Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [162]

Recognizing Kafka’s intentions, Chen Lin seized an opportunity to fabricate another false trail, creating additional evidence of Kafka’s presence.

At his suggestion, Fu Xuan soon observed two separate sets of tracks leading to different exits, each seemingly proving Kafka had been there. Internally cursing the Stellaron Hunter for her cunning, Fu Xuan blamed the current inability to deploy the Exhaustive Vision Array for falling prey to such misdirection.

Fu Xuan frowned deeply. “What do you think, dear brother?”

Chen Lin took advantage of the moment. “Conducting a thorough search might not be practical. If we take a wrong path, we’ll waste a lot of time. How about we split up to search? There are multiple passageways on the map, and any commotion from a fight would be easy to detect.”

“Hmm... That’s not a bad idea.” Fu Xuan nodded thoughtfully, but her tone quickly turned serious. “However, Stellaron Hunters are no ordinary foes. You may have power but lack the necessary techniques. You could easily find yourself in danger. If something were to happen to you, how would I explain it to the General? Or to myself?!”

Dear sister, have you considered the possibility that I’m practically unkillable by conventional means?

Of course, Chen Lin kept this thought to himself. He wasn’t foolish enough to broadcast his near-immortal constitution—several levels above the so-called abominations feared by the Xianzhou.

With a faint smile, he replied, “While I’m not skilled in combat, I have my ways of staying alive. There’s no need for you to worry.”

Before Fu Xuan could argue further, he quickly added, “I’m just anxious about my friends’ safety. If we capture the culprit sooner, I can focus on finding my companions. I hope you can understand my urgency...”

“But the Starport is teeming with malevolent threats…”

“It’s fine! Time is of the essence.”

“Hmm…”

After a brief internal struggle, Fu Xuan finally relented. “I see your devotion to your companions. Splitting up does improve efficiency. But take this.”

She retrieved a jade talisman from her waist and handed it to him, explaining, “This is a special jade talisman engraved with protective formations by me personally. It can withstand significant attacks—even the General would struggle to pierce it without using full strength.”

Her confidence was evident as she proudly tilted her head.

“As your elder, I’ve yet to give you a proper gift. Let this be my first token of goodwill. Keep it close and don’t lose it.”

This powerful?!

Chen Lin ran his fingers over the smooth surface of the talisman. While he had never witnessed Jing Yuan’s full power firsthand, the General of the Xianzhou couldn’t be weak. A full-force strike from him could probably obliterate a significant portion of his fleet. By that standard, this innocuous-looking talisman could endure the equivalent of hundreds of missile strikes. It might even save his life in a pinch.

Feeling a fleeting moment of guilt for his impending deception, Chen Lin decided he’d repay Fu Xuan someday—perhaps with a couple of battleships. That should suffice as a proper thank-you gift, right?

“Thank you.” Chen Lin attached the talisman to his waist cord and asked, “Which path will you take, sister?”

“I’ll follow the flow—any path will do. But if I have to choose, I’ll go right.” Fu Xuan gestured toward the right-hand passage.

“Then I’ll take the left.”

The two split up to search.

However, within minutes, Chen Lin returned to the starting point. Sorry about that—both directions were completely random. Kafka never left any traces here. Everything you saw was fabricated with psionics.

The actual lead was on a side path slightly behind them.

Thanks to the high-altitude observation points he’d set up along the way, Chen Lin could now oversee most of the Starport. The view was clearer than a satellite feed, though it required constant repositioning of his observation platforms.

After about ten minutes of walking, he set up another vantage point and expanded his field of vision. Suddenly, he spotted something that made him smile.

“Ah!”

He let out a soft exclamation as familiar figures came into view. They were cutting through waves of Mara-Struck like a hot knife through butter, swiftly pressing forward.

March 7th, Stelle, and Welt!

And the person they were chasing was none other than Kafka, someone Chen Lin had encountered once before.

Using the observed route as a guide, Chen Lin hurried toward the trio’s location.

Meanwhile...

Having just broken through a swarm of Mara-Struck and smashed open a massive door, Welt stood at the forefront. Adjusting his black-framed glasses, he gazed at Kafka, who stood atop a distant platform.

