The Spider Queen

(Zrudread University- Elite Student Housing Complex)

(Mansion 456Y)

"Cheers to the end of the midterm exams!" Astrid held up a glass of sparkling wine and downed its contents in one gulp.

"Cheers!" Sophie gently knocked her glass against Astrid's cup before sipping on the refreshing liquid.

"Don't be surprise if I take first place among the freshmen," Astrid proudly boasted as her tail wagged furiously.

"Oh please," Sophie smirked and bared her fangs.

"It doesn't even matter since I am now a cultivator in the qi tide stage… I'll kick your ass in any duel."

It was truly a warm scene.

A mendolesa and hybrid girl were currently sitting down next to each other on a red sofa while warm rays of afternoon sunlight came in through the window.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, a plain girl with thick glasses was chatting merrily with a noble girl who exuded an air of royalty and class.

The noble girl resembled an untouchable goddess who no mere mortal could dare to defile with gorgeously sharp facial features, a voluptuous body and piercing green eyes.

Two days had passed since the combat beast midterm and the rest of the girls had also finished their respective exams.

Sophie had proposed a get together at her and Cleo's apartment so the girls could hang out one last time before the break.

After the midterm season was a two week break from classes, so students had the option to stay on campus or to return home.

Astrid was naturally staying with her siblings on the planet but Sophie, Qiana and Cleo were going back home for different reasons.

Qiana was feeling a tad homesick so she planned to travel to the Abazin estate located somewhere in a hidden asteroid field.

Cleo on the other hand needed to visit her mother and consult the royal doctors to get the symbiote out of her body.

Sophie wanted to go with her girlfriend to show support but the unexpected summons from the emperor had caused her to reconsider those plans.

This was the first time that the emperor had organised a meeting with the future heirs to the major noble families in the Earth Federation, so no one knew what to expect.

Duke Peterlor had told his daughter over the communicator about the true nature of the emperor and Sophie could feel nothing but disgust at the stories.

Any person more concerned with the pleasures of the flesh or the sweet taste of alcohol rather than the wellbeing of his people was not fit to rule.

Sophie did not look forward to meeting him.

Shaking her head slightly to rid herself of these unpleasant thoughts, Sophie continued to smile as she teased Astrid.

"You just had a lucky breakthrough," Astrid crossed her arms and pouted slightly.

"Wait until I become a great and powerful archmage!"

"I always believed that you will," Sophie replied and rubbed Astrid's furry ears.

It was a force of habit that she had picked up from looking after Moon but the Mendolesa girl didn't seem to mind.

Qiana and Cleo walked into the living room and approached the large sofa where Sophie and Astrid were currently chatting.

The luxurious mansion given to students in the elite class had plenty of space to house guests and the furniture inside were made from top quality material and memory foam that could be modified.

This particular couch was covered in the hide of a rare animal called the Quzeorctal that had a beautiful golden fur with black spots.

Qiana gracefully sat down next to Astrid while Sophie pulled her girlfriend onto her lap and pecked her cheek lightly with a kiss.

"Can you lovebirds not stay apart for one minute?" Qiana rolled her eyes but felt secretly jealous as she saw the annoying couple spreading dogfood.

Why was she just so shy?!

Qiana had spent countless nights writing up love confession letters but each attempt seemed to be worse than the last.

Her confession to Astrid had to be perfect…

"Does this bother you?" Sophie whispered sensually and leaned towards Cleo.

Sophie winked at Qiana and then gently nibbled on Cleo's ears as the princess squirmed uncomfortably with a reddened face.

"Stop it!" Cleo firmly pushed away Sophie's face, but the hybrid girl gave her a seductive look that the princess was all too familiar with.

It was the 'I am going to so fuck you later' look.

"That reminds me… how were your exams?" Cleo eagerly tried to change the subject as she didn't like the rising passion in Sophie's gaze.

"The mage exam was ridiculous easy," Astrid scornfully spoke and then explained how the test had been carried out.

Mages were rare in the Federation perhaps not as uncommon as mech controllers, but their importance nonetheless could not be overstated.

Mastery of mana and the ability to cast spells that could turn the tides of battle made them highly desirable in any army unit.

For the first midterm exam, the students were all thrown into a pit full of venomous reptile beasts called Allryxe and were told to eliminate every single monster inside.

It was easy to cast spells in a safe classroom environment where peace and quiet allowed for full concentration.

But conditions on the battlefield would rarely be so generous.

Fortunately, most students had by this point already seen their fair share of combat so despite having a brief moment of panic at the start, they were able to fight off the first wave of attacks.

Astrid was especially deadly as her use of the spell 'Spatial Rupture' could splice apart any incoming wave of enemies with ease.

This exam was a test of endurance and as the mana reserves of students eventually got lower and lower…

They were forced to reduce their spellcasting.

This was what the professor wanted to teach his students as they needed to know the importance of learning mana control and not casting spells recklessly.

But who could have known that one of the freshman mages was a combat freak?

Astrid emptied out her mana reserves and leapt into the middle of a swarm of Allryxe lizards with a vicious smile on her face.

Her ferocious claws and fierce fighting style allowed her to rip apart any creature foolish enough to get within her reach.

The rest of the students retreated to the edge of the pit and clapped along in awe as Astrid singlehandedly beat most of the Allryxe to death.

The exam ended with the professor unsure if he should be laughing or crying.

What kind of teaching was Archmage Hollystorm giving to his pupil?!

How was a mage fighting on the frontline better than most students in close combat majors?!

"That sounds awesome!" Sophie laughed as she pictured the face of the helpless instructor.

"Yeah, I am truly the number one mage," Astrid stuck her nose up in the air proudly as her tail continued to wag.

"I am going to whoop your ass once I break into the qi tide stage!"

"Bring it on sis! I guess you must want me to send you to the hospital for free!" Sophie replied with equal fire.

"Why are they always so enthusiastic and loud?" Qiana put a finger in her ears and shot Cleo a tired look.

"I kind of like it," Cleo sneaked a glance at Sophie and turned away with the tips of her ears slightly red.

Qiana: ....

It seemed that she would get no support from this lovestruck fool.