NOVEL NEXT Chapter 34: The Heart of the Cards and Becoming a Conman
Update 07.10.2024: I have completely overhauled the first 23 chapters of my story and slightly tweaked the other chapters as well.
*Chapter start:*
Jack takes back the cards from earlier, which in Alex’s opinion were already solid mid-tier options, no low-tier Goblin, Fang, Skeleton, or Flan cards here. But Jack surprises him by upgrading those cards, replacing them with even rarer ones.
He spreads ten cards out on the small table, and Alex’s eyes widen when he sees them. "He even brought out one of his airship cards," Alex mumbles to himself in disbelief, knowing it’s one of the rarest cards Jack owns. He also notices that some of the other cards are unfamiliar, different from the hundred cards Alex knows from the original game. Clearly, this world isn’t restricted to just the known set.
Jack flips a 1-gil coin high into the air and catches it, showing Alex just enough of a glance to hint that it might land on heads. The grin on Jack’s face instantly alerts Alex; he’s about to get played. Bracing himself, Alex hopes to at least soften the blow of the inevitable swindle.
“Stretch out the hand with the coin,” Alex says, masking his suspicion.
Jack, with a smirk, stretches out his hand, still holding the coin. Alex then takes out his own gil coin, flips it, and announces the result. “Tails,” he says confidently.
"Why did you choose tails?" Jack asks, intrigued.
“Because I’m not exactly lucky at gambling or good at tricks. So, I decided to trust my own coin flip and let chance settle it! This way, I can’t be too disappointed either way.”
Jack chuckles. "Takes guts to admit your own weaknesses." He opens the hand that Alex is still holding, revealing tails, the opposite of what he had tried to let Alex see.
“Did you expect a double bluff?” Jack laughs. “You should’ve picked tails from the start, knowing a little more about me by now.”
Alex smiles. “It’s fine, let’s go,” he says, choosing the rare Airship card first.
Jack makes his pick, and Alex ends up with an Airship card boasting an impressive six arrows, only missing the southern and western directions. He carefully selects four more solid cards: Feather Circle, Troll, Abomination, and Zemzelett, all with at least three arrows each. While he would have liked a few other options, he ensures a balanced hand with arrows in every direction.
After a tough game, Alex feels defeated. Jack manages to outwit him at the last moment, placing his Gargoyle card with a 5M attack against Alex’s Abomination, which has only a magical defense of 3. Alex had set up his Abomination to counter Jack’s direction of attack but hadn’t factored in Jack’s actual strength.
The numbers flash as the cards clash, and Alex braces for a loss. Against all odds, however, his luck comes through, most likely his 7 LUK stat, and his Abomination manages to overturn Jack’s Gargoyle. Both players shout in shock, “WHAT??”
Silently, Alex thanks his luck. He knows he didn’t truly deserve this win.
Jack is torn between laughing and crying. Not only has he lost five strong cards, including the rare Airship, but Alex wastes no time. “I’ll take your Gargoyle,” Alex declares, snatching yet another card from Jack.
Hidden Quest completed:
Mission: Win against Alleyway Jack in Tetra masters
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.
Alex grins, admiring his six new cards. Unlike Vivi and Zidane, who start with the common, low-tier cards every kid has, Alex now holds a set of rare and strong cards. His Airship card, in particular, stuns him.
[Airship card]
World: Final Fantasy 9
Quality: Light Purple
Type: Tetra Master Card’
Note: Can’t be taken out of this mission nor sold for gil in shops. Can be lost in Tetra Master games. Upon returning to the Fantasy Realm, your 10 rarest cards will be converted into FC.
All his other new cards range from light to deep green in quality and carry the same note. “I don’t know how much these cards are worth, probably only a fraction of real items of the same quality, but if I can take out these six, maybe get four more decent cards, I’ll make a small fortune!”
Meanwhile, Jack continues to laugh, genuinely unfazed by his major loss. Alex marvels at the man’s mental resilience and good-natured attitude.
It’s already late, and Alex mentions he needs to head back to the hotel. Jack waves the idea away instantly. “Pay those ridiculous prices? Nah. Just stay here. I’ve got another cheap mattress.”
