The Spider Queen

"Lily… I might have to put on an act soon," Sophie admitted truthfully.

"Not matter what you see or hear, you need to keep the mask on and not say a word until we get on the starship."

"Can you do that for me?"

It was better to be honest now since there was no way that Sophie could hide the intimidation and threats that she was about to make.

Sophie also had a feeling that Lily knew more than she let on about what actions she had taken during the journey to ensure their safety.

The little girl wasn't foolish or blind.

It was just that…

Sophie really didn't want to show her the depths of her inner darkness or the monster that she became once she channeled the powers of the hunter goddess.

"Okay big sister. I understand," Lily replied softly.

Sophie smiled gently at the little girl before reaching into her storage bag and pulling out a thin facial covering.

The purpose of this disguise was to keep Lily's humanity a secret.

It was impossible to predict what would happen on the journey to the frontier region so it was necessary to have safeguards.

The Earth Federation and the Unovan Syndicate were at war and any vessel found carrying a human would definitely lead to extra trouble.

Sophie pressed a button on the side of the paper-thin mask and the solid covering soon turned into a liquid form.

She spread the liquid across Lily's face and it in just a few seconds, the mask reformed to perfectly cover the surface area.

There were spare robes inside Sophie's storage bag so the hybrid girl pulled out a particularly large robe and placed it on Lily.

Now that preparations were complete, Sophie stepped back and took a second look at Lily to make sure that nothing went wrong with the disguise.

Lily's figure and body physique were now covered by the large robe while her face was hidden behind a mask.

It was impossible to tell what species she was.

Sophie grinned with satisfaction and rubbed Lily's soft hair a few times.

Now the only thing left to do now was wait.

According to her mirror copies, it would only take a few more minutes before they reached the ship hangar.

Sophie closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to steady her mood. The end of her long journey was in sight but it was important not to get overexcited.

There was still work to be done. Firstly, she needed to properly intimidate and control the incoming prisoners.

And then sneak into an active warzone. Pretending to be mercenaries could be an option but it would depend on the situation at the frontier region.

If the Unovan military did not control the space then it would be simple to bypass the blockade and try to reach the Earth Federation's territory directly.

Well… that would have to be after she sent out a message so that their ship wouldn't get blown up on the spot by the Imperial Army.

The numerous factors and plans to consider caused Sophie's head to spin and the hybrid girl quickly realised what was happening.

She couldn't allow her mood to fluctuate right before meeting the prisoners.

Calm down… deep breaths…

In and out… in and out… in and out…

Eventually, Sophie could feel her heartbeat begin to slow and a sense of tranquility filled her mind.

It was just in time as well since a mental message from one of her clones entered Sophie's mind.

[We are about thirty seconds away from the entrance leading to the ship's hangar. What role do you want us to play?]

Sophie closed her eyes and replied using the mental network that connected the clones to her consciousness.

[Just maintain a firm grip on the shoulders of the two prisoners. You don't need to talk once you enter the hangar but occasionally leak out small traces of bloodlust]

[The prisoners should be kept in a constant state of anxiety and fear]

With the last message sent out, Sophie straightened out her back and opened her eyes. Her golden pupils shone eerily as a bloodthirsty snarl flashed across her face.

Through the open entrance to the ship's hangar, she could spot the crowd nearing the large hall.

Four identical copies of herself were marching in tandem while two pale-skinned aliens trembled in the middle of the herd.

Their cloaks that were once a source of pride in their organization were filthy.

Blood and dirt covered the fabric and the haggard expressions on their faces clearly showed the mental stress that they were under.

The prisoners were brought before Sophie who stared at them for several minutes without speaking.

She let the tension fill the air as the prisoners got noticeably more frightened with every passing minute.

Sophie reached into her storage bag and pulled out long strips of metalloid wire which she then used to wrap around the necks of the two survivors.

"This is an explosive material that can be triggered at a push of this button," Sophie darkly whispered as she held up a small disc shaped device.

Of course… this was total nonsense.

The metalloid strips were just spare wirings while the so-called trigger device was nothing more than an alarm cloak.

But Sophie spoke as though what she said was true. There was no hesitation in her voice so the situation appeared real to the prisoners.

Panic and fear flashed across the faces of the prisoners as they felt as though the wiring on their necks weighed several pounds.

The threat of death made their bodies shiver.

Sophie stretched out her hand to cover her mouth lazily and yawned. Her movements were slow and unhurried.

"Do you want to die? Or do you want to live?" Sophie asked plainly.

Penshese trembled as she hesitantly replied to the monster that held their lives in the palms of her hands,

"Please… please.. I… I want to live…"

"I also want to live," Lt. Shirren bowed her head and spat out.

Sophie maintained her demeanor but inwardly there was a feeling of elation in her heart when she realised that everything was proceeding as planned.

A heavy wave of spiritual pressure forced both prisoners to their knees as Sophie unleashed just a small fraction of her cultivation strength..

The hybrid girl's laughter filled the room as she spoke to the prisoners with a sadistic grin on her face,

"If you both want to live then I will be merciful and grant you your wish."

"The price for my mercy is a certain job for you to accept…"