Stellaris Tech Tree HSR

Night fell over Belobog. After delivering a smartphone to Serval as a gift, Chen Lin didn't linger at the workshop and returned to the Goethe Hotel. He had something crucial to attend to.

At midnight, a young man sat at a well-lit desk, a foolish grin plastered across his face.

To any observer, his hands seemed to be moving erratically through empty air, as if swiping and tapping on something invisible. His expression radiated childlike glee, leaving one to wonder about his mental state.

Chen Lin's hands continued interacting with the UI interface only he could see. When the confirmation button was pressed, a brilliant white light flared from his forehead. Faint purple vapors began to swirl around him, ebbing and flowing between his body and the surrounding air.

Above Belobog, the inky black clouds shrouded the city, concealing the stars.

Boom!

A deafening thunderclap split the night, and a massive bolt of lightning tore across the sky, illuminating the entire city.

"It worked!!"

Inside the Goethe Hotel, Chen Lin clapped his hands in excitement, his elation spilling over as he practically danced around the room.

While most people were exhausted after a long day, ready to collapse into bed, Chen Lin felt more energized than ever. He even suspected he could go weeks without sleep if necessary.

Mind over matter!

Tonight, Chen Lin had unlocked his first Ascension! Alongside it, he activated the Psionics Tradition.

After days of effort and careful planning in Belobog, his collective progress finally allowed him to fill the last Tradition slot under Supremacy. With both his combat and diplomacy Traditions fully unlocked, he now qualified for an Ascension Perk.

Given his prior research into Psionics Theory, Chen Lin wasted no time selecting Psionics as his Ascension path.

Had he not chosen the Shroud-Origin earlier, he might have hesitated, carefully deliberating how to optimize his choices for the best long-term efficiency.

But now, he had so many Tradition slots that the decision was a no-brainer. With ample space for additional Ascension Perks, he didn't even have to worry about potential conflicts.

Thus, he stayed awake for the grand arrival of the Mind over Matter Ascension perk.

"Wow, a 360-degree view is fascinating."

Sitting cross-legged in the middle of his carpet, Chen Lin stared ahead. Yet, in his mind, he could vividly perceive every detail around him, as if his body was covered in eyes.

He could feel something within—a spinning sphere of energy buried deep in his chest and mind, greedily absorbing ambient energy from the air. The biological shackles within his genes shattered the moment he activated the Ascension.

This newfound energy was called Psionic Potential, the initial stage of awakening one's psychic abilities. It marked his eligibility to fully unlock the latent power of psionics.

Currently, Chen Lin's abilities were rudimentary, and his active skills were limited.

Beyond the omnidirectional awareness, the only tangible ability he had was Telekinesis, allowing him to manipulate small objects using his psychic energy. However, the effort was draining, and his limits quickly became apparent.

At best, he could lift a sheet of paper and tear it into strips. Attempting to lift a pen would only allow him to raise it a few centimeters before his control faltered.

Following the guidance of Psionics Theory, Chen Lin knew precisely how to train and expand his abilities to achieve full psychic awakening as efficiently as possible.

Psionics Theory wasn't just a simple technology; it represented an era of comprehensive research into the untapped potential of the mind. This knowledge was compressed into Chen Lin's consciousness upon completion, granting him an unparalleled advantage.

Others would require years—if not decades—of study and practice to grasp the concepts, let alone master them. But for Chen Lin, the knowledge and its practical applications were already at his fingertips.

Satisfied with his newfound abilities, Chen Lin devised a plan.

"Whenever I have downtime, I'll use it to train my psionics."

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he focused inward. "The first step is to sense energy—that part's done. Now, I need to harmonize with the surrounding energies and absorb them. These glowing clusters must be the compatible ones."

Projecting his consciousness into the energy swirling around his head, Chen Lin's psionic form drifted like a phantom, passing effortlessly through physical barriers.

The Psionic Form allowed him to perceive the faintly glowing energy clusters scattered throughout Belobog. They drifted aimlessly, shimmering softly in the air.

His psionic energy, like a purple stream, wove through the alleys and streets, gathering these clusters.

The process required patience. The clusters were delicate, prone to dispersing if mishandled, wasting his effort.

Initially, Chen Lin's progress was slow. His inexperience and lack of control made it difficult to absorb the energy efficiently. Even after successfully integrating several clusters, the growth in his psionic reserves was negligible, barely noticeable unless he focused intently.

At this rate, without the perks from Ascension, a full awakening might take years—or even decades. No wonder only one in a million achieve it.

Still, he persisted. His psionic form flitted through Belobog, diligently gathering energy. With each cluster absorbed, his efficiency and understanding improved.

"Huh? What's that smell?"

Hovering above the city in his invisible form, Chen Lin suddenly noticed a vibrant, multicolored cloud of energy drifting toward the administrative district.

Unlike the faint clusters scattered throughout the city, this cloud was dense and radiant, practically glowing with power. Its enticing aura consumed Chen Lin's attention.

"The Fort?"

Intrigued, Chen Lin followed the energy cloud as it streamed into Qlipoth's Fort.

Unconcerned about detection in his current form, he passed through the palace walls, tracking the cloud deeper into the structure.

After passing through a series of rooms, Chen Lin finally arrived at the source.

Cocolia's chamber!

In the dimly lit space, Chen Lin watched in shock as the cloud of energy poured into Cocolia's body, disappearing without a trace.

The sight was both awe-inspiring and unsettling. For a moment, Chen Lin considered fleeing, suspecting that Cocolia might also be a psionic user—perhaps an incredibly powerful one.

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T/N: phew I thought it was gonna be an ecchi scene

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