Chapter 60

In a simple country house, night had settled over the land, casting everything into darkness. Only the quiet murmur of voices could be heard from inside the hut. In the kitchen, Natasha, Melina, and Yelena were busy with preparations.

Suddenly, Natasha's eyebrows twitched as if sensing something. She glanced out the window. "Leon's here," she said softly.

Melina and Yelena exchanged looks before speaking in unison, "Let's go out and greet him." It was, after all, common courtesy to welcome a guest.

Melina removed her apron, and the three of them, along with Alexei—who was wearing a simple plaid shirt—stepped outside. The night was still and dark, with no sign of anyone on the road ahead.

"Is he black? Cause I can't see him," Alexei said with a grin.

Melina and Yelena looked at Natasha in confusion, but she merely smiled, gesturing with her chin as if to say, "Wait and see."

Melina and the others followed Natasha's gaze. They saw a figure emerge from the darkness, accompanied by subtle ripples in the air as if space itself had shifted. Though the appearance wasn't flashy, it was enough to leave Melina, Yelena, and Alexei in awe.

As Leon came closer, everyone stepped outside the fence to meet him.

Under the moonlight, Leon, wearing a red coat, approached with steady steps. His eyes briefly met Natasha's before turning to the others.

"Ms. Melina, Mr. Alexei, and Ms. Yelena," he greeted them, his voice calm and respectful. "My name is Leon. Natasha has probably told you about me. Thank you for inviting me."

"Wow, what a guy," Alexei muttered, impressed. Despite his rugged nature, he couldn't help but admire Leon at first glance. Leon's strong, perfectly sculpted physique was evident even through his coat, especially his defined abdominal muscles. As a super soldier, Alexei could feel an intense aura of power radiating from Leon, far greater than his own.

Melina and Yelena noticed this as well, both satisfied with their first impression of him. Yelena, in particular, felt intrigued by Leon. While he matched her expectations of Natasha's ally, she was eager to uncover more of his secrets.

After some polite exchanges, everyone headed back into the house. Dinner was almost ready, so they all gathered around a long wooden table, chatting while enjoying their meal.

Since Melina's family wasn't exactly an ordinary one, their conversations naturally took a different tone than what you'd hear at a regular family dinner. Especially Alexei, who, caught up in the atmosphere, started rambling. He went on and on about his time in the army, how he became a super soldier, and how he always wanted to compete with Captain America. At some point, he mentioned Dreykov, his anger flaring up as he loudly cursed, even saying he'd dig the guy out of his grave just to beat him up.

Melina and Yelena, both seasoned spies, were skilled in socializing and conversation, ensuring that the evening never became awkward. Leon, with his usual calm and friendly demeanor, contributed to the lively discussion, keeping everything smooth and light-hearted.

The atmosphere was warm and enjoyable—until Alexei drank too much. In his drunken state, he tried to arm-wrestle Leon, insisting on showing off his strength. It only added to how much everyone liked Leon.

After dinner, Melina and Natasha headed to the kitchen to wash the dishes, while Alexei passed out on the sofa. Yelena, still full of energy, excitedly bombarded Leon with questions. Except for a few secrets, Leon didn't hold back, sharing a lot with her.

Yelena was quite satisfied with Leon's answers, even though she noticed he was holding back on some details. However, being smart, she knew better than to press further. Apart from Alexei, the whole family had top-tier emotional intelligence.

After chatting with the family for a while longer, Leon politely declined the offer to stay overnight. Instead, he activated the micro-wormhole transportation technology to leave. Natasha, though momentarily surprised, didn't dwell on it too much. She just felt that Leon carried more secrets than he let on—a sense of mystery that only made people want to dig deeper.

Upon returning to New York Manor, Leon's quiet arrival went unnoticed by the maids, who were still working. Inside the house, Sergei and the kids were out, and Leon didn't worry too much. With Kesiha's constant monitoring, any threat would be quickly detected, though few on Earth posed a real danger to them.

After a good meal, Leon settled into a balcony chair in the calm of the evening, sipping coffee and gazing up at the stars. The quiet and harmony of the night made him feel truly at peace.

Leon enjoyed moments like this—quiet and relaxing. In his previous life as an office worker, the constant pressure to secure a house, marriage, and financial stability had made life stressful. Even after coming to this world, he'd had to constantly plan and struggle to survive, especially with a group of children depending on him. Every step was a challenge.

Now that the Maximoff twins, Sergei, and the others had grown up, and with the Sky Blade No. 7, an angelic origin space battleship that seemed like a glitch in the universe, Leon could finally relax—at least to some extent. However, he was fully aware that in a world filled with gods and multiverse-level threats, an unexpected crisis could come at any time.

He knew his strength wasn't enough to handle some of the major events or cataclysmic forces out there. So, he still needed to grow stronger, but at least for now, he had the confidence to enjoy some peace and quiet.

Ironically, that peace didn't last long.

While he gazed at the stars, casually sipping his coffee, his body suddenly tensed as Keisha's voice echoed in his ear.

"Detecting space fluctuations outside Earth. Energy disturbance from another dimension," Keisha reported.

Leon stood up abruptly, placing his coffee cup on the table. He looked up at the sky, his eyes flashing with concern. Even without Keisha's warning, he had already sensed the fleeting presence of a terrifying aura—a power filled with darkness, death, and evil.

It was a force far beyond his current abilities.

"Such a dark, immense power... but it disappeared so quickly?" Leon frowned and asked, "Keisha, what's the energy intensity?"

"In terms of this universe's power scale, it's at the Skyfather level."