The Spider Queen

(Hydra Star System- Floren Sector)

(Planet Corpeola- Capitol City Underground Sewers)

"YOU. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" an angry roar echoed through the dark tunnels as the skeleton mage grabbed his bony face.

His skeleton fingers began to tremble uncontrollably as he ran towards the still corpse of the rat-like creature.

The army of undead began to slow down as their connection to their master's mind started to weaken.

Sophie's lips gently curved upwards as she saw the mage stumble over to the corpse before finally collapsing in front of its body.

"How? I was so close? How?" the skeleton mage muttered quietly to himself over and over again as if he was going mad.

"How? How? How?"

"It's not fair… it's not fair… it's not fair… it's not fair…"

He stretched out his cold fingers and lightly touched the beast's fur as if trying to bring the animal back to life with sheer will alone.

"Why? Why? Why?" the skeleton mage whispered desperately as he slammed his bony fists against the ground and unleashed a piercing scream.

Sophie reached into her storage bag and pulled out a large plasma sniper. Her clones dealt with the remaining undead while she took careful aim at the distracted mage.

The weapon in her hand did not even shake as she aimed carefully and did not allow any stray thoughts to enter her mind.

This was a hunt.

And the prey was finally vulnerable.

Sophie's finger lightly curled around the trigger and a large beam of plasma fire was shot directly at the mage's skull.

The skeleton who seemed to be wallowing in grief had no way to react in time and the shot sent his body flying.

There was an enormous hole in the wall where he landed, and Sophie used her enhanced vision to peer into the darkness inside.

The skeleton mage was buried under a pile of rocks and his body was now covered by dirt and the filth of the sewers.

He slowly rose up from the ground and Sophie shot a few more rounds at his body.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

But this time… something had changed.

The skeleton mage lifted his arm and an enormous bone shield erupted from the ground which absorbed all the plasma fire.

"Oh, dark one…" the skeleton mage muttered in a daze as he stared upwards at the ceiling.

Sophie's attacks had done damage to him, and one could see large cracks beginning to form on his bones.

There was an especially large fracture running down the center of his skull that threatened to tear his head apart.

Still there was not a hint of panic or fear in the mage's voice as he continued to call towards his dark patron.

"I have failed you… the resurrection of your grace's most beloved pet has failed and for that I know… I will be punished," the skeleton mage softly whimpered.

"But… before I die… please… allow me to have revenge on the one who ruined your great plan… I will pay any price."

Sophie rushed forward with her clones but soon found herself unable to move as a terrible pressure slammed into her body.

She fell to the ground and cracks began to appear beneath her feet.

The skeleton mage muttered a few incomprehensible words under his breath and…

The world stood still.

Sophie had felt the pressure and the presence of void stage cultivators before and instinctively knew that this… was not it.

This was more.

This was… the god stage.

Have you ever wondered how ants feel as they stare up at the human foot slowly descending upon their bodies?

Do you think they try to escape? Or do they simply accept their fates?

How can mere insects challenge the might of gods?

Sophie could not even summon up any resistance as she watched the skeleton mage slowly walk towards her location.

There was a reason why God stage cultivators were called one-man armies or natural disasters.

They were beings capable of standing toe to toe with planetary destroying starships and could even withstand direct nuclear strikes.

The skeleton mage trembled as the power that flowed through his body caused the cracks in his bones to widen even further.

He beckoned with his fingers and Sophie found herself getting up from the ground and walking towards him.

She was no longer in control of her body and could only dance to the mage's tune like a puppet hooked on the strings attached to its master.

Her danger sense was going haywire.

She was about to die.

[My vessel]

A cold disinterested voice appeared in Sophie's mind, and it was one that was very familiar. Had the hunter goddess come to witness her end?

There was a lot that Sophie wanted to say to the unreasonable goddess but there were only endless regrets running through her mind.

She didn't expect the hunter goddess to help her. Her patron was an unfeeling deity who was only concerned with the thrill of her hunt.

She never cared about her vessel's well being. In fact, she was nothing more than a junkie addicted to watching thrills.

[Is that what you really think of me little one?]

The hunter goddess laughed in Sophie's mind with light and airy giggles that seemed completely inappropriate given the grim circumstances.

[Perhaps you are right… I do not interfere with my vessels and the thorny path that they must walk in order to receive my gifts.]

"So will you help me?" Sophie whispered quietly as she walked even closer to the skeleton mage who was barely holding on.

Five hundred metres… four hundred metres… three hundred metres…

[Little one… if there is any consolation… you have burned brightest among those who used my gifts… I will miss you very much]

There was a hint of fondness in the hunter goddess' tone and Sophie could sense that the otherworldly entity truly meant what she said.

But so, what?

She was going to die all the same.

Sophie opened her mouth to argue when the hunter goddess' voice echoed once more in her mind but this time with a mocking sneer.

[If you are thinking of giving up and dying then perhaps my judgement of you was wrong from the start]

"You…" Sophie stuttered in rage but could sense that the presence of the goddess had disappeared from her mind.

Two hundred metres… one hundred metres… fifty metres…

Now she was directly face to face with the skeleton mage and could see an intense black flame floating above his right hand.

Sophie instinctively knew that if that flame touched her skin… she would die.

Think… think… think…

The hybrid girl struggled and tried to move her body but the gap between herself and the god stage was a distance too wide to cross.

There was only one card that she had left.

Sophie lowered her head and closed her eyes. She took in a deep breath and prayed to whatever gods were out there that this would work.

When the hybrid girl reopened her eyes….

They were bright pink.