Alex calculates… “Should I really do this?” Normally, he wouldn’t. Associating with Jack could ruin his reputation, or worse, might get him backstabbed. He’s about to decline but pauses, thinking about Final Fantasy 9 as a whole.
The game has its cruel sides, but most of the characters are some of the most heartwarming, genuinely good-willed people he’s ever seen in a video game. Not the one-dimensional “good guys” from shallow anime and games, but characters who’d make you cry manly tears with their depth. Alex decides to live his life with a healthy mindset and goes with his gut. If he ends up paying for it, he’ll accept it as part of the journey.
He nods, “Sure, that would be a great help!”
“GREAT! I’ve got a good way of earning some Gil planned for tomorrow, and you’ll help me! It’s the least you can do, hehe.” Jack grins, and Alex finds himself genuinely smiling too.
“I always dreamed about becoming a conman or swindler, why not try it out in this world?” he grins back.
The next day arrives, and some of Alex’s worries are already proven wrong. Nothing happens to him, none of his items are missing, and when Alex wakes up, he can still hear Jack snoring.
Stepping out of Jack’s small, one-room house, Alex breathes in the fresh morning air of Alexandria. From the rooftop, where Jack’s little home is perched, Alex has a great view of the city, and he can’t help but admire the scenery.
A few minutes later, Jack also steps out, and they head off to grab some cheap food from a nearby store. The smell of fresh bread fills the air, and Alex is happy to enjoy something relatively normal. He remembers all the weird and crazy foods from Final Fantasy 9 and decides to buy a lot of regular food to avoid being stuck with delicacies like “Soup du Silence.”
Alex ends up treating Jack but doesn’t spend more than 100 gil, even though he buys more than he needs and stashes extra bread in his inventory. As luck would have it, he stumbles upon an item the system recognizes!
[Freshly baked pumpkin bread]
World: Final Fantasy 9
Quality: Gray
Effect: Heals 5HP and increases natural HP regeneration by 10% for 2 hours
Note: Dirt cheap, rock hard but very nourishing.
Price: 100Gil (Limited to 3 per player inventory)
Alex buys it without hesitation. As an item recognized by the system, it costs as much as the 20 to 30 loaves of normal bread he bought earlier. Remembering that even Jerky fetched 300 FC back in the Fantasy Realm, and this item costs just 10 FC when converting gil, he realizes it’s an insanely good deal. If he decides to sell it instead of using it, he could easily multiply his money by 20!
Back at Jack’s place, they sit and eat while chatting about cards and the pubs Jack frequents.
Since Alex plans to join the Knights of Pluto tomorrow, he tells Jack that today is the only free day he has without any obligations. Starting tomorrow, if he gets hired, he’ll probably only be available sometimes and won’t be able to openly do anything questionable.
Jack just shrugs it off. “No problem, man, today’s good enough. And even if you do join, you’ll still have some free time... actually, you could even help me with a bit of business if you end up with the keys to the palace, hehe.”
Alex can’t believe the nerve of this guy. “Maybe once I’m settled in. I’d rather not get fired and thrown in jail right after joining... if by some miracle I even make it in.”
“Good enough, my friend. Now, let’s talk business. First off, take this.”
[Jack’s Spare Silvery Mask]
World: Final Fantasy 9
Quality: Light green
Type: Cap (Mask)
Required stats: SNS - 6 CHA - 4
Durability: 25/25
Effect: Hides your identity and immediately gives you a bad reputation among honest citizens but a neutral reputation with the underworld.
Note: Does not only make you look cool but also suspicious as hell. Works only against non player characters and some characters can see through this shoddy disguise with ease. Be careful who you’re trying to fool.
Alex checks his status, pleased not only because of the mask but also because Jack had gifted him another dozen “trash” cards the system categorizes as “Gray,” along with the few gray consumables he bought earlier, he finally made some progress. He decides to keep the mask in his inventory for now; it’s perfect for concealing his identity when necessary, but its drawbacks could cause serious trouble if used carelessly.
