Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [257]

From the moment he arrived in this universe, Chen Lin had been gathering information about the galaxy, searching for anything that might resemble what he once knew.

A part of him hoped to find something familiar.

Another part of him dreaded it.

But after combing through the Herta Space Station’s archives and the Xianzhou Luofu’s vast libraries, he found nothing.

No mention of the Fallen Empires.

So this galaxy has no Fallen Empires…

That absence changed everything.

In Stellaris, the presence of Fallen Empires dramatically affected the endgame crises. Players often referred to this as “weights”—conditions that influenced which crises would manifest. The more conditions met, the more likely a specific catastrophe would unfold.

Of course, in most cases, all crises could still occur. After all, whether controlled by a player or an AI, an empire would inevitably trigger the necessary techs or conditions, making multiple crises inevitable.

So when Chen Lin heard the word “atonement”, his skin crawled.

No way… This isn’t a “Machine Father,” is it?

The very idea was unsettling.

The thought that an ancient mechanical civilization had been hidden beneath a psionic nation sent chills down his spine.

...

Two days and nights of nonstop exploration wasn’t a big deal for most psionic users—let alone someone of his level.

A true Psionic Master could remain in a state of heightened mental clarity indefinitely, with no need for sleep or rest.

At this point, every team had made significant discoveries.

Chen Lin regrouped everyone and began sorting through the data modules and damaged machine cores they had retrieved.

...

“Wait… You’re telling me we found over ten million organic corpses?!” Serval’s eyes widened.

She and Gepard had been exploring a different sector—one that contained no organic remains. Instead, they had found heaps of damaged mechanical wreckage.

“Most of the buildings in our area were destroyed,” Gepard added. “There was evidence of heavy combat, but strangely, we couldn’t find any trace of the attackers.”

Seele frowned. “Something was… off about my area too.”

She crossed her arms, her brows furrowed.

“The buildings looked like something had gnawed away at them. The ground too—there was a massive pit. I found tons of cloth fragments—completely intact—but the people? Gone.”

Serval’s head snapped toward her. “Completely intact?”

“Yeah.” Seele nodded, then pulled out a bag and dumped a few garments onto the table.

“See for yourself. Some of them still smell like machine oil. I know that scent well—I wouldn’t mistake it.”

Serval picked up one of the pieces. “So these were the clothes the city’s residents used to wear?”

Seele shook her head. “That’s the thing—I don’t know. It felt strange, so I brought some back… Brother Lin, how’s the translation coming along?”

Since Serval and Gepard had arrived, Chen Lin had been fully immersed in deciphering the data modules.

Some modules even contained video records, showing glimpses of the city in its prime.

From the texts, he learned that this city was called “Gula”, and it had been built by a civilization that called itself “Kruz”.

The Kruz, based on both the imagery and technical documents, seemed to be a benevolent civilization. They aspired to a life of peace and harmony, shunning conflict.

For example, one of the data modules brought back by Serval detailed a new technological breakthrough developed by the Kruz:

A stellar energy compression system.

It could harness and concentrate the energy of a star, allowing it to be manipulated at will.

According to the test results, a main-sequence star could be compressed in just three days, producing enough energy to vaporize a terrestrial planet within a 4-million-light-year radius.

And yet…

Instead of weaponizing this terrifying technology, the Kruz had used it to terraform planets, adjusting their temperatures to make them habitable for underdeveloped civilizations.

Then there was their spatial compression and decompression technology.

By utilizing high-mass black holes, they could expand or contract an area of space indefinitely.

At its maximum setting, this technology could collapse an entire star system, compressing it into a black hole.

Theoretically, Chen Lin could understand this concept.

But the specifics?

He had never even heard of some of the principles described in these documents—despite having Stellaris-level scientific knowledge crammed into his brain.

And yet…

The Kruz hadn’t used it for warfare either.

Instead, they had used it for… spying.

Since the Kruz had aided so many species, those species often tried to seek them out, hoping to repay their kindness.

But the Kruz didn’t want their presence to interfere with the natural development of other civilizations.

So they used their spatial compression tech to observe from a distance, secretly assisting civilizations from the shadows—never revealing their hand.

