[LSB] Chapter 146: Publicity

[You have arrived at your destination, Sir Julian.]

“Thank you. I’ll be fine here, you can go back home.”

Julian moved from his seat, expecting the door of the car to open. But he ended up ramming his arm against it instead, causing the entire car to shake.

There were already people staring at Julian’s car. After all, it stood out—longer than the others, sleek and modern, with polished silver linings tracing its edges. It was unmistakably expensive, a vehicle only someone with serious wealth or influence could afford.

But when it suddenly wobbled in the air, most passersby quickly turned away, not wanting to get involved in whatever was going on inside. Everyone around the Exterminator Association building was too busy anyway—after all, the world of Extermination had been completely upended in the last few months. No one had time to… gawk for long.

Meanwhile, Julian was also wondering why the car hadn’t opened the door yet. He was about to open his mouth, but the car cut him off before he could do so.

[Which home should I go to, Sir Julian? I currently have four registered home addresses.]

He tilted his head slightly to the side, thinking about it for a while before patting the seat and answering,

“The one in Topside, New York. Ellie’s there too, so send her a message if she wants a ride home.”

[Of course, Sir Julian. Have a wonderful day.]

The door finally opened, and some of the people whose curiosity won over their urgent tasks all focused their eyes on Julian. First, they noticed the cane tapping the ground. Then their eyes rose, scanning the man who owned it.

Julian was wearing the black shirt and long coat designed exclusively for him. He didn’t look like he was here to become an exterminator at all, but rather to model something. It… made for an odd sight.

“Who’s… the handsome fella? He looks familiar.”

“High-rank Exterminator maybe? What’s with the stick?”

“Wait… I’ve definitely seen him before.”

Three months.

Julian had been gone for three whole months—and the world hadn’t stopped for him. His name had once dominated the media, trending on every stream and channel. But with everything happening across the galaxy, he had faded like any other news.

He was just another dot in a constellation far too vast to care.

…Or was he?

Julian ignored the murmurs and whispers growing around him and tapped his cane forward. The vibrations rippled forward, allowing him to map the area surrounding him.

The Exterminator Association grounds surprised him—they felt almost serene. Without the people rushing about, it would resemble a quiet garden. Neatly spaced plots filled with small trees and blooming shrubs lined the paths, each section connected by flowing streams and curved bridges. The air even smelled faintly of fruit. It felt… alive.

And then there was the Association building itself.

Although to call it merely a building would do it an injustice. It was more like a colossal dome with reinforced transparent alloy. Quartz-threaded graphene and a diamond mesh, old school but effective nonetheless.

The trees that lined the streets outside the Association extended into the dome—if anything, they were even more abundant inside. It might have been more accurate to call the entire structure a biodome.

The Exterminators he’d encountered so far were clad in cutting-edge tech, armed with advanced weaponry and cybernetic enhancements. Even the people walking past him now were weighted by them.

And yet, the very place they gathered felt peaceful.

“Hmm.”

Julian continued walking, his cane tapping softly along the stone path. And Femty’s voice soon whispered into his ear,

[May I suggest wearing a mask, Master Julian? Although Dr. Wilkes have already made sure your… tragic video was deleted from all media platforms, it would never truly disappear. These people will soon recognize you. Hmn… it’s not your fault that you’re incredibly good looking.]

“There’s no need. But thank you,” Julian replied as he approached the steps leading to the dome’s entrance.

Before he could ascend more than a few steps, another voice drifted through his mind.

[You should have gone home instead, Shadow Blacksmith.] It was Exhalia, her voice slightly lazy. And there might have even been a groan mixed in her words somewhere, [Your HP and MP may be full according to the Guidance, but as the fancy instruments of your world had detected—you are still not well.]

Julian’s mind wasn’t allowed to be free of voices, as another one whispered from even deeper into his consciousness.

[I do not wish to be rude, but both of them have a point, Master,] the Avatar of Searadyn whispered. Her words were soft, to the point that it sounded like she was afraid to snuff out a candle. A candle that could be compared to Julian’s current mental stability. [There is no need for all of this. You could have rested and let your minions at Humanity Engineering take care of this for you. You didn’t need to show yourself… here.]

“It’s fine,” Julian whispered, brushing both spirits off with a faint flick of his hand. The transparent doors in front of him slid open.

“I… want to be seen by them.”

[Master Julian, your heart rate is spiking. Are you feeling… unwell?] Femty’s voice rang in his mind, but it was quickly drowned by Exhalia’s voice.

[You’re… angry,] she said, her sighs almost a breath in his ears, [Is there any way for this Femty creature to hear us?]

“You could come out.”

