Gaia, Mist Continent, Alexandria. Arriving in the World of Final Fantasy 9 – Beautiful, Sexy Soldiers and a Bold Approach!

[Player is now entering Level 1 mission. Checking Player record. Player Alex Kerber has achieved the rating of "S" during his tutorial mission. Player can choose to either receive a random mission or choose a solo mission without any other players.]

"Why do I get that choice?" Alex wonders, surprised by the special treatment.

[Player has reached the rare rating of S in his last mission. However, the tutorial mission was a team mission. Host has earned the right to prove his abilities by attempting a solo mission where he cannot rely on other players. The difficulty is high, but so are the potential rewards. Player may also accept a random mission. This option is only available to the player at this time due to his rare achievement during the tutorial mission.]

[Player should be aware that any solo mission is extremely demanding. The difficulty is such that inactivity spells certain failure. If the player does not actively participate in battles and events, he will surely fail the main mission. Data shows that players are more likely to die in combat during solo missions than in normal missions (even those featuring faction warfare).]

"High risk, even higher reward, and nobody to hide behind... If I want a real shot at surviving this until the end, I can't chicken out," Alex analyzes, weighing his options.

"System! I choose the solo mission!"

[Player is now entering Level 1 Mission:

Players gathering... total number of players: 1

World selection: Gaia (Final Fantasy 9)]

Mission Details:

The player entering the world of Gaia under orders from the Fantasy Realm has affected the balance of the world. Enemies have grown stronger, making things more difficult for the main characters. The player is required to restore balance, allowing canonical events to proceed as intended.

Starting Location: The Kingdom of Alexandria

Timeline: 28 days before Princess Garnet's 16th Birthday and the arrival of Tantalus to perform "I Want to Be Your Canary."

Setting:

Alexandria is both a kingdom and the capital of that kingdom, and for a time the capital of the Alexandrian Empire, on the planet of Gaia in Final Fantasy IX. The city is centered on a plateau in the northern Mist Continent, extending out over the Zamo and Gunitas basins.

A monarchy, it is ruled by Queen Brahne Raza Alexandros XVI with Princess Garnet Til Alexandros XVII as its heir. Alexandria is known for its all-female army led by General Beatrix and a group of male knights in charge of protecting the city, known as the Knights of Pluto led by Captain Adelbert Steiner. 

The player may only leave Alexandria with the main characters and can explore other locations without them if the main mission fails.

In 28 days, the famous theater troupe Tantalus will perform their new masterpiece, "I Want to Be Your Canary," at the Royal Castle in celebration of Princess Garnet's 16th Birthday.

[Warning: Gaia is a primitive world where technology is far behind that of most other worlds. This world mainly relies on Magic and Mist-altered steam technology. Normal engineering is nearly unknown. The primary weapons of every army are spears, swords, and other primitive arms. Modern weapons cannot be used, as they would disrupt the balance of the universe.]

"WHAT??" Alex screams internally. "THIS CAN'T BE! I'M SCREWED!"

[Player's equipment will be analyzed for potential violations.]

[Checking…] [Mr. 5's .44 Caliber 6-Shot Revolver detected: unknown technology]

[Player's non-system related items (Energy bars, energy drinks, and 26 other Earth items) cannot be accessed during the mission. Player must acquire local food to survive.]

"NOOO!" Alex can't believe it. "Why didn't Roja tell me this? That damn bitch! I sold my bow and put all my trust in my revolver and pistol proficiency!"

[Analyzing existing technology. Black powder and cannons are available to major civilizations. Flintlock revolver technology is not inconceivable. Rapid-fire function, however, is.]

[Mr. 5's .44 Caliber 6-Shot Revolver adjusted for mission duration. Each shot must be manually cocked while still allowing player to use his regular ammunition, reducing fire speed to match existing technology. Magical rapid-fire function deactivated. Item stats remain unchanged.]

"Thank God…" Alex exhales, his life flashing before his eyes. This change is acceptable. "Another thing Roja conveniently forgot to tell me. What if I'd relied only on modern tech? In some worlds, you'd be unstoppable, but here... big problem."

Still, Alex grudgingly admits that the strange and inconsistent weapons from One Piece are indeed illogical.

Mission Objectives:

Help maintain the integrity of the timeline by ensuring that Zidane Tribal, Vivi Ornitier, Garnet Til Alexandros XVII, and Adelbert Steiner arrive safely in Lindblum.

To increase your mission rating:

Protect any main or story-related character.

Do not alter the story in ways that disrupt the natural progression or balance of the world.

Contribute actively to battles.

Make connections with the main characters.

Gain reputation within the world of Gaia.

