The Spider Queen

(Planet Caorn- Jasimin Island)

(International Spaceport- Gate 027)

A young man in his early twenties leaned against a wall and let out a heavy sigh. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small mirror.

A satisfied smirk flashed across his face when he saw his handsome visage appear on the screen.

He could see a handsome man with short blonde hair that was impeccably styled so that not a single strand of hair was out of place.

He possessed deep blue eyes, high cheekbones and a jawline that was sharp enough to cut glass.

His good looks had won him the favour of many women during his time spent in university but just being ridiculous handsome was not all that he offered.

Ryan Wilhelm was the son of Duke Wilhelm and the heir of one of the oldest houses in the Federation.

Yeah… that was enough to get into the pants of most female cultivators.

His ancestors could trace their family line all the way back to the rebellion against the Draxi Empire.

Ryan grinned and his pearly white teeth shone. He was currently wearing a dark navy-blue uniform adorned with precious jewels and gems.

As the representative captain for Atlas University there was a certain image that he needed to portray.

He needed the universe to know that the students who attended Atlas University were not just powerful but also noble and dignified.

They were born better than the commoners.

Their blood was far more valuable than the peasant trash that made up the majority of the Federation's population.

Ryan glanced at the longsword in the sheath attached to his hip and pulled out the blade. The edge of the blade was covered in a shiny black metal that oozed slightly.

He placed the sword back in the sheath and then adjusted his uniform to get rid of any wrinkles or crumples.

Finally satisfied after around ten minutes of freshening up, Ryan began to walk towards the gate's exit doors.

Soon the horde of reporters waiting outside would get a glimpse of the magnificent student who would win the tournament!

Ryan adjusted his posture so that his back was straightened and then stepped through the pair of heavy metalloid doors.

He blinked as the harsh glow of sunlight hit him directly in the face. Just as he predicted there was a large crowd of reporters waiting for him but…

Hmm… actually…

Wasn't the crowd a bit smaller than the previous years?

Ryan furrowed his brows in displeasure as he noticed that quite a few sections of the barricade were empty.

There were still over one thousand reporters present on the scene but for Ryan that number was far from enough.

What was going on?

"Oy… buddy… are you going to fucking walk or what?" an exasperated voice came from behind the young man.

Ryan turned around and saw a Servie boy staring at him with an unpleasant grimace on his tiny face.

"Stop blocking the walkway and move bro… I got a headache right now and I need to go to my hotel room and sleep…" the Servie boy continued to complain.

Ryan froze in place as he could not comprehend how someone could have such a lack of manners and courtesy.

Clearly the Servie boy lost his patience because he opened his mouth and yelled,

"Are you deaf? FUCKING MOVE YOU TWAT!"

Ryan's eyebrows twitched and he was tempted to draw out his sword and challenge this arrogant creature to a duel.

But…

Flash! Flash!

"Ryan! Over here! How do you feel about being chosen as the representative for Atlas University?"

"What can you tell us about you fighting style? Are there any opponents that you feel worried about facing?!"

"Meghan here from Gossip Central! Is it true that you have over thirty girlfriends? What does your father think about your love scandals?"

The barrage of questions coming from the crowd of reporters soon distracted Ryan from his irritated mood and a large grin flashed across his face.

He moved towards the barricade and began to answer the questions with a friendly demeaner that he knew would win him fans.

The Servie boy flying lazily behind him let out a scoff and then zipped through the walkway without sparing even a backwards glance at the reporters.

There were questions yelled at him as well, but the Servie had no interest in answering them because right now…

He needed some sleep.

"I believe that being chosen to represent Atlas University was merely a formality," Ryan said confidently as he puffed up his chest.

He leaned closer to the recording device and tilted his face so that his best angle would appear on the video feed.

"As the son of a duke… my education, resources as well as my natural talent are far above my peers."

"In fact, I doubt that anyone will be my match in this tournament. There is simply no way to bridge the gap between talent."

A pretty reporter with freckles on her face managed to push her way through the crowd and came face to face with the arrogant boy.

"But aren't you concerned about Sophie Peterlor? She is from a duke's household just like yourself and rumors suggest that she is extremely strong," the reporter quickly asked.

"Sophie Peterlor? I admit that her father is an impressive man, but she only inherited half of his talents at most," Ryan scoffed with a mocking sneer on his face.

"I don't know what possessed a great man like the duke of House Peterlor to dirty his bloodline, but I assure you that she will pose no threat to me."

The reporters began to furiously jot down Ryan's words as the young man continued to speak of his superiority.

So far, no other representative had stopped to answer questions at the spaceport, so the reporters were prepared to take advantage of this rare opportunity.

And Ryan was more than happy to answer their questions because he enjoyed the spotlight and the adoration of the masses.

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(Mariena Hotel- Suite 134)

"Finally!" Inya happily exclaimed as he zipped around the room before landing on his bed with a soft thump.

The representative of Mer University reached into his storage bag and pulled out a vial containing a dark blue liquid.

He downed the contents of the vial without hesitation and his surroundings started to blur.

Inya lay down on the mattress and could feel the world spinning around him.

Ahh… this was the life…

Nothing like some good Vreim Juice to get him in the mood to relax and unwind.

Those stuck-up old farts would probably be scandalised that he was taking drugs before the press conference but…

Inya didn't care.

He needed to experience the wonders of getting high as much as possible before his cultivation level went up any further.

Unfortunately, he was already at the upper end of the qi tide stage so the high only lasted for a few minutes before his body broke down the drugs.

One more hit…

The Servie boy pulled out another vial and this time he whispered a few words under his breath in a language that was archaic and strange.

The vial began to bubble furiously, and Inya reached into his pocket to pull out a bag full of whitish crystals.

He dropped the crystals in the vial and a pleasant-smelling aroma filled the hotel room. The scent was fruity and made Inya's mind feel a bit hazy.

"Gods… this shit… is so fucking good for my anxiety…" Inya leaned back against a pillow and drowsily spoke as he raised up the vial to his lips.