Stellaris Tech Tree HSR

As Chen Lin turned to glance at Stelle, she quickly withdrew her hand, though the telltale drool at the corner of her mouth gave her away.

If only I'd known that guys could get harassed too…

Shaking his head to banish the thought, Chen Lin ignored the girl's antics and extended his hand toward the air in front of him.

Both March 7th and Stelle watched in astonishment as shimmering data frames appeared in the void. Slowly, a wooden rifle stock began materializing in Chen Lin's hand. The gun barrel followed suit, forming with visible speed until a fully assembled weapon rested in his grasp.

"Whoa, that's so cool!" March 7th gasped, covering her mouth in awe.

Stelle mimicked her expression but delivered her praise in an unconvincingly deadpan tone. "So handsome. So, so handsome."

Once the final data frame disappeared, the completed weapon revealed itself: a simple yet elegant rifle. Chen Lin inspected it with a mix of curiosity and satisfaction.

He hadn't expected the weapon's appearance to align so closely with his imagination. When he was selecting the "Red Laser Emitter" earlier, he had pictured the classic Lee-Enfield rifle from the war games he used to play.

And here it was—almost identical, down to the attached bayonet.

Chen Lin's gaze turned reverent. As a dedicated gun enthusiast, he had spent years collecting and building various firearm models, even creating video content on weapon mechanics for fun.

Lee-Enfield was easily one of his favorite bolt-action rifles of all time.

Who needs automatic or semi-automatic rifles? Bolt-action guns are the true romance!

Back in his world, opportunities to handle real firearms were rare. During college, he had even worked part-time for months to afford a trip abroad, where he could fire weapons from the World War eras.

This passion had won him plenty of friends—and now, holding his own custom weapon, Chen Lin couldn't contain his delight.

With practiced ease, he pulled back the bolt, ejecting a golden bullet casing.

The cartridge resembled those he knew, but the bullet tip shimmered with a red, misty glow, radiating an otherworldly beauty.

Removing the magazine, Chen Lin noticed that it contained a small battery labeled Fission Energy. Somehow, the rifle was continuously generating ammunition.

Chen Lin couldn't help but admire it. Stellaris tech truly blows your mind!

Next, he equipped his "Deflector Shield" in one of his available slots. Though it was the weakest form of protection, it was better than nothing.

Once installed, a palm-sized metal box appeared in his pocket. According to the information in his mind, this was the shield's active defense system and energy source combined.

"All set, March. Let's move out," Chen Lin said, swatting away Stelle's wandering hand with a serious expression.

"Oh… oh!" March 7th snapped out of her daze and started leading the way, though she couldn't shake her curiosity.

Chen Lin claims to be a researcher, but… since when could researchers summon weapons out of thin air?

Unable to make sense of it, she decided to drop the matter. Happy thoughts only! No need to dwell on confusing stuff—it's not like thinking will solve anything anyway.

---

The three continued down the corridor, March explaining that they had two rooms left to check before heading back. They decided to search the remaining areas on their way to the main control compartment where Asta was waiting.

Unfortunately, the rooms were empty—any surviving staff members had likely already been evacuated. With nothing left to do, March led them toward the station's main hub.

Just as they were about to leave the corridor, three enemies appeared in their path.

Two of them were the same armored creatures Chen Lin had seen earlier, the ones he had mentally dubbed "card art monsters."

March 7th immediately summoned a sleek composite bow, gripping it firmly.

"It's the Antimatter Legion! I'll take them—"

Before she could finish, Stelle charged forward, her baseball bat clashing against the dual blades of one of the monsters. Sparks flew as the two exchanged blows.

Seeing no time for further discussion, March joined the fight, firing arrows to support Stelle.

While Stelle occupied one of the creatures, Chen Lin raised his rifle, aiming for the other monster's head.

Zzzap!

A red laser beam shot from the barrel, compressed into a focused blast that streaked through the air.

Though red lasers typically had low penetration, this was no ordinary light beam. Thanks to the advanced Stellaris tech integrated into his weapon, the laser's destructive power was magnified. The intense heat melted through the armored creature's helmet, scorching the dark substance beneath.

Even without a direct kill, the damage was devastating.

Clack!

Chen Lin swiftly worked the bolt, firing four more shots in quick succession. His modified body handled the recoil with ease, allowing him to unleash a barrage of deadly precision.

Stelle seized the opportunity, using her agile movements to leap against a nearby wall. Kicking off, she swung her bat with full force, smashing the injured creature into fragments that vanished into the void.

The remaining monster, enraged, lunged toward Chen Lin with alarming speed, its dual blades slashing through the air.

To his surprise, Chen Lin found himself unfazed.

In his enhanced perception, the creature's movements seemed sluggish—almost predictable.

With a simple sidestep, he dodged the attack, then countered with a swift thrust of his bayonet. The blade pierced the monster's neck effortlessly.

As he pulled the bayonet free, Chen Lin ducked low and delivered a powerful kick to its jaw.

The force of the strike shattered the creature's neck with a sharp crack, launching it upward into the ceiling. Moments later, its remains dissolved into nothingness.

March turned to check on Chen Lin, only to witness the aftermath: Chen Lin stood with one foot planted firmly on the ground, his body poised in a perfect split as he delivered the decisive kick.

She stared in disbelief.

Researcher? You're more like a combat specialist!

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T/N: pew pew i've been playing a ton of civ 6 recently

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