shipyards:

• Permanent Build Mode: Costly but long-lasting.

• Temporary Projection Mode: Consumes unity to create a temporary shipyard at a designated location.

Both modes allowed for accelerated ship production, provided enough resources were poured in.

This perk could address a longstanding issue in his games: the difficulty of rapidly rebuilding fleets after a catastrophic loss.

In Stellaris, a single battle often decided the fate of an empire. Rebuilding fleets was a slow process, and scattered shipyards made it even harder to mount a meaningful defense.

But with Psionic Shipyards, he could bypass those bottlenecks. Resources permitting, he could field an emergency fleet almost instantly.

This was the perfect solution to balancing military readiness with planetary development. By keeping his fleet small but capable, he could project an image of a nation strong enough to defend itself but disinterested in aggressive expansion.

Such an image would reassure potential allies and deter opportunistic enemies.

Of course, if someone foolishly launched an invasion, Chen Lin could flip the script, leveraging his shipyards to unleash overwhelming force.

This strategy would allow him to prioritize economic and technological development while maintaining the ability to respond to crises.

The L-Gate discovery had only reinforced his resolve. It wasn’t just a matter of defense—if another L-Gate existed somewhere in the galaxy, Chen Lin needed to be prepared to claim control before anyone else.

For now, the gate would remain untouched. He couldn’t risk triggering the Grey Tempest or any other calamity.

“This can wait,” Chen Lin declared, addressing Bronya and Seele. “No need to launch any dedicated research projects for now. I know how to open the gate, but it’s not the right time.”

He smiled reassuringly. “Besides, whatever’s behind that gate—if it’s hostile—it’ll just be good practice for Seele to sharpen her skills on some grunts.”

Of course, this confidence was based on the fact that opening the gate required L-Gate insights, of which they had none. For now, the gate was little more than an inert curiosity.

Still, he decided to prioritize researching those insights, just in case. Better to hold the keys to the gate than leave them in someone else’s hands.

To ease their concerns, Chen Lin spun a plausible tale about the Grey Tempest and nanite nations, framing it as knowledge from an ancient history book he’d read.

“Nanite robots? That sounds awesome! Are they really going to be my training dummies?” Seele’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“You battle-hungry maniac,” Chen Lin teased, pinching her cheek. “You haven’t even finished your training, and you’re already dreaming about taking on the Grey Tempest. Stick to your studies. You’re only halfway there, and your current fleet wouldn’t last five minutes against even half a galactic arm.”

“Fine,” Seele muttered, scratching her head sheepishly.

Though her confidence was often overblown, Seele knew her limitations. Her battles with pirates had been little more than target practice—the fleet could have won on autopilot. Real enemies were still far out of reach.

She nodded and resolved to focus on her studies. Talent could only take her so far without a solid foundation.

“Mentor,” Bronya interjected, activating a holographic display. “There’s something I need to report. We’ve discovered several unusual planets within our star system. Two of them, in particular, stand out. Research vessels are still gathering data, but we’ve received some preliminary findings…”

Despite her initial awkwardness with advanced technology, Bronya’s genuine interest and determination to learn had made her a fast adapter. She was on her way to becoming a shining example of the new generation in Belobog’s rapid transformation.

Chen Lin leaned in, curious. “Let’s see…”

Chen Lin’s pupils narrowed as he scanned the report in front of him. “A habitable planet?!”

Bronya nodded, bringing up the data projected on the holographic screen. “For the people of Belobog, these planets are perfectly suitable for habitation. The only unknowns lie in the resources hidden beneath their surfaces.”

“There’s no need to hesitate—develop them immediately! Other civilizations might weigh the risks, but as the developers, we can’t lose out!” Chen Lin’s tone was brimming with excitement.

Testing his leader transfer ability had not only confirmed a crucial escape mechanism but also brought delightful surprises.

The L-Gate was practically on their doorstep, and now there were two habitable planets in their territory. For someone constantly seeking opportunities, this discovery felt like winning the cosmic lottery.

Chen Lin chuckled. “I’ll handle the colonization myself. No need to burden Jarilo-VI’s resources or manpower.”

Colonization required people—something Bronya could undoubtedly manage. But Jarilo-VI was already stretched thin, struggling to fill newly constructed facilities with workers. Sending people off-world would only exacerbate the problem.

Fortunately, Chen Lin had an alternative. He could simply build a colony ship—its “colonists” wouldn’t come from Jarilo-VI but, quite literally, grow out of the ground.

The only hurdle was his current resource shortage, especially alloys. He barely had enough to build a single colony ship. Luckily, his calculations showed that by the time the first ship was finished, enough resources would accumulate to begin the second. There wouldn’t be any downtime.

Meanwhile, Bronya and Seele brought forth more discoveries. Some were strange nebulae, others desolate planets emitting poisonous gases, and there was even an orderly cluster of mineral wreckage floating in space.

As Chen Lin reviewed these findings, his eyes lit up. These anomalies were right out of his intelligence logs! He recognized several of them and even knew what rewards they might yield. With this knowledge, he prioritized their investigation based on difficulty, assigning specific ones to Clara and her team for study.

Once their immediate concerns were settled, Chen Lin finally had time to ask about the Great Awakening on Jarilo-VI.

Under his meticulous planning, the Great Awakening had already transformed the entire planet. Every citizen had experienced it, though the abilities granted varied widely.

Serval, a scientist, had awakened lightning-based abilities, much to Chen Lin’s amusement. He wasn’t surprised; awakened powers often reflected one’s obsessions or intrinsic nature.

Seele, already naturally strong, had her combat abilities greatly enhanced. Bronya’s talents leaned toward spiritual empowerment, which didn’t seem particularly groundbreaking—until she revealed the results.

Even the weakest, non-psionically gifted individuals, when bolstered by Bronya’s abilities, could outperform the elite psionic Iron Guards. And Seele, after receiving Bronya’s blessing, had cleaved an entire mountain in two with a single swing of her scythe.

Chen Lin’s expression froze at that revelation. Just how powerful is this girl going to get?

Bronya’s abilities didn’t stop at people, either. Ordinary firearms, when enhanced by her psionics, produced destructive power equivalent to 2,000-pound bombs. She was essentially a walking artillery unit—one capable of mass production.

Ridiculous.

Natasha, too, had awakened an incredible gift: the ability to regenerate lost limbs. Chen Lin couldn’t help but think that if she were on the Xianzhou, she’d undoubtedly be branded a “plague-spreader” or some other pejorative title associated with the Abundance.

But when Clara’s name came up, Chen Lin’s eyes gleamed with anticipation.

He’d always known the little girl had potential. Her ability to instantly repair broken objects wasn’t just remarkable—it was invaluable. If her powers could be further enhanced, would she be able to restore shattered warships to full operational status? The implications for warfare were staggering.

Bronya suddenly pointed to herself and asked, “Mentor, my psionic potential isn’t as strong as Seele’s. So why has Seele yet to fully awaken? This doesn’t match the descriptions in Psionic Theory.”

“Yeah, yeah! Brother Lin, do you have any ideas?” Seele’s eyes sparkled as she eagerly leaned closer.

Her desire for strength burned bright. If she could grow even stronger, she’d be able to protect the man she admired.

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T/N: CLEAVED THROUGH A MOUNTAIN?????????????? WHAT IS THIS BROKEN ASS BUFF ABILITYYYY

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!