They would help, then erase all traces of themselves…

To say that Chen Lin was stunned was an understatement.

You used a stellar-scale megastructure…
For climate control?

You built a space-warping megastructure…
For peeking at other civilizations?

The Kruz presented themselves as a benevolent civilization, extending aid to countless species.

They even invested resources into researching organic life, helping primitive civilizations unlock intelligence.

But among all this information, the part that interested Chen Lin the most was an incomplete psionic research project.

The records were severely damaged, but he could make out one key detail:

The Kruz had once sheltered a psionic civilization.

The two had lived together in harmony, as family.

If that was true…

Then this civilization wasn’t a “Machine Father” scenario.

No “Machine Father” would coexist with a psionic race.

That’s not how it works.

“Interesting.”

Chen Lin’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

“This civilization is almost certainly not a Fallen Empire. Their external diplomacy alone proves that. And their technological level… It’s even higher than I expected.”

...

He relayed his findings to the group.

Seele and Gepard—both soldiers—were more interested in the combat applications of Kruz technology.

Serval, on the other hand, was speechless.

A weapon capable of destroying terrestrial planets across millions of light-years?

How was that even possible?

Seele, however, had a different perspective.

“So…” She leaned forward, eyes shining.

“…Does that mean we can reverse-engineer their tech?”

She clenched her fists excitedly.

“That temperature control machine—do we have a chance to make one?”

Seele had trauma from dealing with Rift creatures.

Being hunted and barely able to fight back had left its mark.

She wanted firepower.

A lot of it.

Chen Lin nodded in agreement. Reverse-engineering the Kruz civilization’s technology was an enticing prospect, but having the capability and actually doing it were two different things.

Moreover, after seeing the inscriptions in the corpse storage chambers, he felt an urgent need to investigate the coordinates mentioned in the records.

At the very least, he needed to confirm:

Why did this civilization disappear?
Where did they go?

Until he had those answers…

He wouldn’t feel at ease.

Seele eyed him carefully. “What are you thinking about?”

Chen Lin relaxed his furrowed brow. “Oh, I was just wondering where their Data Processing Hub is. I plan to check it out—after all, we still don’t know why such a thriving city ended up as a dead zone.”

Phantylia muttered, “I think you just want their tech…”

Chen Lin shot her a sharp look.

She immediately turned her head away, pretending she hadn’t spoken.

Serval, however, smirked. “Whether the Governor wants it or not isn’t my concern. But for any physicist, this stuff is an absolute treasure trove. I want it.”

She elbowed her brother. “What about you?”

Gepard, ever the soldier, straightened his posture. “Power—like a sword—must first be obtained before we can decide how to wield it. Used correctly, it can protect our people and uphold the Empire’s might.”

Phantylia scoffed, “And what happens if it’s used incorrectly, Commander?”

Gepard responded without hesitation: “Our swords will only be raised against those who threaten the Empire. That’s why it cannot be misused.”

Serval gawked. “Wow! Since when did you get so good at speeches?”

Chen Lin chuckled, throwing an arm around Phantylia’s shoulder.

She immediately stiffened, a cold sweat forming.

Swallowing whatever sarcastic remark was about to escape, she instead forced a grin and said, “Yes! That’s exactly right! ‘Didn’t expect it,’ ‘didn’t prepare for it,’ ‘didn’t consider it’—none of those excuses absolve us of responsibility! The Commander is absolutely correct!”

Chen Lin nodded in approval.

“Jarilo-VI is our Empire’s homeworld in this galaxy. We cannot afford to be complacent about what lies beneath it. If we ignore this, how can we ensure the safety of the people above? Investigating this fully is our duty—not just to our billions of citizens, but to the entire galaxy.”

Phantylia praised him with dramatic reverence. “Master’s devotion to the people is truly unparalleled! A shining example for us all, the pride of Jarilo’s citizens!”

Chen Lin shot her a dry look. “I’m not joking, nor am I making some empty speech. I genuinely do not want our negligence to put billions in danger.”

He glanced toward the others.

“A vast, unknown civilization’s ruins are sitting right under Belobog. A massive city, compressed into barely a cubic kilometer of space. Why are they gone? Where did they go?"

