The Sahara’s Fury and the L7 Horrors

It was quite comical, I had to admit, that my very first utterance after such an incredibly tedious journey would be this, but… please allow me this one complaint:

“God… damn it…”

Why did I completely forget about the time difference? It couldn’t possibly be noon here right now, could it?!

And why had it slipped my mind that this place was once known as the hottest on Earth?

Only two minutes had passed since I emerged from the ‘Corridor,’ yet standing in the desert, I felt as though I’d just endured a sauna session.

I was already drenched in sweat, as if I’d climbed out of a pool of water—hot water, of course.

“Sixty-three degrees…”

Was there even any point in pulling out my phone to check the temperature now? I should probably just toss it back into the ‘Corridor’ before it exploded from the heat, that wouldn’t be good…

Ah—I think I’m seeing a mirage…

****

“Liliya… this…”

My right eyelid twitched uncontrollably.

Truly, no matter how many times, this lunatic always managed to unnerve me.

This was just too… what exactly was going on?!

I had successfully entered the laboratory situated beneath the Sahara Desert.

After Mr. Liya informed me that Liliya was currently in the L7 testing ground, I made my way to the tightly sealed metal doors of the L7 testing ground, and then…

With a face contorted as if I’d just eaten durian, I stared at the hellish tableau displayed on the screen opposite.

“【Russian】Is the ‘CHOKER’ I gave you merely an ornament? Speak to me in Russian.”

Through the thick metal door, Liliya, visible on the screen, reprimanded me without even lifting her gaze from the documents in her hand.

“【Russian】Ahem—so, why (She didn’t finish).”

“【Russian】Isn’t it obvious?”

Interrupting the question that was about to spill from my lips, Liliya still didn’t look up.

“…” I was speechless.

Obvious? Obvious what?

Without an explanation, I had no idea.

This bizarre and sickening depiction of hell… if Ruka were to see it, she might just blow this whole place up.

“【Russian】Come in first.”

Hooking a finger, or rather, the documents in her hand, Liliya finally looked up at me.

“【Russian】Huh?”

But on my end, I was utterly bewildered.

No, ‘at a loss’ might be a more fitting description.

“【Russian】I told you to come in. Do I need to say it a third time?”

The clear lenses perched on Liliya’s nose bridge were already glinting with an ominous white light.

“【Russian】…Oh…”

It was best to comply.

Making her angry was no laughing matter.

“Click-clank—hiss-whoosh—” Like the opening of a pneumatic pump, the heavy metal door slid open horizontally before me.

With a complicated expression, I navigated around the slowly writhing obstacles on the testing ground and approached Liliya.

“【Russian】Hey, hey, don’t tell me that’s cold sweat?”

Liliya cast a mocking sidelong glance, then tossed a bottle of water my way.

“【Russian】No, no, no, it’s just that the sun outside is a bit fierce.”

My reply felt a little awkward, but… it wasn’t entirely a lie, was it?

“【Russian】Here. You haven’t eaten, have you?”

This time, with one already in her own mouth, Liliya offered me another of her self-invented nutrition bars.

While its texture wasn’t exactly pleasant, a single bar could satisfy an adult’s nutritional needs for an entire week.

The most astonishing part, however, was that it actually kept you full—a truly remarkable invention.

This very thing had saved me twice before.

Still, the fact that she was giving it to me now meant I wouldn’t have a chance to eat proper food for the next few days, didn’t it?

The thought was a little depressing.

But none of that was the main point.

“【Russian】I’m amazed you still have the appetite to eat that…”

This was hardly an environment conducive to eating; I was doing well just not to throw up.

“【Russian】Even dismembered corpses from a car accident look better than these things, don’t they?”

Liliya, still looking down, continued to calmly pore over the documents in her hand.

“…”

Never mind.

In Liliya’s presence, I was merely a mortal.

It was better to quickly devour the nutrition bar before I vomited.

“【Russian】Tell me, what exactly did you do to them…?”

As I surveyed my surroundings, my mouth grew increasingly tasteless.

“【Russian】Everything.”

…

…

“Grumph—”

I wasn’t sure if what I’d just swallowed was the nutrition bar or something else entirely…

What I did understand was this:

Liliya was, truly, as terrifying as ever.

In this L7 testing ground, these ten thousand monstrous chunks of flesh, resembling ‘Shub-Niggurath’ save for their lack of dripping maws, might well appear as mere snails in her eyes.

In her presence, I imagined even a god would be reduced to a lab rat.