A Calculated Delay

“Liliya,” Colt asked, “why aren’t we heading straight out? What are we doing here?”

The weariness in her voice was likely due to jet lag.

She wondered about the situation in Japan, and how many hours separated the two locations.

“I’m looking for something, something that will definitely come in handy~” Liliya replied, her head still turned as she operated the complex machinery from the driver’s seat.

“Tell me,” Colt pressed, “is there anything special here?”

Instead of heading directly to Japan after packing her luggage, Liliya had brought Colt along, driving an intimidating-looking machine out of the laboratory.

The spherical contraption resembled a ball, yet its extended mechanical arms seemed to flail menacingly, adorned with more drills than a hedgehog had quills.

Colt couldn’t help but wonder where this terrifying, destructive machine had come from.

It was worth noting that the laboratory, hidden beneath the Sahara Desert, had no conventional entrance.

Colt had only gained access through the ‘Corridor,’ and the prisoners brought to the L7 testing grounds for experimentation had, of course, also been transported by Liliya via the same ‘Corridor.’

Naturally, all those prisoners, with the exception of ‘Prisoner 9863,’ had since been brainwashed and sent back.

‘Honestly,’ Colt thought, ‘I’ve told Liliya countless times, yet she never listens.

If she keeps this up, she’s guaranteed to go to hell after she dies.

Even if she has acquaintances there, she shouldn’t be so reckless…’

“Ah!” Liliya exclaimed. “Kimberlite detected! Time to mine, mine~”

Colt merely blinked.

There was simply no hint of remorse in Liliya’s tone.

‘Well, if she ever listened, she wouldn’t be Liliya,’ Colt mused, resigning herself.

‘Speaking of which,’ Colt pondered, ‘is this ‘Kimberlite’ some special kind of ore? It sounds vaguely familiar…’

“Hey,” Liliya said, temporarily pausing her work and swiveling her chair to face Colt. “You can catch up on some sleep now.

I’ll wake you when I’m done.”

“Huh? Will it take long?” Colt asked, grateful for the offer of rest but sensing an underlying complexity, as was always the case with Liliya.

“About a day or two,” Liliya stated nonchalantly, her words instantly grating on Colt’s nerves.

“Hold on, aren’t we in a hurry?” Colt protested.

“Did I ever say we were in a hurry?” Liliya countered.

‘I… I… I… seriously?!’ Colt thought, flabbergasted.

‘This is outrageous!’ Colt fumed internally. ‘She gave me a strict one-day deadline to get to Africa, yet she’s perfectly content to squander her own time?!’

‘Though… she never actually said we were in a hurry!’

‘Damn it! This is so frustrating; she’s played me again!’

“Relax,” Liliya said, taking a leisurely sip from her coffee and crossing her legs. “It’s not the end of the world, so why the rush?”

A triumphant smirk then graced her features as she added, “And don’t get angry; you might be thanking me profusely before long.”

“Is that even possible…?” Colt muttered, skepticism etched onto her face.

‘If that happens,’ Colt thought, ‘it means Liliya has undoubtedly set another trap for me, unseen.

Yet, I’m utterly powerless to prevent it.

Being intellectually outmatched is no laughing matter.’

“Oh, right,” Liliya interjected, setting down her coffee. “Before you go to sleep, let’s discuss the plan.”

She then produced a tablet and handed it to Colt.

“Go on,” Colt said, her expression outwardly calm as she took the tablet.

‘A change of topic is welcome,’ Colt thought, ‘otherwise, I’ll feel like a fish trapped in a barrel.’

“I’m planning to use Xiaobai as bait, you see.”

Colt’s eyes widened.

A chilling silence filled the air.

The terrifying glint of white light reflecting off Liliya’s lenses, the enigmatic half-smile playing on her lips that betrayed no true intention, and the oppressive aura of a supreme ruler, one who seemed to reign over all—Colt could only conclude…

‘You truly spare no one, not even your own people…’