Atlantis was not the name of a single city; nonetheless, almost every Atlantean city bore the name Atlantis, and the one housing Laufey's corpse was no exception.
To prevent Laufey's remains from being exploited, Odin had hidden the body within an Atlantean city—a location almost no one would suspect, making it both sufficiently secretive and secure.
Furthermore, any attempt by those of the Norse pantheon to seize the corpse would draw the scrutiny of the Olympian gods. Should that happen, Odin could simply ask Zeus to send aid to resolve the issue. As long as Malekith did not wish to face a tag-team match against both Odin and Zeus, he would not lay a hand on Atlantis, even if he knew the location.
"This is exactly why we need Roxxon Energy to step in. As long as it remains an internal conflict within Earth's civilizations, the Olympians cannot intervene, even if they know about it."
Agger smiled as he arrived near the Atlantean waters via cruise ship. He had already secured the exploration permit for this maritime region; the deep-sea drilling team could begin operations immediately, disguised as a routine deep-sea oil extraction project.
In truth, there was another advantage to Agger handling the Atlanteans: his true form was a Minotaur. Since the Minotaur was a creature of Greek myth, this could be framed as a Greek internal conflict, ensuring that even fewer people could raise objections.
Amora leaned against the ship's railing, watching the sea surface with an air of boredom. Hearing Agger's words, the Enchantress added a casual remark: "After all, ordinary people don't have the strength to challenge Atlantis. Fortunately, we have special help."
"Speaking of which, is it really alright for you to be here?" Agger asked curiously in return. "Won't this give those Greek gods an excuse to claim Asgardian interference?"
"Just focus on your task. You aren't responsible for the affairs of the gods."
Agger shrugged and signaled his subordinates to begin. Submersibles were deployed, "invading" the territory of Atlantis. Agger looked forward to the confrontation, waiting for the Atlanteans' reaction.
The "little fish-men" issued a warning soon enough. Upon finding their warnings ignored, they launched a swift counterattack. In the water, every one of them possessed the physical strength and reflexes of a super-soldier, and they carried weapons slightly more advanced than those of the surface world. Before long, one submersible was put out of commission.
Agger waited quietly for the Atlanteans to breach the surface and vent their fury. Sure enough, a group of Atlanteans soon emerged from the waves.
Accompanied by continuous laser fire and Agger leisurely sipping his coffee, the blood of the Atlanteans quickly stained the sea red. Holding his coffee cup, Agger pleasantly issued a command through his communicator.
"Continue."
The news reached the royal city of Atlantis in short order. Upon hearing it, Namor was uncharacteristically furious. "I will sink the ships of those surface-dwellers!"
"Respected Lord of the Seven Seas, we can use a far more effective method. We are much stronger than the surface people."
A robust, blue-skinned Atlantean offered his insight. "We should launch a proportional retaliation against the surface people, letting them know where the glory of Atlantis lies."
Namor glanced at the fish-man and spoke calmly. "General Krang, please prepare the troops. We are going to exterminate some pests."
The general named Krang nodded. After stepping down, he glanced back at the palace before heading off to organize the army.
Back on Agger's side, the Atlanteans proved they were no fools. After two consecutive groups lost signal, they entered a defensive mode, engaging in a series of delaying skirmishes within their city to resist the invasion. They truly could not fathom where these high-tech surface-dwellers had come from or why they were invading their home.
But the worst was yet to come. Specially designed naval mines were dropped into the city of Atlantis. They detonated instantly—first, a violent surge of electricity spread through the surroundings, creating a waterless environment through instantaneous electrolysis, followed by a rapid explosion that turned the Atlanteans into roasted dried fish.
"When Spider-Man was fighting the Elementals' Hydro-Man in Europe, he used an electrolysis device. It was quite interesting. And one of his enemies, the Hobgoblin army, used a very special bomb capable of raising the temperature high enough to carbonize a person instantly."
Agger explained the origin of his anti-Atlantean weaponry to Amora. "So, we had someone combine the two to create a specialized bomb for dealing with Atlanteans."
First, electrolyze the water to create a pocket of air, then immediately detonate the secondary charge to turn the Atlanteans into charred fish. Agger wasn't entirely sure if this tactic would work against the King of the Seven Seas, but he was about to find out.
In the distance, the waves surged toward the sky, and the horizon turned dark with thick clouds, as if a terrifying typhoon were imminent. Agger stood up, watching the massive swell rise. Then, Namor appeared before Agger, trident in hand, asking coldly.
"Surface-dweller, are you seeking death?"
"In fact, Great Namor, I am not. This is all a misunderstanding. I am willing to provide sufficient compensation in exchange for your forgiveness."
Agger stood up in a panic, appearing as though he were offering a sincere apology. Namor considered this for a moment and then proposed several extremely harsh and demanding conditions.
To his surprise, Agger agreed to all of them. This left Namor somewhat stunned. However, a king's word is his bond; since the terms were met, he decided not to press for total annihilation and intended to let Agger return home.
Namor prepared to withdraw his forces, but then something unexpected happened. His subordinate, the warlord Krang, had been watching everything. At that moment, Krang suddenly raised his arms and shouted to the soldiers.
"Do you see? This is our King? His half-surface blood ensures he will never seek vengeance against the surface world!"
"Namor is unfit to be our King!"
Namor was actually moved to angry laughter by this sudden and nonsensical declaration of rebellion. He looked directly at General Krang. "Krang, your stupidity is beyond belief. Look closely at the soldiers around you—how many are actually willing to follow you..."
Namor didn't finish his sentence, because he saw every soldier point their weapons at him. Namor felt a sense of dissonance, but the situation did not allow for deep thought. He reacted instantly.
He fled.
"It seems a civil war among the Atlanteans is inevitable," Amora said, her form shimmering back into view with a slight smile. Agger continued to sip his coffee; this had nothing to do with him.
As long as the war continued, he would have more than enough time to excavate Laufey's corpse.