Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [154]

The administrative district of Belobog had long been cleared of ordinary residents. The entire area, stretching for several kilometers, was now occupied by government institutions. The central square, renamed the Administrative Plaza, was occasionally opened to the public for guided tours during limited time slots.

A massive structure, taller than a house and radiating blinding white light into the sky, had recently appeared in the plaza. It was hard for Seele to ignore.

Bronya smiled. “It’s a large-scale shield emitter. Serval, once an expert in force field and Stellaron studies, collaborated with Clara, who has exceptional talent in this area. Together, they designed a military-grade forcefield generator. Somehow, Clara enhanced its capabilities to provide a fifteen-layer high-resistance shield for Belobog using only minimal Geomarrow energy for power. I don’t understand the specifics, but it’s incredible.”

“Seriously? That’s amazing!” Seele exclaimed, genuinely surprised.

“That’s not all,” Bronya continued, pulling out a stack of reports from a nearby cabinet. “According to their field tests, the shields can withstand hundreds of warship-grade bombs. Even if the shields fail, they self-repair and reboot in a short time. On top of that, with Serval’s psionic augmentation, the shields can deliver counter-shocks to attackers.”

“Oh, Serval. Her abilities are terrifying,” Seele nodded, half-understanding. “No medium or conductor needed, and she can zap anyone in range with electricity. Honestly, if she wasn’t so focused on research, she’d make an amazing military commander.”

Bronya shook her head, smiling. “You’re always thinking about battles, Seele. If that were the case, Clara’s abilities might be even better suited for the military. But even if Clara wanted to join, the mentor would never agree.”

Serval’s psionic abilities allowed her to generate high-voltage electricity without a medium, transmitting it at will. She once claimed that the energy expenditure was negligible—if Belobog ever lost its power grid, she could singlehandedly supply electricity to the entire capital.

As for Clara…

Bronya’s assessment wasn’t far off. Clara’s abilities were exceptionally suited to fleet operations.

Damage to a fleet’s ships was inevitable, but Clara could instantly reassemble shattered mechanical components. Using only raw materials, she could fabricate replacement parts on the spot.

Even the inevitable wear and tear of metal, typically irreversible, was no obstacle for her. Clara could restore fatigued materials and repair battle-worn ships to pristine condition, ensuring they were combat-ready.

With these talents, Clara and Serval managed to construct the city-wide shield emitter in record time after finalizing the blueprints.

Of course, their success wasn’t solely due to their genius—it was the integration of psionic powers that made such rapid progress possible.

While Seele had learned much since her awakening, she still struggled to grasp the intricacies of psionics. After pondering for a moment, she could only marvel, “That’s incredible!”

Seele’s growing knowledge had also changed her perspective on many issues.

She had once believed that strength was measured by physical power alone. Now, she understood that advanced technology could rival any brute force. Ships destroyed in battle could be rebuilt, but losing a brilliant scientist was a permanent setback.

It was clear: ten destroyers could never compare to the value of a single genius researcher.

At that moment, the holographic communicator on Bronya’s desk chimed, signaling an incoming transmission.

This device, a piece of relatively basic interstellar technology provided by Asta’s scientists, had become a staple in Belobog’s administration.

Seele, dropping her casual demeanor, stood at attention and moved to the side. A subtle distortion in space occurred as she summoned her enormous scythe, assuming the role of Bronya’s bodyguard.

Bronya chuckled softly, somewhat embarrassed, before answering the call.

The moment the connection was established, Bronya’s aura shifted, exuding the commanding presence of a true leader.

The projection displayed a middle-aged man—one of the patrol fleet’s captains. Normally, fleet captains didn’t have direct access to Bronya, but with Seele absent from the command center, it seemed urgent enough to warrant her attention.

The captain, upon noticing Seele by Bronya’s side, wore an expression that screamed I knew it. Bowing respectfully, he greeted them both.

