Ever since 2058, I didn't get many anomalies to keep my movements on their feet and my toes aware. So I had time to set into a normal life with the now and again of picking a gun or a sword up and walking out the door to murder a man who gets in my way. I'm done with that. I'm in my sleep, it's 2076, now I'm able to head off to do what I want to do with my comrade's help. I don't need to do any work, although I'd like to do that with something that intrigues me. But I got my main source of money by explaining to people under the alias of "Ray Hoffes" the science behind Hyperdimension Neptunia, bringing people uninterested into the franchise accidentally, although most likely the franchise was still niche at best and the older ones. Those I've found in 2050 with Drahoslav were respected unanimously by the whole of the fanbase. But things brought me back out when I received words from who I didn't expect in the slightest.
-Stanislav Ivanov
March 2076
Inside Stanislav's Subconscious
Revealing the outside world he perceived through the opening of his eyes, a void of color. While it frightened many kinds of people, intimidation didn't reach there, besides having to figure out why now. Colorful sparks of whites and tans go across him in the field of pink. Causing the short brown hair he had with occasional gray areas to move quite freely while remaining overall form.
"Why at this time, is there any reason why he pulled me in here now?"
"Hello there, Stanislav," a robotic voice said, soon approaching to be visually seen.
"Mondatta..." he mumbled.
As Mondatta got closer, his Shambali robe and body shape started becoming more obvious, while Stanislav adjusted himself to the environment. The omnic monk's hands came together once close enough. Gesturing to a table with two stools that showed up.
"Have a seat," Mondatta stated kindly.
Guiding himself there, Stanislav follows what Mondatta said and sits at the setup he made.
"I've discovered you're getting close with finding the fifth-dimensional bridge between our world and theirs." Mondatta began.
"The bridge between here and Gamindustri?" he asked.
"The evidence you and your former buddies during the Omnic Crisis gathered the evidence needed to make a firm conclusion. Your technology would be powerful enough to detect a major arrival. Every twenty years here is two years there." explained Mondatta.
"So things remained mostly unchanged there, has it." Stanislav assumed, tilting his head.
"Correct, they're currently at peace with themselves," Mondatta replied calmly.
For a moment, Stanislav leans back to stretch his legs.
"The Shambali, whether we agree it exists or not, this Gamindustri world you know coincides with our physical interactive world. Your investigation confirms our vision."
Stanislav looked further at Mondatta. As the priest puts his fingers together and the cupping in general from Stanislav's unstretched arm span.
"The priesthood of the Shambali, we're looking into how time notation works between there and your world. While we are in an interdimensional medium."
"An interdimensional medium?" Stanislav asked.
"Between two dimensions lies a tunnel of energy. We are in a pocket medium right now between such dimensions. But the real medium isn't found in your existence yet."
Stanislav nods, "What is the next step?"
"Patience, wait for that small network in your warehouse to glow. When it goes one of the colors the four main rulers, you'll know where to go."
After Mondatta's final words, the pocket medium collapsed slowly, bringing Stanislav back to reality.
Earth
March 30, 2076, 7:22 A.M Central European Summer Time (CEST)
A Warehouse in Copenhagen, Denmark
Inside it yet again, he waits for the signal for it to glow purple. He wondered what it might be, or where it would take him once it fully occurs. Sitting down at the site of the location as he waits.
"What might happen between now and then..." he thought as he'd observe the instruments and the crystal in the middle.
Slowly, a message from the expulse of slight amounts of share energy magnified, then the entire network went flooded with shares into the central clear crystal. Causing a dark purple hue to come, with a very small impulse.
"What is that?" he asked lowly.
He pulled his phone, starting to pull a contact app up. Before looking at the other instruments in his arsenal. Pointing for southeastern South Korea. Inciting him to finally press the call to the person he wanted to make.
"Pick up, seogsa..." he mumbles when the rings start, sweating a little bit.
No response came from it, only yelling the noise a phone makes when it can't make a call.
"KHUY!" he shouted with his Ukrainian accent becoming thicker for a moment before picking stuff up. "Flight booking time. I'm not allowing my investigation to go to waste. That's the next step, Korea."
Spending a lot of time at the annex which housed his essentials, a suitcase was packed. Also under the tracing grip of his hands, a sword and a sheath on his person gripped off and put in a secure location. He didn't want it to hinder his progress.
Finalizing the suitcase, neatly proportionate, no bulging, all the necessaries for his journey to South Korea were present. All he needed to do was book a flight and perform a couple of calls. Afterward, a departure was imminent.
He opened the door. His suitcase ready, and all that was needed for an international flight present. Pulling a Korean Airlines website and some other airport travel sites on his cell phone.
