Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [124]

For a moment, Chen Lin simply observed the grotesque creatures before him. Their monstrous forms twisted and repugnant, they let out ear-piercing howls as they struggled in vain against the gravity field he’d imposed on them. The longer they screamed, the louder and more frenzied their cries became.

In such an unfamiliar environment, there was no way he could just let them continue. The noise would only attract more trouble, and handling a horde of enemies would be far too taxing.

Besides, Chen Lin’s focus was entirely on testing his newfound abilities.

Psionic energy was a strange and mysterious thing. Even with the formulas and theoretical frameworks provided by psionic studies, understanding its full potential required practical application. Much like mathematics, a deep understanding could only be achieved through experience and creative problem-solving.

The most straightforward way to silence someone? Kill them or knock them unconscious.

Killing was out of the question, but knocking them out? That was well within his abilities.

Chen Lin incrementally increased the gravity on the creatures. At a certain threshold, their howling abruptly stopped as they collapsed, unconscious.

“Figures. Products of an Aeon,” Chen Lin muttered, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “I thought Rift creatures were creepy enough, but at least they’re just energy constructs. These things, though…”

He glanced at the armored forms of the two humanoid creatures. “They’re still human but have been completely twisted into monsters. That’s just… inhumane.”

It was clear that the beings inside the armor were entirely different from what they had become on the outside. As a seasoned grand strategy gamer, Chen Lin had two approaches to such situations: destroy the problem completely, or use humane methods to make others work for him willingly.

But this? Forcibly turning someone into a monster, essentially cursing them to share their body with another being? It felt like the Stellaron was running out of ideas. If it had nothing better to do, why resort to such crude and hastily cobbled-together methods?

Based on his psionic calculations, Chen Lin realized that aside from altering the material world to some degree, he also had abilities related to manipulating living minds.

In simpler terms, he could control and modify memories.

“Let’s see what I can do with this,” Chen Lin murmured.

He placed his hand on one of the creature’s heads, and psionic energy flowed from his palm, seeping into the strange armor.

Instantly, a flood of memories—chaotic, disjointed, and overwhelmingly negative—poured into his mind.

The fragments were full of despair, anger, and warped perceptions. Even the rare positive moments were twisted by the creature’s psyche into something sinister.

For instance, a relative helping them recover a long-lost photo was reinterpreted as theft, fueling resentment. A child’s high test score became a source of paranoia, assumed to be the result of cheating.

And then there were the endless thoughts of emptiness and apathy, leaving this person in a perpetual fog.

What the hell is this?

The bizarre nature of the memories left Chen Lin baffled.

This is way too abstract.

As Chen Lin sifted through the memories, an accidental surge of psionic energy shattered one of the fragments completely, erasing it from existence.

“…What?”

He stared at his hand in confusion, pondering what had just happened.

“Did I… delete a memory?”

To confirm, Chen Lin placed his hand back on the creature’s head and deliberately targeted other intensely negative memories, shattering them one by one.

It worked. He could invade and erase someone’s memories.

“This feels… increasingly like something a villain would do,” Chen Lin muttered under his breath. “But wait, I didn’t lose. Villains lose. So I’m not a villain.”

Testing further, Chen Lin determined the limits of his memory-related abilities.

• He could shatter specific memories using minimal psionic energy.

• He could edit or modify memories, though this required significantly more energy.

• He could forcibly access someone’s mind from a distance of up to ten meters, temporarily rendering them catatonic. Long-range memory manipulation, however, consumed exponentially more energy, making it inefficient.

This is incredible!

If he ever caught an enemy, he could brainwash them into becoming an unthinking laborer. Once their productivity declined from overwork, he’d simply edit or erase their memories to reset their efficiency.

“I’ve worked 12 hours. Can I rest now?”
“No, you’re mistaken. You’ve only just started.”
“Oh, right. I’ve just started. What a wonderful day!”

Peak-tier ability!

In a video game setting, this would absolutely make him a slave master class.

