Traveling from Planet KQ-03 to the Asteroid Belt Mining Zone using the high-powered engines of the Mine Overlord Type II would take approximately thirteen hours.
The route had long been cleared and was regularly maintained.
There was no need for Wang Dong to manually pilot the ship the entire time.
Once the vessel entered the auto-pilot phase, the Shipboard AI Core could take over complete control.
After setting Mining Zone Entrance No. 2 as the destination, Wang Dong left the control station.
He began with a full-body stretching routine, followed by core activation exercises, and finally a set of upper body advanced muscle training.
The workout was intense, lasting a full hour.
Wang Dong was soon drenched in sweat.
"A body that hasn't practiced any Body Forging Technique really does fall short," he muttered to himself in slight dissatisfaction.
"Unfortunately, the elite class controls access to the prerequisites for learning Body Forging Techniques. In a backwater place like the Mining Star Region, the difficulty is just too high."
From ancient times to the present, class divisions in human civilization had always been hard to avoid.
Even in the interstellar era—where in theory productivity far exceeded actual demand—this was still the case.
Compared to the planetary era, the privileged class of the interstellar era enjoyed even more stable status thanks to the high-end resources they controlled—or monopolized.
The absolute gap between classes in the interstellar age far surpassed that of the planetary age.
But Wang Dong wasn't particularly worried about this.
The current date was Stellar Calendar Year 10103, June 1st. Only ten days remained until the fateful turning point of his past life.
If all went smoothly, Wang Dong would soon touch that upper echelon in ten days.
Wang Dong was accustomed to using the Stellar Calendar rather than any localized system of timekeeping.
Every planet had a different rotation and revolution cycle, so the definition of a 24-hour day (rotation period) and a 365-day year (revolution period) only applied to humanity's original home—Blue Planet.
Strictly speaking, every planet had its own calendar based on local conditions.
But for those living in space or frequently traveling between planets, a standardized calendar was necessary for consistent timekeeping.
The Stellar Calendar was precisely that.
Based on a 24-hour day and a 365-day year, it served as the universal standard for human civilization.
Thirteen hours passed in the blink of an eye.
While Wang Dong sorted through his thoughts, the Mine Overlord Type II had already arrived at its destination.
"Arrived at Asteroid Belt Mining Zone Entrance No. 2. Auto-navigation will disengage shortly. Please switch to manual mode."
The prompt from the Shipboard AI Core was monotonous and dull.
This Mine Overlord Type II Low-Altitude Mining Vessel was not only an old model, but also a low-end variant—it didn't even come with personalized voice prompts.
As expected, Old Niu, the procurement officer, was as stingy as ever.
Wang Dong was already seated at the console. Upon hearing the prompt, he immediately pulled the control lever and switched to manual mode.
Using auto-navigation in the complex spatial environment of an asteroid belt? That would be asking too much of the "486"-level processor in the Mine Overlord Type II.
It simply wasn't capable.
The Asteroid Belt Mining Zone in space wasn't like planetary mining zones with fixed positions.
It was constantly in motion, just like how planets revolve around stars.
Whether from an external reference or within the belt itself, everything was always moving.
So, Entrance No. 2 wasn't an actual "entry point" on the belt.
It referred to a relatively fixed Forward Base set up by the mining company in nearby space to help miners position themselves and provide basic logistical support.
Piloting the Mine Overlord Type II, Wang Dong smoothly docked with Entrance No. 2's Forward Base.
It was a spindle-shaped steel structure—dark, solid, and reliable.
Its rhythmic blinking lights looked like a warm cabin in the middle of a dark wilderness.
It was a beacon for interstellar miners.
"What's the situation?"
After connecting to the local-area communication network via the Forward Base, Wang Dong asked the observer inside while activating the ship's scanner to survey the nearby asteroid belt.
"Flow rate is normal. The next Mining Window should open in about an hour. Brother Dong, welcome back."
A warm and lively female voice came through.
Wang Dong blinked in slight surprise.
"Liya? You're on shift today?"
"It's the first week of the month, of course it's my shift. Brother Dong, I can't believe you forgot when the cutest Little Liya is on duty—how heartbreaking."
Her playful tone was laced with feigned sadness, instantly recognizable.
It was her—it had to be her. Blond hair, blue eyes, brface, standing 180 tall and weighing 180 kilos—the beloved guardian of all interstellar miners: Little Liya.
Wang Dong couldn't help but hear that catchy tune in his head.
She was an enthusiastic and cheerful big sister who always managed to lift the spirits of those around her.
In the dead silence of space, warmth like that was a blessing.
After all, it had been over a decade since they last met—forgetting her shift schedule was understandable.
Now that he had just been reborn, whether this kind of reaction seemed suspicious didn't really concern Wang Dong.
Forgetting someone's shift schedule every now and then wasn't a big deal.
Other than Liya, with her overflowing warmth, very few Forward Base staff left an impression on the miners.
Laughing off her teasing, Wang Dong chatted with her briefly, mainly about the recent activity in the asteroid belt and whether there had been any unusual fluctuations.
Although he recalled the Asteroid Belt Mining Zone as relatively stable in his past life, when it came to matters of personal safety, one could never be too careful.
It was a common mindset among interstellar miners.
Your life is your own—if you don't take it seriously, who else will?
"Oh right, Old Shi chose Entrance No. 2 this time too—keep an eye out."
At the end, Liya gave Wang Dong a small warning.
"Old Shi?"
Wang Dong thought for a moment, then recalled the name as he took in the familiar surroundings. The distant memory surfaced.
After transmigrating, Wang Dong had the help of his cheat-like system, allowing him to always pick the best-maintained Mining Vessel out of the lot.
Furthermore, the system let him monitor his ship's status in real time.
This enabled him to fully unleash the vessel's maximum performance when necessary.
With such an "advantage," Wang Dong was often able to delve deeper into the mining zones than others and return with significantly more resources.
Although he had hidden the existence of his system well, the sheer scale of his gains naturally stirred envy.
Old Shi was one of those people.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。