[LSB] Chapter 111: 30 Seconds from Mars

Daemon waves.

The name alone was self-explanatory—a relentless horde of daemons, tearing through everything in their path with merciless destruction. Like most things related to daemons, even after a thousand years, humanity was still in the dark about how, why, or when they occurred.

They just… happened.

No pattern. No logic.

Just another way for humanity to be punished for reaching the stars.

It was only recently that humans had discovered where they came from—portals leading to a world unknown, a realm of darkness. Their home was bleak. Barren.

And yet, from what little humans had managed to glimpse—it was also vast.

The Daemon Control Center had tried sending probes through the portals, desperate to pinpoint where in the boundless expanse of the universe these creatures came from.

After all, humans had long since mastered the ability to send signals billions of light-years away.

But their probes never returned. Not even a single piece of data.

Were the daemons lurking in a part of the universe yet to be discovered?

Perhaps.

The universe was endless, after all—constantly expanding.

For centuries, daemons had only appeared on Earth, slaughtering without reason, without mercy.

But now—

As the greatest daemon wave in human history unfolded—

It wasn’t happening on Earth.

It was happening on Mars.

Of all the human colonies they could have attacked—they chose Mars. A utopia built by those who considered themselves superior to the rest of humanity.

A planet that boasted no crime.

No need for weapons.

No need for debate.

A society deeply connected to its ancestors, refusing to adopt the cutting-edge technology that other human worlds relied on.

A perfect world—for pretenders.

At least, that’s how those on Earth and the other colonies saw them.

And now—

That perfect world was completely unprepared for the nightmare descending upon it.

The waves had always been unpredictable. Daemons, after all, remained undetectable—no matter how much human technology advanced.

Perhaps the only reason Mars had been able to retaliate or even request aid was because of the portals—a phenomenon that hadn’t existed before.

In a way, they were lucky.

Before, daemon waves occurred because the creatures waited. They lurked in isolated parts of a planet, their numbers growing in silence—and then, when the time was right—they struck.

But now, with the portals physically manifesting, humans had a way to detect the unique energy signature they produced. How and why these portals had begun appearing, no one knew.

Were the daemons weakening?

Or… were they growing bolder?

Either way, it didn’t matter.

Humanity had one job when it came to daemons—extermination.

That was why the Daemon Control Center (DCC) had called upon every extermination team, demanding they send their best to aid Mars.

“And we need your help, Mr. Winters. It is… most urgent.”

A man sat across from Julian, explaining it all to him.

When Victoria had informed him that one of the heads of the DCC had come to Ceres-9 to see him, Julian had fully expected to catch the familiar scent of Dr. Ling. But it wasn’t her.

It was the other head of the Daemon Control Center—Dr. Heinz—who, oddly enough, had introduced himself as Dr. May’s father. Julian had no idea who Dr. May was. But when Dr. Heinz pulled out a video hologram of her, recognition struck immediately when he heard her voice.

How could he not remember her?

She was one of the first people he had ever seen. Literally.

One of the doctors who had welcomed his newly awakened clone aboard the ship hovering over Artemia. Perhaps that was why Victoria had even allowed someone from the DCC onto Ceres-9 in the first place, because Dr. Heinz had family working for her.

Julian had barely spoken since the meeting began—aside from a brief introduction, he had remained completely silent, listening as Dr. Heinz laid everything out before him.

The two sat across from each other at a table, while Victoria leaned against the wall, quietly observing.

Now that Dr. Heinz was finished, he waited, hands folded, expecting Julian to say something. But the silence stretched.

Thirty seconds.

A minute.

Finally, Dr. Heinz cleared his throat, placing both hands firmly on the table.

“Millions could die, Mr. Winters,” he said. “What you witnessed during the Streamer Awards? That was nothing. It—”

He stopped.

Because at last, Julian spoke.

“I know how devastating a Daemon wave is,” Julian muttered. His fingers tapped idly against the cane on his side.

“My parents died from it.”

Dr. Heinz hesitated. “That…”

Julian exhaled a small sigh.

“How exactly do you expect me to help?” he asked. “I’m blind, Doctor. Any other exterminator would be more useful to you than me.”

“That is where you’re wrong.”

Dr. Heinz shook his head.

