The Spider Queen

(Planet Caorn- Jasimin Island)

(Mariena Hotel- Banquet Hall)

"Good day honoured guests and welcome to the pre-tournament press conference," a skinny elderly man wearing a long black tuxedo stepped up in front of the crowd.

"I would like to thank each and every one of you for being here and of course... I must thank the four representatives for participating as well."

A loud round of applause echoed through the banquet hall as the reporters clapped their hands together.

"Now without further ado... I would like the representatives to introduce themselves and then we will open up for questions," the host warmly spoke.

He gestured towards the far-left side of the table where the handsome young man was sitting down.

A wide smirk flashed across Ryan's face as he stood up from his chair and made sure to angle his face towards the cameras in the room.

He opened his mouth and confidently addressed the crowd with relish,

"Good day. I am sure that you all already know who I am but... my name is Ryan Wilhelm."

"I am the son of Duke Wilhelm and the heir to one of the oldest noble houses in the Federation."

"My bloodline can be traced all the way back to the brave founders who started the rebellion against the Draxi Empire."

"I represent Atlas University and our goal is to secure the top twenty places in the tournament."

An arrogant child.

That was the impression that Sophie had of the young man who boasted of his noble lineage like blood mattered.

Still... she was not going to underestimate him.

He may be prideful but clearly, he must have the talent and skills to back it up since he was chosen as the representative of Atlas University.

Another loud round of applause echoed through the room and several white flashes of light could be seen coming from the camera in the back of the hall.

Ryan maintained a wide grin on his face for a few more seconds before finally sitting back down on his chair.

The next person was the Servie boy who was currently trembling slightly out of either nervousness or excitement.

Or was there another reason?

Sophie's eyes narrowed as she saw that the boy's skin was very pale and the veins on his hands could clearly be seen.

He looked sick as if there was something wrong with him.

The Servie boy raised his head and muttered a few curse words under his breath before addressing the crowd.

"Inya Baileyleaf. Representative of Mer University," the Servie boy spoke with a slight tremor in his voice.

There was a long pause of silence as he refused to say anything else.

Eventually the host grabbed a nearby microphone and attempted to play down the awkward moment.

"Haha! Looks like someone is feeling a bit shy... let's move on after giving Inya a loud round of applause!" the host cheerfully spoke.

The sound of applause filled the room but this time it was much slower, and murmurs could be heard as well.

If Inya was worried about the strange impression that he had just made, then he did not seem bothered since he placed his head down on the table and closed his eyes.

A strange person...

Sophie's fingers tapped against the side of the table as she waited patiently for her turn.

After her the representative from Tantibus University would speak and then the questions would begin.

The applause died down, so Sophie stood up from her chair.

Her over seven-feet tall height meant that she towered over most people in the room, and she seemed like a giant.

There was a cold glint in her eyes and the aura surrounding her body made some of the reporters feel shivers go down their spines.

Her inhuman hybrid features did not diminish her beauty but somehow managed to enhance her charms with a dangerous quality.

"I am Sophie Peterlor of House Peterlor," Sophie calmly spoke as she maintained the cold expression on her face.

"I have been chosen as the representative captain of the second-year students of Zrudread University."

"My personal goal is quite simple. I will be the one to win the tournament."

Sophie sat back down on her seat and leaned back against the chair. The applause that greeted her was much louder than for the other candidates.

This seemed to upset Ryan since the young man was staring at her with a look of hatred in his eyes.

A thin smile flashed across Sophie's lips as she knew that she had made the right impression.

One needed to have a certain level of confidence in their abilities.

"And finally last but certainly not least! We have the representative from Tantibus University!" the host exclaimed with a great deal of excitement in his voice.

The blind girl wearing a purple uniform awkwardly got up from her chair and smiled in the direction of the host.

Sophie frowned slightly as she saw those white and unfocused eyes. Why had this girl not undergone cellular regeneration to fix her eyesight?

Hell... even if her original eyes could not be healed... it was quite easy to transplant organic or even artificial metalloid eyes as replacements.

Blindness was a condition that only those who could not afford treatment were forced to endure and this was quite rare since the procedure was relatively inexpensive.

The representative captain for one of the Four Great universities must have enough funds for treatment.

Was there a reason why this girl had not repaired her eyesight?

Sophie's questions would remain unanswered as the girl opened her mouth and introduced herself with a peaceful smile on her face.

"Hello everyone. I wish I could say that it's good to 'see' you but..." the girl's voice trailed off and uncomfortable laughter filled the room.

"Not a hit? Damn... I was just trying to lighten the mood," the girl shrugged her shoulders and the cape wrapped around her body shifted slightly to the left.

"Anyways my name is Jessie Ward and I'm the representative of Tantibus University. Very pleased to meet my fellow competitors... they all sound quite fierce!"

"I just want to have a good tournament and hopefully the results will speak for themselves.

Jessie politely bowed her head and another round of applause echoed through the banquet hall.

Sophie just could not get a read on her personality. There was an aura of mystery surrounding the blind girl that made her a complete enigma.

Perhaps she was making a big deal about nothing but there was something about this girl that made Sophie feel a bit... threatened.

"Alright everyone! Let's give the representatives one more round of applause and then they can begin taking questions from members of the audience," the host cheerfully spoke.

When the clapping died down, he pointed at a reporter sitting in the front row of the hall and gestured for him to stand up.

This reporter was a grizzled man who looked to be in his early forties and wore a long brown trench coat that fell down to his knees.

"These questions are for Miss Peterlor," the reporter calmly spoke as he pulled out a small notepad from his pocket.

"How do you feel about being the first hybrid to represent Zrudread University?"

"And what is your opinion on the recent push to introduce laws to limit the rights of hybrids across the Federation?"

"Do you see your presence in the tournament as a rallying cry? Do you see yourself as a symbol of inspiration for those like you?"