Rebirth

Armed with a warship game auxiliary system, he had crossed over into an interstellar age where warships represented the pinnacle of military might.

The interstellar age of Giant Ship Galaxy was the ultimate romantic dream for men.

Wang Dong thought his journey to this world had begun beautifully, and would end perfectly.

Sadly, his life had lasted only thirty-four short years.

At twenty, Wang Dong had a fateful encounter and obtained a warship that could continuously evolve and grow.

But his own carelessness, along with circumstances beyond his control, had also brought him one problem after another.

In the end, after obtaining the warship, Wang Dong had spent most of his time being hunted.

With the Auxiliary System's help, he had struggled on for more than ten years, only to fall into an ambush and be beaten to death.

Fortunately, the Auxiliary System had a one-time hidden function that sent him back more than ten years!

He was twenty, on the verge of the fateful encounter that would change his life.

By the third minute after his rebirth, Wang Dong had more or less accepted the truth.

Fate was so easy to love and hate. She usually kept herself shrouded in mystery, yet at the most desperate moment, she could suddenly give you the greatest surprise.

One moment, he had been experiencing the agony of dying aboard a shattered warship. The next, he was basking in a rusty breeze, relishing the solid weight of his feet planted on a planet's surface.

"Brother Wang Dong, have you picked a ship? If you have, hurry up and get to work. There are people lined up behind you."

The bearded administrator urged him on with a smile.

For a Mining Company, dependable miners like Wang Dong—who caused no trouble and worked efficiently—were highly desirable customers, so they naturally treated him a little better.

If another miner had dawdled over choosing a ship to rent for a full ten minutes, they would have been screamed at by some ferocious bastard until spittle covered their face. They wouldn't have received such gentle treatment.

Over the decades, the Auxiliary System had become an inseparable part of Wang Dong's life.

According to the data display that stayed in the upper-right corner of his vision, Wang Dong picked the ship in the parking lot that was in the best condition out of several dozen mining ships.

Compared to the others, every part of this Mine Overlord Type 2 showed up green in his Auxiliary System's view, indicating that it was in good condition.

There was also an overall assessment.

F-class near-space mining spaceship

Condition: 91%

No growth potential

The Mine Overlord Type 2 was a near-space mining spaceship, an old model more than a century old. But here, it counted as top-notch.

Its streamlined hull was a rare sight among near-space mining ships, lending it an especially graceful appearance.

Its F-class rating meant it was below average among near-space mining ships.

But for a mining planet in this remote star region, it was actually pretty decent.

"I'll take this Mine Overlord Type 2. Sorry for the trouble, Third Brother. Could you authorize it for me?"

Wang Dong smiled.

"Sure thing."

Administrator Old Third Zhou opened the portable optical computer on his wrist, briskly selected the Mine Overlord Type 2 Wang Dong had pointed out, then tapped it against Wang Dong's portable optical computer to complete the authorization.

Wang Dong calmly opened the ship's login screen and, with the help of a tractor beam, entered the cockpit with practiced ease.

Just like before.

Even though in reality, he hadn't touched one of these old-model mining ships in more than ten years.

Don't ask. The answer was skill.

Getting his body's muscle memory back wasn't all that difficult.

The fifty-three-meter-long ship lifted easily from its berth, driven by the exhaust from four high-powered industrial heavy-particle engines, and soared upward.

It climbed until it broke through the planet's atmosphere and entered space.

After setting the autopilot's course, Wang Dong let out a small sigh of relief.

Only now, once he had settled again into the vast, boundless, cold expanse of space, did Wang Dong finally relax—just a little.

His rebirth had come too quickly. He needed to let his thoughts wander a while longer.

This was planet KQ-03, the only habitable planet in the mining region of Baron Black Stone Territory. In his previous life, Wang Dong had lived here for a full twenty years.

Looking back now, he realized he still hadn't understood it well enough.

Before his rebirth, Wang Dong had known its orbital period, rotation period, and orbit, as well as the Asteroid Belt Mining Zone nearby, rich in all kinds of minerals.

He also knew that KQ-03 had a population of thirteen million, that three mining companies had set up operations there, and that the planet had a relatively complete basic metallurgical industry.

The most powerful person was the governor appointed by the barony, and a patrol fleet of twelve warships was stationed there.

But aside from all that information,

Wang Dong hadn't known that, among the various forces on KQ-03, the Empty Shark Merchant Association had the loudest voice, the Sky Tiger Caravan was the shrewdest at business, and Kingfisher Pavilion had the best information network.

Knowing none of this, he had still instinctively tried to conceal the fateful encounter he would later come across.

He'd never imagined that his so-called concealment would not only have been blatantly exposed to the eyes of those who were watching, but would also become a lead for people to trace and a kind of intelligence commodity, sold everywhere.

He had known neither himself nor his opponents. No wonder Wang Dong had met such an end in his previous life.

"Bring up the Auxiliary System."

At Wang Dong's thought, a familiar azure interface appeared in his mind.

Warship Game Auxiliary System

Permanent Function 1: Scan

Permanent Function 2: High-speed Human-Machine Data Interaction (Unavailable)

Optional Function 1: Spatial Signal Capture (Unavailable)

Optional Function 2: Module Growth Value Doubled (Unavailable)

Optional Function 3: Module Trait Self-Selection (Unavailable)

Advanced Function 1: Double Source Point Acquisition (Unavailable)

Advanced Function 2: Otherworldly Civilization Level Limit Removal (Unavailable)

...

The Auxiliary System had many functions, but for now, only "Scan" was usable.

This permanent function let Wang Dong identify the quality and condition of any ship or Shipborne Module in his line of sight.

At the moment of his rebirth, he'd been using this permanent function to pick out the best-maintained ship among the mining ships in the parking lot, all of which received regular upkeep.

It had also been the greatest advantage that let Wang Dong become an outstanding miner and earn his first pot of gold in his previous life.

The ship he picked each time was in better condition than the ones other people chose. As long as his skills were up to par, his haul couldn't help but be better.

Aside from that first permanent function, there was nothing else.

Everything showed as "Unavailable."

Unlike in his previous life, when he'd been completely clueless, Wang Dong now knew that the Warship Game Auxiliary System's main functions would only come into play once he had a suitable warship.

They were incredibly useful, and powerful.

The only drawback was that the requirements for using them were a little steep.

For ordinary civilians, like Wang Dong at present, owning a warship was little more than an unattainable dream.

The system was fine, and seemed no different from before his rebirth.

But Wang Dong knew there were still a few differences.

The system's only hidden function had been to provide a one-time rewind of time, albeit a short one.

Wang Dong had already used up that single chance.

That was the information the system had provided after his rebirth.

Fortunately, he had returned to just the right moment.

None of his regrets had happened yet.

Wang Dong had been given a genuine chance to start over.

In his previous life, after crossing over into an interstellar age where humanity roamed the stars, and receiving a system—the sort of cheat ability reserved for protagonists—

Wang Dong had been happy and full of ambition.

Everyone had a purpose in life; and if a transmigrator came with a cheat ability, surely they were born to "do great things."

Achieving personal fulfillment was small potatoes. If you hadn't made some contribution to all of human civilization, you might as well not even bother talking to anyone.

Unfortunately, reality always came down on you like an icy rain, slapping you hard across the face.

It kept at it until you looked like a pig's head and had no choice but to face the bleakness of life.

Wang Dong wasn't going to be so naïve this time.