Occasionally, whenever it had to load, time for seeing parts of the Copenhagen skyline. Dominated through the excessive monorail cars composing its new metro after the destruction it faced during the Scandanavian front of the Omnic Crisis. Many smaller cars and such with occasional planes arriving to take them away.
After booking for a flight to Busan within two hours was complete. An autonomous car pulled up, coming from Copenhagen's airport.
8:12 A.M CEST
Copenhagen Airport, Denmark
Crowded to the brim for barely a human child to get inside, stationettes inside connected to the monorail system and traditional underground trains between cities. Nothing would've managed to get passed without joining an essentially eternal inflow of human capital. Occasionally, announcements were made. Oftentimes concerning the manner of now boarding arrivals and departure reminders.
"Why does this crowd have to be this large?!" he said deeply, walking inside towards check-in.
As he approached the booth, he examined the lines of crowds entering one of Copenhagen's monorail sub hubs and people there for an actual flight.
"Greetings, welcome to Copenhagen Airport, where are you flying today?" the receptionist at the desk asked Stanislav.
Stanislav leans slightly at the person in question, who had white hair similar to Lucy, the girl in the banner he had at the warehouse.
"I've booked a flight to Busan, Korean Airlines Flight six-four-seven-nine-eight-two-one."
"QR?"
Stanislav showed the QR code on his phone, which got scanned for a moment before he was given his boarding pass for the flight.
March 31, 6:15 A.M Korean Standard Time (KST)
Outside Gimhae International Airport, Busan
"Ne, nebtunia josawa gwanlyeon-i issseubnida. kkeutnal ttaekkaji meomul gos-i pil-yohabnida." Stanislav said on the phone to someone, carrying his suitcase across a parking lot.
Some vast space was available to him, approaching a light rail station attached to the airport. Separating himself from work in Busan to his arrival from Copenhagen.
"I get it. I get it, you want me to head to Seoul as soon as possible. I don't get why you'd want me to do that, but that's possible for me to do that. However I still need to be vigilant on what I'm planning to do." he replied again, this time in English, as he boarded the station and got on the train connecting Gimhae to Busan city.
6:22 A.M KST
Light Rail Train to Busan from Gimhae International
Exiting from the light rail's miniature bathroom made in case someone needed to take a number one or two, Stanislav starts walking his way back to the seat. A few people on their way with suitcases and other forms of luggage they've brought. In the car sold a couple of cheap affordable drinks
Until he saw a MEKA pin on a woman's lapel. Four words within a black border, lettered under gray, green, and yellow dyes. Hands in her lap whilst looking outside. He knew of the thing such as MEKA, but not to the extent for identifying a person from a sort.
"Dangsin-eun geodaehan gabang." the woman said, pointing out the suitcase the Ukrainian brought.
"Yeah?" Stanislav slanted towards the woman.
"You can speak a foreign language?" asked her.
"I speak multiple tongues, including your native Korean." he'd affirm.
She nods slightly, giving a slight pat to the room she made for him to sit at. Bobbed hair in black and tied near the end, making it appear shorter than it was.
"You look like you have a-" she began.
"No, no, no, no, no, I'm taken." Stanislav interrupted
"I wasn't implying that I was going to be romantic with you. You look like you have a-"
"As I said, I already had my taken for a girl."
"Reputation, that's the subject. You look like you have a reputation, what's your name?"
"My name, it's Ray Hoffes."
"Ray Hoffes? The person Soryeong Kong was talking about with those panels at conventions..."
"Kong? Seogsa..." he replied.
"He's your master? I thought he only trained the Pan-East-Europe Front key player, Airburst."
"How'd you know that?" Stanislav asked intently.
The woman slides a little bit away as she prepared her response, more city merging as a result.
"He's my superior officer, I am Daewi Myung of MEKA. Actually... You are the Air-"
Stanislav covers her lips as he leans his lips to her ear to whisper, "What you've said is true, but keep it a secret. Otherwise, I'll tell him you're exposing information that should be kept away from others and then you'd know what happens next."
"Sorry," Myung said, muffled.
After giving a stern warning, he moved his hand away from Myung's face. Freeing her to speak again.
"Anyway, my post is looking for a new lieutenant. You should go to the MEKA academy in Incheon and get through there." Myung continued.
"I have minimal experience with MEKA technology. Second, my reason for being in Busan is related to Hyperdimension Neptunia." hee said
"Really?" Myung asked, intrigued through a tilted head.
For a moment, Stanislav stared at his suitcase stuffed with clothes. Causing a realization he forgot to weigh in when traveling, forgetting to convert the krone he hand into won.
"I'm needing a place to stay and analyze stuff."
"No worries, I was planning on making a temporary lieutenant appointment for you anyway. Do you accept?"