“What you did at the Streamer Awards? Only the best exterminators in the world could hope to replicate that. And I’ve seen your adventures on Artemia—you have more experience than most exterminators we have now.”

He leaned forward. “We—”

“Enough.”

Victoria, who had remained silent up until now, stepped forward.

She also placed both hands on the table, her gaze locking onto Dr. Heinz with unwavering intensity.

For the first time since the conversation started, she spoke.

"Exterminators are expendable. Mr. Winters is not." Victoria’s voice was firm.

"You shouldn’t be asking this of him in the first place."

Dr. Heinz glanced at her, exhaling slowly as he closed his eyes for a brief moment. But he didn’t back down.

"Do you speak for Mr. Winters?"

"No." Victoria crossed her arms. "I’m simply stating the obvious—there is only one Mr. Winters. There are hundreds of thousands of exterminators."

"There is only one of them, too." Dr. Heinz’s gaze sharpened. "They have lives. They matter."

"Then why not send in drones instead?"

Victoria didn’t give him a chance to respond.

She cut him off immediately.

"Let me answer that for you—because the government doesn’t want to waste its precious resources and money. You’re taking advantage of the fact that exterminators are celebrities with corporate sponsors, using their own equipment, driven by a sense of duty unmatched even by most military forces."

She tilted her head slightly. "Did I get that right?"

"That—"

"But of course," Victoria continued, her breath light, almost amused. "None of that is your fault. After all, despite being one of the heads of the DCC, you’re still just a pawn of the World Government. This is why I proposed privatizing the DCC years ago—to your predecessor."

Dr. Heinz’s expression hardened. "Privatize safety?" His eyes narrowed. "The DCC doesn’t earn anything. Everything we spend comes from the government."

"Then let me buy it."

"Huh?"

Victoria smiled. "Let Humanity Engineering absorb the DCC."

She leaned forward slightly.

"You would have all the funding you need. We would even sponsor a DCC-exclusive exterminator team, so you wouldn’t have to lower yourselves to—"

"Enough."

Dr. Heinz stood up, his voice laced with frustration.

"Don’t think I don’t see what you’re doing, Dr. Wilkes."

He met her gaze, unwavering.

"I came here to ask for help. Not to be dragged into whatever illegal shit you’re running. Unlike Humanity Engineering, which treats most things as a game—

The DCC is an actual integral part of humanity."

Victoria’s smile still didn’t waver. With a small hum, she took a step back and stood beside Julian and placed her hand on his chair.

"Then ask again."

Her voice was light, almost playful—but her eyes were ice.

"And one more thing, little Heinz—" She tilted her head slightly.

"Humanity Engineering does not speak for Mr. Winters. Quite the opposite, in fact—wherever Mr. Winters stands, that is where we are."

As the two continued exchanging sharp words, Julian simply listened, his ears shifting between them.

And he couldn't help but wonder...

When did he become so important?

Once again, he was just a blacksmith. So why was he being dragged into something so much bigger?

Is this where fame usually leads?

Now, as the two literal leaders of humanity watched him, waiting for his answer, Julian knew he had to make a decision.

He could ask MEGAN, but he had been trying to rely on her less and less now that she technically had her own life. Still, a choice like this—he shouldn’t make on his own.

And so—

‘MEGAN.’

The moment he called for her in his mind, before he could even form his next thought, she had already anticipated his question.

[You have no obligation to help anyone, Julian. The only people you know on Mars are Ellie’s family—the ones who took advantage of her and stole her inheritance. But of course… there are other ways to help.]

‘Other ways?’

[Yes. One…]

Julian listened. MEGAN’s explanation was the usual—half advice, half insult—but he didn’t argue. He made sure to listen carefully.

And once she was done, he let out a small hum—one that made both Dr. Heinz and Victoria perk up in anticipation.

“I can offer help.”

Dr. Heinz’s eyes lit up instantly.

“Then—”

But Julian didn’t let him finish.

He stood up and began walking toward the exit.

Dr. Heinz hesitated for a moment, confused—thinking Julian meant to leave for Mars immediately.

But then—

Julian glanced over his shoulder and said,

“But I’m not going as an exterminator.”

Dr. Heinz froze. Even Victoria, who had been quietly following Julian out of the room, halted her steps, caught off guard by his words.

