Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [233]

With time’s unrelenting passage, all life eventually finds its own way to survive.

Phantylia had never cared for the emotions of others. As someone who reveled in self-amusement, her interest lay in how much entertainment she could extract from the suffering of others.

And thus, aesthetics became part of her amusement.

Nothing delighted her more than watching civilizations crumble under the weight of manipulation and deceit—once-close allies turning into mortal enemies. She would sit upon her lofty perch, gazing down at these naïve, fragile creatures as they succumbed to their own weaknesses.

To push an entire civilization into a nightmarish abyss without lifting a single soldier, without waging a single battle… To simply watch as the masterpiece unfolded on its own, reaching its inevitable, tragic perfection—

Now that, she thought, was elegance.

Of course, she would never admit that she lacked the raw power to destroy such civilizations by force. No, no. Instead, she simply viewed manipulation as the most refined method available.

But now?

She didn’t need such pretentious excuses anymore.

A massive hand slammed against the ground, and the space beneath her fractured under the sheer force of her will. From within the dark-gold rift, countless phantom blossoms erupted forth.

Their centers twisted with a terrifying suction, their singular purpose to consume Chen Lin.

Right here. Right now.

She was going to kill him—and in doing so, erase the stain of humiliation the Xianzhou had left upon her.

"Annoying pests!"

The relentless bombardment—like an endless swarm of ants, gnawing at her skin—had long worn her patience thin.

With a single, furious wave of her silken fan, a hurricane erupted from her fingertips.

The gale-force winds were so fierce that entire squadrons of warplanes lost control mid-flight, tumbling wildly before plummeting from the sky in flames.

She had tired of these irritating little insects.

If it weren’t for the thick smoke and fire constantly interfering with her senses, her first body never would have fallen so easily.

And yet…

No matter how many she swatted out of the sky, they never stopped coming.

One after another, they flew in, striking, diving, harassing—not enough to hurt, but enough to be incessantly aggravating.

So be it.

If the swarm would not cease, then she would simply sweep them away for good.

With a single storm, she erased the possibility of further aerial harassment.

Meanwhile, Welt, having already expended the majority of his energy in battle, struggled to hold the line.

Phantylia had taken note of him—of the spectacled, middle-aged man who had proven more troublesome than expected.

And so, she intentionally began directing her phantom blossoms toward him.

By forcing Welt to divert his focus, she effectively crippled his efficiency.

At the same time, Chen Lin retreated steadily, flinging flying swords to intercept the approaching phantom blossoms.

Unlike the previous variants, these blossoms no longer resembled anything remotely natural.

They were no longer soft pink, but a haunting shade of dark gold.

The very air around them reeked of destruction, a suffocating aura so thick that even the most untrained could feel it.

Chen Lin’s flying swords sliced into the phantom blossoms, but—

The moment they were drawn too close, the swords lost control, shattering into fragments.

And yet…

The phantom blossoms would regenerate instantly, their petals reforming as if nothing had ever touched them.

He acknowledged the truth—if this was all he could do, he would already be drenched in sweat, desperately struggling against Phantylia’s full onslaught.

But…

His gaze flickered toward Jing Yuan.

The general had crept dangerously close to Phantylia, maneuvering unnoticed through the chaos.

Then, as if aware of Chen Lin’s attention, Jing Yuan turned, winked, and then—without waiting for acknowledgment—leaped.

The phantom blossoms lunging for Chen Lin never reached him.

Because in that precise moment, Jing Yuan emerged—

Directly before Phantylia.

"You think you can ignore me?"

His voice boomed like a war drum.

"This ends now, Phantylia!"

Thunder roared within the sealed battleground, divine pressure crashing down like a tidal wave.

Jing Yuan thrust his palm downward, fingers curling as golden light coalesced behind him—

A monolithic, golden figure towering over the battlefield.

Phantylia’s eyes widened.

Her breath hitched.

Cold sweat dripped down her back.

"You—"

"INSOLENT INSECT!"

She snarled—

And the phantom blossoms around Chen Lin vanished, reappearing instantly beside Jing Yuan.

Their centers blazed with blinding gold-blue energy, bursting into chains that shot forth, ensnaring Jing Yuan’s limbs.

The golden avatar behind him froze, locked in place.

Chen Lin…

Stared.

"What the hell—"

The massive golden figure startled him, but only for a second.

He quickly recognized it as Jing Yuan’s trump card, his true ace in the hole.

It was clear—Jing Yuan’s movements were linked to the golden warrior.

Had it succeeded in attacking, it would have been more than large enough to strike down Phantylia.

But now—

It was bound.

Phantylia gritted her teeth.

"Fine."

"Then watch, Xianzhou scum—watch as your beloved general is turned into a Hollow Soldier and slaughters his own people!"

A familiar scene unfolded.

Much like in the Alchemical Commission, a surge of annihilation energy poured into Jing Yuan’s body.

The protective veil of The Hunt wavered, struggling to hold back the invading force.

The energy sought to corrupt his flesh, consume his mind, and ensnare his soul, twisting him into a monstrous, mindless weapon of ruin.

Jing Yuan grimaced, sweat beading on his brow.

