Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [78]

The Underworld was a maze of densely packed buildings with no discernible planning. A few steps down any street, and you'd encounter a sharp turn. It was impossible to guess where Seele had gone or what she was up to.

The night was long, and Chen Lin wasn’t in a rush to rest. He didn’t mind wasting some time waiting for Seele, so he crouched by the roadside, eavesdropping on a group of miners chatting near a barbecue stall.

“Ungrateful rats. Back then, the foreman shouldn’t have gone soft on them. They were all sluggish at work, but the second they sniffed a chance at profit, they ran faster than anyone else!” A miner with his head wrapped in bandages cursed bitterly, his expression sour.

Across from him, another miner sighed deeply. “The new mining zone still hasn’t been divided up properly. No chance of resuming work anytime soon. I’ve got five kids and a wife to support at home. I don’t know how we’re gonna last another two months…”

“Brother, I’ll lend you some money. I don’t have much left, but don’t let the kids suffer,” a third miner said, patting the distressed man on the shoulder. “Worst case, we’ll round up some guys and see if we can dig deeper into the mines. Who knows? We might strike another vein. And don’t forget that black sludge stuff they need. Sure, it’s cheap, but there’s plenty of it.”

“Guess we don’t have much choice…” The second miner nodded grimly.

Chen Lin raised an eyebrow. Back when he was in the Upper District, he’d heard rumors about a newly discovered giant geode of geomarrow, said to contain enough resources to supply Belobog for decades. These miners were likely talking about that site. Did something go wrong with it?

As he pondered this, hurried footsteps approached from nearby. Looking up, Chen Lin saw Seele jogging back toward him, a small paper bag in hand.

“Here.” Seele pulled two small stone trays from the bag, each filled with glittering translucent spheres. “If it weren’t for you, I might’ve been stuck in the clinic for weeks.”

She was, of course, referring to when Chen Lin had kicked her out of the path of that deadly light beam. The move had saved her life, sparing her from the violent energy that had melted through Chen Lin’s deflection shield in seconds.

Even with all his advanced tech and enhancements, that energy had nearly overwhelmed him. For anyone else, taking a direct hit would’ve been catastrophic. It was precisely why Chen Lin had made sure to throw the little girl he’d been protecting toward March 7 before the explosion, sparing her from the brunt of the impact.

Accepting the tray Seele handed him, Chen Lin asked curiously, “What are these?”

“Sugar ice balls.”

“Sugar ice?”

Chen Lin froze for a moment. Wait—how does the Underworld even have ice sugar? Even in the Upper District, sugar production was a rare luxury, and ice sugar—its crystalized form—was practically unheard of outside historical records.

Belobog’s long history of turmoil had caused many manufacturing techniques to fall into obscurity. Even the refined sugars used in the Upper District were a mix of black or red sugar syrup dyed with artificial coloring. How had Seele managed to find something like this down here?

Seele popped a glistening sphere into her mouth and smiled. “Mmm! Delicious!”

“Is that so?”

Chen Lin picked up one of the so-called sugar ice balls. But the moment his fingers touched the sphere, he froze.

You’ve got to be kidding me…

The candy was exactly what it sounded like—a literal combination of sugar and ice. The exterior was frozen solid, encasing sugar syrup within. Of course, the Underworld would take the name at face value.

Never mind. I really shouldn’t underestimate how inventive people down here can get...

As a snack, it wasn’t bad at all. The taste was pleasantly sweet, though keeping one in his mouth for too long made his teeth ache from the cold.

Seele, on the other hand, devoured her tray in no time, clearly enjoying the treat.

When she turned to look at Chen Lin, she suddenly chuckled, covering her mouth to stifle her laughter.

“What’s so funny?” Chen Lin asked, puzzled, as he held out the tray. “Do you want more?”

“No, it’s just…” Seele shook her head, grinning. “I always thought someone like you—so well-read and proper—would never crouch by the roadside eating street food like this. You’re… nothing like those snobbish Upper District types I’ve seen before.”

“Snobbish, huh?”

“Absolutely!” Seele’s voice rose with disdain. “Back when I was little, Oleg took me to the Upper District once. I saw them eating at restaurants where they’d leave piles of untouched food on their plates while people here were starving. Some of them ordered enough food for ten people, even though there were only two or three of them at the table. It was disgusting. I’ve never gone back since.”

Belobog’s societal divide truly was grotesque. The Upper and Lower Districts had built their current system together, yet 95% of the food produced was consumed by the Upper District. In the Underworld, people could only trade geomarrow for meager rations or scavenge from the underground rivers and whatever creatures they could find.

The economic disparity was equally bizarre. Tools and equipment were dirt cheap, but food prices matched those in the Upper District. Considering the stark income differences between the two zones, this made survival in the Underworld even harder.

“Don’t worry,” Chen Lin said suddenly. “Things will get better. There’ll be enough bread, milk, and fuel for everyone. The population will grow, and new land and resources will be developed.”

Seele shook her head with a bitter smile. Clearly, she didn’t believe him. “You’re not looking down on me, are you? After all, I invited you to eat such a cheap snack to thank you for saving my life.”

Despite her tough demeanor, Seele shared the same hope as many others in the Underworld—to see her people live better lives. But the harsh reality of their world often extinguished such dreams.

Chen Lin blinked, then, without thinking, reached out and pinched Seele’s cheek gently.

“Why would I look down on you? I’m grateful you consider me a friend and share your food with me. I didn’t save you because I wanted something in return—I did it because I wanted to.”

Seele’s eyes widened in surprise. For a moment, she simply stared at Chen Lin before muttering, “You really aren’t like those arrogant Upper District people at all… No, the difference is way too big. They’re nothing like you.”

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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!