Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [109]

Bronya flinched in shock.

She spun around abruptly.

There was nothing behind her. No sign of the voice’s owner, only the few people accompanying her were in sight.

She glanced up at the sky. Apart from the colossal shadows of the warships looming overhead, it was silent.

“Men—” Bronya almost cried out but quickly stopped herself. She signaled to the others that it was nothing, trying to calm her racing heart.

Then, the voice came again.

“Don’t resist. I’m establishing a psionic link with you.”

“Also, keep quiet. Most of your mother’s body is saturated with Fragmentum energy—highly unstable. Be cautious; anything could happen.”

Though she was alone with her thoughts, Bronya could clearly hear her mentor’s voice. Her heart swelled with a mix of relief and unease.

It felt like something out of a horror story—like a spectral presence whispering behind her. A chill ran down her spine.

She slowed her pace, gradually falling to the rear of the group until she was several meters behind March.

“Mentor… is that really you?” Bronya asked in a hushed voice.

“It’s me. My body is… compromised. I’m communicating with you as a spirit.”

Though Chen Lin was far from ordinary, Bronya had always suspected as much. The mention of "psionic abilities" earlier had only solidified her suspicions.

“The empire possesses ways to awaken latent potential and special gifts. Although my awakening is recent, circumstances have forced my powers to grow rapidly. Now, even when my body is damaged, I can transfer my consciousness into an energy form.”

“Don’t worry about me. My body is capable of self-repair. Once it’s restored, I’ll wake up. For now, while I can’t interact with physical objects as freely as before, I’m still here to support you. Oh, and those warships above? I might be able to give you some assistance there too.”

Chen Lin’s voice carried a note of curiosity, his focus shifting momentarily. The Stellaron’s energy, which he had previously absorbed from Cocolia, had left a deep impression on him. The sheer power and his own psionic "sea" yearned for more.

He wanted to test whether he could absorb energy directly from the Stellaron itself.

“I’m just glad you’re okay,” Bronya said, exhaling in relief. “I was so worried that the rumors were true… but it’s just as I thought. I’m so glad.”

“Just as you thought?”

“Yes, because from what I know of you…”

Bronya whispered her deductions, recounting the conclusions she had drawn from various clues. Chen Lin, floating invisibly above her, listened intently. He couldn’t help but marvel at her sharpness.

She’s truly worthy of being chosen as the next Supreme Guardian, Chen Lin thought. The once naive and inexperienced girl had matured so much in such a short time—it was remarkable.

Hovering above her, he silently nodded in approval as he absorbed the Stellaron energy flowing toward Cocolia.

“You’re mostly right. This was the only way I could intervene legitimately. March, Stelle, and Dan Heng don’t need to bother with these formalities, but I…”

“Mentor, if the Stellaron is sealed, will the Fragmentum…”

“I can promise to help Belobog eliminate every trace of visible Fragmentum.”

“Thank you!”

Reassured by his promise and the confirmation of her theories, Bronya felt a surge of hope for Belobog’s future.

Then she remembered Chen Lin’s earlier warning.

“Mentor, you said most of my mother’s body is made of Fragmentum energy. What does that mean?” Bronya glanced ahead at Cocolia.

Based on what she had learned, the Stellaron’s power should have been related to Fragmentum creatures, but why was her mother’s body so saturated with this energy?

“I don’t know,” Chen Lin admitted. He observed the chaotic energies swirling within Cocolia, his unease growing. “But her soul isn’t complete. That might have something to do with her deal with the Stellaron.”

He thought about the possibility of contacting the Interastral Peace Corporation, which supposedly had extensive research on the Stellaron. Unfortunately, his time here had been short, and he didn’t even know where the company was based.

The only person who could easily reach them was Herta, the space station’s director. But the Stellaron had disrupted all hyper-spatial signals, leaving Chen Lin unable to contact her for days.

Bronya’s face paled.

“Then… my mother—she’s in grave danger?”

“Yes, but we’ll have to take things one step at a time. I’ll do my best to monitor her soul. If there’s a chance, I’ll find a way to save her.”

Chen Lin wasn’t entirely sure what he could do, but he hoped his words would ease Bronya’s tension. Cocolia herself wasn’t particularly useful to him; what mattered was ensuring Bronya’s leadership post-coup. Saying a few comforting words cost him nothing.

“Thank you, Mentor…”

Bronya’s mood visibly darkened, though she quickly brightened as she stepped outside Klipper Palace. Seeing the gathered citizens and soldiers bolstered her spirit.

She summoned Gepard and the others to begin restoring order, capturing escaped political criminals, and stabilizing the city.

Chen Lin coordinated briefly with Seele, tasking her with guarding his physical body to prevent tampering. The Trailblazer team and Bronya, meanwhile, set out to locate the Stellaron.

After giving her instructions, Bronya joined her disguised mother, Cocolia, as they quietly left the city.

Meanwhile, Dan Heng had completed his assigned tasks. Having handed over his borrowed Silvermane Guard armor to a border guard officer, he rejoined the main group in his usual attire.

Through persistent effort and Bronya’s cooperation, Chen Lin established a full psionic link with her before they left the city. This connection allowed them to communicate effortlessly, bypassing the need for verbal exchange.

