The Incubus System Chapter 1026. Interruption

The Incubus System Chapter 1026. Interruption

His unamused eyes met mine, and I could practically feel his disdain. His arms were crossed over his chest, and there was a slight raise to his eyebrow as if he was silently judging me, wondering what I was up to.

Of all people, it had to be him.

“Mr. Lucio,” he said flatly, his voice void of any warmth. “What exactly are you doing here?”

I didn’t answer him with words. Instead, I acted on instinct. Without hesitation, I used my teleportation skill to move in front of him in the blink of an eye. The surprise in his eyes was brief but palpable, and before he could react, I gripped his head tightly with one hand.

“Mind Corruption, erase!” I commanded, my voice low and steady as I channeled my power into him.

Elros gasped. His eyes widened for a split second before they glazed over, turning blank and empty. His consciousness dissolved under my influence, his resistance crumbling away like dust.

“You never saw me here,” I added, casting the suggestion firmly, ensuring it took root deep in his mind.

The moment the words left my lips, I released my grip on him. Elros staggered back, his expression vacant. He stood there, dazed, as though he had simply forgotten why he was even standing on that rooftop.

I turned back toward the palace just in time to see the holy barrier flicker and fade. It was my chance—my only chance.

“Teleportation!” I whispered fiercely, summoning the skill once again. In an instant, I disappeared from the rooftop. When I reappeared, I was standing inside an elegant room, the scent of lavender lingering in the air.

Mia’s chamber.

It was just as I pictured in my mind—ornate, luxurious, with soft silks draped over the bed and intricate tapestries hanging on the walls. The colors were soft, calming. I had done it. I’d made it inside without setting off alarms or alerting anyone to my presence.

An announcement flashed in front of me.

[Warning! You are inside the Holy Barrier!]

[Your skills’ effectiveness has been reduced by 40%!]

I panted, the adrenaline from the rooftop chase still coursing through me. But despite the warning, a smile crept across my lips. I had done it. I had actually made it into the palace without causing a scene, without triggering any alarms, without compromising the mission, without destroying the palace.

“Ehm!” Mia cleared her throat sharply, snapping me back to reality.

I turned to see her standing beside me, arms folded across her chest, her face a mix of annoyance and disbelief. She was shorter than me by a good margin, but in that moment, her presence felt larger, more intimidating.

“Really, Damian?” she said, her voice laced with irritation. “Shoes on my bed?”

I blinked, confused, before glancing down. Sure enough, I was standing smack in the middle of her bed, my shoes leaving smudges on the pristine white sheets. Worse still, the staff uniform Mia had laid out was underneath my feet, crumpled from the impact of my sudden arrival.

“Oh, no…” I muttered, quickly hopping down from the bed. “I-I’m sorry,” I stammered, my words tumbling out faster than I could stop them. “I was distracted. I didn’t even realize… I was in a hurry.”

Mia raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed with my excuse.

“Elros almost caught me on the rooftop,” I continued, trying to explain. “I had to act fast before—”

“Before what?” she interrupted, her tone cool but not unkind. “Before you decided to teleport directly onto my bed? It’s a miracle you didn’t crush the uniform.”

I scratched the back of my head, avoiding her gaze. “Yeah… sorry about that.”

Despite her annoyance, Mia was already moving on, picking up the staff uniform from where it had fallen on her bed. She gave it a quick shake, smoothing out the wrinkles with a practiced hand. But the smudges from where I had carelessly stepped on it didn’t fade, and I could see her irritation growing.

She held the uniform up, inspecting it with a furrowed brow before glancing back at me. Her expression was clear.

“I could’ve used my Demon’s Clothes skill to change into something appropriate, remember?” I reminded her, trying to sound casual, but my voice came out more sheepish than I intended. I hoped it could make her feel better, but it turned out it had a different effect.

Mia fell silent, her eyes narrowing as she flicked her gaze at me, clearly unimpressed. The message was written all over her face. ’Why didn’t you mention that before I went through all the trouble of preparing this uniform?’

I grinned awkwardly, scratching the back of my neck. “To be honest, I was too tense and nervous earlier. I didn’t even think that far ahead.” I shrugged, offering a small laugh in an attempt to lighten the mood. I didn’t exactly play around with my words. That was really what happened.

She sighed, rolling her eyes in exasperation but dropping the uniform back on the bed. “What are you waiting for then?” she muttered, clearly done with my excuses.

Taking her cue, I snapped my fingers and activated my Demon’s Clothes skill. My dark aura flared to life, swirling around me like smoke before reshaping into the simple, inconspicuous uniform of palace staff.

I glanced down at myself, admiring the result. The uniform was basic, no-frills, but something about the way it fit made me smirk. “Oh, this looks nice on me,” I said, half-joking but genuinely impressed.

Mia gave me a quick once-over, her annoyance seemingly fading as she examined the uniform. “Yeah, it looks good on you,” she admitted, though her voice wasn’t nearly as sharp as before. I could see the shift in her demeanor. But just as I started to feel some relief, her sharp gaze flicked to my face, her lips pursing in thought.

“But your face is still a problem,” she said, tilting her head slightly as if studying me more closely. “People will still notice you if you keep using this face.”

I raised an eyebrow, unsure what she was getting at. “Hmm,” I hummed, thinking it over. “Using Ethan’s face isn’t a great idea either. I mean, Ethan is still the association’s target, even though they think I’m a failed experiment.”