The Exhilarating Fight Against the Pirates

The Butterfly combat required the free movement of the wings and tail thrusters, executing movements resembling a butterfly's zigzag pattern. I controlled the wings downwards and adjusted my four wing thrusters, with two parallel to the ship but providing thrust in opposite directions, and the other two vertical to the ship. Due to the limited controls, I associated all the keys with wings and tail thrusters, not assigning any keys to the thrusters beneath the cockpit, which had already folded. I then controlled the tail thrusters at a 45-degree angle to both sides of the vertical stabilizer. The spaceship suddenly leaped upwards, causing dizziness that made it challenging to focus. Despite this, I managed to pull my consciousness back.

An asteroid was about to hit the ship, but I instantly dodged it and executed the opposite of the previous control, causing the ship to plunge downward. The moments inside the flow of asteroids always kept me vigilant, allowing me to attempt such maneuvers. I continued the same movements, with wings flapping up and down, and thrusters rotating in all directions with varying thrust forces. After about 10 minutes of trying this, I piloted the spaceship outside the asteroid belt. I then released myself from the seat and started vomiting into the nearby bucket.

You may think I was a fool to try out this technique for the first time inside the asteroid belt. But thoughts can differ. Without a punching bag, there's no use in punching. Similarly, I wanted to try this in the chaotic region to gain more experience. This kind of gambling is a challenge to my guts. That's why I tried it.

The stress I faced during the 10-minute duration was mentally draining. For more than 15 minutes, I did nothing and tried to focus my mind to stabilize myself. Afterward, I jumped back into the seat and piloted the spaceship back to the belt, repeating the same technique. To my surprise, I was able to last for around 15 minutes this time but was on the verge of breaking down. Again, I came back to rest and stabilize myself, repeating the same cycle of practicing and consolidating. I simply lost track of time. Soon more than a day passed. One day inside this simulated world is equivalent to 1 hour in the real world. The maximum time we can last in this world is almost three days. Already a day passed, and more than half of the spaceship's energy level has been consumed. During this one day, I successfully mastered the basics of the butterfly combat skill. The biggest problem I faced while practicing the butterfly combat is locking onto targets. If not for this issue, considering the enormous energy level of the spaceship, hardly 30 percent of the energy would be consumed. I practiced locking onto asteroids again and again. Even though I might have somehow mastered the basics of the butterfly combat skill we developed, my success rate of locking onto a target and hitting it still remained below 50 percent. Anyway, this gave me satisfaction because even during basic piloting, many people will fail to lock onto and hit their targets. That's why this is one of the hardest games. Having a 40-50 percent success rate while locking onto a target and shooting it down is something to be proud of.

Over the past day, I meticulously devised a plan on how to confront the pirates. With my newfound butterfly combat skill, I am supremely confident that they won't even be able to scratch my spaceship. Consequently, the probability of successfully completing my objective has surged to 70%. Now, I can adeptly maneuver for about an hour, executing the butterfly combat skill, further bolstering my confidence.

I skillfully piloted my spaceship out of the asteroid belt, heading towards the NF201 planet's path within the simulated space. As anticipated, I encountered the pirates after an hour, facing seven battleships. Executing a side flip, I evaded their attacks, but the mother ship, with its formidable capabilities, swiftly locked onto my vessel, initiating a relentless assault.

"It's time to test the results of my practice," I thought.

Engaging the butterfly combat, with a mere 40% success rate in locking onto targets, I opted for close combat. Despite battleships typically being less adept at close quarters, the butterfly combat granted me a significant advantage. I leaped over a nearby pirate ship, attacking it from above, and seamlessly transitioned to the next ship while dodging the successive assaults. As the mother ship unleashed its laser cannon, my battleship spun, executing a zigzag butterfly movement, successfully neutralizing the threat. The satisfaction of each precise shot resonated within me as I continued this dance of evasion and attack.

