The Incubus System Chapter 1416. Scout
The Incubus System Chapter 1416. Scout
The little glowing nuisance floated near the upper shelf again, pretending to be harmless. Tiny wings. Halo. Soft light. The aesthetic of innocence weaponized.
Cute.
Annoyingly cute.
I narrowed my eyes slightly, but not enough for any human to notice. Calm. Neutral. Student face.
Inside?
Calculation mode.
I needed to know what that thing was. Not just “angel drone.” I needed details. Sender. Rank. Origin. Intent. Even a hint would do.
So I shifted my focus inward.
My vision sharpened. Peripheral edges dimmed.
‘Observation.’
The world flickered subtly.
A thin, translucent interface appeared over the fairy’s glowing form.
My heart skipped a beat.
Text slowly formed in my sight.
[Name: Scout Unit ]
[Level: 12]
[HP: 120 / 120]
[SP: 80 / 80]
[Classification: Celestial Surveillance Familiar]
[Origin: Royal Light Court. Direct Authorization Tier]
[Assigned Authority: Sovereign Seal]
I exhaled slowly through my nose.
High Throne.
Sovereign Seal.
Translation?
The King.
Yup.
Act nice, Ethan. Act very, very nice.
My fingers tightened unconsciously around the edge of the table.
He’s watching.
Not the queen.
Him.
The grieving, obsessive, dimension-locking king.
Watching me pretend to study corporate finance.
That’s… invasive.
A part of me wanted to smirk.
What? You bored up there? Watching a nineteen-year-old highlight textbook lines?
But another part of me?
Was annoyed.
Not angry.
Just… irritated.
Like someone reading over your shoulder constantly.
The fairy drifted lower again, almost curious. Like it sensed my awareness but couldn’t confirm it.
My One-Eyed Demon attempted another loop around it…
The fairy flickered sharply.
My demon jerked back.
Too close.
“—than… You are gripping my hand. It’s gonna break,” Larry winced.
Damn.
I blinked and looked down.
Oh.
My hand was crushing his.
Hard.
I immediately let go.
“Sorry.”
He rubbed his fingers dramatically. “You thinking too hard again.”
“Yeah,” I muttered. “Got distracted.”
He squinted at me. “Angel mosquito?”
“Angel mosquito.”
He nodded slowly like that explained everything.
Meanwhile, my One-Eyed Demon lost the fairy’s trail for half a second. It zipped upward, then sideways, then… gone from direct sight.
I couldn’t find it again.
Damn it.
“It’s either assessing me,” I said quietly, “or finding my weakness.”
Larry went very still.
That word did something to him.
If the king’s familiar is scanning?
He’s not just checking my aura levels.
He’s looking for leverage.
Friends.
Attachments.
Soft spots.
And Larry?
Larry is a walking soft spot.
He noticed the way I was staring.
“…Uh. Why are you looking at me like that?”
I didn’t answer immediately.
Because the thought forming in my head was inconvenient.
I need an alarm system.
Not some cheap spell.
Something reliable.
If he’s targeted.
If something tries to grab him.
I need instant notification.
Maybe something from the demon realm.
A linked sigil.
Or a core resonance tag.
“Just study,” I said instead.
He frowned. “That doesn’t answer my question.”
“You can’t be demon hunter forever,” I added casually. “You need an exit plan.”
He blinked. “That came out of nowhere.”
“Did it?”
He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. “Are you planning something?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
“Studying.”
He groaned. “You’re not funny.”
I didn’t smile.
Because this wasn’t entirely a joke.
We stayed in the library for another hour.
An entire, painfully responsible hour.
The fairy didn’t show up again. Or maybe it did and learned how to hide better. Either way, I stopped actively searching for it. If it was there, it saw exactly what I wanted it to see.
A hybrid disaster calmly reading about capital structures and occasionally sighing like a normal, overworked student.
The library light shifted slowly from bright white to softer afternoon tones. The sun outside tilted lower, casting long shadows through the tall windows. The air-conditioning hummed consistently, like a background mantra telling everyone to behave.
Larry eventually stopped pretending and actually studied. I could tell because he started muttering formulas under his breath. That only happens when his brain is truly engaged. I didn’t say anything about it. Just let him.
Sometimes silence between us is louder than conversation.
I kept highlighting, flipping pages, scribbling notes that might never matter in the grand scheme of celestial grudges. But there was something grounding about it. Something stubborn.
You want to watch me, King of Light?
Watch me do homework.
Rebellion comes in different flavors. Mine today tasted like highlighters and quiet determination.
By the time we packed up, it was past 3 PM. The library felt less crowded. Afternoon fatigue settling in. Students stretching. Yawning.
We walked out together, shoulders brushing occasionally. No dramatic farewell. No heavy words. Just the quiet understanding that today had been… a lot.
Outside, the sky was still bright but softer. The campus buzzed with lazy movement.
I pulled out my phone and texted Celia.
Ethan: I gonna home late. Don’t steal my snacks.
She replied instantly.
Celia: Too late.
I rolled my eyes affectionately and slipped my phone back into my pocket.
Larry stretched his arms above his head. “You going home?”
“Eventually.”
He narrowed his eyes slightly. “That tone means no.”
“Go home,” I said lightly. “Do your assignment.”
He squinted again, then nodded. “Fine. Don’t start anything dramatic.”
“I never do.”
He laughed out loud.
We parted ways casually, like we weren’t sitting under the invisible gaze of a divine king just an hour ago.
I headed toward the rooftop.
It had become habit.
When things get complicated, I seek open sky.
The wind up there was light. Cool. It brushed against my t-shirt and jeans, tugging at the fabric like it was testing whether I still belonged to this world.
I stood near the edge, looking at the city beyond campus. Cars moving. People living. Unaware of fairy spies and broken angel kings.
For a second, I just breathed.
Then I lifted my hand slightly.
[You have opened a Portal.]
A thin tear in space formed before me, swirling dark and gold.
The portal widened.
Demon world.
I stepped through.
The air changed instantly.
Warmer. Heavier. Perfumed.