Chapter 11

Ten minutes later, on a highway under the dark night sky, an SUV was cruising along. In the driver's seat, Pietro, dressed in a T-shirt that highlighted his strong muscles, rested one hand on the steering wheel while the other supported his cheek against the window. He was humming an unknown tune, the light rain outside adding to his sense of comfort.

Suddenly, two bursts of sound came from behind. Pietro frowned and glanced in the rearview mirror, spotting two figures wrapped in a kind of wave, running through the rain at superhuman speed.

Before he could react, the two figures had already caught up with the SUV.

Bang!

The car doors opened and closed swiftly, and Wanda and Sergei were now seated inside. Pietro wasn't surprised by this scene that defied normal logic. He turned to his sister, who was taking off her hood in the passenger seat. "Done? That was fast."

"How hard to deal do you expect a group of ordinary people to be?" Wanda replied, leaning back in her chair and casually resting her slender legs on the plastic dashboard in front of her.

After two years of intense training in Water Breathing, Wanda had also awakened her own power—chaos magic. Combined, these abilities made her combat power formidable. Not to mention, Sergei alone could have taken care of all those people.

With Leon's guidance, Sergei had perfected Flame Breathing, and after two years of relentless training, he had reached a level where he could maintain 'Total Concentration' at all times.

Under normal conditions, Sergei's speed is close to two hundred meters per second, and it's still increasing rapidly. With such speed and strength, he could easily have taken down a Hydra base on his own two years ago. However, since these bases are typically equipped with self-destruction systems, only Pietro and Wanda could escape safely before an explosion, so Leon didn't involve them in the Hydra base raids.

"Hurry up, Pietro. This car is slower than a snail," Sergei grumbled from the back seat, casually setting his cross sword aside. He might have been getting hungry—eager to get back and eat.

"If you're in such a hurry, why don't you just run there?" Pietro shot back, rolling his eyes, though he did press harder on the accelerator. The SUV surged forward, speeding down the dark road. Less than an hour later, they arrived at a small forest near the Ural Mountains and pulled over.

After exiting the car, Sergei, Pietro, and Wanda each grabbed two large metal boxes. They immediately increased their speed to the extreme, moving towards the Ural Mountains so fast that they were barely visible to the naked eye.

Ten minutes later, they reached their home. The wooden house had undergone significant changes over the past two years. It had been renovated and expanded, now covering more than 400 square meters with two floors. The second floor housed the bedrooms, while the ground floor featured the living room, bathroom, and kitchen. A warehouse had also been built behind the house.

Before the three of them entered the wooden house, they could hear the familiar sounds of conversation and laughter inside. Climbing the steps, they walked through the open door and into the house.

The first thing they noticed was a long rug stretching from the entrance to the living room, adding a rustic touch to the space. Electric bulbs lined the walls, and a crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. The living room's decor was simple yet had a retro and heavy feel, giving the spacious room a grand atmosphere. The stone fireplace, extending up to the roof, was the room's focal point and the most striking feature. Nearby, a large round dining table sat at the edge of the living room, ample enough for everyone to dine together. The kitchen was equipped with modern appliances, blending old and new.

A large LCD TV and several big sofas made the living room cozy and inviting. More than a dozen people were lounging on the sofas, watching TV with great interest, occasionally discussing and laughing about what was on screen. As soon as Wanda, Sergei, and Pietro returned home, they immediately drew the attention of the others.

Two ten-year-old girls, who had been curled up on the sofa, turned around and peered over the back of it with wide eyes. They cheered and greeted Wanda and the others excitedly.

"Sister Wanda, Sergei, Pietro, you're back!"

"Hey, Alina, Polina, come here. I brought you some snacks." Wanda smiled gently at the two little girls as she set down the metal boxes she had been carrying. After taking off her shoes and slipping on cotton slippers, she pulled two bags of chocolate snacks from her pocket and shook them playfully.

The girls' eyes lit up with excitement, but just as they were about to leap forward with joy, Leon's voice called out, stopping them in their tracks.

"Alina, Polina, you just had ice cream earlier, so no chocolate today. Have you forgotten the toothache you had last year, with all the tears and runny noses?"

Hearing Leon's words, the two little girls looked disappointed and turned their heads to him. Wanda's eyes lit up as she joined them in looking toward the kitchen. There, Leon appeared, wearing a black-and-white checkered shirt, carrying an iron pot, which he placed on the large round table without minding the heat.

The table was already covered with a variety of dishes. As Leon set the pot down, he noticed the lingering tension around Wanda and Sergei, the aura of recent battle still clinging to them. His brows furrowed slightly, but he chose not to comment. Instead, he said, "I heard the noise. I figured you'd be here soon."

Clapping his hands to get everyone's attention, Leon invited the family to start dinner. The group in the living room cheered, getting up from the sofas. They joked and laughed as they headed to the bathroom to wash their hands. Afterward, they crowded around the kitchen, grabbing utensils and taking their seats at the table.

Wanda, Sergei, and Pietro joined in, helping to uncover the dishes and reveal a spread of fragrant delicacies.

"Wow!!" Everyone's faces lit up with eager anticipation.

Leon chuckled and began serving himself, prompting the others to dive into the meal. Two years had passed, and the once little kids had grown significantly.

Even the two ten-year-old girls had appetites two or three times larger than that of an average adult. The meal prepared for them was a feast of hearty dishes like roasted suckling pig, whole lamb, steak, and stewed chicken. Without following the strategy of robbing the rich and giving to the poor for the last two years, it would have been nearly impossible to support such a large family.