I'm in an American comic book, and all my teammates are main characters and bosses.

Chapter 36. Who is this good person who is actually full of bad intentions?

"The instant your card attacks, I activate the spell card Spell Cylinder, targeting your unit and negating the attack, while also dealing damage to you!"

Geralt's expression remained unchanged as he looked at the health points that had suddenly appeared beside him; he even wanted to laugh. Just a few rounds ago, his health points were four tomoe, but now they were health points.

"Oh! Damn it, I was defending! But unfortunately, the moment your unit attacked, I activated the secret 'Misdirection'."

As he spoke, Ron extended a finger, closed his eyes, drew several circles in front of him, and finally pointed at Geralt.

"You're lucky, the target of the unit's attack has become you."

Even though he was prepared, Geralt still laughed out of anger—damn it, if you had just rolled a die, I could have accepted this reality more calmly.

But there was nothing he could do; the other party possessed crucial information about him, so Geralt could only grit his teeth and suppress the bulging veins on his forehead, then start a new game according to the third rule Ron had just established.

After five rounds of this soul-crushing dark game, Ron finally reached his limit, experiencing a brief thrill from crushing noobs. Like the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow player, he quickly entered a state of enlightenment, then said with a kind and benevolent elder's expression:

"Although your Gwent skills are somewhat lacking, I will mercifully tell you a little something because of your perseverance."

That bastard finally got his fun.

Thinking to himself, Geralt calmly asked, "Then, Master Ron, how did you come to know these secrets about Yennefer?"

"The script I read."

Geralt breathed a sigh of relief, his guess confirmed. But soon, he realized something was amiss, though his expression remained unchanged. He calmly and matter-of-factly asked, "Under what circumstances did that happen?"

"That's another issue."

Damn it! I knew it!

Seeing Ron's evasive manner, Geralt was certain that this wicked fellow had guessed what he was worried about and what he truly wanted to know. But he was deliberately using an answer Geralt wanted to know, but couldn't fully as a pretext!

What? You're asking me how I know Ron is evading the real issue and making excuses?

Because this wicked guy, who's downright wicked, wants to find a constant stream of new fun in me!

This can be seen from Ron's lips, which trembled from time to time even though he was trying hard to hold it in!

A new beginning! A new beginning! Geralt could feel his silver sword about to be drawn!

As for why it's a silver sword instead of a steel sword, it's because steel swords are for killing, while Ron in front of us... damn it, he's too much like a silver sword!

Thinking it over, Geralt gritted his teeth and forced a calm expression, saying, "Then let's play another round of Gwent..."

"I'm not playing anymore." Ron shook his head decisively, his face filled with a lonely, unsettling air.

"Your card skills may be good, but compared to mine, it's a completely different world."

As he spoke, Ron chuckled twice: "The so-called White Wolf Gay Camel is ultimately just an ordinary person living in an era of selflessness."

Geralt: "..."

Ron is truly amazing. Despite showing no signs of casting any spells, he can inflict berserk, bloodlust, pain reduction, and sanity loss on others.

Thinking to himself, Geralt let out a helpless sigh, then turned his gaze to the wolf and Miloon beside him, asking with some difficulty, "Did he treat you the same way?"

"No." When asked, Mi Niang obediently shook her head. "Mr. Ron often teases me and Lord Wolf, but rarely like this..."

As she spoke, Mi Niang thought for a moment, then gave an awkward smile and said, "Like this, doing it with such enthusiasm..."

Geralt: "..."

Feeling heavy-hearted, Geralt let out a sigh of relief and decided to shift his attention, so he simply walked to the wall and began to examine it carefully.

Without the system, Geralt would only see himself admiring the mold and rust on the dilapidated walls, but with the system, Geralt is actually touring the Wolf's Shop of Terror.

[Ashina Pill: A secret medicine passed down since ancient times in the land of Ashina. Used in ancient wars to demonstrate Ashina's indomitable spirit, it continuously restores stamina and heals injuries until its effects wear off. Price: 2 System Coins.]

[Hum-Shou Candy: A specially made candy from Senpou Temple in Ashina. Simply bite into the candy and grit your teeth to summon the spirit of "Hum-Shou," enhancing your muscle strength. Price: 3 System Coins.]

[God Eater: Legend has it that special herbs growing in the distant lands of Ashina attract nameless minor deities. This medicine is made from these herbs and is a secret elixir blessed by the gods. Its effects are released instantly upon consumption, fully restoring injuries and removing abnormal statuses. Price: 10 System Coins. Note: If the lost life force far exceeds the life essence contained in the medicine, the recovery effect will vary depending on the circumstances.]

……

After glancing at the items and materials used for spellcasting and enhancement, such as Fountainite Lapis Lazuli, Fountainite Water, and Mist Raven Feathers, Geralt was still tempted, even though he was prepared.

He could assure her that Yennefer would be incredibly excited if she saw this message. As long as the information about the items wasn't misleading, it would be a tremendous treasure for any sorceress.

This glimpse, however small, reveals much. Through these items from the Sekiro universe, Geralt can surmise that the wolf's strength might be far greater than he imagined…

There's really nothing we can do about it.

While witchers are far more powerful than ordinary humans, they are still fundamentally mutated humans. In one-on-one combat or against demons and monsters, they can achieve victories unimaginable to ordinary people through their senses and numerous unique abilities. However, if they were to actually appear on the battlefield…

Geralt was once killed by a group of angry farmers.

As for wolves... farmers? I didn't even spare the chickens of Ashina, I'll scatter them all!

Seeing that Geralt seemed somewhat interested, Wolf, though not a man of many words, coughed lightly and said, "If you need anything, just let me know."

