The Incubus System Chapter 1384. Rumors
The Incubus System Chapter 1384. Rumors
I opened a portal.
A soft crackle, a shift in the air, and in one step I was there…
Ledred.
The red district.
A place I hadn’t walked into for months. Maybe longer.
Now it felt like a memory I wasn’t sure I wanted to wake up.
Neon flickered through misty alleys. Holograms danced above rooftops, projecting shifting ads for pleasure dens.
And the Sea Devil Club?
Yeah. Still crowded.
The thump of bass pulsed through the sidewalk. Even out here, you could feel it in your ribs. The kind of beat that wasn’t made for dancing, it was made for grinding. Sweat-slick bodies and bite marks. Laughter too loud. Gasps too real.
Gigolos lined up under the eaves like a menu in living flesh. Long coats, muscle shirts, some shirtless. All types. All of them flashing charm and hunger, scanning the crowd for their conquest tonight.
And then there was me.
Walking in like I owned the place.
Black suit. No tie. Collar unbuttoned. Hair tousled like I'd just climbed out of someone's bed. Which, let’s be honest, wouldn’t be inaccurate if you counted the last bath scene.
Damian Lucio. My incubus form. The polished, dangerous version of me that belonged in a place like this. Just dark eyes and a face that made people think I could ruin their lives, and maybe make them beg for it.
The eyes.
The whispers.
Some turned and stared. Some nudged their companions and leaned in to mutter.
“That’s him.”
“The Prince of Ledred.”
“Didn’t Lady Pearl throw him out?”
“Thought he left for good.”
“Think he’s trying to come back?”
But none of it mattered.
Let them speculate.
They didn’t know the half of it.
The second I stepped through the Sea Devil’s velvet-lined doors, the air shifted.
Inside, the heat wrapped around me like a second skin.
Dark red lights glowed under fog machines, creating a haze of sensuality that clung to everyone’s bodies. The walls pulsed in time with the beat.
Skin, silk, leather, perfume, sweat… every breath I took carried at least three layers of seduction.
And I wasn’t here for any of it.
“Good evening, sir,” the bouncer greeted me with a respectful nod. Big guy. “It’s rare to see you here again.”
“Is Pearl in the VIP room?” I asked.
“Yes, sir. Should I escort you—”
“No.”
I gave him a slight smile. “I know the way.”
He nodded. Stepped aside.
I walked in deeper.
Past the long bar lined with black glass and velvet stools. Past the stage where dancers writhed under shifting light. Past the private booths veiled with gauze where shapes moved in silhouette, some dancing, some already lost to hands and lips and heat.
The main hall was a living heart, thumping, sweating, throbbing in sound.
Every step I took drew glances.
Some curious.
Some jealous.
Some… hungry.
I didn’t stop.
Didn’t slow.
Even when they whispered.
“Look… it’s him.”
“Is he trying to get Lady Pearl back?”
“She got bored of him, right?”
“Or maybe he left her.”
The rumors were half-wrong.
Pearl hadn’t thrown me out. I just stopped showing up.
Because I was busy getting stabbed, hunted, rebuilding my own lust city, and learning that my bloodline came with a target on my back large enough to start a divine war.
But whatever. Let them talk.
I wasn’t here for them.
The VIP entrance wasn’t far. Just a turn off the dance floor. Of course, it wasn’t a smooth walk. Not here. Not for me.
Three women stopped me before I even hit the stairs.
The first, a woman in thigh-high boots and a dress made of nothing but thin silver chains, stepped in front of me with a smile like sharpened velvet. “Haven’t seen you around, love. You free tonight?”
“No.”
I stepped past.
The second, a dryad with tattoos and barely-covered breasts, slid up to me, brushing her fingers across my forearm. “You’re the one they talk about, aren’t you? The one who made Lady Pearl scream.”
I gave her a cold smile. “She screamed for a lot of reasons.”
And kept walking.
The third, elf this time, bit her lip and held up her phone. “Can I at least get your number?”
“I’d only disappoint you.”
Left her speechless.
I reached the VIP hallway.
Red velvet carpet. Dim gold chandeliers swaying from the bass.
I took a slow breath.
And pushed open the door to the VIP lounge.
The scent hit first.
It was like sea salt mixed with crushed petals and sin. The room was draped in deep blue and black silks, low tables, plush cushions, and the light was low and the temperature perfect for skinon skin contact.
And there she was.
Pearl.
Lady of Ledred.
Her long hair was done up in jeweled pins, her eyes outlined in sharp obsidian kohl. She lounged across a low couch like she owned the entire dimension, which, to be fair, she kind of did.
Her legs were crossed, high slit in her midnight dress revealing toned thigh. Her nails glinted with obsidian polish, one hand idly holding a half-empty glass of wine.
She looked surprised to see me. Her mouth parted just slightly, then curled upward into something amused, maybe a little pleased.
“You’re here,” she said, blinking. “What a surprise.”
I smiled. That same lazy half-grin that used to make her roll her eyes and crawl into my lap in the same breath.
“Yeah,” I murmured, dropping onto the couch beside her like I never left. I reached for the crystal decanter at the table, poured myself a drink, and downed it in one go.
It burned like fire across my tongue. Sharp. Vicious. Familiar.
Nice whiskey. The kind that used to make me cough.
But not anymore.
“Rare enough that my visits have turned into rumors,” I said, setting the glass down with a soft clink. “Some say I left you. Others say you threw me out.”
Pearl laughed, deep and throaty. “I should’ve spread something like ‘I banished you for underperforming in bed’. That would’ve crushed your reputation faster.”
“Oh please,” I muttered, refilling my glass. “I’d never recover.”