In just ten minutes, I obliterated all the pirate ships, except for the daunting mothership. Despite relentless attacks, my efforts seemed futile against its impervious hull. However, as I relentlessly persisted, the protective barrier's energy began to diminish after an hour. Recognizing the opportune moment, I initiated the second phase of my plan. My objective wasn't to destroy the mothership but to lure the entire pirate fleet into the chaotic asteroid belt.

With the protective barrier weakening, I anticipated the arrival of the next wave of pirates. Swiftly, I turned my ship and led the mothership back into the asteroid belt. The mothership pursued, aligning perfectly with my plan. My strategy involved drawing all the pirates into the belt, taking advantage of the chaotic environment I had practiced surviving in. After ten minutes of intense struggle, I finally dismantled the mothership, waiting patiently for the rest of the fleet to arrive.

As my spaceship gently floated amidst the tumultuous asteroid belt, I silently awaited the impending pirate arrival. Suddenly, my ship navigated through a densely packed group of asteroids, deftly dodging and weaving. Abruptly, beams of piercing light emanated from the surrounding asteroids.

"Oh, shit," I exclaimed.

In an instant, everything went blank, accompanied by a beep signaling the completion of the simulation. Opening the lid of the simulation pod, I sat there, contemplating, "How could I make such a foolish mistake?" 

Now that I've identified the root of the problem, I realized my foolish mistake. How could I overlook the fact that pirates possess the ability to camouflage as asteroids? It's a critical oversight, and everything has already concluded. There's no use in discussing it further.

I slowly adjusted my body and stepped away from the simulation pod. A familiar voice greeted me.

"How many battleships did you take down this time?"

"Seven, including the mothership," I replied.

"Haha... you still lost to me, boss. I got 11 battleships. The pirates couldn't handle me at all. If not for the second mothership, I would have taken them all down. Haha..." Lucas boasted.

I chose to ignore him.

"Where is Sara?"

"She's waiting outside," Lucas replied.

"Okay, let's go. How did she fare in the simulation?" I inquired.

"Not well, boss. She didn't last even 5 minutes. She's quite upset, so be careful with your words when talking to her," Lucas warned me.

"Okay, I understand."

Soon after, we both exited the Space War simulation area.

Somewhere distant...

"General, take a look at these clips."

A man in military uniform, adorned with stars on his epaulet, politely saluted and presented a video clip to a burly man sitting in a private room. The stars indicated his higher rank in the military.

As the burly man viewed the video clip, a hint of surprise crossed his face.

"Who are these young fellows? They've got some skills."

"General, these two are from the Peturian continent. It seems they haven't acquired citizenship yet. Both are 14 years old and named Sai and Lucas respectively. They study at the New Dawn Academy of the Economic State while working part-time at the Twin Birds cafe. Their academic results are quite impressive," the man, a lieutenant colonel, provided the information.

"The discrimination by common Peturians toward those without citizenship is substantial. Despite that, these guys show remarkable academic performance. Instruct the education department of Peturia to take care of them. Also, inform the central cybersecurity council to keep these clips confidential for now," the burly man gave his orders.

Recalling how these two maneuvered spaceships were inside the simulation, a faint smile appeared on his face.

"You guys have no idea how much trouble you've caused this time. It's a shame you don't have citizenship yet. You'll need to hold on for a while."

In the Peturian eve...

Lucas and Sai collected the rewards for completing their mission, receiving twice the amount they paid for entering the simulation.

"Boss, why don't we try again?" Lucas suggested to Sai.

Sai turned him down, saying, "No, we don't have much time. There are many other things we need to attend to. Let's go."

Without arguing, Lucas followed him.

They found Sara waiting at the entrance of the Space War Simulation, clearly in a sour mood.

"Hey, Sara, what a pity... even the boss won the game. Yet you didn't last for even 5 minutes. Ha Ha..." Lucas needled her.

Sara shot an angry look at him but remained silent.

Changing the topic, Sai said, "Hey, Sara, let's go. We have many other things to explore. We can't waste our time."

Sara nodded, and the three of them departed.