[I am afraid the Eldazen is right in that regard—the world isn’t for Artemia and its… spirit. But I suppose we could do that in private. We—]

[You are talking with someone else again, Master Julian.] Femty’s voice cut Exhalia off, [May I ask who you are talking to?]

“Soon,” Julian sighed as he tapped his cane on the floor, mapping out the inside of the dome.

No one really bothered to look at him when he entered. But there were, however, people loitering just outside the entrance who stared at him when he stepped inside.

One of them, in particular, had his eyes incredibly wide. A tiny yelp even escaped his lips, and it would have been bigger if he hadn’t managed to cover his mouth in time.

The man looked exhausted—but the moment his eyes landed on Julian inside the dome, a flicker of life returned to them. He leaned forward, watching intently, and took a step toward the entrance.

The door, however, didn’t open. Instead, it let out a sharp beep, and a voice followed,

[Media is not allowed inside. Please refrain from approaching the door, or you will be escorted outside the premises. This is your only warning.]

“Right, right,” the weary man muttered, raising his hands in surrender. He backed away, retreating to the group of equally drained individuals who lingered near the front steps.

“What’s going on, Red? You noticed someone? There’s not much activity going on around here.” One of the people noticed him return, but didn’t look at him at all and instead just flicked his fingers in the air, “Oh, man. You heard they’re seeing daemons just crawling around in The Below? Creepy as hell.”

“Hm? Yeah… crazy,” The weary-looking man, Red, subtly turned away and slipped a small device from his bag—a compact drone sphere. After a quick glance to make sure no one was watching, he activated it and sent it hovering toward the transparent walls of the dome.

“...There you are,” he whispered, watching as the drone locked onto its target.

Julian was approaching one of the interior terminals. Red’s AR display lit up as the drone streamed the feed directly into his vision. He zoomed in, trying to get a clean 3D scan of Julian’s face—but the angle wasn’t exactly right.

He reached out to adjust the drone, but just as he did, Julian subtly turned his head.

“I knew it! Jul—” Red quickly covered his mouth again. He glanced back at his competitors, trying to see if they noticed anything. But they were completely oblivious of the golden goose inside that entered the nest.

Fools. He thought. The others were too busy following their leads that they didn’t realize the greatest story had literally already walked past them.

Unbeknownst to Red, however, Julian deliberately angled his face just enough so that the drone could scan his face.

And when he felt Red celebrating outside, he hummed to himself and turned his focus back to the terminal in front of him.

[Hello. I am here to assist you today.] A hologram was projected from the terminal, but Julian didn’t really notice or feel it at all, [If in any time you wish to be assisted by a human, please feel free to tell me. But for the meantime, I am here to help you.]

“I wish to speak with someone, please.”

[Of course.] The hologram dissolved. [Please proceed to counter six. I have already been informed by your personal AI assistant that you are visually impaired. Counter six will ring shortly to guide you.]

“Thank you.”

Julian was already walking toward counter six as Femty had already told him where it was. What greeted him there, or rather, what didn’t greet him there, was a woman who looked even more bored than the reporters outside.

Her head was planted on her counter, chewing gum perhaps in an attempt to stop herself from falling asleep. It wasn’t until Julian tapped the metal edge of the desk that she stirred, her eyes blinking open as she slowly raised her head to meet him.

She narrowed her eyes at Julian, blinking a few times before finally sitting up straight and forcing a smile.

“Good afternoon. My name is Hannah. How can I assist you today?” She tried her best to sound as jolly as possible, but it was obvious how sleepy she was from how sluggish her speech was.

“I’d like to register as an Exterminator.”

“Of course,” Hannah nodded, “Our system will now begin scanning you. Do you consent?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you,” Hannah once again smiled as she tapped something on her counter. “You look kind of familiar… Have you taken the exam before? Because I’d definitely remem—wait a minute.”

Her eyes soon turned wide as she reviewed the profile that projected right in front of her eyes.

“Wait a minute…” she repeated, this time rising from her chair.

 “...You’re Julian Winters!?”

Her voice wasn’t just loud—it exploded across the otherwise tranquil dome of the association. The sound bounced off the glass and foliage, drawing everyone's attention.

And she got it.

People who had been busy with their own tasks turned to look. Then came the whispers, passing through the crowd like wildfire.

“Julian Winters…? The mutant?”

“Sword Junkie?! Oh, shit.”

“Fuck. It really is him! I recognize him from Mars!”

And just like that, they all saw him.

Exactly as he intended.

He wanted them to see him.

He wanted him to see him.

The one who ordered the assassination of his Otherworld counterpart, Vijya Thatcher’s father.

The one who caused him to be separated from Silvie.

***

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...Have I ever mentioned the father's name?