Dr. Heinz stared at Julian for a few moments, processing—

Before finally uttering, “Huh?”

***

An hour had passed.

Julian now stood aboard one of the DCC’s motherships, hovering over Mars. He followed behind Dr. Heinz through the vast metallic corridors, the rhythmic hum of the ship’s systems a constant buzz for him.

Dr. Heinz had a very… complicated expression on his face. 

The other faces around the ship, however, widened their eyes as they saw Julian within their midst.  There were few, if any, left in humanity’s colonies who didn’t recognize Julian Winters.

Even the DCC’s staff, despite their grueling schedules, knew who he was.

And as soon as he stepped onto the ship, it was as if the weight in the air doubled.

“Is he… joining the defense?”

“I’ve only seen him on TV—did you see what he did during that Streamer Awards thing?”

“I heard he’s been secretly killing daemons alone.”

Many wanted to approach him. But with Dr. Heinz escorting him, the most they could do was whisper and watch from afar.

It didn’t help that the doctor didn’t seem to be in the mood for conversation—his tone curt as he pointed out various locations on their route, giving Julian a silent, almost begrudging tour of the ship.

Finally, they arrived at a massive chamber, and Dr. Heinz gestured inside.

“This is the training area. Exterminators warm up here before deploying.”

Julian stepped inside.

And the heat of the room hit him immediately. Not just from the temperature, but from the intensity.

The sheer energy radiating off the exterminators as they trained was almost suffocating.

The sounds of combat suits, cyberware enhancements, and training weapons clashed in the air.

All of them were flying and moving around. 

And from what Julian could feel, they were fighting against nanomachines in the shape of daemons—their training weapons, only made of light so as to not damage the equipment, but still replicating weight and force. 

He tilted his head to the side, trying to filter out the noise. But he didn’t need to at all, as the exterminators all stopped as soon as they noticed him enter the hall. 

And like most people in the ship, they recognize him.

How could they not?

For months now, the world had compared Julian Winters to exterminators—with some even claiming he was better than them.

Dr. Heinz exhaled, choosing to continue the tour.

“As you can see, those who have not been sent down are preparing here. More will be arriving soon, Mr. Winters. Are you sure you—”

He wasn’t able to finish his sentence, however, as someone had already broken away from the group.

An exterminator flew toward them, his combat suit unfolding as he stepped out of it, revealing a battle-worn but focused expression.

His eyes locked onto Julian.

“Julian Winters.” The man slightly groaned, “Didn’t think I’d see you here. You’re quite busy, after all—living dual lives.”

Dr. Heinz let out a quiet sigh. He had expected some resistance from the exterminators.

He just hadn’t expected it so soon.

Still, it was best to let it play out. So, he subtly stepped aside—watching, waiting to see how Julian would respond.

But then—

Something unexpected happened.

The exterminator bowed his head.

“…My name is Midoriya Katsuki,” he introduced himself, “My wife, Izuka, was at the Streamer Awards. You saved her. For that, you have my thanks, Mr. Winters.”

Julian let out a quiet hum, gesturing to him to lift up his head.

“I wasn’t really trying to save anyone,” Julian said. “I just happened to be there.”

Katsuki raised his head slightly.

“And now, you happen to be here.”

He studied Julian for a moment.

Then, with quiet determination—

“If you haven’t yet, would you like to warm up with me and my team?” He nodded toward the exterminators still watching from afar. “You don’t need equipment, correct?”

Julian turned his head, glancing at the training hall. Then—

“…There’s no need for me to warm up.”

Katsuki’s gaze lingered on him for a moment as he heard his words.

Then, he nodded, bowing his head once again.

“I see. You truly are different from normal humans like us, Mr. Winters. I assume you’ll be deploying soon?”

Julian looked back at him, slightly confused.

“Oh, no,” he muttered.

“…I’m not here to fight the daemons.”

“Huh?”

“I’m here to enhance and make your weapons.”

[LAST CHAPTER] <-----> [NEXT CHAPTER]

AUTHOR NOTES

Finally, Julian making weapons. lol.

This is the Legendary Shadow Blacksmith, after all. And not the Legendary Exterminator.

But who knows... who knows.