Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [87]

The earth-shattering explosion obliterated the already fragile mine, taking with it the modified deflection shield designed for personal combat.

The deafening roar shook everyone within the blast radius to their core. Chen Lin, in a desperate move, hurled the two girls behind him to safety just before the shockwave sent him soaring through the air.

In that critical moment, he issued his final command to the psionic entities separated from his body:

My body can handle this—prioritize keeping them safe!

Then, as the flames engulfed him, Chen Lin's vision went dark, swallowed by a searing blackness.

---

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed. Chen Lin’s head buzzed incessantly, his eyelids weighed down like they were filled with lead. His entire body felt shattered, each bone screaming in agony as stabbing, twisting, and throbbing pain flooded his senses. Yet no sound escaped his lips.

Somewhere nearby, faint sobbing and labored breaths reached his ears—soft and intermittent.

After what felt like an eternity, Chen Lin gradually regained consciousness.

The first thing he noticed was an oddity: despite the absence of any light source, his vision was as clear as day. Every grain of dirt and speck of gravel was visible, even the streaks of blood smudged on the ground.

Glancing around, Chen Lin realized he was buried two meters deep in the earth. The soil and rocks behind him were compressed to an almost solid state.

Oh great, I’m Tom from the cartoons now?

That was the first thought that crossed his mind.

Above him, a hundred meters away, the partially destroyed mine teetered precariously in the air, threatening to collapse entirely at any moment.

Staying here isn’t an option!

Though his body still ached terribly, the pain was manageable. With some effort, he could move.

As he strained to pull his limbs free from the crevices, a faint whimper echoed from outside the pit. Earlier, his mind had been too consumed by pain to register the sounds around him.

Now, Chen Lin focused his extraordinary hearing and discerned the source of the noise—it was Clara, the young girl he had saved.

Gritting his teeth, Chen Lin dragged himself out of the human-shaped crater he had made. Emerging from the pit, the first thing he saw was Clara sitting nearby, her face red from crying. Tears streamed down her cheeks, glistening in the dim light.

Hearing the sound of Chen Lin’s movements, Clara turned her head. Their eyes met.

Her expression shifted from confusion to shock.

Chen Lin, unsure of what to say, raised a hand weakly. “Hey there.”

“Ahhh!” Clara yelped, scooting back in fright. But as she processed the situation, her fear melted into tentative hope. “Big brother…?”

“Hurts a little, haha…” Chen Lin offered a sheepish grin.

“Just a little?” Clara’s eyes sparkled with relief. “That’s great! Clara thought you…”

She trailed off, glancing at the ground with a mix of guilt and sadness.

As it turned out, Clara had woken up with only a few scratches from the explosion—nothing serious. After regaining her strength, she’d begun searching for Chen Lin and Seele. While she couldn’t find Seele, she stumbled upon the human-shaped crater and saw Chen Lin inside.

At the time, Chen Lin had been a horrifying sight—his body limp, covered in blood, and visibly crushed. He looked more like a mangled pile of flesh than a person.

Panicked, Clara had tried to dig him out with her bare hands, but the soil was too hard. Despite hours of effort, she made little progress.

He must have broken every bone in his body… There’s no way he survived.

Believing her savior had died protecting her, Clara had sat by the crater, crying until exhaustion overtook her.

So when Chen Lin casually climbed out of the pit and greeted her, the scene was so surreal it nearly gave her a heart attack.

“I see,” Chen Lin nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. “Hold on a sec.”

“Okay, okay!” Clara quickly wiped her tears, her voice trembling.

Diving into his subconscious, Chen Lin reviewed the memories stored by his psionic entities.

The entities had followed his orders perfectly. Clara had been cushioned multiple times by their energy during her fall, leaving her unscathed. She had only fainted out of sheer terror during freefall.

As for Seele, she hadn’t fallen into the mine at all. During the explosion, Chen Lin had grabbed both girls by their collars and thrown them backward. Seele, by sheer luck, had been flung toward the entrance of a nearby tunnel and propelled further by the blast’s shockwave.