Upon hearing this, Geralt nodded, quite intrigued.

As stated in the newcomer guide, the public shop and each player's private shop are different. Although the publicly displayed items are the same, the prices in system coins are different. Simply put, Wolf's system shop displays the purchase price; for example, an Ashina Pill might only cost Wolf 1 system coin to buy. However, after the item is made public, Wolf changes the price to 2 system coins. This way, Wolf can make a small profit from the transaction.

In addition, there are rigid restrictions on the purchase price.

For example, a bowl of ramen here costs 1 system coin, but Undying Blade Opening requires 250 system coins.

A simple calculation shows that the Mortal Blade, capable of bringing people back from the underworld, is only worth 250 bowls of ramen, which seems like a serious mismatch in value. However, this is the price set by the system, giving it complete control over pricing. Whether it's worth it or not is entirely up to personal opinion; there's no requirement to buy it.

Thinking this, Geralt didn't intend to buy anything, but instead said, "I'd like to take a look at Ron's listed shop."

Hearing that it was related to business, Ron looked up and waved to Geralt, saying, "Welcome to visit! But let me warn you beforehand that all the items in my shop have some negative effects. But high risk, high reward. We're both on the path of evolution, or rather, species mutation, so the things that will affect you are slightly more numerous than those from wolves."

"But as I said before, there's always a price to pay, more or less."

Upon hearing this, Geralt nodded.

Indeed, while Geralt sensed a strong connection with the wolf, intuitively, he felt his path didn't align with the wolf's. In contrast, although he couldn't ascertain Ron's true power and abilities, he did feel closer to Geralt.

Although they are not exactly the same, the high degree of similarity can provide some points of reference and aspects worth learning and studying.

Thinking about it, Geralt pondered for a moment, then said, "You seem to really need system coins?"

"Of course, because I need to buy some special evolution materials."

"What if I buy that information about Yennefer...?"

"Not for sale."

Ron shook his head and said decisively, "System coins have strong purchasing power and are very important, but the means of collecting them are extremely limited. Even if you buy this information about Yennefer, you won't get anything; you'll just be wasting your precious start-up capital for nothing."

As he spoke, stroking his chin, Ron grinned and said, "Compared to a boring, tedious, and deceptive one-off deal, I'd much rather get a constant stream of fun from you~"

"..."

Hearing Ron's cheerful words, Geralt wasn't angry. He simply shook his head helplessly and said, "That's a real shame..."

While Geralt expressed regret, he actually felt a greater sense of trust in Ron. Although Ron's pursuit of fun was obvious, how should one put it? Despite desperately needing System Coins, Ron didn't take advantage of Geralt's lack of understanding of their importance to cheat him, such as by using trivial information to make a deal out of nothing.

Not only did he not try to get something for nothing, he even bluntly stated that "this information is not important" to dissuade Geralt from the idea of ​​buying it.

This proves that while Ron's jokes are unpleasant, they are mostly harmless, and he doesn't make fun of other people's suffering... well, that's not entirely true either.

Recalling Ron's behavior of specifically naming someone and offering physical therapy, Geralt inwardly scoffed—it wasn't so much that he didn't joke about other people's suffering, but rather that the jokes were just right, leaving people feeling uncomfortable.

How can I describe this kind of person... a wicked good person who's oozing evil from head to toe?

Thinking to himself, Geralt said, "Where is your room? I'll go check the shop's sign."

Ron didn't speak immediately upon hearing Geralt's words. After a moment of silence, he narrowed his eyes and asked, "How many system coins do you have?"

"Fifty." Although he didn't know why Ron was asking him this, Geralt still answered honestly.

Seeing this, Ron simply said, "Then get ready, you might need to spend some money."

Why?

"Ciri's already close by, along with those guys who brought the White Frost." Ron looked at the sky beyond the walls of the mental hospital with some displeasure.

"Your newbie quest is about to begin. You're lucky; you don't need to go to other worlds to complete it. You can finish it here. Don't look at my stuff yet. Check your own personal shop first and raise your combat power as quickly as possible."

Upon hearing this, Geralt realized the seriousness of the matter and narrowed his eyes before quickly saying, "If that's the case, wouldn't it be better to buy items from your or the Wolf's world? They'd be much more powerful."

"Our worldviews are different. You'll either need to get used to them again, or there will be side effects. Besides, the items that can be refreshed are closely related to your own power level. Most of the items that refresh in my shop are unusable for you."

As he spoke, Ron's eyes flashed with suppressed bloodshot veins:

"This time, the enemy is finally somewhat formidable..."

As Ron got into the zone, Geralt quickly opened his personal shop, glanced at the fifty system coins, and then began to think about what to buy to maximize his real-time combat power.

Ciri, Wild Hunt...

As Geralt thought this, his heart sank, and his expression became even more focused.

Meanwhile, in a corner of Manhattan, accompanied by a faint rhythm, a white crack appeared on the scale of space, and shattered into a huge portal the moment it appeared.

Having fallen through the portal, a disheveled Ciri gripped her longsword and, as she scrambled to her feet, glanced around warily.

A city she had never seen before, but without a doubt, this was the world Geralt lived in—through the ancient blood within her, Ciri could sense that Geralt had left behind a spatial and temporal trace when he crossed the world barrier.

In the past, Ciri would have been thrilled. But now, all she felt was unprecedented despair.

Just as Ciri had expected, not long after Ciri arrived in this world, before she could even catch her breath, a chill descended, and the next moment, a heavy warhammer emerged from the space behind her and smashed mercilessly toward Ciri's head!

(End of this chapter)