Fatty Meat

It definitely wasn't the War Axe. Wang Dong was keeping an eye on it.

Through the Quantum Entanglement Brainwave Control System, Wang Dong always had a clear picture of the War Axe's situation.

Just like the ordinary miners, Wang Dong went over and listened in on the news.

None of the miners set out to mine. Even Old Shi seemed to have come to his senses, looking somewhat shaken.

Running into a warship in the mining zone was no good thing.

In the mining zone, people really did sometimes die without anyone ever finding out why.

Even if the warship didn't attack, passing close by could still affect the miners' mining ships.

Wang Dong wasn't in a hurry to leave, either.

Not until Mine Lord Old Qin hurried over after hearing the news.

"You're all worrying over nothing!

Would a warship belonging to some great noble care about a bunch of poor fools like you?

The mining zone is huge. Do you think you'll just happen to run into them?

Even if you do, have the sense to get out of the way. You think some noble lord would bother with the likes of you?

Quit hanging around and get down to the mines, all of you. I'm raising this month's purchase price by five percent!"

Old Qin might have had a way of talking that rubbed people the wrong way, but he was pretty well-informed.

You needed some ability and connections to secure a mining zone.

The miners were willing to listen to what he said.

Most of them thought he had a point.

A few still had their doubts, but they couldn't bring themselves to pass up the five-percent increase in earnings.

Before long, the miners were picking out ships and preparing to head down to the mines.

Wang Dong was among them, like a drop of water blending into a river, showing nothing out of the ordinary.

June 22, 10105, Star Calendar, 13:00.

Somewhere in the Asteroid Belt Mining Zone.

After mining for a full day and estimating that he'd gathered enough, Wang Dong piloted his mining ship and successfully rendezvoused with the War Axe.

He docked the mining ship in the War Axe's cargo hold and unloaded some of the ore aboard the War Axe.

Wang Dong had deliberately chosen to mine some of that ore as auxiliary materials for upgrading the War Axe's Shipborne Modules.

There were no precious minerals, but the common ones were plentiful in this Asteroid Belt Mining Zone.

Wang Dong made his way into the command cabin with practiced ease.

With only the Captain inside, the command cabin felt somewhat spacious and desolate.

"Welcome aboard, Commander."

The Shipborne Optical Computer greeted him at just the right moment.

Wang Dong smiled faintly.

How could he possibly feel lonely aboard the War Axe?

The romance of being a man—look it up.

Taking his seat in the commander's chair, Wang Dong first activated High-speed Human-Machine Data Interaction.

Only in this state could the ship's Auxiliary System perform to its full potential.

Next, Wang Dong opened the system's first optional function: Spatial Signal Capture.

As one unit of Low-grade Energy Crystal slowly vanished from Wang Dong's palm, the War Axe's Shipborne Fire Seed began to react.

The flames, which had remained steady all this time, started to rise slightly, resonating as though following some kind of pattern.

A moment later, the Low-grade Energy Crystal disappeared completely, and the Shipborne Fire Seed settled down.

"Beep. This vessel's Fire Seed has received an Otherworldly Space signal. The Otherworldly Space battlefield can now be opened. Captain, please confirm."

The Shipborne Computer's notification sounded.

Wang Dong clenched his fist. The Auxiliary System had worked!

It had allowed the War Axe's Shipborne Fire Seed to receive an Otherworldly Space signal even in the Asteroid Belt, where celestial bodies made conditions complicated!

There was no need to travel all the way to some distant Cosmic Void Belt, nor to wander aimlessly through its cold, lifeless expanse and hope for a lucky encounter.

With the system, Wang Dong could enter the "Otherworldly Space battlefield" from any point in the universe with ease!

He didn't rush to enter right away.

The first thing Wang Dong did was activate the Mirage System, cloaking the War Axe.

That was important.

Next, Wang Dong released more than a dozen miniature probes and spread them throughout the surrounding space.

"Enter the Otherworldly Space battlefield!"

Finally, Wang Dong issued the command without further hesitation.

The War Axe's engines roared to life at full power. The Shipborne Fire Seed flared fiercely, its flames blazing with immense power.

Then, amid a mysterious ripple that enveloped the hull, the War Axe vanished from the universe, and in the blink of an eye, it was transported to another space-time.

A powerful wave of dizziness hit him.

Just an instant later, it receded like the tide, as if it had never been there.

Wang Dong quickly recovered.

Unlike the first time, when he had nearly thrown up everywhere.

Before he could properly savor the feeling of entering the "Otherworldly Space battlefield" again, a notification from the Shipborne Optical Computer sounded.

"The Sky-Scanning Radar has detected enemy forces. Search results: Tier 1 Interstellar Civilization; Planet-class Fortresses: 2, threat level moderate; warship units: 2,386, threat level moderate; inhabited planets: 10, threat level low."

The Sky-Scanning Radar rapidly returned its findings.

This was a star system with twelve planets.

Three of them were habitable, two were planets fortified as military strongholds, and a large number of warships patrolled the vicinity of the star system.

Most importantly, this was a Tier 1 Interstellar Civilization!

An interstellar civilization that had gained the ability to leave its planet's surface and colonize other planets.

Usually, its reach couldn't extend beyond its home star system, so it was also known as a "Galaxy-class Civilization."

What a huge prize!