Alex continues to walk forward, his eyes locked on Gilgamesh as the strange figure approaches. "Gilgamesh, unlike his counterpart in other Final Fantasy games, looks more or less like a normal man... well, except for the four hands part," Alex muses.
"I should be careful, though. He's not just a small-time treasure hunter but an all-around thug, known for not shying around theft and even abduction. He's also supposed to be a famous card player and swindler."
Alex, who carries only his [Solid Marine Saber] and not his revolver, keeps a close eye on him. His gil is stashed safely in his inventory. "Not like I have anything on me he could take besides the necklace and sword."
They pass each other, seemingly without incident, but Alex suddenly feels a slight vibration. Instinctively, he checks his status. Everything seems normal—until he notices one line:
Fantasy Coins: 300 Soul Crystals: Small x1 Gil: 200
"MOTHERFUCKER!" Alex roars as he immediately spins around and sprints after Gilgamesh, who's only managed to get a few meters away. Surprising the man before he can react, Alex doesn't bother with words. Instead, he throws a vicious punch straight at Gilgamesh's face. His [Navalia Fur Gauntlets] absorb most of the impact, but Alex still feels the burn in his knuckles, evidence of a solid hit.
You have dealt 7 x 3 = 21 damage to Gilgamesh
You have stunned Gilgamesh for 2 seconds
Gilgamesh crashes into a nearby building, toppling over a stack of old wooden boxes. He's stunned but not entirely out of the fight.
Fueled by rage but still cautious, Alex knows Gilgamesh is no ordinary thug—small-time perhaps, but likely skilled in combat. Without hesitation, Alex draws his newly modified [Mr. 5's .44 Caliber 6-Shot Revolver], cocks the hammer, and aims it directly at Gilgamesh's face. "One move, and you're dead."
Gilgamesh just laughs, his expression unfazed as he eyes the strange weapon. "What is wrong with you, my friend? Have I done something to offend you?"
Determined not to fall victim to this petty thief, Alex suddenly feels a strange sensation emanating from his necklace. "I can't kill him," Alex thinks, realizing Gilgamesh is a story character—minor but still involved with Zidane and Vivi. "How would I explain a dead body on the street anyway? Someone's bound to see it, and I already look out of place."
The tug from the necklace grows stronger, but Alex channels the emotion into something more productive. A red flash crosses his vision as he makes his decision. With steady hands, Alex shifts his aim toward a pile of boxes a few meters away and fires.
Instead of just punching a hole through the wood, the shot erupts in a small explosion. Wooden debris flies in every direction, some of it striking Gilgamesh, who uses all four hands to shield his face from the shrapnel.
[Mr. 5's .44 Caliber 6-Shot Revolver] effect activates: Explosive ammunition!
Alex, still seeing the world in a shade of red, silently and calmly says, "Return my gil or… DIE!" He cocks his revolver again, this time sending a shockwave of fear through Gilgamesh, who hurriedly tosses a small bag of gil toward Alex.
Player Alex Kerber has received 2,800 Gil
Alex grins in satisfaction. "Well, looks like rent money is no longer an issue!"
He lowers his gun but keeps it ready, still cautious. Though triumphant, Alex isn't entirely happy with how things unfolded. Gilgamesh, visibly shake, an unusual sight for such a seasoned thug, makes Alex pause. Despite his rough demeanor, Alex realizes Gilgamesh isn't a bad guy, just a rogue trying to get by.
His necklace still emits a strange sensation, but this time it's different, not the violent red from before, but something else. Alex recalls how he wished people had treated him differently in his own life and decides to extend the same courtesy. Without fully thinking, he tucks his gun into his pants, making sure it's concealed, and then stretches out a hand toward Gilgamesh.
"You okay? That explosion wasn't… intended. Sorry for that."
Suddenly, Alex feels a flash of blue, calm and soothing, in stark contrast to the red frenzy moments earlier.
Gilgamesh, surprised by the sudden change in Alex's demeanor, grabs Alex's hand with two of his own and pulls himself up, chuckling. "Haha, you really scared the shit out of me. Seems like I was the one who got outplayed today. You've got sharp instincts, almost like you knew I was going to rob you."
Alex smirks and responds, "Let's take a walk before someone shows up here."
The last thing Alex wants is to be seen in a shady alley with a known thug, it wouldn't exactly boost his chances of joining the Knights of Pluto.
A few hours later, Alex still can't believe it. He's hanging out with Gilgamesh, or "Jack," as he introduced himself, in the man's cozy little shed, built atop another house in Alexandria's poorer district. The place was humble but had a certain charm to it, a safe haven from the city's more chaotic streets.
Alex tells Jack about his life as a hunter and how he's new to the city.
"At least you got a fitting name, haven't you?" Jack teases with a sly grin.
Alex can't help but smile at the cheeky joke. He's warming up to this odd yet charismatic man, despite their initial violent encounter.