“Greetings, Supreme Guardian and Commander. I bring good news. The pirate-clearing operation near Tianle-III has concluded with a decisive victory. We’ve annihilated 12 pirate vessels, seized 2 transport ships, and captured 1,741 prisoners. A detailed battle report has been sent to the commander’s inbox.”

Both women recognized the captain, and Seele was quick to praise him. “Well done! Did you capture any leaders or higher-ups? Jiels, make sure to interrogate them about their base. I’ll personally lead a raid on their turf later!”

“We’ve extracted the coordinates of their hideout just outside our borders. Should I deploy scout ships to survey the area first?”

“Yes! Of course! If they can rob us, why shouldn’t we rob them? Raiding pirates is my favorite pastime!” Seele grinned enthusiastically.

“Understood. I’ll see to it immediately.”

With that, the transmission ended.

Bronya rarely involved herself in fleet affairs, but hearing the exchange between Seele and the captain shed light on something she had long suspected.

Seele often returned from pirate-clearing missions with vast quantities of resources and technological blueprints. Bronya had always thought it odd that pirate ships carried such things, but she hadn’t given it much thought. Now she realized that Seele had been leading raids on the pirates’ bases, looting everything they had.

“Seele, don’t you think this sets a bad example…?” Bronya asked, her tone a mix of concern and amusement.

"Relax, oh mighty Supreme Guardian," Seele said confidently, hands on her hips, her tone righteous. "We’re just doing justice by rooting out evil. The star routes are full of danger, and no one dares trade with us if we don’t clear the way for future partners. Just think about all the trouble those scientists ran into on their way here—more than half of it caused by pirates! Getting rid of them is the simplest solution!"

Bronya mulled over the argument and, upon reflection, had to admit it made sense. She nodded.

"Just be careful."

"Of course, I—"

Seele was about to boast about how those pirates posed no real threat—how their dozens of ships lacked the firepower of a single cluster cannon on Belobog's smallest frigate. Their attacks, at most, scratched the shields, with no damage to the ship’s hull as the defensive fields or counter-missiles intercepted everything.

But before she could continue, the atmosphere in the hall shifted abruptly. A wave of spatial distortion swept through, silencing them both as their gazes snapped toward the source.

Seele stepped protectively in front of Bronya, gripping her scythe tightly, her sharp eyes locking onto the disturbance. Bronya extended her right hand, and a rifle from the corner of the room flew into her grasp.

In the next instant, a young man appeared before them.

The moment they recognized his face, both women relaxed their grips, their wariness evaporating. The three of them exchanged looks, their expressions cycling through confusion, surprise, and, finally, relief.

"Ment—"

"Brother Lin! I missed you so much!"

Before Bronya could finish her formal greeting, Seele darted forward, instantly closing the distance. With a delighted cry, she leapt up and wrapped her arms around Chen Lin’s neck, nearly tackling him to the ground.

Bronya paused mid-step, her attempt to approach halted. She settled for smiling warmly, giving Chen Lin a polite nod as she stood to the side.

"Eh? Brother Lin, what are you wearing? Is that… a dress? No, wait, it doesn’t quite look like one."

Thanks to Chen Lin’s decent physical strength, he managed to stay upright under Seele’s enthusiastic pounce. If not for that, her hug would’ve sent him sprawling.

What mattered most to him, though, was the confirmation that his Leader's Teleportation worked. Now, he no longer had to fear being unable to escape danger.

Looking at the two young women before him, Chen Lin noticed how much they had matured in the time he’d been away. Bronya, in particular, had shed much of her youthful naivety and now exuded the poise of a true leader.

"This is traditional clothing from the region I’m currently in. Definitely not a dress," Chen Lin said as he gently pried Seele off and set her back on the ground. "I’m handling some familiar matters in the Xianzhou Alliance—specifically on the Luofu. They’re currently under full lockdown. I wanted to check in and see how you’ve been since the Great Awakening, but I haven’t been able to contact anyone."

"Familiar matters?" Bronya asked, her expression pensive. "Are you referring to… the Stellaron?"

