Grace

Wang Dong felt a flicker of excitement. His eyes narrowed as he gripped the eight-way helm, guiding the Scout Warship through a series of erratic evasive maneuvers while rapidly closing in on I Love Juice.

Distance: 0.1 light-minutes!

The third high-energy round streaked past, eighty-seven kilometers away.

The sudden acceleration and manual evasive maneuvers threw off I Love Juice's sky-scanning radar fire-control system. Even at closer range, its hit rate hadn't improved.

"The two ships are closing head-on at high speed. At a distance of 0.1 light-minutes, there isn't enough time to fire another main-gun volley. This is the second round!"

After spotting Wang Dong, I Love Juice had chosen to close in at full speed, maintaining a high velocity the whole time.

After its full-speed charge, Wang Dong's warship had also reached nearly the upper limit its hull structure could withstand.

The two ships were bearing down on each other. It would take less than twenty seconds for the 0.1-light-minute gap to close.

That wasn't enough time for I Love Juice to charge, load, and fire its main gun.

"My main gun hasn't fired since the battle began, and I haven't been hit either.

"The other player doesn't know how much I've upgraded my warship, so they don't dare slow down and risk getting hit.

"So whether I win or lose depends on the next head-on pass."

Without consciously trying to assess the situation, Wang Dong reached that conclusion instinctively.

His wealth of experience was paying off.

The faster a warship moved, the harder it was to hit.

Not knowing that Wang Dong's main gun was only LV1, I Love Juice hadn't slowed down to extend the time before the ships passed and add another round of cannon fire.

Instead, they had chosen to charge head-on at full speed, then circle back for another exchange after they passed.

It was a cautious strategy, but it also gave Wang Dong an opening.

"Main engine thrust reduced. Number One directional thruster at full power. Main gun charging in ten seconds. Countdown: ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Charging!"

In the virtual starfield, Wang Dong's warship abruptly lost thrust. At the same time, the directional thruster mounted on its upper side blasted out brilliant blue flames at full power.

As the two warships hurtled toward each other, Wang Dong's ship visibly shifted. Its bow, which had been pointed straight at I Love Juice's warship, tilted upward as the ship turned beneath it.

Before, the two ships had been on course to pass each other in the same plane. Now, I Love Juice continued forward without changing direction.

But driven by the full power of its upper directional thruster, Wang Dong's warship changed course, angling beneath I Love Juice's ship.

The two ships were about to pass, one above the other.

At that moment, Wang Dong's ship pointed its raised bow directly at the underside of I Love Juice's warship!

As the ships passed, the belly of I Love Juice's warship would be completely exposed to Wang Dong's main gun!

"Main gun charge countdown: ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Charge complete!"

"Head-on pass countdown: ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. The ships have passed!"

"Fire main gun!"

The main gun didn't need to be reloaded before its first shot; it only needed to charge, and that took just ten seconds.

At that moment, Wang Dong's decision not to fire earlier paid off handsomely.

The main gun fired, and a high-velocity round shot out.

At such close range, it struck directly beneath the engine at the stern of I Love Juice's warship, destroying the engine.

I Love Juice's Shipborne Optical Computer made some last-minute adjustments, but the initiative was already lost. Unable to make a major course correction, the warship couldn't dodge a blast from such close range. The shot struck a vital spot.

"Enemy engine damaged by sixty percent. Output reduced by ninety percent."

The Shipborne Optical Computer's damage report sounded like music to his ears.

"This vessel's hull structure damaged by thirteen percent. Engine output reduced by five percent."

The contrast with his own damage report was stark...

Such a sharp change in direction put a heavy strain on Wang Dong's warship, whose hull structure was only LV1. Hull damage was perfectly normal; after two or three more maneuvers like that, the ship might even break apart.

But that didn't matter. Wang Dong had already gained an overwhelming advantage.

Wang Dong's Leaping Fish Topping had badly damaged I Love Juice's engine, reducing its output by ninety percent.

It was even worse than the brief loss of balance in the previous match. The other ship was now crawling along like a tortoise, and its main gun would take several times longer to charge. The outcome was all but decided.

Sure enough, just a few seconds later, the system prompt sounded.

"ID: I Love Juice has submitted a surrender request. Countdown: 60... 59... 58..."

Wang Dong swung his ship around and stopped a short distance beside I Love Juice's warship. He didn't keep charging his main gun.

Since the other player had surrendered, there was no need to "beat a dead horse."

One should at least know how to show a little grace, right?

A peaceful society, a peaceful game.