"Hey, my dear Natasha, did you miss me?" he said in an intimate tone.
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then Natasha's hushed, slightly urgent voice came through.
"Cut it out. I just received an alert. There's been high-intensity spatial energy fluctuations on your end. A Quinjet has already taken off and will arrive in five minutes at most."
"What in the world are you up to?"
"Just a minor cross-border business dispute."
Lynt smiled, glancing at the Valkyries in front of him, whose expressions were growing increasingly grim.
He hung up the phone, put it back in his pocket, and then shrugged at Sigrun.
"Alright, ladies, now you have two choices."
His smile was like a fox preparing to steal a chicken.
"One, come with me. I can provide you with the safest, most comfortable accommodation, handle all your troubles, and allow you to quietly carry out your mission."
"Two, stay here and, in five minutes, explain your origins and… those oversized regulated weapons in your hands to the most troublesome intelligence agency on this Planet."
"Personally, I suggest you choose one."
"After all, I am a peace-loving businessman. And they…"
Lynt pointed towards the sky.
"They aren't as easy to talk to as I am."
Sigrun looked in the direction he pointed, and in the distant sky, a tiny black dot was flying towards them at an extremely high speed, accompanied by the piercing roar of engines.
Her expression finally changed.
Sigrun's expression changed several times within a few seconds.
She could feel that the rapidly approaching iron bird in the sky contained a considerable amount of energy.
Although it wouldn't pose a fatal threat to them, engaging in combat would inevitably lead to greater trouble.
The All-Father's command was to observe, not to provoke war.
This Mortal in front of her, smooth-tongued and seemingly weak, yet seemed to have a complete grasp of the current situation.
"What do you want?"
Sigrun put away her spear, her voice still cold, but now carrying a hint of negotiation.
"Win-win," Lynt snapped his fingers.
"I provide you with convenience, and you only need to answer some… small questions about your home."
"Oh, and owe me a favor. When I need it later, just a small help will do."
It was practically the epitome of getting something for nothing.
"Deal." Sigrun barely hesitated.
Compared to being exposed to the eyes of Mortal agencies, this price was negligible.
"Wise choice." Lynt smiled with satisfaction, "Azazel."
Red Devil stepped forward, his crimson tail wrapping around Lynt's waist, while his other hand rested on Sigrun's shoulder.
Sigrun instinctively tried to resist but was stopped by a look from Lynt.
"Don't be nervous, lady. This is our company's exclusive shuttle service, much faster than your… Bifrost Bridge."
A puff of sulfur-scented smoke rose, leaving only a faint scorch mark on the spot.
A few seconds later, the Quinjet roared to a halt, hovering over the warehouse. The cabin door opened, and fully armed Agents rappelled down, only to find an empty space and a trace of peculiar energy lingering in the air.
Inside the Quinjet, Natasha frowned, looking at the empty thermal imaging on the screen.
That man had, once again, exceeded her expectations.
The top floor of a luxurious apartment building next to Central Park in Manhattan.
As the smoke dissipated, the four Valkyries found themselves in a vast, lavishly decorated space that bordered on decaying opulence.
Soft carpets, huge floor-to-ceiling windows, glittering crystal chandeliers, and various oddly shaped "furniture" they had never seen before.
A petite Valkyrie, Astrid, curiously poked a large black mirror on the wall.
Suddenly, colorful images lit up in the mirror, accompanied by noisy sounds.
"Ah!" Astrid jumped back in fright, almost drawing the dagger from her waist.
"Relax, lady, that's called a television."
Lynt leisurely took a bottle of Romanée-Conti from the wine cabinet nearby and poured himself a glass.
"A… magic box that can show distant images, a specialty of Midgard."
He enjoyed the pleasure of introducing modern civilization to these "ancient people."
On the other side, the most robust Valkyrie was staring at a double-door refrigerator with a solemn expression. She could feel the cold emanating from this White iron box.
"Could this be a replica of Jotunheim's Casket of Ancient Winters?"
She asked her companions with a serious face.
"No, that's a refrigerator, used for chilling beer and preserving food."
Lynt swirled the wine glass in his hand, almost laughing out loud.
He walked over to the curious Astrid, who was studying a capsule coffee machine.
"Want a drink? I'll teach you."
Lynt naturally stood behind her, his body almost touching hers, took her hand, guided her to place the capsule into the machine, and then pressed the button.
"See, it's very simple."
As he spoke, his warm breath brushed Astrid's earlobe, instantly flushing her fair neck with a hint of red.
This Valkyrie, who had never frowned on the battlefield, was now somewhat flustered.
Lynt began to calculate when to persuade them to do a double… no, Apex Amplification.
And strengthening divine units might yield a higher return rate than strengthening Mutants!
These weren't Valkyries; these were clearly four walking, mobile gold mines and experience packages!
My kidney, you've worked hard, all for the money!
Lynt's eyes instantly became incredibly fiery. He looked at these four valiant Valkyries as if they were four glittering SSR-level paying users.
After settling these distinguished guests and promising to send people daily to deliver Midgardian delicacies, he left with Raven and Red Devil.
As soon as they returned to the Apex Amplification Company's CEO office, Raven could no longer hold back.
Raven's arm locked around Lynt's shoulder like an iron clamp, pinning him tightly against the cold wall.
Her originally unpredictable blue eyes now held only one emotion—burning, undisguised jealousy.
"Who are they?"
Her voice was low, but it was like an ice-tempered knife, each word carrying a bone-chilling coldness.
"Where did you find these new 'plugins'? And four of them at once!"
"And they're the blonde, blue-eyed type!"
Lynt felt his shoulder bones groaning.
Is this woman trying to crush me?
If this continues, I'll have to file a workers' compensation claim tomorrow.
Injuries both above and below!
"Calm down, my dear, calm down!"
Lynt raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, "These are all clients. No one can replace you. You are, after all, the boss lady of this company."
"Boss lady?" Raven sneered, her blue cheeks appearing even more demonic with anger.
"You don't exert yourself on your boss lady, but you constantly think about exerting yourself on others, huh? Is it because I don't use enough force each time? Hmm?"
As she spoke, she raised her knee and pressed it against Lynt.
"Natasha, Wanda, I tolerated them, but now there are several more who clearly aren't Earthlings, and they clearly pose a threat!"
"They're not a threat, they're… an opportunity." Lynt took a deep breath, deciding to explain business logic to this jealous woman.