"Exactly. I’ve also negotiated a trade agreement for Jarilo-VI. Once the Stellaron crisis is resolved, we’ll establish commercial routes with the Luofu for mutual trade."

Chen Lin was mildly surprised that Bronya had guessed correctly but quickly realized it made perfect sense.

The Stellaron disaster had plagued Belobog for over a thousand years. For anyone raised there, the calamities brought by a Stellaron were all too familiar.

Seeing Bronya maintain her serious demeanor, Chen Lin felt a sudden urge to tease her.

"You’ve grown even more beautiful, Bronya."

Thud!

Bronya’s composed expression faltered, her face reddening visibly from her ears to her neck as her gaze darted away.

"N-no, I haven’t…"

This small reaction didn’t escape Chen Lin’s notice. He knew his diligent student, with her outwardly stoic and serious facade, was actually the easiest to fluster. That demeanor was merely a shell she had honed through years in the military.

After a couple of awkward coughs, Bronya managed to steady herself and asked the question both she and Seele were dying to know.

"Mentor, how did you return?"

"Yeah, Brother Lin, how did you get here? The patrol fleets didn’t report any unidentified ships," Seele added, her still-pure eyes wide with curiosity.

"Ah, that. I tried something I’d theorized before but never had the chance to test. Now that it worked, it means I can return here anytime I want, no matter where I go."

He avoided going into detail about the mysterious mechanics of his Leader’s Teleportation. Even if he tried to explain, it would likely be incomprehensible—after all, even he didn’t fully understand how it worked.

"Brother Lin," Seele suddenly interjected, her tone unusually serious. "There’s something we’ve been discussing—Bronya and I—and it’s really important. Since you’re here, we can finally get your input."

"What is it?"

Chen Lin had intended to ask about everyone’s post-Awakening status first, but the grave expression on Seele’s face made him decide to prioritize her concern.

"Mentor, it’s this."

Bronya gestured toward a stack of photographs on her desk. "Yesterday, during a patrol, the fleet discovered this strange structure in our star system. Based on the analysis of experienced captains, it appears to be some kind of gateway terminal. It’s inactive now, possibly abandoned."

Chen Lin picked up the photos and examined them silently. The images, captured by the fleet’s external cameras, depicted a structure flanked by two distorted energy emitters—one above and one below.

This looks like… like the Xianzhou’s Jade Gate. Could it be an entrance to some kind of space?

An entrance…

Wait a second. No way. L-Gate?!

Chen Lin’s face shifted. He recognized this structure all too well.

In Stellaris, every game spawned dormant L-Gates in random locations. Though inactive, these gates could be opened by researching "L-Gate Insights" and gathering seven points to initiate the "Activate L-Gate" project.

When Chen Lin first played the game, it was already well into its post-release phase. Drawn in by the game's complex systems and community of strategic thinkers, he bought all the DLC and jumped in.

As a novice, he struggled, often losing his fledgling empire to the game’s many challenges. In one memorable game, barely sixty years in, a neighboring empire was obliterated. He initially thought it was a routine war—until those red hostile fleets crossed into his territory and annihilated his forces.

Only then did he realize the magnitude of the disaster.

So this is the apocalypse everyone talks about? Damn, it’s strong!

He eventually learned that this particular crisis—dubbed the "Grey Tempest"—was one of four possible outcomes triggered by activating an L-Gate.

An online forum clarified what had happened in his game:

"Some idiot empire opened the L-Gate without sufficient fleet power, unleashing the Grey Tempest and dooming the galaxy."

Now that Chen Lin was more experienced, the Grey Tempest no longer posed a threat to him. Still, it remained a notorious trap for newcomers, especially with the AI’s tendency to recklessly open gates.

"Just leave it alone for now. It won’t cause any problems," Chen Lin said after a moment’s thought.

Thankfully, as far as he knew, no one besides himself had the means to activate it.

Bronya’s eyes lit up. "Mentor, you recognize this structure?"

"Yes. It’s a kind of stargate. If activated, it might lead to valuable discoveries—or it could unleash something dangerous that attacks everything in sight."

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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!