Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [123]

Amid the chaos of the disheveled room, Chen Lin hadn’t anticipated there being anyone else present.

Having just woken from the long dream triggered by his Great Awakening, his attention was completely absorbed by his evolving psychic energy. He observed its patterns and fluctuations, utterly oblivious to any signs of another person’s presence in the room.

Psionic energy resembled DNA—any minor change could drastically alter its function. It seemed that his lingering obsession had shaped his psionic energy, steering its development toward the power of alteration.

If his obsession had been any stronger… Could I have gone completely mad?

Psionic theory described a phenomenon known as the “Nightmare Abyss” that occurred when psychic awakenings reached a certain level. Its manifestations were said to be endlessly variable, but failing to overcome it often resulted in becoming its thrall—neither human nor ghost, but something in between.

Chen Lin didn’t dare dwell on the thought.

“What’s with that look on your face? If Kafka hadn’t asked me to check on you, I wouldn’t have wasted my gaming time coming here,” a voice complained, the image of Silver Wolf shimmering like a projection.

“Miss Silver Wolf, you must be tired of me already to complain so much,” Chen Lin quipped.

“Or perhaps some handsome virtual character has ensnared you, leaving you indifferent to everyone else.”

“You…!”

“Look at that! I say a few words, and Miss Silver Wolf is already so worked up. Fine, fine, I’ll stop.”

Chen Lin’s melodramatic tone made it seem like they shared some deep connection, though that was far from the truth.

A large, visible question mark appeared above Silver Wolf’s head—a literal, floating question mark. Her expression turned strange. “What’s wrong with you? Did that Great Awakening fry your brain?”

“Just joking.”

Returning to a more normal demeanor, Chen Lin observed the girl before him. He knew exactly who she was—after all, she had been the first person he encountered when he transmigrated, quite literally crashing into her. He’d learned her identity soon after meeting Himeko.

Silver Wolf was infamous across the galaxy as a member of the Stellaron Hunters and a high-profile fugitive wanted by the Interstellar Peace Corporation. Her bounty alone was an astronomical 5.1 billion credits, thanks to her hacking of the Corporation’s systems to steal confidential information. She’d even left a calling card behind to announce that it was her doing.

Not only that, but the legendary data war she had ignited was well-known across the stars. Calling her a dangerous individual was no exaggeration.

Of course, if Chen Lin ever fully awakened into a walking catastrophe, he’d probably be even more dangerous than her. Such an event would paint him and his faction as interstellar enemies, hunted until their extinction.

Despite being aware of the Stellaron Hunters’ reputation, Chen Lin held little interest in their affairs. Silver Wolf and Kafka had never harmed him, and now, despite hacking into the Astral Express and projecting herself into his room, Silver Wolf hadn’t interfered during his Great Awakening. There was no reason to treat her as an enemy.

“Long time no see, Miss Silver Wolf.” Chen Lin waved casually. “Had lunch yet?”

“I—yes… No! That’s not why I’m here! Stop dodging the topic!” Silver Wolf snapped, almost getting swept along by his laid-back tone.

“What’s this about?”

Chen Lin watched as Silver Wolf paced with feigned gravitas, her gaming console still in hand. He could tell she’d hacked into the train’s communication system, giving her access to its surroundings and the ability to move within the projected range.

With his newly awakened power, capable of material alteration, Chen Lin wondered if he could reverse-hack Silver Wolf’s signal.

Let’s test this ability.

Feigning nonchalance, he began to trace Silver Wolf’s incoming signal back to its source.

Unaware of his actions, Silver Wolf cleared her throat and said, “The Astral Express isn’t on its original course. It’s currently heading toward the Xianzhou Luofu. There’s a Stellaron there that’s on the verge of erupting. Yesterday, guided by Kafka, your companions decided to intervene. Fourteen system hours ago, they set out. If you don’t join them, they’ll be in danger.”

“Oh.”

“Elio has foreseen what will happen if you’re not there. Without your presence, they’ll—wait, what was your name again? Chen… Chen something?”

“…” Chen Lin stared blankly at her, his gaze hollow and unresponsive.

“Hey! I’m talking to you! Show some respect!”

Snapping out of his focus on the network connection, Chen Lin replied, “Chen Lin.”

“Chen Lin. You wouldn’t want your companions to face unnecessary danger, would you?” Silver Wolf tried to sound persuasive, though her tone leaned closer to a veiled threat.

To her surprise, Chen Lin frowned.

“What’s the Pierpoint Perrin Commercial District? Do they sell anything special there?”

“It’s a district on the Interstellar Peace Corporation’s headquarters planet. The Chiriro Fish Delicacy House there is pretty good, though I always get mine cold because… Wait, what?!” Realizing what she was saying, Silver Wolf’s face turned pale. “Are you tracing my location? That’s impossible! In such a short time—”

Before she could finish, panic overtook her. Dropping her gaming console, she frantically typed into the air. Her projection vanished instantly.

