Chapter 9

Unfortunately, before the commander could press the button, a strong hand clamped tightly around his wrist.

Feeling a sharp sting, he quickly opened his eyes to a startling sight: Leon, who had been surrounded by soldiers just moments ago, was now standing directly in front of him. The high spotlight behind Leon cast a shadow over his face, making it appear slightly blurred, but his golden eyes shone through with an intense, almost divine, gaze that made the commander feel insignificant.

For a moment, the commander was frozen in shock, his left wrist still held in Leon's grip. He quickly regained his composure and reached for his gun with his free hand. But before he could draw it, Leon's knee slammed into his abdomen, leaving him gasping for breath.

Bang!

The bullet was shot but didn't hit anything. And the impact of the Leon's knee sent the commander twitching to the ground. As he collapsed, the other Hydra soldiers snapped out of their brief disorientation. They turned to launch an attack, but Leon's eyes suddenly sharpened.

Boom!

In an instant, it was as if time itself had frozen. A powerful, domineering will surged from Leon, sweeping across the entire base like the resurrection of ancient gods. A red halo, visible to the naked eye, spread out in all directions.

The overwhelming force was almost tangible, crushing the spirits of everyone in the base. The soldiers' eyes dulled, losing their light as they collapsed unconscious to the ground. The walls and sentry towers of the base cracked under the pressure of Leon's aura.

This was why Leon, even knowing that the Hydra base had a self-destruction system, dared to break in alone. A year ago, he had mastered the Conqueror's Haki, a skill perfect for overwhelming large groups.

With the entire base subdued, Leon began to search for loot with practiced ease. He no longer cared for basic materials; his focus was on confidential documents, money, and advanced technology.

These were the true prizes, worth more than the entire base.

However, Leon's luck wasn't particularly great this time. He didn't find any advanced technology, but he did stumble upon something unexpected—the formula for the nutrient solution.

In Leon's eyes, this was a treasure. The nutrient solution had been crucial in keeping up with the intense physical demands of his training, allowing him to grow stronger every day. The year before, his rapid development was largely thanks to the consistent nutrition it provided. This formula wasn't just valuable for him; it meant a lot to the other kids as well. With this, their progress could continue uninterrupted.

This trip was definitely not in vain.

After thoroughly searching the base, Leon found no experimental subjects. Satisfied with his findings, he transformed into pure energy, a beam of light leaping into the sky. Before leaving, he pressed the detonation button on the remote control he had taken.

BOOOM!

A thunderous explosion echoed through the night, and a massive fireball lit up the area, a mushroom cloud rising into the sky. As he watched the flames, Leon turned into light and vanished into the dark sky.

Meanwhile, in front of an apartment in a neighborhood in Yekaterinburg, a slender woman wearing a gray sweatshirt and hood, holding an umbrella in one hand and a bag in the other, pressed the doorbell.

Ding dong!

A sharp sound echoed through the quiet apartment. Slow, deliberate footsteps approached from inside. The door creaked open, revealing a young man with short brown-black hair and a sturdy build. He eyed the woman at the door and raised an eyebrow. Without exchanging words, he stepped aside, allowing her to enter. She nodded slightly in acknowledgment and walked in.

The young man leaned forward slightly, his gaze flicking briefly to the left, scanning a specific spot on the street before closing the door behind her.

The lights inside cast a warm glow over the sparsely furnished living room. Near the window stood a tall, burly man, around 1.8 meters in height, clad in a black windbreaker that clung tightly to his muscular frame.

"Picked up quite a few tails, Wanda," the man remarked, turning away from the window and stepping into the living room. His voice carried a hint of concern as he watched the woman empty the contents of her bag into a metal box.

The woman removed her hood, revealing her delicate features and striking red hair—it was Wanda. Two years of youthfulness and uncertainty had given way to maturity and confidence, her face now reflecting the extraordinary changes she had undergone.

"In addition to a few local thugs keeping watch, there's a group from Hydra too," Wanda replied calmly as she finished storing the supplies. She walked over to the window, her gaze sweeping the street below, her eyes flashing with a quiet, measured intensity. "Looks like they finally tracked us down."

At that moment, the young man entered the room, sipping from a carton of milk. Wanda glanced at her brother, her eyes softening with affection.

She then turned to the strong man. "Sergei, is our car ready?"

"It's parked in a lot two streets away. I got it from the black market—smuggled, no tracking devices. The supplies are already loaded," Sergei replied with a nod.

"Alright, Pietro, grab your things and go first. Sergei and I will handle the watchers outside and follow you," Wanda instructed firmly.

Pietro, feeling slighted, protested, "Hey, don't forget, I'm ten minutes older than you, remember?"

Wanda smiled, her tone affectionate but resolute. "Just go."

Sergei chuckled at the sibling dynamic. In the past two years, the group had grown as close as family. He added with a teasing grin, "I think Wanda's taken on the big sister role pretty well."

Pietro shot him a middle finger, only to be met with a very stern glare from Wanda. Reluctantly, he grabbed a large box with one hand, took a deep breath, and in an instant, a breeze swept through the room. Pietro's figure vanished, moving so fast that he was gone before Sergei and Wanda could even register it.

"That kid's something else," Sergei remarked, impressed. "With his speed and the Wind Breathing technique, he's almost as fast as Boss Leon."

"Not quite," Wanda replied, her eyes softening at the mention of Leon. But her expression quickly shifted as she sensed the watchers outside preparing to make their move.

"Greedy fools," she muttered. "Sergei, it's time to deal with them."

Sergei's handsome face broke into a chilling smile. "I've been waiting for this."