11.5 Intermission: The Rubenesque Lady Flirts

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Second Lieutenant Layx Haellen's POV

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In Thacon City, the most important thing was survival.

It was especially so for soldiers who were stationed in the Outer Ward zones.

They had to keep their guard up every moment, and face life-threatening dangers on a daily basis. They had little time to themselves and even that was spent on restless sleeps. Their motivation and joy were indoctrinated to serve their duties.

Thus, whenever their leave applications were approved once or twice in a blue moon, they would spend it mostly on dining fancy at the Food Processing District, gambling and fee-ing Class II s*x workers at the Lower District, playing recreational sports at the Commerce District and/or rigorous, casual dating across the Inner Ward couple hotspots.

Casual dating was in fact, the first and foremost reason these soldiers applied for leave in the first place - it was sort of the culture here in Thacon City, short, good times with zero strings attached.

And so when Second Lieutenant Layx Haellen first saw the handsome young man, Nuel Calibre that qualities matched beyond her preferences; a pretty, manly face, younger and more innocent, as well as a body with perfectly, toned muscles, she knew she had to grab him right away - right now, right here - or else she might have to witness such a perfect man got snatched by other thirsty b*tches of the Inner Ward the moment they return.

So she straightaway made the decision to openly pursue the young man that she just met a few hours earlier, with zero reserves.

That way she could mark him as her 'territory' and deter others from 'tresspassing'.

What use be of shame and what use be of timidness, if she could not get a man as ideal as this?

"I really like you, Mr. Calibre, the first moment we met, I thought to myself, 'Wow, I've never seen such a beautiful man before', and I couldn't get you out of my mind since then...

...So, I want us to date, Mr. Calibre, to feel things out, and gradually make it official. So, should we go to my room, the Medical Bay is a bit too open-"

"Wai-wait, wait a minute. What did you just say? I think I misheard what you said, hahaha..."

She must have gone mad to enjoy his flustered face.

The cramped hallway to the Medical Bay, and the thrumming sound of the Bastion's nuclear-powered engine just added more to the atmosphere tensing up between them.

She snickered then, and closed the distance between them, again, like she had done to him previously - like a predator approaching its hunt.

She linked her left arm around his as she whispered,

"Don't you like me too~? We can talk a lot~ of things together in my room, Nu~el~..."

"...!!!"

"...and we can do things that you like too~..."

He broke out of her linking arm with an abrupt force, unintentionally flinging her hands away, to which she saw that he looked shocked at himself for doing that.

Yet, she found herself more delightfully surprised than displeased - the young man before her had such dominating strength~...

"Sorry, I didn't mean to-... But, ma'am, I think that we should each take a step back and...."

"And, what do you mean??? Do you not like me? *gasp* Oh, my, you actually HATE me?!!!"

"No, no, no, no, I like you...but-"

"So, you really like me!"

"BUT! But I think I need some time on myself before I can think of anything else."

She saw confusion, fear and loneliness straining at his face, and she suddenly realised how ignorant and selfish she had been; the man just woke up to an unknown world with no memories to rely on, he must be feeling so lost and scared, yet she was forcing her feelings on poor him.

An indescribable pain pricked at her heart.

"I understand, I'm sorry I was forcing on you. But it doesn't mean we can't spend time together, right? I mean, I worked with the Administration, I earn my own credit, AND I have a house in the Upper District. You can rely on me, no, I want you to rely on me! Think of it as me investing in our relationship, you like~ me after all...heehee."

.

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Nuel Calibre's POV

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In Thacon City, the most important thing was survival.

It was especially so for professional players who spent years leveling-up their in-game characters to the highest point so that they could compete in the annual [ ex Umbrae Online : Battle Royal Arena ], which awarded the winning team with in-game Credits and IRL cash worth a total of 2,000,000 USD.

They started with basic stats characters and grinded <XP> almost daily to level their characters up, to outcompete and had the edge over the other players. They had to carefully plan their missions and backups routes in advance to ensure maximum return on the time and resource spent, as well as to avoid being <PK-ed> by other players and lose everything. They were indoctrinated to play all-in with their characters.

There was no such thing as casual breaks or taking unrelated missions, they would focus on how to make their character stronger and have a better chance of surviving to keep up with each of the game's gaming seasons as well as update and expansion patches; more powerful monsters, more riskier missions and more frequent dynamic events, which had a direct adverse effect on players' in-game resource accessibility.

It was no fun and games for players like him.

And so when he was faced with the attractive, twenty-plus-ish, rubenesque Lady Layx suddenly approaching him in such a wanton flirtatious way, his mental picture on her as the authoritative and charismatic Second Lieutenant Haellen NPC from the game he knew, was ultimately shattered apart.