Disconnected from her signal, Chen Lin was forced out of the network as well.

Somewhere on Pierpoint, in a small room, Silver Wolf grabbed her belongings and bolted, snatching up her fallen console on the way out. She ran for what felt like forever before reaching a new hideout registered under someone else’s identity. Only then did she exhale in relief, though the fear in her silvery-gray eyes hadn’t completely faded.

As a fugitive of the Interstellar Peace Corporation, Silver Wolf had only revealed her presence on Pierpoint to Kafka. Her current location was a closely guarded secret, known only because she wanted to provoke the Corporation for her daily mischief.

For Chen Lin to locate her so effortlessly during a brief conversation? If he hadn’t mentioned it outright, she might never have realized. The situation was terrifying.

Hurriedly cutting off all network connections, she slumped against the wall of her backup hideout, trembling.

Silver Wolf, how could you be so careless?!

“That scared me to death. How did he even do that?” She clutched her gaming console to her chest, muttering, “No, I have to leave this place… Wait, what the—?!”

Before she could finish her thought, a notification popped up on her console. The sender’s ID was a string of random characters, but the message made her heart sink.

**Sorry, I might have gone too far with the joke. I just wanted to test my new ability. Please don’t be mad, Miss Silver Wolf. I promise not to share your location. If you’re interested, we can be friends. Here’s my ID: 96471114.

P.S. You seem a bit bad at games. Dying so much on the tutorial stage? Maybe practice more, or I could carry you sometime. 😜**

A wave of humiliation washed over her.

Silver Wolf’s expression darkened as she clutched the console tightly, her petite frame trembling with rage.

“Chen… Lin…!!!”

For a moment, she regretted thinking that Chen Lin’s floating, meditative pose during his awakening had been amusing. She had even considered sharing it with Kafka for laughs.

Now, Silver Wolf found it anything but funny. This wasn’t some charlatan’s act—Chen Lin’s awakened power was nothing short of extraordinary.

After all, bypassing her thousands of alert walls and decoys in mere seconds proved his ability was leagues beyond ordinary. And hadn’t she seen him casually transform a glass cup into its raw materials earlier?

Silver Wolf collapsed onto her bed, immediately opening a call to Kafka.

“Hey…”

"What happened? You were fine this morning. Why do you look like this now?"

On the other side of the call, Kafka idly twirled her fingers, stepping over the unconscious bodies of her latest opponents.

Silver Wolf, sprawled on her bed, spoke in a drained voice, “That guy woke up. While I was trying to nudge him along the script, he reverse-traced my location without me even noticing...!”

Kafka raised an eyebrow. “Was this the Great Awakening mentioned in that mysterious message?”

“Yeah.”

Silver Wolf quickly recounted the sequence of events, then paused before adding, “He even hacked into my gaming account and left me a message. I’m almost certain he’s already stolen my login credentials in just a few minutes. If he dares to mess with my account… I swear, I’ll never forgive him!”

“Relax. I don’t think he’s that kind of person. Anyway, if that’s all, I’ve got some minor nuisances chasing after me here.”

“Fine.”

After the call ended, Silver Wolf rolled around on her bed for a while. She changed the passwords to all her gaming accounts, then stared at the message he had left. After a long moment of contemplation, she bit her lip and sent Chen Lin a friend request using one of her backup accounts.

As for why she didn’t use her main account...

Her main account was already under heavy surveillance by the Interstellar Peace Corporation. For all intents and purposes, it was practically banned. To avoid further complications, she had over a thousand backup accounts on standby—if one got caught, she’d just switch to another.

---

Meanwhile, Chen Lin listened to Himeko and Dan Heng explain the current situation at the Astral Express.

They confirmed that something unusual was happening on the Xianzhou Luofu. Even their entry through the Jade Gate had been peculiar—although no one had responded, someone had unlocked the port gate for them.

After they entered, the Jade Gate had promptly sealed itself again. Pom-Pom reported abnormal fluctuations in the train’s systems, heightening their concern.

Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Welt had personally led an investigation team into the Xianzhou, while Dan Heng stayed aboard the train for reasons of his own.

“If you decide to search for them, you might be the only one able to go,” Himeko said, sipping her coffee with a slight furrow of her brow. “Elio, the leader of the Stellaron Hunters, can indeed foresee the future. Silver Wolf approaching you alone is unexpected, but it’s clear they want you involved. The decision, however, is yours. If you go, be careful. If you stay, you can keep us company instead. Either option is fine.”

Her voice was gentle, deliberately avoiding placing any pressure on Chen Lin. She believed that destiny could change course, but the ultimate choice rested with him.

“Can we contact Uncle Yang’s group?”

