The Incubus System Chapter 1098. Trying Too Hard

The Incubus System Chapter 1098. Trying Too Hard

Larry snorted, setting his cup down. “Trying too hard, huh? You think he’s up to something?”

“Honestly? Yeah,” I said, leaning back in my chair. “My first thought was that this might be one of those shady marketing seminars.”

Larry groaned, rubbing his temples. “Don’t remind me. Last time someone invited me to one of those, they tried to sell me shady vitamins. Said I’d be ‘part of the next big thing.’”

I laughed. “Let me guess—they wanted you to invest, right?”

“Oh, of course,” Larry said, rolling his eyes. “And by ‘invest,’ they meant ‘give us all your money so we can guilt you into selling our overpriced junk.’”

We both chuckled, but the conversation shifted back to Kevin quickly.

“So,” Larry said, leaning forward, “you think this is another one of those scams? Or something worse?”

I shrugged again, glancing out the window. “Could be. Or maybe he’s just bored and thought we’d make good company. Either way, I don’t trust it.”

Larry nodded thoughtfully. “Fair enough. But, hey, at least we’re in it together. If this goes south, we can just leave.”

I smirked, raising my cup in a mock toast. “Deal.”

He clinked his tea cup against my americano and took another sip, his eyes scanning the coffee shop. “Speaking of Kevin,” he said after a moment, “where is he? Wasn’t he supposed to be here by now?”

“Yeah,” I said, checking the time on my phone. “He’s late.”

Larry chuckled. “Typical. Guy makes a big deal about hanging out, and then he doesn’t even show up on time.”

I snorted. “Honestly, if he doesn’t show up at all, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Larry grinned. “What if this whole thing was just a prank? Like, he invited us here just to watch us sit around awkwardly.”

I rolled my eyes. “If that’s the case, I’m billing him for my coffee.”

We both laughed, but the conversation was cut short when the door chimed again. We turned in unison, and there he was—Kevin, sauntering in like he owned the place.

“Ah, speak of the devil,” Larry muttered under his breath.

Kevin spotted us and waved enthusiastically, his grin as wide as ever. “Hey, guys!” he called out, making his way over to our table.

I exchanged a glance with Larry. “Here we go,” I muttered, bracing myself for whatever nonsense was about to come our way.

Kevin approached our table, his grin wide and overly enthusiastic. “Hey, guys!” he greeted, pulling out a chair and plopping down without waiting for an invitation. “Sorry, I’m late. Traffic was a nightmare.”

“Hey, Kevin,” Larry said, his tone friendly but cautious. “No worries.”

“Yeah,” I chimed in, forcing a smile. “Glad you could make it.”

Kevin clapped his hands together, leaning forward like we were about to share some deep secret. “So, how’ve you guys been? It’s been forever!”

I blinked, caught off guard by the sudden familiarity. “Uh, good?” I said hesitantly. “You?”

“Great! Fantastic, actually,” Kevin said, nodding enthusiastically. “Life’s been good, you know? Busy, but good.”

Larry gave me a quick side-eye, and I could tell he was just as confused as I was. But we decided to play along.

“That’s good to hear,” Larry said, his voice steady. “What’ve you been up to?”

Kevin waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, you know, the usual. Classes, projects, staying busy.”

“Cool,” I said, nodding slowly. “Same here.”

We sat there for a moment, the conversation feeling like the most awkward reunion ever. Kevin kept glancing between us like he was waiting for something, but neither Larry nor I had any intention of making this easier for him.

Finally, I decided to cut the crap. “So,” I said, leaning forward slightly, “you have a specific goal for this invitation, right? I mean, we’ve never really talked before. Do you need help with something?”

Kevin hesitated for a second, his grin faltering just slightly before bouncing back. “Oh, yeah!” he said, his tone overly casual. “I just thought it’d be nice to hang out with you guys. You know, catch up, have some fun.”

I raised an eyebrow, exchanging another glance with Larry. “Hang out and…?” I prompted.

“And take you somewhere,” Kevin said, lowering his voice slightly like he was sharing a secret. “Somewhere important.”

Larry and I exchanged another look, this one loaded with suspicion. “Okay…” Larry said slowly. “And what exactly is this about?”

Kevin’s expression shifted, growing more intense as he leaned in closer. “This is about salvation,” he said, his voice dropping to a dramatic whisper. “And how we can fight back against this unfair world.”

I blinked, trying to process what I’d just heard. “Salvation?” I repeated, my tone flat.

Larry tilted his head, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. “Is this… like a business seminar or something?” he asked cautiously.

Kevin shook his head vigorously. “No, no, no,” he said quickly. “This isn’t about business. It’s about something bigger. Something that can change our lives—all of our lives.”

I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms. “Okay,” I said slowly. “You’ve got our attention. So, what is it?”

Kevin’s eyes lit up, and he pulled out his phone, unlocking it and sliding it across the table toward us. On the screen was an image of a flyer with bold letters at the top: “The Path to Redemption: A New Way Forward.”

Larry squinted at the screen. “What is this?” he asked.

Kevin grinned. “It’s a movement,” he said, his voice brimming with enthusiasm. “A way to fight back against the corrupt systems that keep us down. A way to take control of our lives and create a better future.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And by ‘movement,’ you mean…?”

Kevin leaned in closer, his voice dropping to an almost conspiratorial tone. “It’s a chance to join something bigger than ourselves. To become part of a community that’s working to change the world.”

Larry and I exchanged another glance, and I could see the skepticism written all over his face. I was sure mine looked exactly the same. “Okay,” I said, dragging out the word. “And what exactly does this movement do?”