Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [253]

The Underworld had long been guarded by the Paladins, though its security density was nowhere near that of the leadership’s palaces. That didn’t mean they were lacking in numbers, though.

By the time Chen Lin was still pondering how to handle this situation, Captain Dunn—once one of Gepard’s most trusted subordinates and now directly serving under Qlipoth Fort—had already taken action.

He led the evacuation of all researchers’ families from the Underworld, ensuring that all non-essential personnel were escorted to safety in the upper district’s shelters.

“Governor.”

Dunn strode forward in his powered armor, dropping to one knee.

“All key access points have been secured. The evacuation is complete. Lady Clara has been escorted to Qlipoth Fort under special protection. Please give the next order.”

Unlike regular Psyker Guards, whose combat strength had its limitations, the Paladins specialized in swift and decisive operations. Dunn’s battalion focused on security and emergency response, and they had rehearsed evacuation drills countless times. Leading high-value researchers to safety was second nature to them.

The other Paladin battalions had their own respective duties—some handled logistics, others surveillance. But the largest and most formidable division was undoubtedly Pela’s intelligence force.

Dunn’s psionic ability was… peculiar.

It had nothing to do with combat.

Nothing to do with intelligence gathering, either.

Instead, it was tied to medicine.

Food cooked with his ability could, under optimal conditions, cure the common cold, heal wounds, and even remove scars.

The first time Chen Lin heard about Dunn’s powers, he nearly spit out his soup.

After all, Dunn was a two-meter-tall warrior who had once led the charge when Bronya escaped from Qlipoth Fort. He had personally cleared the path of Cocolia’s loyalist enforcers.

psionic awakenings were usually influenced by an individual’s personality and skills.

So how the hell did a battlefield juggernaut end up with healing cuisine?

The irony was ridiculous.

Many were disappointed by Dunn’s ability, dismissing it as useless.

But Chen Lin saw its true value.

As soon as Dunn passed the Paladin qualification trials, Chen Lin didn’t hesitate—he made him an officer on the spot.

Recently, when Zelerocen had been distributed among Paladins and officers to enhance their psionic talents, Chen Lin made sure Dunn received an extra dose.

The results were astonishing.

Soldiers with old battle wounds from the Fragmentum Wars were suddenly healed. Even amputees could regrow lost limbs.

One particularly dire case involved a soldier on his deathbed due to a chronic illness. The moment Dunn’s food was turned into a liquid and fed to him, he miraculously sprang back to life.

Dunn, who had once doubted whether he was worthy of such a high-ranking position, was now overflowing with confidence. His gratitude toward Chen Lin was immeasurable.

Frankly, if Chen Lin put up a portrait of himself in Dunn’s quarters, the man would probably pray to it every night before bed.

But Chen Lin was interested in more than just battlefield medicine.

How far could Dunn’s ability evolve?

Could it eventually bring the dead back to life?

However, overusing Zelerocen could lead to addiction, and the last thing Chen Lin wanted was a battalion of ether-junkies. So, for now, growth would have to be gradual.

He had no idea what they would find below, but precautions had to be taken.

Looking at Dunn’s unwavering loyalty, Chen Lin had no doubt that if he ordered the man to die for him, Dunn would do so without hesitation.

“Evacuate with the rest of the personnel,” Chen Lin ordered.

“Tell Pela to keep an eye on the company executives. Lock down every access point. No one gets in or out. If anything goes wrong, retreat to the surface immediately.”

“Yes, sir!”

Dunn saluted and left, leading the remaining researchers away.

Seele stepped forward.

“No time to waste. Let’s head down already! With me here, a fall from this height is no problem.”

Her phase space ability would allow them to descend safely.

Now was her chance to shine.

It had been forever since she had an opportunity to prove herself to Lin.

Finally, she could show him what she was capable of!

“Hold on.”

Chen Lin placed a hand on her forehead, stopping her in place.

Then, he turned to Serval.

“Has the environmental data from below been transmitted yet?”

Serval, still typing furiously on her device, didn’t even look up.

“Almost done. Oxygen levels are close to zero. Temperature is low—around six degrees Celsius. High concentration of toxic gases. Overall, it’s not an environment suitable for human life, but it’s not quite hazardous enough to require full-body protective suits. We can endure it, but oxygen is the main issue…”

“I’ll handle the oxygen,” Chen Lin said. “Anything else?”

“Nope.”

Seele barely contained her excitement.

“Alright, everyone, get ready. Don’t resist the phas—”

“Resist what? We’re not jumping.”

Chen Lin grabbed her by the collar and yanked her to his side.

“This might feel weird, but bear with it.”

At the same time, he linked his mind to Phantylia.

She had already sent the exact coordinates.

Once locked in, a swirling purple vortex formed around them—

And in an instant, the entire team was swallowed whole.

...

The air reeked of oil and decay.

The ground was a maze of corroded pipelines, some of which had burst, spilling thick, viscous fluid across the metallic floor.

There were no doors—only exposed wiring embedded within the steel walls.

Decrepit metal chambers sat scattered throughout the dead city, as if silently declaring that this place had once been inhabited.

But by what?

Organic life could not survive in these conditions.

That left only one possibility—

"A machine civilization."

Chen Lin exhaled.

“Alright, oxygen levels should be stable for now. This place is way bigger than I expected.”

Using his psionic abilities, he had purified the air, temporarily replacing it with breathable oxygen.

The stench, however, still lingered.