“Hmm… what would happen if I erased all their memories?” Chen Lin wondered aloud, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

Using the unconscious creature as a test subject seemed like the perfect opportunity.

Psionic energy surged again, splitting into countless fine threads. These tendrils meticulously combed through the creature’s mind, erasing each fragment of memory they touched.

As he continued, something unexpected happened.

The creature began reverting.

“What the…?”

Chen Lin froze, staring at the soldier lying unconscious on the ground.

The ginkgo leaves adorning its armor vanished, as did the eerie golden plating itself. What remained was a normal human, still unconscious.

Chen Lin was utterly perplexed.

Did this guy just… un-transform?

It was like watching a magical girl de-transform when they ran out of energy.

What puzzled him further were the symbols he had glimpsed in the memories. Some of the text looked strangely familiar, resembling ancient Chinese seal script.

He wasn’t an expert on the subject, but he recognized it from a high school exam question. This confirmed one thing: the Xianzhou Luofu had clear ties to his homeland’s culture.

“Could this mean… I can go home?” Chen Lin felt a surge of excitement but quickly reined it in.

Based on the soldier’s memories, the Luofu wasn’t inhabited solely by humans. There were various other species—beastfolk, for instance.

The ship carried a strong mythological undertone, but instead of fantastical nonsense, the legends seemed to reflect real, living beings.

This realization hit him like a cold shower, dousing his excitement.

A groan snapped Chen Lin out of his thoughts.

The soldier under his gravity field had regained consciousness.

The man’s broken armor revealed flushed, irritated skin, as if his body had been under immense pressure. His voice was faint and disoriented.

“Where… Where am I? What is this place?”

Chen Lin reduced the gravity to ease the man’s discomfort.

The soldier gasped for air, his voice trembling with fear. “Who… Who are you?!”

“I’m…” Chen Lin hesitated, trying to explain he wasn’t an enemy. But before he could continue, the soldier’s eyes widened in terror.

“A Mara-Struck!!” he screamed. “Run! Run for your lives!!”

“Relax,” Chen Lin replied calmly. “That thing can’t move anymore. There’s no need to be afraid.”

The soldier glanced at the still-unconscious creature beside him and shook his head in disbelief.

“No… impossible! I’m only 144 years old! How could I have turned into a Mara-Struck?!”

“…Only?” Chen Lin’s mouth twitched at the absurdity. Then, recalling the immense volume of memories he had seen, he began to understand.

Ah, so this really is a ‘celestial’ ship, huh?

"Let me explain first," Chen Lin interrupted, taking control of the conversation. "You did transform into one of those Mara-Struck. It was my intervention that brought you back to normal. And you’re definitely not the age you remember yourself being—likely much older. You and that other one attacked me, and I found overwhelming negative emotions in your memories, which is probably the cause for…"

The soldier listened quietly, his expression growing somber as Chen Lin explained. With a bitter smile, he muttered, "So that’s how it is… I always thought it was strange. How could someone like me—a dishwasher at a tea house—end up wearing Cloud Knight armor and have these fragmented memories of enlisting?"

Chen Lin didn’t release him immediately. Instead, he turned to the other Mara-Struck and repeated the memory deletion process, this time more methodically.

Having learned his lesson, Chen Lin avoided erasing random fragments, focusing solely on negative emotions. Though it was more labor-intensive, he welcomed the practice as a way to refine his abilities.

During the process, Chen Lin discovered another aspect of his new powers—he could copy fragments of the target’s memories and assimilate them into his own mind.

While this ability might have driven an ordinary person insane, Chen Lin experienced only a brief headache before recovering completely.

A few minutes later, under the curious gaze of the soldier, the second Mara-Struck began to revert. The grotesque appendages disappeared, and the creature returned to a normal human form.

The soldier stared at Chen Lin with newfound reverence. This plain-looking young man really saved us.

"Thank you… thank you! You’re my savior!"