Himeko shook her head. “It’s like your situation back on Jarilo-VI. Once the distance exceeds a certain threshold, we lose contact.”

“Then I’ll go check things out. If there’s really a Stellaron involved, I don’t mind handling it personally.”

Unlike March 7th, who always packed a plethora of items for any trip, Chen Lin preferred to travel light—not because of preference, but simply because he had little to bring.

Dan Heng, leaning against the doorframe, gave him a small nod. Himeko also stood, offering a warm smile. “Be careful. We’ll be waiting for you to come back.”

“Got it.”

Descending from the port, Chen Lin noticed a friend request from a user named “GameMaster.”

Glancing at the user’s tagline, “If you can’t make a good game, don’t make one at all,” he had a strong suspicion it was Silver Wolf. He accepted the request and even updated the note to reflect her identity.

Moments later, a message popped up.

Silver Wolf: “You’re the first person I’ve ever added as a friend myself.”
Silver Wolf: “Tell me how you did it.”
Chen Lin: “It’s a bit of a mystery. I thought to myself, ‘What if I could hack you without you noticing?’ And then… I just did.”
Silver Wolf: “?”
Silver Wolf: “Impossible.”
Silver Wolf: “Don’t try to fool me. No matter how powerful your awakened abilities are, you had to be a master hacker already. Is that ‘Stellar Empire’ your faction? I’ve found nothing on it except that message and the news about Jarilo-VI merging with them. There’s no other trace of it anywhere.”

As Chen Lin walked through the container-laden docks, he replied:

Chen Lin: “Some things are better left unsaid. It’s one of those ‘if you know, you know’ situations. If you don’t, no explanation will make sense. Just leave it alone. The stakes are too high, and knowing more won’t benefit you. Most records have been erased anyway. Trust me, some mysteries are best left untouched.”
Silver Wolf: “Still acting all mysterious, huh?”
Silver Wolf: “Fine. I won’t ask.”
Silver Wolf: “Also, I don’t need you to carry me in games. I’m just new to this one. It’s perfectly normal to struggle at first.”
Silver Wolf: “And don’t touch my account. I know you have access to it, but if you mess with anything, I swear I’ll make you regret it!”

After that, Silver Wolf’s avatar grayed out, indicating she’d logged off.

Chen Lin chuckled to himself. He’d wanted to ask if she was behind the unlocked gates at the Jade Gate, but it seemed that question would remain unanswered for now.

Attempting to contact March 7th, Welt, and the Trailblazer, he was met with the same frustrating message: “Message failed to send.”

With no other choice, Chen Lin set off to find them on his own.

“The docks seem pretty advanced. With such a high throughput, the place must be bustling,” he mused aloud.

He hadn’t had time to study the Xianzhou Luofu’s data in detail, but Himeko had given him a brief rundown: the Luofu was a massive ship that employed spatial-folding technology, existing in a separate dimension.

“Xianzhou, huh? Definitely gives off those vibes from wuxia novels,” Chen Lin muttered in awe.

After about fifteen minutes of walking, he finally reached an area with fewer containers. However, the sight before him made his stomach drop—dozens of armored soldiers lay scattered across the ground, motionless.

These weren’t injured people; they were cold, lifeless corpses. The ground was soaked in blood, some of it smeared into long, dragging trails. In one corner, broken stretchers lay discarded, heightening his sense of foreboding.

Cautiously, Chen Lin extended his psionic energy outward, scanning a radius of several dozen meters. To his shock, he detected two humanoid creatures snarling and attacking anything in sight.

These monsters wore armor, but their torsos were grotesquely adorned with silvery ginkgo leaves emitting faint golden glows.

What the hell are those things?

After a moment’s thought, Chen Lin decided these creatures would make excellent test subjects for his newly awakened powers.

Stepping into their view, he was immediately spotted.

“ROAR!!”

The two ginkgo-leafed monsters charged at him with frenzied aggression.

“Stop.”

Chen Lin had anticipated this. Channeling his psionic energy, he began manipulating the gravity around them.

Their movements slowed, growing heavier and clumsier, until they collapsed with a resounding thud. The impact of their armored bodies hitting the ground cracked the floor beneath them like a spiderweb.

Bang!

“Wait a second… Are they human?!”

Crouching beside one immobilized creature, Chen Lin extended his psionic energy into its armor’s layered energy fields. His probe revealed a human inside, unconscious and unresponsive. The discovery sent a chill down his spine.

What kind of twisted sorcery could turn a person into… this?!

Could it be… a Stellaron?

---

T/N: OMG COULD IT BE? SILVER WOLF THE ONE TO HEAL HIM?? SHE IS THE BOOK COVER... AND THEY DID KISS... AND THEY ARE BOTH GAMERS... AND IM BASICALLY SILVERWOLF...

also gingko is a type of plant!

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!