“After all this running... Kafka, I don’t know what you hope to achieve by leading us to the Xianzhou. Their hostility toward outsiders is extreme. The trouble is already immense. Surrendering and explaining the Stellaron Hunters’ motives is your best option.”

Kafka tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and chuckled softly. “Heh. If you capture me, you can resolve the surveillance issue with the Cloud Knights. Opportunities to atone for such serious crimes are rare. Capturing a ‘Stellaron Hunter’ is one of them. Make sure to seize it.”

“Hey! What’s your deal?!” March puffed her cheeks indignantly, glaring at Kafka with obvious irritation. “Do you know how many days it’s been since I’ve had a proper bath? I stink, okay?! We were supposed to be having tea with Himeko, and now look at us! Not only are we being insulted left and right, but we’re also fugitives again. Do we have some sort of ‘perpetually wanted’ curse or something?”

She couldn’t help but reflect on their recent journeys. Aside from the pleasant time on Jarilo-VI, most of their adventures had been fraught with misfortune.

March 7th missed the days when A-Lin was with them. If it were him, he wouldn’t have let them end up sleeping in the streets, would he?

“Patience... Almost there. I’ll be waiting for you just ahead.” Kafka glanced toward the sky. “By then, he should have arrived too.”

Leaving those words behind, Kafka snapped her fingers and stepped through a doorway.

“Keep them entertained for a while, won’t you? And make sure not to kill them.”

“Wait—that’s... the Cloud Knights?!” March exclaimed in shock.

"March, Stelle, don’t hurt them—just knock them out," Welt instructed without hesitation.

---

As the door slowly shut, Kafka listened to the sound of fighting behind her while ascending a flight of steps.

This area housed rows of incubation chambers, with a clear space in the center. Kafka casually leaned on a railing, her gaze drifting over the distant sea of clouds.

She let out a weary sigh.

"This script is truly exhausting. Doing the work of dozens all by myself—despite the preparations, I almost didn’t manage to finish. Such a task is unprecedented. As the greatest variable in all of this, wouldn’t you agree, kid?"

Tap, tap, tap!

In an instant, Kafka vanished like a gust of wind. The figure leaning on the railing had merely been an illusion. By the time the sound of gunfire echoed through the chamber, she had already relocated to another corner. Two submachine guns materialized in her hands, spitting fire as she moved.

Bullets rained from various angles, all targeting the same spot.

The relentless barrage intercepted a spear radiating a thick aura of Destruction energy. The projectile's momentum faltered, and it clattered to the ground.

"Hmm, kid, hear me out: we aren’t enemies—at least not for now."

"Funny, I feel the same way. After all, we’ve got no real grudge. I just wanted to settle the score for that Mara-Struck puppet you used to ambush me."

“Oh?” Kafka paused, noticing with keen clarity that her Spirit Whisper ability had no effect on the young man before her.

The MAC-10 in her hands emitted a faint trail of smoke as she reappeared near the railing, her back still to him. This time, her tone carried a trace of curiosity.

"Heh. So it doesn’t work on you. How did you manage that, kid? Oh, and about that anti-matter weapon... it’s fascinating, but I wouldn’t recommend using it so casually. It might give certain people the wrong impression."

"Fascinating indeed. I also find weapons infused with copious amounts of anti-matter quite intriguing."

From a height of more than ten meters, Chen Lin leaped down. Just before reaching the ground, his descent slowed, and he landed gracefully. Flashing a friendly smile, he waved. "Long time no see, Miss Kafka."

"Long time no see, kid. You’ve changed... quite a bit," Kafka remarked, slightly surprised by his amiable tone. She then sighed in mock frustration. "You’re appearing earlier than Elio’s sixteenth script predicted—by about ten minutes. And the script didn’t account for this friendly exchange either. What a surprise. He messed up again."