They exchange stories, with Alex getting to know Jack better. At one point, Alex offers to return the money, but Jack shakes his head firmly. "A loss is a loss! I'd lose my thug's honor if I took it back. Besides, I'm a master Treasure Hunter! I'll soon hit it big, and this little amount of cash won't mean a thing to me."
The two spend the evening talking about the city. Jack tells Alex all sorts of stories, including gossip about General Beatrix, known as the "thorny rose." Rumor has it no man has ever come close to winning her heart. They laugh over the rumors and exchange more lighthearted tales, including Alex's recent encounter with Jaine and Neira, the two soldiers he met earlier that day.
Eventually, the conversation shifts to Tetra Master, a game Jack claims to have "world-famous" skills in. They decide to play a few rounds. Jack shares his impressive collection of cards, laying them out between the two to make it a fair contest. Alex, who knows everything there is to know about the relatively simple card game, manages to impress Jack with his knowledge and strategies.
The night passes in good spirits, with laughter, stories, and friendly competition filling the air.
The mechanics behind Tetra Master are somewhat complicated, but the gameplay elements are fairly simple.
Every card has 4 different numbers:
The first number represents the power stat, the next one the Battle class stat, which could either be Physical, Magical, Flexible, or Assault class.
The 4 Battle class stats all affect which stat the attacking card attacks.
P will attack the Physical Defense stat, while M will attack the Magical Defense stat.
The other two have more obscure effects as they are rarer. X will attack the lower of the two defenses, and A will attack the lowest value on the card.
The third and fourth stats represent the Physical and Magical defense stat that decide which are used as a defense value depending on the second stat.
In addition to its stat values, each card may have a set of arrows pointing at any of eight directions. These points are usually referred to by using the traditional points on a compass (e.g. north, northwest, west, etc.). These points actually decide when a battle occurs and if a card can be flipped over.
The battlefield is a 4 x 4 field with up to 6 grid-blocks which prevent card placement there. From there on, it is a straight battle using the stats of the cards to fight against each other. Every player places down exactly 1 card per turn.
There are many more gameplay elements like combos and other special and advanced rules but Alex and Jack play by the most common basic rules.
However, as in the game, things are not that straightforward. The actual battles are heavily influenced by RNG. A card with a Physical attack class and an attack power of 2 can still lose against a card with a Physical defense of just 1.
The only new thing for Alex is that when cards confront each other, the numbers appear in the air!
There are numerous rumors about those cards; some argue they are crafted with hidden magic, others believe real monsters or objects are turned into cards.
Whatever is involved, or whoever created the card game, is using magic to achieve their goal.
No wonder nearly every character in Final Fantasy 9 has cards and likes to play. It reminds Alex of the holographic battles in Yu-Gi-Oh.
It's a useful tool to make friendships, gamble, or simply have fun!
Out of 10 games, Alex manages to win 4, nearly tying Jack in overall performance, which genuinely surprises him.
Suddenly, Jack takes on a serious expression: "To be honest, I'm kind of broke. How about a little bet?"
Alex smiles, just stating: "I'm a shitty gambler but a wise man, so I won't gamble."
Jack laughs, "No, not something serious. I'm just talking about another card game. I win, you give me back the money. You win, I'll let you keep your hand and throw in another one of my cards used in the game you can freely pick."
Alex, somewhat surprised, asks him: "Are you insane? Your collection is quite rare. I don't get why you steal money and risk your life when you could earn a fortune, enough to live for a couple of years just by selling your cards."
Jack just smiles and states, "My cards are holy, I would never sell them."
"But gamble them away?" Alex retorts. Jack then just laughs, "Gambling is even more holy!"
Alex, trying to find a way to tell him to go to hell, suddenly sees a notification:
Hidden Quest Offered:
Mission: Win against Alleyway Jack in Tetra Master
Reward: 5 cards out of Jack's collection used by yourself for the contest and 1 of the cards Jack picks for the contest. Friendship increase with Alleyway Jack and world reputation for beating him in an equal contest.
Time Limit: 5 minutes
Failure: Loss of 2,300 gil, friendship increase with Alleyway Jack.
Note: Deciding not to accept this quest will cause a friendship decrease with Alleyway Jack.
Alex gulps... "I'm not a gambler... but an equal game?" Did Jack pretend to lose against me a couple of times on purpose? Alex wonders. "No, he didn't. I could feel him being genuinely surprised after I won... so I have a 40% shot at this."
"You know what? In fact, this isn't even a gamble because I can't lose. That money doesn't belong to me in the first place, and my friendship with Jack offers way more opportunities than 2,300 gil, which can barely buy a stinky [Leather Shirt] worth maybe 500 FC if I'm lucky! The only way to lose is to be greedy and refuse to play."
"No hard feelings either way?" Alex continues. "You know you're making it harder on yourself, right? I already offered to give your money back without a contest."
"Heh, and miss the chance to earn it back the right way? NO WAY! Let's do it then."
Jack smirks. "We'll play with some of my strongest cards."
Alex just smirks back and screams: "It's time to Duel!"