Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [75]

Boulder Town, Goethe Hotel.

Dan Heng leaned against the bedpost, arms crossed, his sharp eyes fixed on Chen Lin lying unconscious on the bed. His expression reflected his frustration and confusion.

During the battle outside the settlement, Chen Lin had been struck by a strange beam of light and sent flying. Not long after, the newborn Rifts in the area began disappearing, and the Riftspawn grew so weak they were little more than helpless livestock awaiting slaughter.

Once the crisis was resolved, the group worked together to extract Chen Lin from the rubble. As expected, aside from his severely torn clothing and a few superficial scratches, Chen Lin’s body bore no significant injuries.

The worst of it was a small puncture wound on his back, caused by a sharp stone during his collision with the wall—a wound that had already healed by the time they dug him out.

Yet despite his seemingly minor injuries, Chen Lin remained unconscious.

Dan Heng simply couldn’t wrap his head around it.

Natasha, who had been summoned for help, was equally baffled.

After receiving word from returning Wildfire members, Natasha had packed every potentially necessary medicine into her bag, fearing the worst.

“His breathing is steady, body temperature normal, and there’s no sign of infection…” Natasha said, releasing Chen Lin’s arm from the blanket she’d wrapped him in. “It’s truly strange. Is there anything else you forgot to mention?”

“Nope,” March 7th replied, shaking her head. “Chen Lin got hit by some weird beam of light. I even saw his shield melt in an instant before the explosion sent him flying.”

As the first to react, March had witnessed everything from start to finish.

Scratching her head as she tried to recall more details, she suddenly added, “Oh, and I saw Chen Lin kick Seele and send her rolling across the ground!”

“That’s not relevant!” Dan Heng sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Anything else?”

“Hmm… No, I think that’s it. I’ve got a great memory! I can even remember the taste of everything I’ve eaten in the past two weeks!”

Natasha: “…”

If your memory were as good as you say, we wouldn’t have to keep asking for details while you pieced it all together in bits and pieces…

During her examination of Chen Lin, Natasha had noticed some peculiarities about his body.

First, his wounds healed at an unnaturally fast rate. By the time she arrived, the puncture wound that had been described to her was already covered by fresh, healthy skin. The entire healing process—injury, scabbing, and skin regeneration—had taken less than half an hour.

Second, beneath his seemingly lean frame, Chen Lin’s body was packed with dense, firm muscle. Though he appeared slightly skinny, his physical build was far from ordinary.

Lastly, and most unsettlingly, Natasha discovered that her needles couldn’t pierce his skin, no matter how soft it seemed to the touch. After breaking a dozen needles, she reluctantly gave up on administering an injection.

To top it all off, while examining him, she occasionally found herself thinking about how… appetizing he looked.

“Don’t worry too much,” Natasha reassured. “His self-healing ability is extraordinary. He’ll wake up eventually, though it might take a bit longer than usual.”

“Really?” Stelle asked, looking up. “So there’s no danger to his life?”

“None whatsoever. With a recovery rate like his, the odds of anything serious happening are practically zero.”

“Oh, good…” Stelle nodded, her expression unreadable.

As everyone puzzled over how to rouse Chen Lin, Stelle suddenly stood up, drawing their attention.

“I’ve got an idea!”

“Oh?” Dan Heng raised an eyebrow, surprised.

It wasn’t unreasonable for him to feel skeptical. Along their journey, Stelle’s antics had ranged from diving into trash cans to hammering open sewer pipes. Even during their Silvermane Guard training sessions, her unpredictable behavior had left everyone bewildered.

Still, her combat skills and tactical insights had earned her respect. When it mattered, Stelle always delivered.

“Really? Then hurry up and try it!” March urged, raising her hand.

Natasha also stepped closer, intrigued by what Stelle might attempt.

Under everyone’s watchful gaze, Stelle approached the bed, took a deep breath, and…

March’s curiosity quickly turned to horror as Stelle’s grin twisted into something sinister. Realizing what Stelle intended to do, she lunged forward and tackled her to the ground.

The sudden commotion left everyone speechless.

“Stop! You’re not trying to treat him at all!” March shouted, pinning the struggling Stelle. “Dan Heng, do something about her!”

“Hey, I really was going to help!” Stelle protested.

“Don’t lie to me! That creepy smile of yours was disgusting. You were totally planning to take advantage of him while he’s unconscious!”

“…What?! How’d you figure me out?”

Dan Heng and Natasha: “…”

Dan Heng sighed. “March, take Stelle outside to cool off. I’ll handle things here.”

“Nooo! I swear I have a plan!” Stelle wailed as she was dragged away.

“Your plan was mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, wasn’t it?”

“How’d you know?!”

“Because I’m the one who taught you that, idiot!”

“Oh, right…”

Their voices grew distant as the door slammed shut, leaving the room in silence once more.

“Sorry for the commotion,” Dan Heng said, glancing at Natasha apologetically.

Natasha chuckled. “No need to apologize. That girl’s got quite the personality.”

After ensuring Chen Lin was stable, Natasha began packing up her medical supplies.

“Judging by his condition, there’s no need to worry. Just let him rest, and he’ll be fine in no time,” she reassured. “I’ll leave some medicine behind, just in case. This one’s for internal injuries—take it twice daily if he shows signs of internal bleeding or bruising…”

As Dan Heng diligently noted her instructions, a faint groan came from the bed.