Having completed the memory removal, Chen Lin furrowed his brow as he processed the fragments of the Xianzhou language he had copied—seal script pronunciations and meanings. With a nod, he finally lifted the gravity restraint on the two soldiers.

“No need to thank me. Just point me in the right direction. I came here to sightsee, but… well, you can see how that turned out.”

"Please wait, my benefactor! Let me carry him while I guide you!" The first soldier spoke with determination.

But soon, he fell silent, his face clouded with embarrassment.

"Sorry, my benefactor, I…"

"You can’t remember the way out, can you?" Chen Lin’s expression tightened as realization dawned.

"Uh… haha…" The soldier looked apologetic as he hoisted the unconscious comrade onto his back. "From what I recall, the only way out of the docks is by taking a Starskiff. But if there really are many people turning into Mara-Struck, as you said, the skiffs have probably stopped operating."

“Then what do we do?” Chen Lin groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Don’t worry, my benefactor! I remember my family’s contact information. We can notify the authorities using the emergency communicator at the Starskiff berth. The Cloud Knights never abandon a Xianzhou citizen!”

The soldier’s tone brimmed with pride and confidence. Chen Lin gave a resigned nod, deciding to go along with the suggestion.

As they made their way, Chen Lin used his precognitive abilities to sense the presence of nearby Mara-Struck. This allowed the trio to avoid danger entirely, further impressing the soldier.

In the soldier’s mind, such abilities were akin to the mystic arts practiced by the Divination Commission. Moreover, Chen Lin’s facial features, hair, and eye color bore a striking resemblance to Xianzhou natives, giving the soldier an innate sense of kinship and reassurance.

Chen Lin, uninterested in poring over the Luofu’s extensive records, took the opportunity to learn from the soldier as they walked.

The docks were adjacent to the Starskiff Sea, overseen by an administrative body known as the Astral Fleet. Responsible for managing transportation and logistics, the Fleet held sway over the economic lifelines of the Luofu, functioning as both a commercial hub and a navigator of the massive ship’s course.

The Luofu also had the Cloud Knights, tasked with security and defense, and the Divination Commission, whose methods were shrouded in mystery.

When the soldier spoke of the Divination Commission, he couldn’t stop singing its praises, claiming that Chen Lin’s remarkable abilities and appearance suggested he might be a descendant of the Xianzhou. If Chen Lin were to join the Commission, he would undoubtedly earn the favor of its esteemed leaders.

Chen Lin smiled politely and nodded along, though inwardly he felt differently.

The Luofu might seem prosperous and rich, but it wasn’t necessarily superior to Jarilo-VI.

Jarilo-VI was the culmination of his hard work, imbued with what the soldier referred to as “true mystic arts.” The infrastructure he had developed there was so refined that even a veteran of Stellaris like him felt like bowing in admiration.

If Jarilo-VI failed to surpass other planets, he might as well give up his title as the region’s governor and the Empire’s de facto ruler.

If I can’t even enjoy the meal I’ve put on my own plate, what’s the point?

Still, Chen Lin knew how to handle people. He offered compliments about the Luofu, earning the soldier’s trust and approval.

However, deep down, he couldn’t shake a fleeting sense of disappointment.

It feels like home… but it’s not home.

“Sir Chen, once we cross that gate and two more bridges, we’ll reach the emergency communicator,” the soldier said, gesturing ahead.

“You’ve been a big help. If you’re tired, let me carry him for a bit,” Chen Lin offered.

“It’s no trouble at all! A person of your stature shouldn’t be doing such tasks. I’ve got this!” the soldier replied enthusiastically.

Before Chen Lin could appreciate the soldier’s diligence, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, his brows furrowed.

Turning to the soldier, he asked, “Are all the people dressed like you part of the Cloud Knights?”

“Indeed, Sir Chen.”

“Oh.” Chen Lin pointed ahead, his tone calm. “Forty meters that way, I see a group of Cloud Knights protecting a little girl. They’re fighting Mara-Struck.”

---

T/N: so he has a case of a frozen heart and homesickness :((

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!