"We have no real conflict of interest. On the contrary, I still remember that you saved me once. Without you, Silver Wolf probably would’ve torn me apart. Speaking of her, though, why is she always so hostile toward me? It’s either threats or intimidation…"

"Heh, you’ll have to ask Silver Wolf herself. I promised the kid I wouldn’t spill her secrets." Kafka was amused by his curiosity about such a trivial matter.

No conflict of interest?

How interesting. She could already imagine Elio’s defensive excuses later.

This wasn’t the first time the scripts had been flawed—far from it. There had been countless errors lately. The sovereignty shift on Jarilo-VI, peculiar psionic awakenings, mysterious communications from the Empire, and now even Chen Lin’s unexpected early arrival.

If not for everything else proceeding as scripted, Kafka might have started doubting the reliability of Elio’s recent prophecies.

What was even stranger...

Every deviation from the script seemed to involve him. Was this the "fog" Elio had mentioned?

Half a year ago, when they first met, he had been a clueless young man wearing a casual shirt and flip-flops. Fragile and untrained, he had almost been seriously injured by a casual punch from Silver Wolf.

Now, not only had his demeanor transformed, but his physical and mental capabilities far exceeded Kafka’s expectations. Her Spirit Whisper couldn’t even touch him—its thread-like energy was easily obliterated by another force before it could come close.

No wonder Elio was both thrilled and increasingly worried about the future.

Such alarming growth inspired both awe and a strange sense of unease in Kafka. It was as if the stray kitten she had casually fed on the street might one day grow into a monstrous beast capable of destroying cities—and her along with them.

Twirling her guns once, Kafka stowed them in the inner pockets of her coat. With an intrigued smile, she spread her hands. "If you don’t mind, why not wait here for your friends?"

"Not a great idea," Chen Lin replied bluntly, though after a moment of thought, he joined her by the railing. The faint scent of jasmine reached his nose as he leaned beside her. "You don’t need to be so guarded around me. I know we’re not enemies. In fact, I’d like to explore some potential collaboration with your group."

Everyone’s experiences shape them differently. Even with similar circumstances, innate or cultivated personalities lead to varying perspectives.

Chen Lin understood this well. Adapting to the person in front of you.

It sounded simple, but mastering it took years of trial and error. For Chen Lin, while innate insight helped, external factors—particularly his unconventional mental development—played a significant role. His ability to process complex ideas had evolved far beyond ordinary comprehension.

Kafka, however, was nothing like Jing Yuan. Her demeanor and actions reflected the style of a rogue, a wandering outlaw. Despite her eccentricity, Chen Lin saw deeper qualities: her disregard for origin, identity, or gain, and her willingness to shoulder burdens in silence.

Unless you truly earned her trust, you wouldn’t step into her world.

Talking to someone like Kafka was surprisingly easy—straightforward questions were more effective than roundabout probing.

If she chose to answer, she’d tell you plainly. If not, she’d keep her lips sealed. Whether her answers were truthful was another matter entirely.

A lone wanderer in the vast interstellar void, bearing the weight of a high bounty, had to have both skill and cunning. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have survived this long.

After a brief silence, Kafka smiled. "Then you should be speaking to Elio, not me. I’m just an employee—I don’t make the decisions."

"…"

Chen Lin paused for a few seconds. "Do you know what my dream is?"

"Do tell." Kafka seemed genuinely curious about this enigmatic young man’s aspirations.

If it were anyone else, she might expect ambitions like making a fortune, conquering territories, or becoming a galactic overlord. But with him? She had a feeling his answer would be different.

"I want to go home."

"…"

This time, it was Kafka who fell silent. She struggled to reconcile the simplicity of his wish with the man before her—a figure who had recently become renowned across the universe as the Empire’s representative.

His desire was so modest, so... human.

"Why don’t you go back?" she asked.

"I can’t find the way. That’s why I wanted to ask your leader—the one rumored to foresee the future—if I’ll ever make it home." Chen Lin chuckled lightly. "What do you think? Surprised?"

"Very. I imagined all sorts of possibilities, but not this one. Isn’t the Empire your home?" Kafka rested her chin on her hand, her expression soft and relaxed, her smile casual.

Despite their limited prior interactions, the two now seemed like old friends reconnecting after years apart.

---

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!