That, as well as the fact that he was a thirty year-old virgin with zero experience with women coming up to him.

"I really like you, Mr. Calibre, the first moment we met, I thought to myself, 'Wow, I've never seen such a beautiful man before', and I couldn't get you out of my mind since then...

...So, I want us to date, Mr. Calibre, to feel things out, and gradually make it official. So, should we go to my room, the Medical Bay is a bit too open-"

「 What.The.F**k. Wh-Why-she want... What..??? 」

"Wai-wait, wait a minute. What did you just say? I think I misheard what you said, hahaha..."

He could see she was smirking at him, as if she had won something from him.

Funnily enough though, he actually felt that she was quite cute at the moment, despite the barely-lit and cramped corridor and the growling noises from the <Bastion's> engines.

Then, almost unexpectedly, the gorgeous woman in front of him pounced on him, his right arm was pulled onto her hard exosuited body, held hostage against the bountiful metallic chest-plating.

「 Owh! 」

She whispered to the side of his face, stimulating his ear red, as well as the big boy downstairs.

"Don't you like me too~? We can talk a lot~ of things together in my room, Nu~el~..."

「 What the hell is going on?! This Lady Layx is so f**king hot!!! I can smell the shampoo on her hair! F**k, Junior!!! 」

"...and we can do things that you like too~..."

「 F**k, I don't think this is right...she's an NPC for f**k sake! No, no, I got to pull myself together, I got to focus on surviving first... 」

He pulled away his locked arm from her, but he overestimated her strength and used too much force pulling away.

Her arms in the exosuit sleeve were flung away as a durability counter flashed holographically in his eyes.

「 FU*****KKKK!!! 」

<Krieger-110 Orian Custom Heavy Assault Exosuit>'s Durability -1.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to-... But, ma'am, I think that we should each take a step back and...."

「 I'm so f**king dead. 」

"And, what do you mean??? Do you not like me~? *gasp* Oh, my, you actually HATE me?!!!"

「 I need to pacify her quick! 」

"No, no, no, no, I like you...but-"

"So, you really like me!"

「 ??? 」

"BUT! But I think I need some time on myself before I can think about anything else."

「 *sigh* Yeah, Lady Layx, you're an NPC who belong to this world, and I'm not. You should just forget about me and find someone better. 」

Nuel looked her in the eyes, as complex emotions seemingly swirled in him.

He could see a noticeable sadness reflected in her eyes, as if she was pitying herself?

Someone?

Him?

He could not guess.

"I understand, I'm sorry I was forcing on you. But it doesn't mean we can't spend time together, right? I mean, I worked with the Administration, I earn my own credit, AND I have a house in the Upper District. You can rely on me, no, I want you to rely on me! Think of it as me investing in our relationship, you like~ me after all...heehee."

"..."

「 Owh, I didn't think of it that way. I see, I see, hahaha, I'm such an idiot! And Lady Layx, you're such an angel~~~ 」

"I think that would be just, perfect! In fact, let's do it like that, as soon as possible! What do you think, ma'am?"

An obvious smile carved at the lieutenant's face, radiating warmth and joy, ignoring his previous aversion to her approaches.

"YES, YES! Let's do it that way, as soon as possible, heehee, I'm going to clear up the storeroom for you to stay, or, do you want to share a room~ heehee,"

"Wait, what? No, I don't mean now-"

"Fine, I'll clear the storeroom for you, and I'll push for your registration as a citizen in the Upper District. With my lieutenant position, it won't be hard, what do you think, Nu~el~."

「 I think I just f**ked up. 」

"I'll just do as you say then, ma'am."

"Won't you call me by my name, Nu~el~."

"..."

"Say it."

"...Miss-Miss Layx."

"Good job, pretty boy~. Can't wait till we reach back~"

「 Yeah, I f**ked up. 」

The Iron Lady looked at him with a feverish gaze-

Suddenly, the Bastion's internal PA system crackled alive, dispersing the romantic tension built between the two.

>"Attention to all units; the Bastion is approaching destination Estama Outpost in fifteen mike, ETA twenty-two foer, fife. All units to maintain position until further instructions."<

>"I say again: Attention to all units; the Bastion is approaching destination Estama Outpost in fifteen mike, ETA twenty-two foer, fife. All units to maintain position until further instructions."<

Nuel returned his eyes to look at the woman beside him, who also did the same.

Lady Layx let out a knowing smile while reaching out to take his hand in hers, and cleared her throat.

"Well, we had our nice little talk. Let me finish sending you back to the Medical Bay, Nuel?"

"...alright, okay."