Stellaris Tech Tree HSR

The closest figure to the people of Belobog was the Supreme Guardian, seated atop the highest throne in Qlipoth's Fort.

The farthest was the Aeon who had never revealed themselves, yet whose gaze supposedly safeguarded their city.

Beyond the sky stretched a vast expanse of space. From the perspective of another celestial body, Belobog appeared so minuscule, like an ant colony, that one could easily overlook its existence.

Many citizens were stunned by the awe-inspiring sight before them, fearing that the invaders of seven centuries past had returned, and that the Aeon had abandoned their care for sorrowful Belobog.

Elderly residents fell to their knees, tears streaming down their faces as they cried out to the divine being they believed had forsaken them.

An oppressive silence blanketed the last surviving city on this planet.

"Aeon Qlipoth! Belobog can't endure more destruction. Please, we beg you, help us…"

"Will more monsters appear? Mom, I… I'm scared."

"Damn it! What more does Belobog have to face?"

"Another enemy? I can't. I'm done."

"Why are you all panicking? Just wait for the Silvermane Guards to investigate. Hey! Why are you smashing that shop's window?"

"It's the end! Grab what you can and eat what you want!"

"Wdnmd, that's my store!"

From streets to schools, shops to alleyways, cries of despair and chaos engulfed the city. The oppressive atmosphere suffocated everyone.

But it wasn't long before squads of Silvermane Guards swept through the streets, explaining the origin of the towering metallic structure piercing the sky.

"Calm down! That's not an enemy. It's Mr. Chen Lin's work. You know who Mr. Chen is, right? That thing was built for geological research. Apparently, it might even help synthesize Geomarrow for us!"

"What? Seriously? Something that big was made by a person?"

"You wouldn't believe it if it were anyone else, but if it's Mr. Chen, I'm fully on board. Remember when he handed us weapons during the reclamation of the commercial district? Those things tore through Fragmentum monsters like butter. A pipe like this? He could probably make a hundred more if he wanted."

"Ah, you should've said so earlier! I was so scared I didn't even touch my afternoon tea."

Similar scenes played out across Belobog's districts. The panic quickly subsided, particularly among middle-aged women who loved to gather at street corners to read or chat. Upon hearing that the massive pipeline was the work of the revered guest Chen Lin, they immediately mobilized to dispel rumors and quash misinformation spread by ill-intentioned individuals.

They trusted Chen Lin unconditionally. After all, many of their sons or husbands had been saved by him just days prior.

If they couldn't trust their savior, then who could they trust?

The Guards also took this opportunity to round up several troublemakers who had tried to exploit the chaos for their own gain. Many of these individuals had already earned infamy in their neighborhoods for petty thefts and other misdemeanors. This time, however, they escalated to looting and other criminal activities. The Guards acted swiftly, detaining these threats to Belobog's safety, thereby laying a solid foundation for the city's future law and order.

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Bronya and her team returned to the surface, only to be shocked by the mass panic that had erupted in their absence.

Upon learning that the commotion was caused by the massive pipeline piercing through the clouds and into the earth—something the citizens had never seen before—they understood why some had mistaken it for a renewed invasion.

Chen Lin explained the pipeline's purpose: to study Belobog's geological environment and extract mineral samples for research aboard the "research ship" in orbit. The goal was to explore whether Geomarrow could be artificially synthesized using advanced machinery and methods.

Reassured by this explanation, the Guards spread the word throughout the city.

"Sigh… I wasn't careful enough. Just because I'm used to these things doesn't mean others are. This was my mistake," Chen Lin lamented on the way back, his head hung low. "Thank goodness this didn't turn into a disaster, or I'd never forgive myself."

"It's not that serious…"

Bronya and Pela quickly reassured him, though they, too, had been deeply shaken by the sight of the colossal pipeline. Instinctively, they defended the young man before them.

"You did nothing wrong. If anyone's at fault, it's us."

"Mr. Chen," Pela added, "Miss Bronya is right. It's perfectly reasonable for you to overlook this. We should have been better prepared. That's on us."

Belobog's technological capabilities were nowhere near capable of constructing such a massive structure, let alone addressing challenges like stabilizing it against high-altitude winds. The sheer scale of the project made it unfathomable.

This realization gave Bronya, Pela, and the accompanying Guards a clearer understanding of Chen Lin's civilization's technological prowess:

Even if they combined everything Belobog had, they wouldn't be able to scratch the surface of his world's capabilities.

Chen Lin's face twisted with regret. After a moment's hesitation, he turned to the group behind him.

"I'll make it up to the innocent people of Belobog!"

Gritting his teeth, he seemed to come to a decision.

"I'll file a request to share some of our technology. Belobog struggles with food shortages, doesn't it? That's fine. We mastered the technology to grow food in any environment thousands of years ago—hydroponics and accelerated growth systems! These are classified technologies, but if I can get approval, Belobog's food problems will be solved entirely. You'll be able to feed as many people as you need without issue!"

Bronya, who had spent years in the military, didn't fully grasp the technicalities of what Chen Lin had just described. But if her mentor said it could solve the problem, she believed him without question.

Pela, for her part, was equally confused. Logistics and intelligence were her strong suits; scientific research was not.

Both women looked at Chen Lin with a mix of awe and incomprehension, much like students attempting to follow a particularly challenging math lesson.

Okay, this will solve the food problem, they thought.

But… hydroponics? Is that just drowning crops in water?

Bronya hesitated before asking quietly, "Mentor, it's really not necessary… You don't need to go through so much trouble for this."

"My actions caused fear among the citizens. I can't just ignore that. Don't worry; no matter the consequences, I'll take full responsibility!"

As Chen Lin's voice, filled with determination and remorse, faded into the background, the group could only watch in stunned silence as his figure disappeared around the corner of a quiet street.

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T/N: oh mr chen lin heres your award for acting! also wdnmd is just fuck u :3c

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