Her assigned psionic entity, unfortunately, had been more preoccupied with eating. It had absorbed the majority of the shockwave’s force but then spent the aftermath belching contentedly rather than aiding Seele further.

Why is this one so obsessed with eating? Chen Lin thought, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. It even “ate” the explosion’s shockwave! What kind of abomination did I create with my psionics?

Fortunately, Seele had regained consciousness earlier than him and was already heading toward Boulder Town, likely to organize a rescue party.

After processing this information, Chen Lin stood up. The residual pain in his body had vanished—he had completely healed.

What kind of absurdly resilient body is this? As long as I’m not outright killed, I’ll just keep regenerating…

Based on the memories from his psionic entities, more than a day had passed since the explosion.

“Clara, should we find our own way back, or wait here for the rescue team?” Chen Lin asked, stretching his limbs.

Clara hesitated, concern etched across her face. “But big brother, your injuries…”

She had seen him limping earlier. This abandoned mine was riddled with steep, jagged paths and bottomless pits. Traveling in his condition seemed reckless.

“Life-threatening injuries? Already healed.” Chen Lin hopped a few times, grinning. “See? Fit as a fiddle!”

“…” Clara stared, her small mouth agape before mumbling, “Big brother, your body is amazing…”

She paused, then added softly, “Thank you.”

From what Clara could infer, there was no way her fragile body could have survived such a fall without severe injuries. Someone must have protected her.

Now that her fear and guilt had subsided, Clara’s sharp mind pieced the situation together in seconds.

While Chen Lin pondered their next steps, Clara’s timid voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Big brother, what’s your name? I’ve never seen you in the Underworld before.”

“I’m Chen Lin. And you wouldn’t have seen me—I’m not from this planet.” Chen Lin adjusted his tattered clothes to cover himself. “I was invited to visit the Overworld for research. But unexpected events forced me into hiding in the Underworld…”

Chen Lin sighed, recounting his experience in the Overworld—the unjust persecution he faced from Cocolia, his contributions to agriculture and technology, and his efforts to restore an entire commercial street.

Clara listened intently, her outrage growing with every word.

“How could the Supreme Guardian do something so terrible? That’s a betrayal of trust…”

Chen Lin shook his head, feigning a melancholy expression. “It’s all in the past now. No point dwelling on it.”

“Where’s Seele?” Clara asked, suddenly remembering the other person.

“She’s fine,” Chen Lin reassured her. “She’s gone to get help.”

“That’s a relief…” Clara sighed, clutching her hands to her chest. “Clara doesn’t want anyone to get hurt because of her. I’ll never forget how big brother Chen Lin and sister Seele saved me.”

Chen Lin tilted his head. “How do you know Seele?”

“She’s helped Clara many times,” Clara said, smiling faintly. “Once, I was trying to retrieve a part stuck between some rocks, but no matter what I did, I couldn’t get it out. Sister Seele walked by and smashed the rock with one punch. Before I could even thank her, she’d already left.”

Chen Lin’s mouth twitched.

Seele the neighborly heroine, crushing rocks like it’s nothing… Truly a force of nature.

Seele, only you could pull off something like this.

As Chen Lin chatted with Clara, the two slowly made their way through the depths of the mine, searching for a path out.

Along the way, Chen Lin spotted some unsettling sinkholes. Some were only a few centimeters wide, while others spanned two or three meters, with larger ones covered by makeshift stone barriers. The darkness within these holes was impenetrable—even Chen Lin’s enhanced vision couldn’t discern what lay at their depths.

Clara cautioned him to watch his step, explaining, "These are called sinkholes, naturally formed pits. Many of the mines in the Underworld are deep enough to uncover them. Miners have fallen in before and never made it out alive. No one knows what’s at the bottom, and no one dares to find out."

"Mr. Svarog’s database has some information on them," Clara added apologetically, "but it’s encrypted, and he doesn’t have permission to access it."

What is this girl, a little angel?