Completing main quests, side quests, and hidden quests also improves your mission rating.

Clear Condition:

Arrive in Lindblum with Zidane Tribal and Garnet Til Alexandros XVII.

Rewards:

Depends on final rating.

Rating Tiers (Level 0-4):

F (Death): Players soul is destroyed, no rewards.

E (Penalty): Lose 1 to 3 random stat points.

D (Neutral): No stat points, 300–600 FC.

C (Average): 1 stat point, 1000–2000 FC.

B (Good): 2–3 stat points, 3000–5000 FC.

A (Excellent): 4–5 stat points, 6000–10,000 FC.

S (Exceptional – Very Rare): 6–8 stat points, 12,000–20,000 FC.

Failure Condition:

The death of Zidane Tribal (protagonist) or Garnet Til Alexandros XVII (deuteragonist), who are critical to the story.

Punishment:

The main mission will fail, and the rating will drop significantly, capping out at D+.

Hint: To protect the integrity of the story and join the main cast on their journey, you first need to find a way to interact with them believably. Ensure you're in a plausible position to join them on their adventure! They will refuse your help if you simply approach and say you want to join. You cannot reveal any information about the Fantasy Realm.

Not every main mission failure results in the destruction of the player's soul. You can still achieve a rating higher than F, thus avoiding this fate, and instead suffer a permanent stat reduction or even receive a small reward. However, danger rises sharply, and rewards and opportunities decrease significantly if the main mission is failed. It is not advisable to deliberately ignore the main mission, as this can lead to unexpected events. Achieving a C rating is easier than failing the mission and receiving an E rating.

[Player is now entering Gaia]

[Player is now entering the world of Gaia.]

[Missing language skills detected. Since this is a Level 1 mission, host can buy the necessary skill for 100 FC or refuse and receive an inferior skill for free, which will hinder communication with all characters by 10%. This skill will disappear after the mission and will not take up a skill slot.]

Alex begins to sweat... "Another pitfall Roja didn't bother to mention." Without hesitation, he decides to pay the 100 FC, thankful he kept 500 FC on hand just in case. His instincts paid off.

Player Alex Kerber has lost 100 FC.

[Main Mission Starting: Time until Garnet Til Alexandros XVII's 16th birthday: 27 days, 23 hours, and 12 minutes.]

[Local currency: Gil detected. Host can exchange up to 100 FC into Gil. Conversion rate is 1 FC = 10 Gil. This is a one-time opportunity.]

"I accept. Exchange the maximum amount," Alex immediately says.

Player Alex Kerber has lost 100 FC.

Player Alex Kerber has received 1,000 Gil.

Alex slowly opens his eyes... he's standing at the main gates of Alexandria in a bustling square. A huge statue of a female general looms over the crowd, casting a grand shadow.

He decides to read the information beneath it: "Heroine Statue: This statue was built to commemorate General Madelene, who fought in the 9th Lindblum War, in 1389. At the tender age of 13, General Madelene fought against the Lindblum army with only 9 soldiers under her command. She died in 1401, well before her time."

"This statue looks amazing. This whole town looks amazing! Even the legendary Moguri mod is nothing compared to the beauty before me!" Alex can't help but rejoice.

"I just wish this world didn't focus so much on the number nine. Nine soldiers under the command of the General, nine members of the Knights of Pluto..."

Thank God I got some Gil. At least I can buy food and maybe find a place to sleep for a few days! I could've made some money fighting monsters and gathering materials, but I'm not allowed to leave Alexandria and explore on my own.

"I just quit my real-life job... looks like I need to find a new one here." He smirks at the irony.

"I wonder what kind of job I can actually take? Since I have to stay in town, I can't become a hunter or anything like that. I wish I could work for the castle, but as far as I know only nine members are allowed to exist in the Knights of Pluto —so only nine male soldiers can work for the castle. This makes no sense, especially now that we know Pluto isn't even a real planet! Maybe… this world was altered by the influence of the Fantasy Realm, so maybe there's a chance after all? I can't join Tantalus, but joining under Steiner could give me a valid reason for tagging along once the adventure begins."

Alex's game knowledge is indeed quite decent, and he knows a lot about Final Fantasy 9. "Since this mission focuses only on the early game and I can't explore on my own, I should be able to squeeze out a few opportunities if I remember every last detail. My soul is on the line, but I feel neither fear nor regret. I'm just too excited. Final Fantasy 9 is a beautiful game with a beautiful world and has the best and most realistic characters in it" he thinks while walking through the square around the statue. "Well... realistic in terms of personality and behavior... not looks," as he sees a weird frog-fish man walking by, an older dog gentleman, and a few bird women who look a bit like the Rito from The Legend of Zelda.

