Sorcerer in the Marvel Universe

Completely unaware that he was being monitored from afar, Evenson sat comfortably in a luxury car on his way to dinner.

He was also quietly emptying every bottle of 1982 Château Lafite Rothschild from the vehicle’s built-in refrigerator into his personal bag.

Priorities.

It didn’t take long for him to arrive at the Malick estate.

The property had everything one would expect from the home of a powerful billionaire: an enormous mansion, private gardens, a swimming pool, a shooting range, and enough land to make the average American suburban home look like a storage shed.

And this was only one of Gideon Malick’s properties outside New York.

He owned estates of comparable scale in Washington, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Those were merely his American holdings. In major cities around the world, the Malick family possessed similar properties.

His wealth and influence were difficult to overstate.

Oddly enough, the estate’s outward security seemed almost laughably inadequate.

The perimeter was enclosed by a thin red-brick wall barely taller than a man. There was no razor wire. No broken glass. Even the black iron gate looked more decorative than functional.

In a country with America’s crime rates and abundance of firearms, it almost looked like an invitation.

But Evenson only needed one glance through the car window to understand the truth.

The men stationed throughout the estate were dressed in suits, sunglasses, ties, and discreet earpieces.

There were a lot of them.

And several weren’t even bothering to conceal the submachine guns hanging beneath their jackets.

Yeah.

Anyone foolish enough to break in was going to have a very unpleasant evening.

"That’s a lot of security..."

Evenson finished putting the last bottle of Lafite into his bag and casually counted the guards he’d spotted.

More than thirty already.

Yet despite the army of armed men surrounding the estate, Evenson didn’t feel the slightest bit concerned.

Why would he?

Unless Gideon Malick suddenly suffered some catastrophic combination of brain damage and senility, there was no way the man would be stupid enough to try some ridiculous ambush.

There would be no dramatic wineglass thrown to the floor.

No hidden army of ax-wielding killers charging out of the bushes.

And even if there were, these guys probably couldn’t take Captain America.

Against the Black Scythe Lord?

They wouldn’t even qualify as a warm-up.

Besides, Evenson could already see Gideon Malick waiting outside the mansion.

The older man was in his fifties, with thinning gray hair, a slightly receding hairline, and a little extra weight around the waist. His features were still handsome enough, though, and the moment he saw the approaching vehicle, his face broke into a warm smile.

Gideon Malick.

A member of the World Security Council.

An adviser to the President of the United States.

And, apparently, today’s host.

Standing beside him was an elegant woman who looked roughly Evenson’s age.

She had short, shoulder-length blonde hair and attractive features. Her smile carried the polished grace of someone raised in wealth and privilege, but there was a faint shadow lurking beneath her eyes.

She wore a white knit sweater and a black skirt that fell to her knees.

Stephanie Malick.

Gideon’s daughter.

That made things even less suspicious.

If the Malicks truly intended to harm him, neither father nor daughter would be standing outside personally to greet him.

Especially not when they knew exactly how strange his abilities were.

The car rolled to a stop in front of the mansion.

The chauffeur stepped out and opened Evenson’s door.

Before getting out, Evenson quietly closed the refrigerator.

Every bottle was gone.

The refrigerator looked as though nobody had ever touched it.

Perfect.

He adjusted his suit, stepped out of the car, and approached his hosts with an easy smile.

"It is a pleasure to have a guest of your stature visiting my estate."

Gideon Malick extended his hand.

Evenson shook it warmly.

"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Malick. I never expected someone as influential as you to take an interest in me."

Stephanie suddenly gasped.

Her eyes widened slightly, one hand rising to cover her mouth.

"What happened to your hand?"

Evenson glanced down.

His right hand was wrapped almost completely in bandages.

It looked like he’d tried to fistfight a mummy.

There wasn’t much he could do about it.

To retrieve him from Lady Horror, the Eredar twins had resorted to directly casting a spell that caused his right hand to collapse.

Evenson had done everything possible afterward to regenerate it.

He’d made considerable progress.

Unfortunately, the hand still hadn’t completely recovered.

At the moment, it was effectively transparent, as though someone had rubbed it with an invisibility potion and forgotten to finish the job.

Bandages were easier.

"This?"

Evenson casually raised the hand and flexed his fingers.

"Just a little injury from the battle in New York."

He hadn’t exactly hidden the injury.

Anyone who knew him had heard about it.

Which meant Stephanie almost certainly already knew.

Her sudden concern was probably just good manners.

A little sympathy went a long way when making a first impression.

"Don’t worry," Stephanie said gently. "Medicine has advanced tremendously. I’m sure there must be some way to treat it."

From what she’d just seen, Evenson could move his fingers normally. That suggested the underlying bones and muscles weren’t seriously damaged.

She assumed the bandages were probably hiding severe scarring from burns or some other injury.

Evenson smiled at her.

"You’re very kind."

He paused.

"But magical injuries aren’t always so easy to heal."

"Oh..."

Stephanie’s expression immediately became solemn.

"That’s terrible."

She looked genuinely sympathetic.

"What happened to you was a sacrifice for the peace of the world."

Her eyes met his.

"You’re a remarkable man."

"I don’t deserve that title."

Evenson gently took her hand.

Then, with perfect courtesy, he raised it and kissed the back of her fingers.

"If I live in this world, protecting it is simply my responsibility."

He smiled.

"I wouldn’t call that greatness."

Stephanie quietly withdrew her hand.

A faint blush appeared across her cheeks.

Whether it was genuine or part of the performance, Evenson couldn’t tell.

Nearby, Gideon watched the exchange in silence.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

A very good start.

Evenson was equally pleased with himself.

That had gone smoothly.

Very smoothly.

Then, without warning, a chill ran down his spine.

He felt as though two icy gazes had suddenly locked onto him.

The sensation of being watched was so strong that the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

Evenson discreetly glanced around.

Nothing.

No suspicious movement.

No hidden enemies.

Nothing at all.

Probably his imagination.

Definitely his imagination.

"It’s winter already," Gideon said, apparently noticing Evenson’s sudden unease.

He gestured toward the mansion.

"The weather is getting rather cold. These old bones aren’t as resilient as they used to be."

He stepped aside and indicated the entrance.

"Why don’t we continue inside?"

"Sounds good."

Evenson nodded.

"I agree. We should probably discuss things somewhere warmer."

He followed Gideon and Stephanie toward the mansion.

Behind him, unseen and unnoticed, two sets of eyes remained fixed on him.

And neither pair looked particularly pleased.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!