Chen Lin couldn’t help but smile as he crouched by the edge of a sinkhole to inspect it.

"These do look naturally formed," he said, running his hand along the jagged edges of the pit. He leaned in closer, peering into the darkness. "Some of the walls are rough, and there are irregular caverns that seem to branch out a few dozen meters below…"

He paused, frowning. "But why does it feel like some of these were man-made?"

Before Clara could respond, a glowing event window suddenly popped up in front of Chen Lin’s eyes:

[Jarilo-VI: Peculiar Sinkholes]

Our investigative team has made a startling discovery on Jarilo-VI. Strange sinkholes have appeared near the subterranean mines beneath the planet’s sole city. While they appear to be natural phenomena caused by environmental factors, our Science Officer, Chen Lin, suspects they may have been created artificially.

The report has caught the attention of Chief Scientist Herta, who, after reviewing images and data, hypothesizes these sinkholes could be evidence of alien technology previously unknown to us.

Further investigations have revealed similar sinkholes scattered across Jarilo-VI’s underground, all located beneath either Architect ruins or existing cities.

Science Officer Chen Lin has also uncovered a significant clue—a broken metal pipe embedded in the walls of one such sinkhole.

What could this mean?

Chen Lin stared at the window, utterly baffled.

Since when did I figure out a pattern to these sinkholes? Who the hell’s been speaking on my behalf?

Despite his irritation, he couldn’t resist examining the clue mentioned in the report. Peering deeper into the sinkhole below him, he noticed a faint glint. About ten meters down, the edges of the pit weren’t composed of soil or rock but instead appeared to house a broken metal pipe embedded in the wall.

Another notification popped up.

[The Mystery of the Sinkholes: Exploration]

During recent conferences, scholars suggested this could be an opportunity to uncover groundbreaking secrets. Jarilo-VI’s culture, resources, and technology could all become assets to our future!

Chief Scientist Herta proposed the sinkholes might represent a new method of mineral extraction or generation. To pursue this discovery, we must prepare thoroughly, deploying sufficient personnel and equipment to investigate further. If the metal can be analyzed, it could revolutionize our technology.

These alluring sinkholes may hide many of Jarilo-VI’s mysteries. Though its inhabitants have lost much of their former glory, we will help them reclaim these treasures!

[Herta’s the expert; let her handle it.] (Chief Scientist Herta will take full responsibility for this investigation.)

[Our Science Officer is available.] (Chen Lin will take full responsibility for this investigation.)

[Why not just take photos and put them in a museum?] (+50 Influence; Sociology +11,230)

I'd rather die than take on this kind of work.

Chen Lin’s head felt like it had been hollowed out. He decided it was time for his "brilliant" Chief Scientist to do some heavy lifting. After all, Herta could use some field experience to improve her skills. It’d make her more useful in the long run.

Without hesitation, Chen Lin chose the first option: Herta’s the expert; let her handle it.

Low EQ: This job’s a nightmare!
High EQ: Herta, you’re a living legend, right?

---

The moment he made his choice, countless light-years away, Herta jolted awake from her sleep.

She glanced around her room, her expression puzzled. Though there was no one else present, she felt an unsettling sensation, as if someone were watching her.

"That’s odd… Am I just overworked?" Herta murmured, rubbing her temples. "Why do I feel like my thinking’s gotten slower lately? I even started sleeping again to optimize my processing…"

Unable to pinpoint the cause, Herta eventually shrugged it off and went back to bed.

Her dreams, however, were far from restful. She found herself in a cotton field, forced to pick cotton while a shadowy figure loomed behind her, cracking a whip and taunting her with threats like, "Work faster!" and "No fried chicken for you if you slack off!"

Herta woke up again, this time leaping out of bed, furious.

"Forget sleeping!" she shouted, trembling with rage. "At this rate, I won’t be called Herta anymore—I’ll be Herta the Slave!"

---

T/N: AYOO??? WHAT THE FUCK??? also its a play on her name since it's meaning is black tower it went to black....yeah... LMAOOOO

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!