And yet—

He laughed.

His voice was low, tinged with mockery.

"The worst outcome?" he mused.

"Is that we both perish, is it not?"

His eyes glowed with unshaken conviction.

"But that’s not what’s going to happen here."

He turned, locking eyes with Chen Lin.

"You agree, don’t you—Brother?"

Chen Lin blinked.

Then—he sighed.

"This guy really just threw his life on the line because he trusted I had a trump card, huh…?"

A wry smile tugged at his lips.

Fortunately—

He had already given the order.

And now…

It was time to execute it.

Snap!

Chen Lin raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

The command was relayed instantly—

Transmitted directly into the minds of over a thousand operators, scattered across the three Psionic Cruiser-class warships hovering above Scalegorge Waterscape.

---

Twenty seconds ago…

The ship’s internal broadcast came to life.

"Attention, all combat units—shipboard weapons are preparing to fire! Carrier-based aircraft, evacuate the designated attack zone immediately. You have 20 seconds to clear the area!"

On the ground, the Cloud Knights stationed outside had long been dumbstruck by the battle unfolding in the skies. The airspace above Scalegorge Waterscape was filled with the thunderous roar of explosions, nonstop, echoing endlessly.

No matter how many times the carrier-based aircraft swooped in for their attacks, their numbers never seemed to dwindle.

How many of these steel monsters were there?!

The warship’s broadcast made no effort to hide its message.

Standing on the ground, Fu Xuan caught every word.

Then, she saw it.

The three psionic cruisers began to reposition—angling their massive frames downward, aligning their weapons for precision strikes.

A bad feeling surged through her.

Her fingers tightened around her communicator, and she shouted—

"All units—fall back to the docks! NOW!"

She didn’t even need to give the order.

The Cloud Knight commanders had already realized something was wrong. Without hesitation, they rallied their troops, retreating from the blockade as far and as fast as they could.

Twenty seconds later, the broadcast resumed.

"Imperial Psionic Cruiser A1 has reached its designated firing position.
All 115 antimatter missile launchers and 327 Tachyon Beam Cannons are primed and ready."

"Imperial Psionic Cruiser A2 has reached its designated firing position.
All 115 antimatter missile launchers and—"

"Imperial Psionic Cruiser A3 has reached its designated firing position…"

"By decree of His Majesty, in order to free the restrained General of the Luofu, all main ships are authorized to engage."

"Commence full-scale bombardment."

"Fire!"

A piercing hiss.

Then—

A deafening explosion.

In an instant, the dimly lit Scalegorge Waterscape was illuminated by a storm of energy beams and missile trails, their blinding radiance consuming the battlefield.

Each attack had been calculated with surgical precision, weaving through the sealed gate without striking anything unintended.

Every barrier, every obstruction in the path of the bombardment—was obliterated.

...

Phantylia’s expression shifted.

A deep, instinctive unease crawled up her spine as she turned toward Chen Lin.

He had just snapped his fingers—and for some reason, it sent an unshakable chill down her very being.

Then—

FLASH.

The first assault came in the form of emerald-green laser beams, slicing through the air at unthinkable speeds.

Each beam was nearly two meters wide, its trajectory flawless.

In an instant, they vaporized the two phantom blossoms binding Jing Yuan, their chains shattering into dust.

Jing Yuan landed—unrestrained.

Instead of fear, laughter erupted from his chest.

"Hah—hahhahaha!"

Still falling, he swung his right arm downward—

And behind him, the golden avatar followed, gripping its colossal spear as it thrust forward.

Then, at that very moment—

The true attack began.

First, the [Tachyon Beam Cannons] pierced straight through Phantylia’s body, bypassing all traditional defenses.

Even her true form was not spared, as the beams disrupted her very essence.

These weapons were no ordinary energy blasts.

They operated on the principles of entropy, targeting and annihilating all energy signatures except their own.

Then—

A storm of antimatter missiles followed.

Small as they appeared, each contained a single gram of antimatter.

And that single gram, upon collision with ordinary matter, would unleash the energy of thousands of tons of TNT.

Even though Chen Lin had reduced the amount of antimatter in these warheads—out of concern that he might accidentally destroy the entire Luofu—

The sheer quantity of missiles was far too high.

And despite his precautions, his psionic barriers were still being shredded apart by the sheer force of the explosions.

"Shit!"

Chen Lin gritted his teeth.

He hadn’t expected orbital weaponry to be this devastating in a ground engagement.

He should’ve held back a little—maybe fired fewer rounds.

But now?

It was too late to stop it.

His psionic energy was draining rapidly, and the barrier was barely holding together.

Desperate, he reached into his subdimensional vault and grabbed a handful of [Zroni Dust]—

Then, without hesitation—inhaled.

For the first time in his life—

Chen Lin experienced what it was like to snort white.

It was…

Cool.

Like mint, but not overpowering.

There was a soft, floral scent, almost soothing.

And the moment he inhaled, a wave of euphoria surged through his body, making him feel light, ageless, as if he had regained decades of youth.

Then—

A tsunami of psionic energy exploded from his body.

