Novice

He calmly listed his record, naturally with just a hint of smugness.

Star Sea Expedition was a full-immersion, real-time strategy game set across the entire star region.

It boasted an 85 percent simulation rate.

Players took on the role of a battleship captain, commanding their own ship in designated battle zones, either fighting solo or taking part in fleet campaigns.

It was made by a major tech company somewhere beyond the distant star regions, supposedly with powerful backing.

The fact that the game had become popular even in a remote mining region like the one KQ-03 was in spoke for itself.

In the past, Wang Dong had treasured this rare source of information about battleships, spending a great deal of time and effort on the game.

Playing this kind of wide-area real-time strategy game required more than a personal home computer. You had to visit a large internet café with dedicated login equipment.

The fees were quite steep.

As a result, internet access took up a considerable part of Wang Dong's daily expenses.

As a serious, officially licensed game, its combat records could indeed reflect, to some extent, how familiar a player was with standard-issue battleships and basic tactics.

Yuan Shu nodded, relieved, and said hoarsely, "Better than nothing..."

"I just figured that since we're still being pursued, we should avoid staying in one place for too long, no matter what."

Wang Dong shrugged, sounding a little helpless.

"After all, I've been thrown in at the deep end. I still have to struggle."

Yuan Shu laboriously turned slightly onto his side. "Caution is a good quality. It can help you avoid the Jin Family's pursuit.

"But there's something I don't understand. You have Yuan Family Secret Medicine in your system, and to get the antidote, you need to kill a direct descendant of the Jin Family.

"So why not just wait here for a Jin Family battleship to deliver it?"

Wang Dong smiled bitterly at that.

"I'd never actually believe that playing a game made me a real battleship captain.

"To be honest, I don't even dare pilot a battleship myself right now, let alone fight in one.

"Learning the ship's systems and starting with the basics of piloting should be my top priorities.

"Besides, as the ancients said, know yourself and know your enemy, and you'll win every battle.

"But I don't know a thing about my opponent. I don't know myself or my enemy.

"How could I possibly hope to win if I rushed into a fight like that?"

Yuan Shu relaxed and lay back down. "You seem clearheaded. That makes me a little more optimistic about your prospects."

Wang Dong laughed. "It seems you've always been pessimistic about my prospects, Mr. Yuan."

"That's because you don't understand how hard the Jin Family is to deal with," Yuan Shu said, shaking his head.

"Whatever methods the Jin Family thinks necessary, they can use.

"I've been going up against them for decades, but when my threat rating and bounty in the Jin Family's External Affairs Hall climbed high enough,

"and direct descendants of the Jin Family with more resources at their disposal joined the pursuit,

"I still fell victim to the very underhanded schemes I'd always looked down on.

"If it could happen to me, what chance does a young man like you have?

"Do what you can, and leave the rest to fate."

With that, Yuan Shu let out a long sigh, his voice heavy with bitterness.

Wang Dong wanted to nod in agreement.

In his previous life, hadn't he been hunted down just like Yuan Shu, with nowhere to run and nowhere to hide?

But he couldn't afford to look that downcast now.

If he didn't even have basic confidence, how could he expect Yuan Shu to entrust his last hope to him?

"Mr. Yuan, I was thinking that if we could stay out of the Jin Family's sight, even they might let their guard down.

"For instance, the Jin Family doesn't know I exist yet. So as long as I'm careful not to draw their attention, who would ever guess that the new captain of the War Axe is just an ordinary interstellar miner?"

Wang Dong said with a smile.

"That does make some sense. It sounds simple, but with a few of the War Axe's auxiliary modules, it might actually be possible. The odds are just rather low."

Yuan Shu's expression shifted slightly, then he dismissed the idea.

A veteran who had spent years traveling through space and knew the War Axe inside and out might be able to pull it off.

But rookie Wang Dong?

Yuan Shu remained unconvinced.

"Mr. Yuan, if it's a battleship, why does the War Axe only have one main cannon? Even with its four secondary cannons, that's just five guns. Isn't its firepower a little too weak?"

Wang Dong asked, puzzled.

"Do you misunderstand what 'battleship' means? Do you think a ship has no fighting power unless it's fitted with dozens of main cannons?"

Yuan Shu couldn't help shaking his head with a laugh.

"It seems you really are the rookie you claimed to be."

Wang Dong blinked, looking a little embarrassed. He said nothing, merely gazing at Yuan Shu with curious eyes.