Sabretooth was pressed to the ground by an invisible force, letting out an unwilling growl from his throat.
"Everyone, stop!"
Eric's face was so dark it could drip Water.
He turned his head, his sharp gaze piercing the bulletproof glass of the observation room, staring intently at Lynt.
Lynt smiled back at him, turned off the broadcast, then leisurely walked into the training ground with Raven.
"It seems our first team-building exercise has been remarkably effective."
Lynt surveyed the mess around him, nodding with satisfaction, "At least, it made everyone realize one fact—your so-called strength is worthless on a real battlefield."
"Is this the result you wanted?" Magneto landed in front of him, his voice icy, "To see us bicker like a bunch of Jokers?"
"No." Lynt wagged his finger, the smile on his face fading, becoming serious, "I want you, I want all of you to understand. What I need is not a bunch of reckless men who only fight for themselves, but a sharp sword capable of executing the most precise missions."
He walked up to Magneto, looking directly into the eyes of the Mutant leader.
"Eric, tell me, have your past methods succeeded? Every time you stood up and rallied, what did it gain you? Deeper fear from humanity, tighter encirclement, and greater casualties for Mutants. Your grand blueprint always remained just a blueprint."
Magneto fell silent, Lynt's words, like a sharp knife, accurately pierced the deepest part of his heart.
"And I will give you another path."
Lynt's voice was full of allure, "Imagine a secret action team composed of the most top-tier Mutants, possessing the most advanced technology and equipment, the most precise intelligence support, and... the most abundant funds.
We no longer need to be at war with the entire World; we only need to precisely excise those targets hostile to Mutants, like a surgical operation.
We can secretly support pro-Mutant politicians, acquire companies that develop Sentinel robots, and fundamentally change the rules of the game in this World."
"We are to be kings, Eric, not reckless men who only flip tables.
And all of this requires discipline, cooperation, and every single one of you to become a perfect gear in this precise War Machine."
Magneto was deeply shaken by the vision Lynt described.
He had always been immersed in the mindset of direct confrontation with humanity, yet he had never thought that he could achieve his ideals through such means of 'capital' and 'machinations.'
This young Human, on an ideological level, seemed to stand higher and see further than he did.
"I understand."
After a long pause, Magneto slowly spoke. He glanced at Sabretooth and the others still struggling on the ground, and for the first time, his eyes showed approval.
"Training, continue."
Just then, Lynt's phone in his pocket vibrated urgently.
It was the highest-level alert from the company's security system.
A high-energy signature suddenly appeared in downtown Manhattan, near an abandoned old warehouse. The energy reading was extremely unfamiliar, not belonging to any known energy system on Earth.
Lynt had a vague impression of that warehouse; it seemed to be where Thor's girlfriend, Jane Foster, used to conduct her astronomical research.
"It seems we have a new client." A glint flashed in Lynt's eyes.
"Azazel." He called out.
Red Devil instantly appeared beside him.
"Take me and Director Raven to the alert location."
Lynt gave the order, "The others, stand by, familiarize yourselves with your work uniforms. This will be your first real combat exercise."
"Alright, Boss."
Red Devil's reply already carried a sense of employee conscientiousness.
After a puff of sulfur-scented smoke, the three disappeared from the training ground.
The next second, they appeared on the roof of the old warehouse.
A solemn and murderous aura washed over them.
In the open space in front of the warehouse stood four tall women, dressed in silver and gold form-fitting armor.
Each of them was heroic and beautiful, but the battle-hardened, iron-blooded aura they exuded made any man dare not harbor the slightest impure thought.
They were like Valkyries stepped out of myths and legends.
Oh, wait, they *were* Valkyries.
Lynt inwardly ranted wildly, but his face remained impassive.
The lead Valkyrie had dazzling golden hair, a stern face, and held a long spear that gleamed with cold light. Her eyes were sharp as an eagle's, scanning her surroundings vigilantly.
"Who goes there?"
She spotted the three on the roof, pointed her spear, and shouted in an ancient and majestic Asgardian language.
Lynt paused; he didn't understand this gibberish.
Fortunately, the system had a built-in translation function.
"I am Lynt, CEO of Apex Amplification Company."
Lynt adjusted his suit and tie, tilting his head slightly.
Red Devil then moved Raven and Lynt down below.
Lynt gave Red Devil an approving look; such keen observation deserved a bonus.
He displayed a standard business smile and extended his hand.
"Welcome to Midgard, beautiful ladies.
May I ask, do you have entry visas?
And have you reported your... uh, landing method to the local air traffic control department?
If not, there might be a slight problem."
The lead Valkyrie, Sigrun, frowned deeply.
Visas? Air traffic control?
What were these strange things?
They were Asgard's most elite warriors, Valkyries under All-Father Odin; did they need to report to these Mortals when descending upon a mere Midgard?
"We are here by the will of the All-Father to protect Jane Foster."
Sigrun ignored Lynt's outstretched hand, saying arrogantly, "Mortal, this is not your concern; retreat at once."
"Protect Jane Foster?"
Lynt feigned surprise, "That's quite inconvenient.
Our company has just acquired this land, and we have signed an exclusive security agreement with Dr. Foster.
Which means, legally speaking, I am her security chief."
He shook the tablet in his hand, which displayed a flawlessly forged electronic contract.
"Therefore, ladies, your unauthorized armed presence within my security area constitutes illegal trespass.
We reserve the right to take all necessary measures."
The Valkyries exchanged glances; they clearly couldn't understand these complex modern terms, but they could sense that this seemingly harmless Mortal was challenging their authority in a way they didn't comprehend.
Electricity began to flicker around Sigrun's spear.
"I'll say it again, Mortal, stand back!"
Just at this tense moment, Lynt's phone rang again, unseasonably.
He glanced at the caller ID; it was Natasha.