Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [106]

"Everyone, I assume none of us want Lady Cocolia to find out about this, right?"
"Make it quick. No matter what methods we use, we must save my beloved grandson."
"Stop yelling! My nephew is also missing! I'm more anxious than anyone else here. That kid has talent. I was planning to hand over my position to him next, but who would've thought he'd run into the real deal and end up like this..."

Outside the banquet hall, several men aged between 40 and 60 were deep in discussion. As they spoke, they ordered the palace guards to lead them into the inner chambers.

They dared not make a scene, relying instead on the fact that most of the newly stationed Iron Guards at Qlipoth Fort were their private soldiers. Quietly, they snuck deeper into the palace.

Cocolia had only verbally agreed to clean up the lower district for harboring and abducting the families of ministers. She promised to grant the mining rights to existing and potential veins in the lower district to these families. But everyone knew it was nothing more than an empty promise.

Even if she did intend to clear out the lower district, it might not be feasible. Moreover, while external threats had been resolved, the border troops were still eyeing the city like a tiger watching its prey. By the time she managed to sort everything out, who knew whether their beloved grandchildren, nephews, or key family members would still be alive down below?

If Cocolia faced a coup, her promises would certainly fall through. For years, these families had been suppressed by the descendants of the Builders. Now that they had a chance to rise, they naturally wanted to test the waters of "a rotating Supreme Guardian and unyielding aristocracy," just thinking about it was exhilarating.

At the very least, they needed to know if their family members were still alive.

So, after considering the advice of an old transportation official, they decided it made sense to bypass Cocolia and deal directly with the young man currently imprisoned. They planned to use coercion and inducement to execute a rescue plan: take action first and report later.

A prisoner was bound to leave eventually. If he agreed to their terms, he could at least live a few good days in peace. It would be a win-win situation for everyone.

"We're almost there. Stay alert. Old Mikhail, those soldiers behind us are your people. Don't let them leak any information at a critical moment."

"They won't. They're men I personally trained. Without my orders, even Cocolia herself couldn't command them!" the elderly man with a cane snorted coldly. "This is our domain. Any disputes can wait until later—saving lives comes first."

"Agreed."
"Understood."

Wherever they walked, the Iron Guards scattered to clear the path. The vast Qlipoth Fort had essentially become their playground, with no one daring to stop them.

Before long, they arrived at the palace chamber where Chen Lin was being held. Stepping inside, a stern-faced middle-aged man immediately frowned.

"Whose men are those?"

"No idea. Probably just the original staff stationed here."

"Hmph." The middle-aged man gestured for his Iron Guard deputy commander to step forward. "Go. Tell them to leave. You are their superior, after all."

"Understood. Leave it to me, my lord."

The deputy commander strode over, his expression stern, and conversed with the guards stationed near the palace. A moment later, a burly Iron Guard jogged over, bowing and nodding toward the deputy commander.

Though the details of their exchange were unclear, the deputy commander suddenly shouted angrily, prompting the palace guards' captain to appear visibly troubled. After a long sigh, the captain reluctantly led his team of over ten men out of the area.

"The coast is clear, my lords. You may enter," the deputy commander said eagerly.

"Station some men to control them. Make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Understood! You there, go keep an eye on those men!" The deputy commander issued commands swiftly, and the guards moved efficiently, surrounding the previous guards.

Only then did the prominent figures feel assured enough to stride confidently into the room.

Rules? In Qlipoth Fort right now, they were the rules.

Inside the room, Chen Lin had already heard the commotion outside. He quickly put away his phone, adjusting his expression.

When the men entered, he displayed an immediate look of alarm and confusion.

"Who are you?!"

"Mr. Chen Lin, who was so confident just a few months ago, we're here today for a small favor. We hope you won’t refuse."

"Of course, you're free to decline. But given your esteemed reputation, I'm sure you understand the importance of discerning the situation."

"There's an old saying where I come from: The wise adapt to the times...."

About ten minutes later, the heads of the various families left the inner palace with puzzled expressions.

One of them even voiced his confusion.

"That was it? He didn’t even put up a fight?"

"Just a few words, and he was scared stiff. I thought we’d have to work harder."

The eldest man glanced at them dismissively.

"Enough. Since he’s willing to help, there’s no need to push him. The Supreme Guardian refuses to act, but we can handle this ourselves. Have his signed letter and recording sent to the Furnace Core. Soon, our families will be reunited."

"All thanks to the Samara family's deputy commander. Truly invaluable."

"I feel like something’s off… I’ve met him a few times before. He didn’t strike me as someone who’d surrender so easily…" The stern middle-aged man frowned deeply.

Thud!

The elder slammed his cane onto the ground with a dull thud.

"Enough! Stop debating this or that—it only invites disaster. Once we get our people back, go back to your own business. The border troops aren’t to be trifled with. Planning a proper retreat is more important than anything else."

Their voices grew distant, echoing through the corridors. Sitting on the bed, Chen Lin watched everything unfold through his psychic abilities and couldn’t help but scoff.

And they really think those rotting corpses will miraculously return to life? Dream on.

As for Cocolia, her operations left much to be desired. The fact that this group could waltz in so effortlessly only highlighted how utterly rotten the system had become.

Chen Lin exhaled deeply, preparing to deliver a "grand performance" for Cocolia.

Boom!