Their thoughts became the bridge between them. Anything Bronya wished to convey could be heard instantly, and vice versa.

Of course, Chen Lin locked certain parts of his thoughts to avoid revealing his status as a traveler or the fabricated empire he had mentioned before. Only what he wanted Bronya to hear would pass through the link.

With this, their communication became far more efficient.

Chen Lin floated above the group as they ascended the mountain, the intensity of Stellaron energy growing stronger with every step. Unlike the concentrated energy flows within the city, here the energy surged from all directions, converging around Cocolia.

The icy winds cut through their clothes like daggers. While March, Stelle, and Dan Heng were protected by Akivili’s blessings—uncomfortably cold but not incapacitated—Cocolia was entirely unaffected. The combined legacies of over ten generations of Supreme Guardians and her body’s Stellaron-enhanced state rendered her impervious to the elements.

Chen Lin, being a disembodied spirit, was equally unbothered.

Bronya, however, was different. As the only “normal” human among them, the higher they climbed, the paler her face grew. She didn’t complain, but her slowing pace and increasingly labored breathing betrayed her struggle.

Chen Lin realized she couldn’t endure much longer, especially given their proximity to the Stellaron’s chilling source. Tapping into the Stellaron energy he had absorbed, he used his psionic abilities to create a barrier around her, shielding her from the worst of the cold.

Bronya, who had been trembling from the icy pain, suddenly felt a warm current enveloping her body. Her rigid limbs gradually relaxed, and though the chill remained, it was now bearable.

“Mentor, is this your doing?” Bronya asked through their psionic link.

“Yes,” Chen Lin replied. “The temperature here is unnatural, which means we’re close to the Stellaron. I can’t have you passing out before we get there.”

“Thank you…”

Bronya’s heart swelled with gratitude. He had noticed her discomfort so quickly.

Was he watching me the entire time?

The thought made her heart race, but she quickly shook her head, banishing such frivolous notions.

Belobog’s survival depended on her actions. She couldn’t afford distractions. Her focus had to remain on ending the Stellaron’s influence and eradicating the Fragmentum. Only then could her people have hope.

“I’ll save everyone…”

Clutching the stock of her rifle tightly, Bronya muttered under her breath, “Belobog will never surrender. The people’s resistance continues. Fighting is our path to rebirth. Even if I’m the last one standing, I won’t give up…!”

She remembered the first thing her teacher had told her: ‘Peace through struggle lasts. Peace through compromise falters.’

Belobog’s resilience, its centuries-long defiance against Fragmentum encroachment, was the essence of its people. They were fighters, unwavering in their pursuit of justice and survival.

Chen Lin, reassured by Bronya’s recovery, turned his attention to the rest of the group.

Dan Heng, who had already witnessed Chen Lin’s spiritual abilities, remained calm. March and Stelle, however, were astounded. Once they adjusted to the psionic link, they began communicating seamlessly through him, enabling better coordination.

It’s like a group chat, Chen Lin thought with mild amusement.

Cocolia, who had initially heard March’s endless chatter, noticed the eerie silence that followed. March occasionally gestured or reacted to something unseen, as though pointing out the frozen remnants of the Destruction Legion scattered along the path.

Strange… and lonely, Cocolia mused.

After half an hour of climbing, the group reached the final stretch of stairs, leading to the Stellaron’s resting place.

Cocolia stopped abruptly.

“We’re here. This is the Stellaron—embodiment of power…”

She gazed at the suspended Stellaron, its energy radiating from within the broken containment device. The sight triggered a violent reaction in her body. Trembling, she realized just how dependent she had become on the Stellaron’s energy, like an addict unable to resist their vice.

“That’s the Stellaron,” March exclaimed in the psionic link, her voice laced with awe. “The containment device is in terrible shape.”

Stelle clutched her chest, her expression complicated. She felt an inexplicable connection to the glowing entity.

“I… I feel like hugging it. Is that normal?”

“Absolutely not!” March spread her arms dramatically. “That’s a creation of Nanook, the Aeon of Destruction! It’s literally a doomsday artifact!”

Dan Heng furrowed his brow. “Repairing the containment device will be difficult. We’ll need Himeko and Welt to assist.”

Chen Lin, contentedly absorbing the Stellaron’s energy, chimed in: “Dan Heng, didn’t Himeko give you a temporary suppressor? Use that for now. Once we reestablish communication, we can inform her we’ve located the Stellaron.”

“Understood.”

The containment device, massive compared to the human scale, was riddled with fractures. The Stellaron’s energy leaked freely through these gaps, disrupting external communications.

As Dan Heng began assembling the temporary suppressor, Bronya’s panicked voice echoed in the psionic link.

“Mentor… something… something is talking to me! It’s in my head!”

“On it!”

Chen Lin realized the Stellaron’s energy, which he had blocked from reaching Cocolia, was now surging toward Bronya. Acting swiftly, he positioned himself above her, forming a barrier to intercept the energy.

But this left him with a critical problem.

While he could shield Bronya, Cocolia was now exposed.

He turned to see her body convulsing, her pained groans cutting through the tense silence.

Chen Lin swore under his breath.

“Damn it! Stellaron, are you seriously screwing with me right now?!”

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T/N: Bronya is too good of a daughter...

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!