He can't help but sneak a few glances at the female soldiers guarding the main gate.

Alex can't believe his eyes... their armor is so lewd—fully exposed legs, heavy armor on top, and even helmets, but their legs are bare except for their military boots. "Don't stare at their crotches. DON'T. Maybe I should've spent more time socializing instead of gaming and reading all day... I can't embarrass myself."

"Might as well… give it a shot! What do I have to lose?" Alex walks up to the two female soldiers, looking slightly out of place but not too strange compared to the rest of the town's bizarre inhabitants, thanks to his fur armor from Navalia.

"Hello, beautiful ladies, I'm Alex, a hunter by trade and, to be honest, completely new to the city. May I ask you a few questions?"

"Pffft, new here and already trying to pick up a soldier of Alexandria? What's next, asking General Beatrix out on a date once you're settled in?" the older one teases him, while the younger soldier interjects.

"I don't know, Jaine, he's kinda cute and looks like he could handle a few monsters. Did you hunt that yourself? I am Neira by the way" she asks, eyeing his fur armor.

Alex nods saying: "Nice to meet you two"

"Impressive," the older one adds. "If only the Knights of Pluto were a bit like yourself, they wouldn't be the joke of Alexandria," she says, causing her and her partner to burst into laughter.

"I've heard about them even in the wild... While their reputation might be bad, it's still a great honor to protect Her Highness and the Princess. I wish I could join them."

The younger soldier, still surprised, shakes her head. "Really? You'd want to join a bunch of losers like that?"

"Well, it's not like I can join your squad, can I?" Alex jokes.

"Haha, indeed. I guess men wanting to join the military here are stuck between a rock and a hard place," the older soldier replies, amused.

"Is there any way I can join?" Alex asks, a hint of desperation in his voice before quickly shifting tactics. "I'm strong! Queen Brahne can't afford to not have me protecting her instead of the current members!"

"Confident, are you?" The older one raises an eyebrow. "What gives you that confidence?"

Alex thinks for a few seconds, "...play it cool... or maybe... NO, I already decided: NO MORE HOLDING MYSELF BACK!"

Smugly grinning, he tells them, "Watch this: Annihilation grenade!"

He conjures his grenade, sets the timer to 3 seconds, ignites the fuse in a purple blaze, and throws it about 30 meters into the air, just over the city wall. It explodes at the highest possible point, far from any buildings, making the shrapnel a non-issue since its range is less than half that.

Alex suddenly sees the world in red for a moment. He can feel his new necklace activating.

"Wow!" the younger soldier exclaims. "I've never seen this type of black magic before, and I can even use basic fire magic myself! You are a badass!"

The older soldier, now serious, looks at him closely. "You want to join the Knights of Pluto?"

Alex meets her gaze, his expression earnest. "Yes!"

She considers for a moment, then says, "I have a meeting with General Beatrix in two days. I'll recommend you. From what I know, the Knights are already fully staffed, but maybe we can replace one of those useless liabilities with a real soldier! Meet me at noon, two days from now, in front of the castle. Don't make a lady wait, or you'll regret it."

Hidden Quest Offered:

Mission: Meet Jaine in front of the castle at noon, two days from now.

Reward: Unknown.

Time Limit: Noon, two days from now.

Failure: Reputation loss with the soldiers of Alexandria, Jaine and Neira

"I'll be there. Thank you, ladies. Have a good day."

They wave him off as Alex walks away, smiling. His boldness has paid off. He just arrived in this world and already has a lead on how to infiltrate the Knights of Pluto and work toward his main quest. Best of all, he has a date with a hot soldier and two whole days to freely explore the city!

Alex finally checks his status, calculating the exact mana cost of his only real active ability and how it's affected by his innate skill. He focuses only on the basics, leaving out the advanced information, and concludes that it costs about 21 mana per use, since the system rounds up—19.36 MP for the ability itself and 1 MP to trigger the bomb. Just now, his mana has already regenerated back to 60/80 MP. He is happy that he can use such a strong attack 4 times in a row if he wishes to do so!

Genius Conjurer lvl 1

Conjuration Duration: +10% +2% per additional level (Conjured items last longer).

Conjuration Strength: +10% +2% per additional level (Conjured items have increased durability, damage, and overall effectiveness).

Mana Cost: -10% + 2% per additional level (Conjuration spells cost less mana).

Annihilation Grenade lvl1:

Cost: 20 Mana + 2 Mana per level.

Alex Kerber: Lvl 1

HP: 80/80, MP: 60/80

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: 1000

Current Weapons: Mr. 5's Revolver (Modified) (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)