Chapter Text
It's been a while since you first started this whole operation, hasn't it? Lots of shit's happened to you since then. You found out this whole thing was just an endless loop, you got to experience what it was like to be taller than a Gol3m, be top in every combat-related skill, and even learn magic! For a while, this was how it was until one day Doc told you there was a new imprint for you to test out.
From what you noticed, it was somewhat glitchy compared to the others, and it looked like a normal grunt. In fact, if not for the glitched balloon icon it sported, you would confuse it for another Noob imprint. Most of the imprints here were relatively normal, (Noob, Agent, Mercenary, etc.) and this looked to be no exception until you saw the name and the description.
The Inflationeer: For the longest time, you've had an interest in something not many other people had time for and frankly were more than likely not interested in after Nevada became the shithole it is: making balloons. Since not many people are interested in such things anymore, there's not many materials to make the balloons with. If nobody's going to make them, you may as well make the nobodies balloons themselves! Welcome to Nevada, you sick bastard, you'll fit right in.
Focus Skill: Unarmed Weak Skill: Melee Special: With the proper equipment, you can make balloons out of anyone and anything, even your own crew!
[+] Your experience with all of the handy work of tying your balloons and making different shapes out of them has been making for excellent hand-to-eye-coordination practice! Unarmed speed +50%
[-] You've always been slightly afraid of needles, especially when they're anywhere near your precious balloon collection, and made sure to make your weapons as blunt as possible.
Melee damage -40%
You were confused about some of the description. "Hey, Doc!" You called for him, but for once he's nowhere to be seen. He must be off to discuss things with the Maker or something. You knew every second you were standing here was time wasted. You had a Mandatus to enmesh, so you decided to test this new imprint and do your best.
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You got off the bus, doing your best to ignore the text above it that read "SOMEWHERE IN NEVADA" as it usually did. You half expected it to change like it did with the Magiturge imprint, but to your surprise it didn't. You met up with Bossman, who didn't remember you, as usual.
"You're very cranky, kid, you know that?" He asked after the two of you fought. "So I've been told. Anyway, I need to get the power running. Got a flashlight?" Bossman handed over the flashlight. "Actually, I do. See? I've got your back, chief." You went to turn the power on, but things felt different, even when the conversation felt the same.
You can't tell if it's just your mind being desperate for change or something else, but you felt as though something is different. You didn't feel this strange feeling when you went through the Magiturge, even as the intro text changed and you found the pocket dimension where you got your wands and magic stuff from. Maybe it was the new and colorful tape in the pile of sleepwalker tapes that you found near the sleepwalker bed after getting the power on.
It was labeled "Inflationeer training." You decide to put it on and hop in. "Hey, wait a minute, Chief, that's not the right-!" You drifted off before you could hear Bossman finish. While you were asleep, he decided to view the contents of the tape himself by watching what you were up to. You were on the surface, about to dig underground to face what looked like a bunch of monsters at the bottom.
Your only weapons were your shovel, a pickaxe and an air pump. The air pump, if your imprints description was any indication, would be your main weapon of choice when you encountered your first monster. It threatened to breathe fire and burn you to a crisp, but you were quick to throw the nozzle of the air pump right into its mouth before it could.
And then, as if on instinct, your hands went to the valve and turned it. The hissing from the pump and the ferocious growling coming from the beast as it struggled felt familiar. Was this your first time going through this? It had to have been, right? Doc just showed it to you, but maybe it was glitched for a reason? Maybe you weren't supposed to use it after all-
BANG!
Almost as loud as a gunshot, but with enough force to make you nearly fall over, the enemy that was getting blown up like a blimp had just blew up like a grenade. You simply stared at the almost rubbery scraps of it that were left behind as they fell to the floor as gently as feathers. You knew there were more of these monsters and they were all after you.
You could get used to this...
When you got up from the sleepwalker bed for the second time after you were given your usual starter pack and you went through both the normal and Inflationeer tapes a few more times, you felt rejuvenated as you stretched and saw that everything was already cleaned and ready to go. Bossman was more than likely waiting for you downstairs, ready to give you your next mission: beat up a bunch of Toughs and save your pilot, Chopper Dave.
Even if those Toughs make a bloody mess of gore and viscera on the street, making balloons out of them could be fun. Besides, who the hell's gonna know about it unless it's right in front of their face and attached to their midsection?
...right?