The Spider Queen

(Alpha Star System- Planet Meri'an)

(Secret Location- Private Estate Of The Crown Prince)

An opulent mansion had been built on top of a vast mountain range. This entire planet was the property of the crown prince and had been purchased at an enormous cost.

It was located in the center of the Alpha Star System and was not far from an interstellar warp gate that led to the various regions of the galaxy.

Prince Theseus wandered through the halls of his estate in his daze.

The servants in his path politely bowed with great respect in their hearts as they saw their master.

He was a relatively handsome young man who had inherited his good looks from his mother who was a business genius and the chairman of the Luna Financial Corporation.

Wealth was the one thing that the crown prince did not lack but that was not his most valuable asset.

His cultivation talent was rank S and there were few among his peers who could match his skill in battle.

The crown prince barely acknowledged his servants as he felt as though his mind had been trapped in white foggy haze over the last few months.

Occasionally he would get strange memories inside his mind that seemed real and like a dream at the same time.

He could faintly recall making alliances with several noble houses and factions, but it was as though someone or something else was speaking through his body.

Today was a rare day without any meetings so the crown prince decided to visit his garden to clear his mind.

He slowly walked out of his mansion and headed towards the flower garden that was in full bloom.

Gorgeous flowers of every colour swayed gently in the wind and the sweet scent of honey filled the air.

Prince Theseus sat on a nearby bench and ran his fingers through his curly black hair. Maybe it was the stress that was getting to him…

As the person most likely to succeed the late Emperor Sisrelis, there were numerous forces both open and secret who were staring at him.

He had lost count of the number of assassins who infiltrated his mansion after the first dozen or so were executed.

Clearly there were many who would rather their own puppets be the next leader of the human empire than him.

Prince Theseus let out a heavy sigh as he absentmindedly waved his hand in a certain direction and a blade of wind erupted from his fingertips.

An invisible killer who was hiding in the bushes a few feet away was immediately bisected in half and his corpse fell to the ground motionless.

The crown prince placed two fingers to his lips and blew gently. Heavily armed men emerged from the shadows and dragged the body of the killer away.

Prince Theseus frowned as the scent of blood tainted the holy sanctity of his private garden.

He was about to summon his personal guards once more when an unexpected visitor arrived.

The air behind the crown prince shimmered and a mysterious man walked out from behind the veil.

This person bore an eerily striking resemblance to the late emperor and possessed a charm and beauty that seemed almost unnatural.

His beauty was both feminine and masculine.

He wore a black cloak around his body that was adorned with golden threads.

"Brother… I've come to deliver your Kry'en crystals," the man whispered lovingly as he stretched out his palm to reveal several ruby-like gems.

The crown prince vaguely felt that something was wrong, but his body moved automatically as if he was no longer the one in control.

He stood up from the bench and reached for the crystals in his brother's palm. The warm sensation of the jewels in his hand was an intoxicating feeling.

The Kry'en crystals instantly melted, and the reddish liquid was quickly absorbed into Prince Theseus' skin.

The crown prince's eyes briefly turned completely white before returning back to normal.

All the fear and doubt in his heart had suddenly disappeared.

A pleased expression flashed across the mysterious man's face as he gently stroked the crown prince's cheek as if playing with a dog.

"Oh… how the mighty have fallen," the man teased softly as he continued to play with the face of the prince who was rumored to be the next emperor.

It had not been easy to convert the prince and princesses of the royal family but now at least three hundred had been infected by the Kry'en crystals.

His master would be pleased with such a result, but this was merely the beginning.

Certain members of the royal family would be a bit difficult to convert but there was always a way.

The mysterious man opened his mouth and relayed a set of new orders for the crown prince to follow,

"My employer wishes for you to form an alliance with House Martin and Drkane… he suggested that you offer them the mining rights to the newly discovered colonies in the Sirius Star System…"

"Rumors will spread about your offer, and he wishes for you to take advantage of the sudden increase in momentum to expand your campaign."

"Here is a list of persons of interest… I trust that you will be able to deliver… an excellent result…"

The mysterious man reached into his pocket and pulled out a small metalloid device that could plug into a wrist communicator.

He placed it in the crown prince's hand and his fingers lingered for a bit longer than what was appropriate as he handed over the device.

The man pinched Prince Theseus' cheeks one more time before stepping back into the veil and disappearing.

The crown prince remained frozen in place for a moment before blinking twice and looking around with a confused expression.

Why was he standing here? What had just happened?

Wasn't he just sitting down on the bench?

The whitish fog in his mind got a bit worse for a moment and the crown prince furrowed his brows in confusion.

He was suddenly struck with the urge to immediately negotiate an alliance with House Martin and Drkane, so he hurriedly left the garden.

Now how would he get them to join his side?

Perhaps he should offer them the mining rights to the newly discovered colonies in the Sirius Star System…

Prince Theseus was surprised that the solution came to his mind so quickly and was once again amazed by his fast thinking and problem-solving ability.