Welt, who had been blinded by the sheer intensity of the bombardment, was shaken back to awareness by the sudden surge.

The air turned dense, as if submerged in a violet mist—a psionic field so thick that even movement felt sluggish.

This fog was Chen Lin’s power—pouring uncontrollably from his very being.

In a single blink—

The falling Jing Yuan was caught mid-air, cradled securely in Chen Lin’s arms.

The psionic mist did nothing to interfere with the missile strikes—

Instead, it merely contained the explosive force, ensuring the devastation remained within a controlled radius.

If Phantylia’s previous body had at least left behind a corpse—

Then this time…

There was nothing left.

Her "stronger" body had been reduced to absolute dust.

Her true form, sensing imminent danger, had already retreated, shedding her physical body entirely and choosing to observe from afar.

Even she had to admit—

Not even the regenerative power of the Ambrosial Arbor could withstand such destruction.

Even if she wasn’t dead, she wouldn’t be able to fight for quite some time.

The bombardment lasted five whole minutes.

By the time the dust settled, there was not a single trace of the Ambrosial Arbor within a several-hundred-meter radius.

Jing Yuan leaned against Chen Lin, observing the man beside him.

His younger brother, who now alternated between moments of manic laughter and unsettling bloodlust.

Yet—

Behind those chaotic expressions, his eyes would occasionally flicker, regaining their usual calm, their gentleness.

Jing Yuan felt his heart sink.

Guilt.

He knew exactly what Chen Lin had just done.

Had those weapons been fired directly at the Xianzhou, the entire ship might have been blown apart.

Chen Lin wasn’t strong enough to contain the explosion completely—which meant he had used something to amplify himself.

And now—his unstable mental state was the price.

Jing Yuan clenched his fists.

He bet everything on me pulling this off.

He let out a deep breath.

And I let him down.

As the psionic mist slowly began to dissipate, Phantylia, who had been cowering in the shadows, realized something.

Chen Lin’s power…

Was fading.

A grin spread across her face.

"So that’s it? A temporary power boost at great cost?"

Her fear vanished, replaced with amusement.

And so, with a playful laugh—she revealed herself once more.

"My, my~ You really scared me, dear benefactor~!"

Phantylia reappeared with a playful smirk, her tone filled with feigned admiration.

"My, my~ I never expected you to have such tricks up your sleeve, dear benefactor. You truly gave me a fright~!"

She giggled, but her eyes glowed with renewed arrogance.

Despite her previous panic, she was now certain—

Chen Lin was spent.

The sheer psionic outburst, the reckless use of Zroni Dust—it all screamed desperation.

He had been strong, but only for a moment.

A temporary flare of power, fueled by a great cost, and now?

He was defenseless.

He had no energy left to resist her.

Even his expression was distant, as if he were still drunk on the rush of psionic euphoria.

This is it.

This was her chance.

Jing Yuan, still half-supported by Chen Lin, warily observed Phantylia’s demeanor.

He could tell—she had seen through it.

She knew Chen Lin was at his limit.

And the worst part?

She wasn’t wrong.

Jing Yuan himself was already exhausted, barely holding himself together.

Welt, standing nearby, was also injured, his breath ragged from the prolonged battle.

In truth—

None of them were in any condition to keep fighting.

And Phantylia?

She still had more bodies.

Phantylia's voice dripped with amusement as she tilted her head.

"Oh, General of the Luofu, surely you don’t think that was my final body?"

She clasped her hands together, her mockery growing more blatant.

"Really now, do Xianzhou Generals always get ahead of themselves? Such arrogance… so very predictable. Quite tragic, actually~"

Then, in a flash, another body materialized before them.

It was smaller than the previous ones, but the power radiating from it—

Destruction and Abundance, entwined in a way far beyond the strength of her past forms.

This was different.

This wasn’t just another disposable shell—

This was her true weapon.

Welt’s breath hitched, his expression darkening.

Jing Yuan’s face fell, but after a second, he let out a bitter chuckle.

"Well… looks like we’re truly finished this time."

He had accepted the worst-case scenario long before this battle began.

If he had to die to stop Phantylia—

Then so be it.

But now…

Even that outcome seemed unlikely.

In the midst of the suffocating tension, Welt stepped forward, his expression resolute.

"Chen Lin. Jing Yuan. Get out of here."

Jing Yuan’s eyes widened slightly.

"Welt—"

But before he could argue, Welt continued.

"I’ll hold her off. You two need to take March and the others and leave—"

His words abruptly stopped.

Because—

Something grabbed his wrist.

Slowly, he turned—

And saw Chen Lin.

His grip firm.

His eyes open.

His psionic energy—roaring back to life.

Both Welt and Jing Yuan were stunned, their expressions shifting into disbelief.

Jing Yuan’s voice trembled slightly.

"Brother… you—"

Welt, eyes narrowing, spoke in a low voice.

"Chen Lin, you—"

But before either could finish—

Chen Lin simply smiled.

A relaxed, almost carefree smile.

Then, without looking away from Phantylia, he spoke in a calm, almost amused tone—

"Uncle Yang, we’re still retreating. But—"

"—You’ll be the one leading them out."

---

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!