The Spider Queen

(Alpha Star System- Planet Gaia)

(Unknown Location- Peterlor Estate)

A tall, dark, and handsome man stood silently with his hands held tightly behind his back.

His rugged good looks and extraordinary muscular physique hidden behind an expensive business suit would win the hearts of many fair maidens.

Despite being in his early forties, the man could easily pass for someone ten years younger and his age had only improved his appearance.

Where was once a brutal wolf pup was now a mature silver haired leader.

Duke Peterlor stared silently out of the window and continued to patiently wait for a certain someone to appear in his study room.

The only small detail that betrayed his excited mood was the nervous tapping of his feet.

The head butler smiled silently as he saw his impatient master.

Duke Peterlor had spent over thirty minutes trying on different outfits and styling his hair in order to leave a good impression on his daughter when she came to visit.

This was the first time that the young miss was returning from college for break so Rokan wanted her to know that her old man was doing well.

Knock! Knock!

Two sharp knocks were heard against the door and the Head Butler walked quietly over to open up.

"Dad!" Sophie yelled cheerfully and dove into the arms of her father.

"My baby," Rokan held his daughter tightly and could not help the tears from flowing down his cheeks.

No trace of the former strict military commander could be seen as the duke had a calm gentle expression in his eyes.

The father-daughter pair hugged for a few moments and then Sophie withdrew from the embrace to wave happily at the butler.

"Welcome back young miss," a brief smile could be seen on the old butler's face before he tactfully departed from the study room.

Rokan led his daughter to the couch and poured her a glass of water before starting off a round of interrogations.

"How was your weeks of college?"

"Did anyone bully you?"

"Is that princess girl treating you properly?"

The duke could not help but ask question after question as his little girl was dealing with college all by herself.

Sophie could feel the love and concern hidden behind her father's numerous questions, so she patiently answered them all.

She had been talking to her father regularly over the virtual net but there was something special about meeting face to face.

She talked about her experiences while doing the bounty hunter mission on planet Calypso, meeting new friends in the poison and beast cultivator classes and her new abilities.

Rokan remained silent during her recollection of the events but when Sophie mentioned the hunter goddess, he could not help but frown silently.

Actually, there was one more burning question in Sophie's mind….

"Dad…. is there a cultivation realm beyond the Ascension stage?" Sophie asked curiously.

Rokan answered her question by posing a question of his own,

"What do you know about gods?"

Sophie paused for a moment and then replied,

"Err… I know certain cultures and races believe in higher powers. I mean in the Federation there is the Church of the Nephilim."

"Good answer," the duke grinned slightly and tousled Sophie's hair.

"But the truth is far more complicated than that…."

There was little known about path to the realm of cultivation beyond the Ascension Stage not because this information was hidden but rather because there were only partially destroyed records.

Ascension stage cultivators could gradually improve their qi levels over a period of time which lent credence to the evidence that there was a realm beyond.

But none from the Federation had even come close to the barrier.

The only thing that was known was from a recording that the previous Draxi empire had hidden away in their royal archives that warned its elite shadow guards to never cultivate pass the Ascension Stage.

According to the text, there exists unbreakable laws that govern the universe and all of creation.

Laws that bind those that are mortal and immortal alike.

Great power must always come with a price.

Those who cultivated to beyond the Ascension Stage would receive the cruellest twist of fate.

Endless power to warp the fabric of space, time or even reality itself but the laws of the universe would lock their abilities.

They would become immortal with endless power and yet be unable to affect the universe.

Their power could only be reduced and sent into vessels.

There were even limitations on who could become vessels.

Only those with connections to the gods whose powers they were channeling could become vessels and certain gods would make their believers pay a price for their great strength.

The Nephilim Church may be a force to be reckoned with but the pact that demon knights and saints were bound to was a weakness that one could exploit.

The strength of their beliefs corresponded with the level of power flowing through their bodies which left them vulnerable to psychic attacks that shook their faith.

And these vessels were mortal.

Divine power was a weapon and all weapons suffered from the same weakness….

The user.

Of course, some in the Federation did not believe these warnings and continued to cultivate desperately.

But their talents were not enough to cross the threshold.

Duke Peterlor was perhaps humanities' best chance of crossing this threshold, but he had no desire to become a god.

Living forever? No thanks!

Sophie laughed softly at her father's vehement opposition to immortality and could not help but agree.

Cultivation would already extend her lifespan, but Sophie never wanted to live for all of eternity.

"But this hunter goddess seems to have already bonded to you," Rokan spoke softly but fury danced in his eyes.

"I don't know if her power will be a blessing or a curse."

"Your mother…" the duke sighed for a moment and his features briefly contorted in pain and sadness.

"I always suspected that your mother had lied to me the day I was forced to flee."

"I wish she was here now."