After the first match, everyone was still feeling excited and were coming down from their adrenaline highs so the fatigue started to set in after over an hour of mech combat. While most players would think of a little over an hour as nothing much, these players all commented that they felt surprisingly fatigued even though they are just playing a game. A few of them even approached some of the Diamond-Tier players and asked their opinions.
"Hey, is this normal to feel tired after having a simulated match in a simulated game?" asked a new player randomly to Geoff.
"Yeah, we were tired after one or two matches at first, but it got easier after only a day or so. I think the brain just needs to get used to this sorta thing." Geoff said.
While these kinds of questions were being asked to the Diamond-Tier players, Giacobbe approached Gray.
"Hey, can we talk?" Giacobbe asked.
"Uhhh, sure, what's up?" Gray replied.
"I entered the Military Academy a few years ago but never made a career out of it after graduating. Kelly Lagerty used to speak highly of a guy named Gray, is that you? She was 2 years ahead of me." Giacobbe asked
"Might be, but I dropped out after my second year, so not sure what there was to speak highly of." Gray said plainly.
"So it was you then! That explains why I felt I could trust you, why did you leave?" Giacobbe asked with some concern.
"I... I don't want to talk about it, nothing personal, I just don't know you enough yet."
"...I understand, still, you'll have to face your own demons eventually." Giacobbe said sagely.
Gray started to feel annoyed "...Are you trying to sound wise or just forcing character development?"
"Not working?"
"You need to try harder, now go back to your harem team Stronzo!" said Gray while shaking his head.
"I'll try harder next time then, I hope the Iron Stalkers and your team can cooperate again!"
__________
After his match, Gray ran into Jono before Jono was about to sign off. It seems he really did create a team called 'God Pilots Squad' and found 5 other guys to join him.
"No girls wanted to join us, but I'm sure once they see how awesome we are we'll have no trouble attracting new members, especially female members." Jono said to Gray.
"If the other 5 are like him, they probably couldn't fit another person on the team with all of those giant heads." Gray mused to himself.
"How did you get those girls on your team?" Jono asked.
"Dude, they came to me, I'm just that good!" Gray boasted. Part's of Jono did rub off on Gray after all.
"If you were that good, you'd be on my team, probably just because your team was available and they were desperate for a team!" Jono said smugly.
"They were desperate, desperate for me!" Gray said while laughing
At this moment Yurika, Stacia, and Xyra walked past Gray and Jono. From the looks they were giving Gray they had heard that last part of the conversation. Gray started to break out into a cold sweat when he noticed their stares.
"Hey, did you hear that? Gray thinks we're desperate for him..."
Gray's fight or flight instinct started to engage but he was frozen with fear. He expected this kind of blood lust from Yurika, but Stacia was surprisingly capable as well, even Xyra was finally noticeable.
"...Jono... save yourself..." Gray said
Yurika put her arm around Gray's shoulder and said "What for? We're just so desperate for you we can't stay away!"
"You're right Yurika, we just can't stay away from him!" Stacia said as she wrapped her arm around Gray's arm.
"Desperate to kick his ass right?" Yurika said evilly when she squeezed her arm around Gray's neck and put him in a headlock
"We'll bring him back in one, maybe two pieces! Xyra sweetie, this is how you deal with pigs like Gray!" Stacia said.
Yurika led Gray by the head away from Jono while Stacia kept one of Gray's arms. Once they got out of sight, the dumped Gray on the ground next to a building and stood on each side of him looking down.
"I'm I'm sorry! It was just a joke!" Gray said while on the ground, begging for mercy.
"I don't think he's sincere enough... what do you girls think?" Yurika said while looking at Stacia and Xyra.
"I want him to grovel on his knees with his forehead pressed to the ground." Stacia said.
"We'll start with that... now grovel for us you slimeball!" commanded Yurika
"I'm sorry! I'm not worthy! Spare my life!" Gray said desperately as he got on his knees and bowed low enough that his head hit the ground.
"Hmm... he seems sincere, and genuinely afraid... fear is good, they never forget fear." Yurika said proudly.
"We're on your team, Gray, because we trust you, Xyra might not be there, but with how you've treated us as equals we believe she will trust you too over time." Stacia added.
"I appreciate that, wait... why didn't you say that earlier instead of dragging me off by the head?"
"This was waaay more fun for us, plus we want you to know how lucky you are to have us." Yurika said while both Stacia and Xyra giggled.
"Yeah, I'm aware of that... always have been" Gray said.
"Good... but we can't let the others think we let you off easily, so you're going to need to play dead for a bit while we drag you back to your room."
"That's ok... I'll just feign injury and walk back myself..." Gray said nervously.
"Play dead... or be dead... the choice is yours." Yurika said.
Gray thought to himself "I think she might still be a little angry"
__________
Later that day, a new legend was born among those who witnessed the 3 lionesses dragging their prey back to the den.
"I heard he tried to flirt with them and went so overboard with it they knocked him out!"
"Nah, I heard he tried to show off and ended up knocking himself out after hitting his head!"
"Well I heard that it is a cultural thing where women are allowed to literally hunt down a man they are interested in!"
"I heard he became their personal man servant after he lost a bet with each one of them and his family sold him off as compensation."
Gray sitting in the mess hall eating dinner and was hearing all of these rumors spread about him. He kept his head down and pretended not to know or care, but with each rumor being more outrageous than the last he kept hanging his head lower and lower in hopes nobody would recognize that it was him that was dragged back to his room.
__________
Gray returned to his quarters after dinner and just relaxed on his bed, the former incubation chamber could be unfolded even further into a double-bed after some padding was purchased from the armory. Gray didn't like the idea that he needed to use merits at first, but after talking with the quartermaster some, it turns out that you could get much more that just purely military goods.
"Guess they're trying to keep up the image that this is a game so they allow a significant amount of luxuries as long as you can afford them." Gray said to himself.
Gray suddenly heard his armlet make a familiar beep that signified he had received a message. Gray was very surprised when he saw who it was from.
"Gray! I need your help! Are you free right now? This is Felicia." the message read with Felicia's contact information showing up that he had entered in to his address book back when they met up at the game conference for Alterra Online.
"Yes! Everything Ok?!?" Gray replied.
"No silly, that's why I'm asking you for help!"
"Tell me what you need and I'll do what I can to help" Gray said confidently
"Just what I wanted to hear... meet me at Alterra Corporation in the Virtual World at 7:00 pm!"
Gray looked at the time. "That's in 15 minutes! I can't make it there in 15 minutes!"
"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll think of a way, I'll make sure to reward you if you do"
That was all the motivation Gray needed...