The flashes inside and outside the smoke had no effect on the space creatures.

The battle in the cosmic void was fierce but silent; without air, not a sound could be heard.

Conventional firearms and ammunition fired and exploded silently, with no sound during the process, only momentary bursts of fire and shrapnel flying around. Similarly, the laser and particle beam, both forms of directional energy, cut through the void without a sound.

Smoke affected the laser beams slightly but had no hindrance on the particle beams, which excel in penetration.

Just as Chen Fei suspected, the space creature resembling an eel was disturbed by the pervasive smoke and the various hidden "mines," becoming more erratic and less adept at maneuvering through the barrage, getting hit more frequently.

Although railguns and shrapnel could not penetrate the scale armor of the space creature, if it had pain sensors, it would grimace in pain even if uninjured.

Biologically and medically, pain, despite being unpleasant, is a necessary protection. Chen Fei speculated that the creature must have this physiological feature, otherwise, it wouldn't repeatedly misstep, drastically reducing its dodging efficiency, making the situation grimmer.

Within a few seconds, four or five holes were made through its body by particle beams, and the laser beams left obvious black spots on its scale armor.

While the laser's power paled in comparison to the particle beam, its energy conversion efficiency was high, and both the power-to-size ratio and structure of the laser were much more cost-effective than those of a particle beam emitter.

If sustained or continuous shooting is possible, the laser beam's damage accumulates, not just simply penetrating. Even the extreme high temperature at the beam spot can cause a nuclear fission reaction. Even if the target doesn't contain radioactive elements, the principle is that the high temperature agitates the molecules too much, causing atomic disintegration, releasing high-energy, high-penetration gamma rays that further harm biological cells, akin to a miniature nuclear explosion close to the body. This is purely a physical (nuclear physics) attack, seemingly more formidable than a magic attack.

Adam: Level 1 alert, distance 240 kilometers!

"I'm flashing!"

The S-Class Space Ability User shouted, immediately activating the skill "Space Transmission"—go!

As the eel-like space creature followed the loosely laid smokescreen to charge into the inner alert zone of a small flying ship, they were nearly face to face.

In the next second, the space creature lunged at nothing.

Not only did it miss, but it was also hit point-blank by a tonnage bomb Chen Fei left behind. The reinforced shrapnel vest shattered into countless palm-sized triangles, propelled by the full-force explosive thrust, hitting the space creature's body hard, with one lucky piece even embedding into a particle beam wound. It hit just like poking a sore spot, causing the long triangular body to stiffen immediately.

Three attacking ships arranged in an equilateral triangle formation seized the moment to unleash a torrent of unreserved crossfire, drowning the target in a web of fire.

Attack, attack, and attack—this is the tactical value of attack ships. On the battlefield, offense is the best defense.

However, the battle was far from over. The battered space creature burst through the dense barrage, bearing its numerous scars.

"Transfer to the Second Battlefield!"

While devising a "Beast-fighting Arena" tactic, Chen Fei deployed detectors around to locate the next tactical point, a small asteroid about 4000 kilometers in diameter on the outer edge of the asteroid belt, with a dense atmosphere and a core that was still hot, with visible volcanic smoke plumes.

This asteroid was about 0.88 light seconds from the "Beast-fighting Arena," so the small flying ship not only launched several flash bombs but also fired a high-energy laser beam at the creature to ensure it couldn't miss it.

Deploying over a dozen detectors in close orbit around the asteroid as a satellite network provided Chen Fei with richer visuals, and the corresponding macroscopic perspective was achieved with the Psi Skill "Basic Optical Observer."

"Pressure 1.3 Pa, gravity 2.1 times the standard. Wow, it's a heavy element-rich asteroid."

Using one detector, Chen Fei gained more detailed data about the asteroid. He dared not pull such an asteroid into the "Life Space" of the Boundary Pearl, or it would mean dooming the space, eliminating any potential for life, wiping out even Atlantis in a total endgame scenario.

Astronomical bodies of such mass are rare not only outside the asteroid belt but also within it.

Adam: Enemy target distance 227,500 kilometers, estimated to arrive in 41 seconds.

An empty-handed angler never fails, Chen Xiao'er successfully hooked a big "eel" in the void.

A long-range laser beam from a small flying ship nearly shot through one of its eyes, yet left only a charred scratch above its fierce and fanged mouth.

If it had been a particle beam, it might have been a fatal hit. Even Chen Fei felt a bit regretful, thinking what's the point of devising new tactics afterward; they could've directly dealt with the aftermath.

"Prepare to enter the atmosphere, 'Adam', establish a file for the target, name it 'Star Perch' and classify it as a space creature."

As the small flying ship plunged headfirst into the dense atmosphere of the asteroid, Chen Fei began compiling information about the eel-like space creature. Each battle was a significant gain; with enough data, facing such opponents in the future would be much easier, avoiding the current frantic chase.

The Psi Skill of an S-Class Space Ability User could not be activated indefinitely, so before this trump card was exhausted, Chen Fei had to find effective tactics or weapons to counter it.

Adam: File established!

Perch [lǐ], a black fish that even snails can't resist, unlike eels with such a strong bite.

The small flying ship entered the atmosphere at subsonic speeds, so the protective barrier wasn't heated by high-speed friction with the air, maintaining a stable entry speed of 200 meters per second, estimated to reach the surface in half an hour.

However, Chen Fei didn't intend for the ship to land but planned to stage the battle within the atmosphere of this asteroid.

An atmospheric pressure of 1.3 Pa and 2.1 times standard gravity would favor the performance of conventional firearms; for the space creature, if it dared to enter the atmosphere, it wouldn't escape without some trouble.

Distance 0.61 light seconds.

The space creature "Star Perch" was approaching, reaching speeds of up to 300 kilometers per second, fast enough to traverse star systems freely, meaning it would reach the edge of the asteroid's atmosphere in 30 seconds.

At this moment, the small flying ship was 34 kilometers above the ground and still descending, while "Star Perch" hesitated only a few seconds outside the asteroid's atmosphere before diving in without hesitation.

"Wow, this guy chased in! With 2.1 times the standard gravity, it doesn't even fear crashing and turning into a meteor."

Miyoshi Xuesen exclaimed in the cabin, watching through the three-dimensional holographic projection.

The battered space creature had clearly lost its mind; a beast remains a beast, knowing nothing of calm. Once agitated, it disregards everything.

"Some weapons can finally be used."

Chen Fei released another attack ship, whose blast waves enveloped the adjacent flank, seamlessly integrating it with the small flying ship, switching vehicles seamlessly.

The cabin remained unchanged, yet the controllable combat units increased instantly, as the railgun loaded with tonnage thermobaric bombs accelerated down its track.

The attack ship rapidly descended faster, but the pursuing "Star Perch," akin to a meteor, was closing in as well.

Bang! ~

A milky sonic boom cloud swiftly glided over the attack ship's body.

Adam: Current ship speed is 1.4 Mach! Target "Star Perch" locked, distance 156 kilometers!

The thick atmosphere was unlike the cosmic void; the space creature "Star Perch" couldn't move two to three hundred kilometers a second. If it could go that fast, Chen Fei would abandon all tactical plans and choose to flee directly.

Out of cards, goodbye!