Alex Kerber: Lvl 1
HP: 80/80, MP: 80/80
STR: 7, AGI: 7, PHY: 7, SNS: 7, CHA: 7, MNA: 7, INT: 7 SPR: 7, LUK: 7
Available Stat Points: 0
Innate Skills: Genius Conjurer lvl 1, Statistical OCD lvl MAX
Free Skill Slots: 1/2, Free Basic Skill Slots: 0/8
Basic skills: Basic Close Combat Prowess lvl 1, Basic Footwork lvl 1, Basic Endurance lvl 1, Basic Long-Range Combat Prowess lvl 1, Basic Eloquence lvl 1, Basic Concentration lvl 1, Basic Meditation lvl 1, Basic Mana Control lvl 1
Passive Skills: Pistol Proficiency lvl 1
Active Skills: Annihilation Grenade lvl 1
Fantasy Coins: 300 Soul Crystals: Small x1 Gil: 2700
Current Weapons: Mr. 5’s Revolver (Downgraded) (Deep Blue), Solid Marine Saber (Light Green)
Current Equipment: Commander Shepard’s Dog Tag (Deep Blue),Navalia Fur Armor (White), Navalia Fur Boots (White), Navalia Fur Gauntlets (White)
Miscellaneous Items: Navalia Wolf Jerky x4 (Gray), Healing Potion x2 (White), Freshly baked Pumpkin bread x 3 (Gray), Various cards x36 (Mix), Jack’s spare silvery mask (Light green)
"Anyway, let’s get down to business. The plan I have can only work once, so it’s fine if you’re tied up with the Knights starting tomorrow.”
Jack leans in, grinning. “Here’s the deal: I want you to act like a complete newbie at Tetra Master. Tonight, we’ll play at a particular pub, and you’ll keep losing to me, handing over rare cards and a decent pile of gil after each match. The cards I’ve given you for now are low-tier, but before the game, I’ll slip you a few rare ones. They’re not especially strong in gameplay, but they’re rare enough to fetch a good price.”
“After a bit, I’ll conveniently have ‘business’ to attend to, and by then, you’ll have caught some attention. That’s when those vultures will start circling, eager to take advantage of a rich fool. That’s your cue. Raise the stakes, play confidently, and, of course… use the real cards you won from me.”
Jack adds, “I’ll give you a bunch of mediocre cards, and the stack of gil you pretend to lose against me too of course. Within a couple of hours, I guarantee those greedy bastards will bite. From there, it’s all on you.”
Alex hesitates. “Are you sure I should take the lead on this? I mean, that’s a lot riding on me.”
Jack smirks. “Listen, you’re new in Alexandria, while I’ve got… a bit of a reputation. You’ve got a clean slate. You’ll play the part of some naive, rich noble from Treno. And don’t worry, I’ll find you some pompous clothes to look the part. Trust me, I’ve got a good sense for these things. For someone like you who knows his way around the streets, it will be no problem. You’ll be fine I am sure.”
Side Quest Offered:
Mission: Help Jack in his Tetra master scheme
Reward: Gil, based on your success, additionally you get to keep the Ante cards won from the victims for yourself. Friendship increase with Alleyway Jack
Time Limit: 1 day
Failure: Loss of Friendship with Jack, potential gil and card loss, potential confrontations with victims.
Note: Declining this quest quest will cause a Friendship decrease with Alleyway Jack and [Jack’s Spare Silvery Mask] will be forcefully taken away from player’s inventory.
Alex accepts without a second thought. Gil is crucial at this point, opening up the possibility of purchasing valuable items like the [Broadsword] or [Leather Shirt], which could not only improve his odds here but also be converted to FC when he returns to the Fantasy Realm. He’s especially keen to keep the mask, its benefits could extend to other worlds, allowing him to take down potential targets under cover, gaining rewards without tarnishing his reputation. Unlike a certain group of pirates, he’d rather avoid getting a bounty on his head.
Jack grins, “Good. Let’s meet back here at sundown. I need to... well, let’s just say ‘procure’ some funds for tonight’s game. Oh, and I’ll swing by a friend’s place to get you some nobleman’s clothes.”
Alex laughs, “Careful, or I might have to arrest you.”
“Hahaha! So scary. The mighty Knight of Pluto is going to come and lock me up! You really have chosen the job of a lifetime,” Jack teases, winking.
With that, they leave Jack’s small but surprisingly cozy home and go their separate ways.
Alex decides to follow through with what he didn’t do yesterday: visit the ticket office for the play in the center of the town square. He sets off, strolling leisurely toward the town center, ready for whatever the day brings.