The air around him seemed to boil, but luckily, no one else in the vicinity had any knowledge of psychic energy. Otherwise, they’d immediately recognize the phenomenon as the physical manifestation of psychic energy.

Energy collided with the air, creating a cacophony of continuous explosions—a chaotic symphony of chaos and power.

Moments later, eerie bruises began to appear on Chen Lin’s otherwise flawless skin. However, these weren’t actual injuries; they were illusions crafted from psychic energy, seamlessly applied to his body. Everything—from texture to temperature—appeared completely genuine.

Winds swept through the silent room, overturning furniture and decorations, plunging the space into complete disarray.

Then, Chen Lin focused his entire consciousness into a psychic construct formed from the culmination of his energy. His body swayed unsteadily before collapsing forward with a dull thud, motionless on the floor.

A thin, imperceptible psychic shield enveloped his skin, shielding his body from harm and masking all internal activity—including his temperature, pulse, and even his breathing. To any observer, he would seem truly lifeless.

Chen Lin floated above his "corpse," wearing a sunny grin as he snapped his fingers silently.

Everything had gone precisely as he’d theorized—a perfect separation of body and soul, with his "soul" able to interact with the physical world.

"Perfect!"

His disembodied voice echoed through the deathly quiet room. On the floor below, his "corpse" lay eerily still, creating an unnerving scene.

There was still time before anyone would discover his "death"—not until the next morning at least. Chen Lin figured he might as well make use of the downtime. Perhaps he could siphon some Stellaron's energy for cultivation.

The Stellaron had long since taken note of his intentions. Every time Chen Lin tried to track it down, it would abruptly cease emitting energy.

However, there was one person in Qlipoth Fort who fit Chen Lin’s criteria for safely and discreetly accessing the Stellaron's energy.

"Cocolia, today you’ll assist me in my growth!"

With that, Chen Lin’s psychic form shot off toward Cocolia’s chambers.

He knew the layout of Qlipoth Fort better than anyone and easily navigated to her location.

Inside the chambers, Cocolia was still in conversation with the Stellaron, strategizing their next move.

"Are you sure you can convince your daughter? She doesn’t even see you as her mother anymore."

"Give me time! Bronya will understand my good intentions. She’s just taken a misstep—you wouldn’t understand!"

"Time… is running out. If you don’t seize the opportunity soon, the gates to the new world will—"

Suddenly, the Stellaron’s voice cut out.

"…"

Cocolia waited several more minutes, but the voice didn’t return. It was as if a poor signal had abruptly severed their connection.

For months now, this had been happening more and more frequently. The Stellaron’s voice would randomly cut out mid-conversation, only to return after a long delay.

She’d even asked the Stellaron about it before. While it claimed it could still hear her and was responding, she couldn’t hear anything on her end.

Cocolia had dismissed it as an annoyance, appreciating the rare moments of silence as an opportunity to rest.

This time, however, the Stellaron’s silence stretched on. Shrugging it off, Cocolia decided to take advantage of the peace to sleep.

The past few months had been overwhelming, with the Stellaron's chaotic murmurs echoing incessantly, even in her dreams.

Now, with the greatest threat to her plans imprisoned, all she needed to do was wait for the airship from above to contact her. The troublesome youth spreading dissent near Bronya would be dealt with, and her transaction with the Stellaron would be fulfilled.

As far as she was concerned, no army could rival her strength. She possessed not only the power passed down by the Supreme Guardians but also the Stellaron's gift.

"Hmph, just a bunch of rabble."

Satisfied, Cocolia drifted into slumber, oblivious to the figure floating above her, gleefully absorbing the Stellaron’s energy—and the energy coursing through her veins.

The next morning, Cocolia was rudely awakened by loud, frantic banging on her chamber doors.

Thud thud thud!

Thud thud thud thud!

"Lady Cocolia, something terrible has happened!!"

Cocolia groaned, annoyed. She hadn’t had such a restful sleep in years. Aside from a strange feeling of exhaustion and the Stellaron’s continued silence, she was in a surprisingly good mood.

Annoyed but alert, she got out of bed and quickly dressed. As the leader of Belobog, she always maintained a formal appearance, no matter who she was meeting. This was a fundamental rule of the Landau family.

After a few minutes, she furrowed her brow and ordered the person outside to enter.

It was the old butler who had served her and Bronya for decades, dating back to her days as the Supreme Guardian’s heir. The two shared a familial bond of sorts, and the butler was known for his composure.

But now, the old man was drenched in sweat, his usually neat hair clinging to his forehead. His white collar was soaked through, and his labored breathing was almost alarming.

Did the rebels breach the administrative district? Cocolia wondered, her heart skipping a beat.

"What is it? Speak."

If it was the rebels, she was prepared to teach the Landau family a lesson in defiance. This could also be an opportunity to bring Bronya back into the fold and explain her deal with the Stellaron. Only by following her plan could Belobog survive.

Cocolia took a sip of water, steeling herself for the report.

But she had underestimated the gravity of the situation.

The butler stumbled into the room, falling to the floor in his haste. Without even getting up, he stammered out a sentence that froze Cocolia in her tracks—far more horrifying than a rebel invasion.

"Chen… Chen Lin is dead!!"

"Pfft!!"

The water sprayed from her mouth.

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T/N: iron guards is the bad verison of silvermane guards :D

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!