Both of them turned to see Chen Lin’s bright eyes fluttering open.

Chen Lin had awakened.

Or rather, he’d been conscious for some time, listening to everything happening around him. Most of his attention, however, had been focused on the influx of foreign memories flooding his mind.

One of his psionic projections had swallowed the translucent orb formed from “Cocolia,” resulting in a cascade of chaotic recollections.

For anyone else, such a sudden surge of memories could have caused severe mental trauma—or even permanent madness.

Fortunately, Chen Lin’s spiritual fortitude, bolstered by his psionic abilities, allowed him to separate the harmful elements from the core memories. Using his knowledge of psionics, he even managed to regurgitate the orb.

Shocking.

That was the only way to describe his current state.

The orb contained fragments of Cocolia’s memories, along with a strange, inherited power. It had been corrupted by the Stellaron, transforming it into an intermediary for Rift creation.

The memories revealed snippets of Cocolia’s life and included mentions of both Bronya and Sila Rand.

It was clear that the fragments belonged to Cocolia, but why the Stellaron had targeted only part of her soul remained a mystery.

Dan Heng leaned forward, scrutinizing Chen Lin as he stirred on the bed. His piercing gaze carried a hint of concern, though his expression betrayed no outward panic.

“You’re awake. Feeling any discomfort?” he asked.

“Hmm.”

Chen Lin pushed himself up, casually winking at Dan Heng, a subtle signal that did not go unnoticed.

“Nothing serious. Sorry to have worried you. And thanks to Natasha—especially for making the trip here.”

“Don’t mention it.” Natasha moved closer, her practiced hands giving Chen Lin a once-over. Her suspicions were confirmed—Chen Lin’s body was in perfect condition. As she began packing up her supplies, she added, “You’ve done Wildfire a great service. I’ve heard most of what happened. Without your help, the fallout from those Rifts could’ve claimed far more lives.”

“Just doing what I can.”

“We don’t see it that way,” Natasha replied with a soft laugh.

She continued, “For now, take it easy. There’s no rush for anything urgent this morning—I still need to gather the necessary materials anyway. Wildfire has also asked Sampo to scout the Overworld for information and gauge the upper district’s attitude toward you. If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask.”

As Natasha chatted with Chen Lin and Dan Heng, it became clear she was extending Wildfire’s goodwill. Likely acting on instructions from the organization, she made sure to emphasize their gratitude and readiness to assist.

Dan Heng took note but didn’t object. Cooperation was mutually beneficial, after all.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Natasha added before leaving. “Seele is waiting outside the hotel. She seemed eager to speak with you. Please humor her if you can. She’s a bit impulsive and direct, but it comes from the heart. If she says or does anything to offend you, I hope you’ll forgive her.”

With that, Natasha waved goodbye and exited the room, leaving Chen Lin and Dan Heng alone.

A moment passed in silence before Dan Heng leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “So, what did you find?”

Chen Lin didn’t miss a beat. Despite Dan Heng’s usually quiet demeanor, he was astute enough to pick up on the unspoken message from earlier.

“There’s been a discovery—not necessarily a good one.”

Chen Lin recounted everything: the psionic projection encountering the mysterious silhouette, his inability to absorb the foreign energy, and the revelation of Cocolia’s fragmented soul within the translucent orb.

Dan Heng listened intently, arms folded as he mulled over the information.

“Any theories?”

“Yes.” Chen Lin’s gaze drifted to the dimly lit streets outside the window. “It’s just speculation, but I think the Stellaron’s power might go beyond causing destruction. It could also act as a catalyst to accelerate it.”

“That’s plausible. If true, it’s a groundbreaking discovery—one that could change how we approach Stellarons in the future.” Dan Heng nodded thoughtfully. “Given the heightened interference from the Stellaron and our location underground, contacting the Express might be difficult, but I’ll try to reach Himeko and Welt. They may have additional insights.”

The two discussed the matter in depth, with Chen Lin outlining a general plan. Gaining Wildfire’s trust was the first step, and now it was time to wait for the construction of the dockyard. From there, he had plans to build several ships, though he kept the specifics to himself.

With the immediate concerns addressed, Natasha had arranged accommodations for the group. After a long day, everyone was ready to rest and recharge.

Seeing that Chen Lin had nothing more to add, Dan Heng excused himself to handle his own tasks.

Left alone, Chen Lin took stock of his condition. Despite the severity of the earlier attack, his enhanced body had recovered astonishingly well. He mused that his regenerative capabilities rivaled those of a character in a first-person shooter—just a few deep breaths, and he was back to full health.

Turning his attention to the orb, he examined it closely.

The fragments within contained not only Cocolia’s memories but also traces of a strange, inherited power. This power had been corrupted by the Stellaron, transforming her into a tool for spawning Rifts.

The memories painted a picture of Cocolia’s past, intertwined with mentions of Bronya and Sila Rand. They confirmed the fragments’ origin, though the specifics of how the Stellaron had manipulated them—and why only part of her soul was affected—remained a mystery.

Setting the orb aside, Chen Lin reached for his phone.

To his surprise, despite the patchy signal underground, his inbox was flooded with messages. Most were from Pela, Bronya, and Serval, while others remained unread due to the network issues.

Looks like I’ve got a lot to catch up on.

—

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!