"And most importantly—"

"Did they encounter something that wiped them out?"

"We must find out. Not just for ourselves—but for everyone who lives above us.”

Phantylia bowed her head. “Master is wise.”

Seele nodded in agreement. “Brother Lin’s right. Everyone up there trusts us to handle this. We can’t let them walk into danger without knowing what’s beneath their feet.”

“I agree as well,” Serval said before nudging her brother. “And you, Gepard?”

Gepard sighed. “If it concerns the safety of the people and the Governor’s mission, of course I support it.”

“Then let’s go!” Seele declared, taking a step forward—

—only for Chen Lin to grab the back of her collar and yank her back.

“…And where, exactly, are you going?” he asked, exasperated.

Seele blinked. “Didn’t you say we should find the coordinates? Even if they’re incomplete, we can just search for a few days and figure it out.”

“Oh, I know I said that.” Chen Lin patted her head as if she were a clueless child.

“But tell me—do their maps match mine? Are the scales the same? If you use our maps to find their coordinates, you’ll probably end up miles off target.”

He pointed at the surrounding space. “This whole place was spatially altered. Even my coordinate-based teleportation glitches here sometimes. If you just start walking, who knows where you’ll end up?”

He hadn’t been navigating with raw coordinates alone. Instead, he had created a personal void-tether within the [Zroni Nexus]—one that followed his marked targets.

Otherwise, he and Phantylia might have phased into a wall by now.

Instead of wandering aimlessly, Chen Lin directly used his void-tether to transport himself and Phantylia to Serval and Gepard’s location.

Seele scratched her head. “Oh… yeah, that does make sense.”

Chen Lin sighed. “Alright, let’s do this—these data modules contain a full map of the city. Everyone, look through them and find something that resembles a Data Processing Hub.”

With the city’s spatial anomalies and its anti-psionic interference, the best way to locate their target was through these records.

A Data Processing Hub would normally be placed at the city’s center.

But after reviewing the projected city map, they realized something odd—

The entire city was one giant industrial complex.

Assembly plants and repair facilities accounted for nearly 70% of its total area.

The remaining sections were residential zones and research districts.

If there was one unusual spot, it was the massive empty field right in the center.

“…That looks like a park,” Chen Lin mused.

“But it seems wasteful to build a park right in the middle of the city, taking up this much space. Has anyone checked this area yet?”

Serval and Gepard shook their heads.

Phantylia had no memory of it either.

But Seele’s eyes lit up. “I passed through it!”

She recalled, “When I was rushing to regroup with you guys, I cut straight through there. There was a giant screen, but it was completely shattered. The whole place was wide open, nothing there.

But I was in phase space at the time, so my vision was blurry, and I was moving too fast to stop and check.”

Chen Lin nodded. “Then let’s start there—”

Before he could finish his sentence, something shifted inside him.

A familiar yet unfamiliar sensation.

The [Zroni Nexus] opened on its own.

Above them, the ancient psionic shield that covered the city began to dissolve—absorbed at an alarming rate.

The others turned their gaze skyward, watching the phenomenon in stunned silence.

Phantylia, however, froze in terror.

Because she saw it.

Something manifested behind Chen Lin.

A shadow—wearing his face, his clothing.

It was smaller than the one she had glimpsed within the [Zroni Nexus], but it was still there.

It devoured the lingering psionic energy, expressionless.

Yet, despite its blank face, Phantylia could feel it.

It was starving.

So desperately, endlessly hungry…

The sensation was so overwhelming that her stomach twisted violently—

—and she collapsed backward with a scream.

Seele caught her before she hit the ground.

“What’s wrong with you?” Seele asked, puzzled. “The shield’s fading, but that’s no reason to panic.”

Phantylia’s lips trembled.

You… you don’t see it?

But the moment she tried to describe it, her words shifted against her will.

“…I brought… cookies?”

Seele blinked. “Huh? Did you drop them?”

“I—” Phantylia choked on her words.

Again.

Just like last time.

She couldn’t say it.

No one else could see it.

And when the shadow turned its eyes toward her, she felt a hunger so vast—

—so endless—

—that she burst into tears on the spot.

---

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!