Gepard and Serval removed their oxygen masks—they weren’t as capable as Chen Lin, who could hold his breath indefinitely, nor were they like Phantylia and Seele, who didn’t even need to breathe.

They had emerged in a dimly lit alleyway, surrounded by what looked like abandoned factories.

Scrap metal and industrial debris littered the streets.

Serval wrinkled her nose.

“If Clara were here, she’d probably love this place.”

Chen Lin snorted.

“That girl would definitely find this fascinating. But there’s no way I’m letting her set foot in here—this place is full of toxic gas and radioactive material.”

He picked up a glowing orange crystal from the ground.

“This environment is not meant for human life. Someone—or something—engineered this space. No idea how.”

The city’s spatial distortion was apparent.

Even though Phantylia had provided precise coordinates, the moment Chen Lin tore open a rift to step through, he didn’t emerge in the right place.

Only after re-entering the rift from within did the coordinates finally align.

Something was seriously wrong with this place.

Meanwhile, the others were still stunned by Phantylia’s abilities.

Seele clapped a hand on Phantylia’s shoulder.

“Not bad, Chief Bodyguard. Surviving that fall and breaking that shield? You didn’t even need oxygen?”

Phantylia giggled.

“Oh my~! You flatter me, dear lady. I may be foolish, but I do know how to fly~.”

She batted her lashes playfully.

“That shield was practically falling apart. I barely touched it, and it shattered on its own~.”

Seele turned to Chen Lin.

“So, what now? Should we crack open a few buildings and see if anything’s alive?”

Chen Lin pointed toward a massive cylindrical structure.

“Cut it open. I have a bad feeling this city was home to machines, not humans.”

Phantylia muttered, “A machine city…”

Seele didn’t waste time.

Her phase-shifted form flashed toward the cylinder, and with a swing of her psionic scythe—

Shhhhk.

A clean cut.

She nudged it with her foot, and the cylinder split open.

What spilled out, however—

Made everyone’s blood run cold.

“...Blood?”

Inside was a half-dismembered human corpse, impaled with countless transparent tubes.

Chen Lin: “……”

Aside from Phantylia, who had crouched down to examine the corpse, everyone else turned their gaze toward Chen Lin.

Chen Lin himself was just as dumbfounded.

Why the hell is there an organic body inside a mechanical city?!

This didn’t make any damn sense.

Don’t tell him this was some kind of "human figurine civilization."

There was no way in hell things lined up that perfectly.

Seele, despite her usual recklessness, immediately realized she might have messed up.

She looked at Chen Lin with a face full of worry.

“Lin… did I just screw up?”

“It’s just a dead guy. Nothing to freak out over.”

Chen Lin reassured her, though his brows furrowed.

“But logically, there shouldn’t be anyone down here…”

“Eek!”

Phantylia suddenly gasped in exaggerated shock.

“Oh my~! Everyone, come look at this! I’m terrified~!”

She pointed at the corpse with wide eyes.

“This poor thing’s covered in wounds!”

The group quickly gathered around.

Sure enough, the body was riddled with deep, grotesque gashes.

Some of the wounds had been crudely stitched together, but many remained gaping, exposing torn flesh.

From the state of decay, it was clear that Seele hadn’t actually killed the person—the body had already been dead for quite some time.

“It was embalmed post-mortem. Looks like it was also frozen at some point.”

Gepard knelt beside the corpse, inspecting it carefully.

“The bruising isn’t normal… it suggests prolonged low temperatures. Hard to say exactly how this person died.”

Seele poked at the slimy fluid pooling around the remains.

“What’s this gross stuff?”

Serval adjusted her visor and analyzed the substance.

“Most likely some kind of nutrient solution. Look—there’s still residual fluid in these tubes. They were all connected to the body.”

Seele wrinkled her nose.

“Okay, but does anyone else feel like something in here is deliberately draining our psionic energy?”

Gepard and Serval exchanged glances before nodding.

“We feel it too.”

Behind them, Phantylia turned toward Chen Lin, her voice slipping into their private mental link.

"Oh my~! Master, you actually look serious for once. Any thoughts?"

Chen Lin narrowed his eyes.

"Ever heard of Rogue Servitors?"

Phantylia tilted her head.

“Nope!”

Then, after a moment’s thought, she added,

"Your assumption that this was a mechanical city makes sense. But if it was built by an ancient civilization, their technology shouldn’t have left an environment this uninhabitable."

Chen Lin exhaled.

"Rogue Servitors—I've read about them before.

"Basically, they’re a machine intelligence designed to serve organic masters. Their prime directive is to protect the biological species they were created to serve. So, they follow that order to the letter."

"At some point, these servitor AIs ran calculations and concluded that if their organic masters remained in charge of civilization, they’d eventually destroy themselves."

"So, the machines took over."

"The organics, rather than resisting, willingly handed over control."

"But here’s the thing—they weren’t exterminated. The machines didn’t harm their creators. In fact, they pampered them with the highest standard of care. The organics were free to do as they pleased, while their robotic caretakers ensured their survival."

"Over time, this gave rise to an entirely new type of civilization—one where the machines were the true rulers, and their organic masters were little more than cherished pets."

Phantylia’s eyes sparkled.

"Ooooh~! So you’re saying the ones who built this city might have been Rogue Servitors?"

She giggled.

"A civilization where robots keep humans like exotic animals… what an adorable concept~!"

Chen Lin nodded slowly.

"That’s my best guess."

"But something still doesn’t feel right."

---

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!