He'd breathe in for a moment, before he gave a low mood statement, "I accept."
Myung nods, as they enter Busan's light rail station, guiding him further towards where her post was at.
6:50 A.M KST
MEKA Base, Busan, South Korea
On the ocean shorefront to Busan, giving the inhabitants there a great view of Haeundae Beach. One of the various viewing options while the inhabitants of the place have to stay confined to the MEKA compound. On its visible roof from ground level showed multiple dishes. Also, a few antennae for the newer generations of gaming devices.
The gaming instruments on the roof caught the attention of the former Airburst, who lived in housing during the Omnic Crisis that was much smaller than this. Myung, however, didn't have any comments on it. Primarily because of already being adapted to the proportions it held. They entered soon.
"Modeun jig-won-eun beuliping sil-ebogohasibsio." Myung said on the base's PA system as they entered.
Stanislav took the time to apply his former two-gold striped headband wrapped around his upper right arm. Observing from a sideways glance, he could've noticed a holo monitor with a full map of South Korea with sensitivity to their omnic foes the Gwinshin. Secondly, quite a bit of chair, indicating to him about the potential size of the squad. Like in the rest of the base, it looked technologically advanced and filled to the brim with MEKA technology while in a few bright colors and lines on their ends.
"How many people does this squad employ for combat?" he asked.
"Three, we're about to get another two," Myung replied, remaining professional with her officer's uniform on.
"The ratio's extremely off, why does this squad need a lot of support personnel?" Stanislav bounced back to Myung.
"Maintaining MEKA units are expensive and this squad isn't doing well. We lack the funds needed to get and maintain more pilots. It's only been after the voluntary step-up of Hana Song and Yuna Lee that we've gotten new pilots."
A couple of personnel took a seat. Invoking no more questions asked by the Omnic Crisis veteran. Staring those already present. After a bit, Myung was ready to continue further with what she was going to say to the squad she commands.
"Juui!" Myung said, taking an interval before chanting again, "Gwileul-yeosibsio!"
She'd turn to Stanislav and nods, indicating to introduce himself.
"Jeoneun Ray Hoffes-ibnida. Bundaeui saeloun jung-wi." he said, his voice indicating he wasn't a native Korean.
Booing from the squad members occurred, forcing Myung's hand as she drew a pistol. Drawing Stanislav to grip her hand, twisting it swiftly and in a way that it forces the gun out of her hand, and dropped her body onto the ground, him in control, restricting the MEKA captain from reaching to her weapon.
"WHAT HAVE YOU'VE DONE TO CAPTAIN MYUNG!?" one of the pilots said in English.
Stanislav lets Myung go from the hold.
"Those ethnic nationalists inside the squad need to learn to tolerate other people's differences. If you honestly want to prove the superiority of the Korean people? Fine. Myung's superior officer, Major Kong, would agree with you." he said back to the pilot in English, showing a Ukrainian accent.
He'd soon help Myung up after asserting the fact.
"He is correct, Ray is Soryong Kong's protege who's in town for right now," Myung said again, finally silencing immediate opposition to the new appointment.
Myung soon gave the newly appointed Lieutenant towards the pilots, dismissing the support personnel for them to return to post.
"These are the pilots, Kyung-soo Han, Seung-hwa Shi, and Kwon Jae-eun. Or by their public names, King, Overlord, and Casino."
He shook their hands as he mumbled a few things, "Kyung-soo, one of my comrades talked about you a bit when you were professional in gaming."
"Ooh, that's pretty neat I guess. What's his name?"
"I prefer not to say, but he accomplished much in esports during the late twenty fifties and twenty sixties."
"Wow, cool."
"The other two I don't know. So you three, head back to where you are normally."
The pilots oblige to his statement.
As a result, I've become a lieutenant of Shooting Star. Nothing much happened for the next two months, until May. Where the complete culmination of my investigation brought to me. The most eventful thing I've done in April was introducing Hana and Yuna into the squad and facilitate creating a social dynamic between the pilots. The same thing that Lieutenant Jelusic did with me and my comrades and I got to see how effective that strategy worked socially. Once May came, I did not believe what I saw in my eyes.
-Stanislav Ivanov
Translations:
Khuy! (Russian/Ukrainian): Fuck!
Ne, nebtyun gwanlyeon josalo busan-e wassseubnida. (Korean): Yes, I'm in Busan as it relates to my Neptunia investigation.
Geu gabang-eun mueos-ibnikka? (Korean): What's with that suitcase?
Modeun jig-won-eun beuliping sil-ebogohasibsio. (Korean): All personnel, report to the briefing room.
Jeoneun Ray Hoffes-ibnida. bundaeui saeloun jung-wi. (Korean): I am Ray Hoffes. Your squad's new lieutenant.
