The Spider Queen

(Hydra Star System- Outer Regions)

(SS. Defiance- Lower Deck)

"Let me get two thousand Enas on gold!"

"Are you mad? I'll take those odds!"

"Five thousand! Five thousand! Bro… STOP PUSHING ME!"

Loud voices echoed through the magnificent hall. This was the gambling section on the starship and hundreds of passengers were mulling about.

The floor was made from solid gold and numerous statues were scattered across the room.

Large expensive paintings were hung on the walls and the sweet scent of perfume lingered in the air.

Sophie gently held Cleo's hand as the pair made their way through the open doors that led to the gambling den.

Cleo wore a simple white dress with golden threads interwoven in the fabric.

Her legs would slightly tremble as she walked, and she occasionally shot a resentful look at her girlfriend who pretended that she did not see it.

Sophie's outfit was a long sleeveless black dress with a pair of sturdy combat boots that seemed a bit out of place.

The hybrid girl had an aura of confidence and strength surrounding her body as she held her girlfriend's hand.

"Would you like to exchange Enas for some tokens?" a cold robotic voice suddenly asked.

An android wearing a plain green suit walked up to the couple and held out a small metalloid device.

"Sure… can you exchange ten thousand Enas?" Sophie asked politely as she took out a black card from her pocket.

The android nodded respectfully and took the black card from Sophie's fingertips. He inserted the card into the machine and a bleeping noise was heard.

The android returned the card to Sophie and then pointed at a small counter tucked away in the corner of the room.

"Please pick up your tokens there. Have a wonderful evening," the android softly spoke and then bowed.

Sophie nodded back and then walked towards the counter quickly.

"Babe… not so… fast… you know I…" Cleo softly whispered with a blush on her face.

"Sorry… I'll slow down…" Sophie replied sheepishly as she gently rubbed Cleo's palm using her thumb.

Poor Cleo…

Sophie knew that she had been a bit… err… excessive a few nights ago and her girlfriend still needed some time to recover despite being a cultivator in the qi tide stage.

Well… at least this was an opportunity to take a closer look at the gambling hall.

Sophie's gaze wandered around the room, and she saw a variety of sights and people.

In one corner there was what appeared to be a miniature fighting ring with small furry animals holding wooden spears.

A group of finely dressed humans were crowding around the arena and loudly placing bets on which animal they thought would win.

Another part had a row of slot machines where players would pull a lever and wait to see if they got the grand prize.

There were card games, board games, virtual reality games… this place was haven for entertainment…

As long as you were prepared to pay the price.

Sophie wasn't a regular gambler by any means, but it would be fun to play around for a bit with some money that she could afford to lose.

At the end of the day gambling was more for entertainment than to actually earn money.

There was a saying in Sui Meng's memories that perfectly summed up the situation.

'The house always wins.'

Sophie eventually reached the counter and a young human girl dressed in a provocative outfit held out a thin metalloid wrist strap.

"Just put this over your wrist and press the rectangular part against any of the outlets on the machines if you want to play," the pretty girl spoke with a wide smile on her face.

Her eyes lingered on Sophie's face a bit longer than what was appropriate, so Cleo subtly moved her body in between them.

The girl laughed as she saw Cleo's protective actions and the smile on her face got a bit more genuine.

Sophie didn't realise the tension that was building up and just waved goodbye to the girl behind the counter.

"Come back again sweetie…" the girl called out as the pair left.

Cleo stood on her tiptoes and gently kissed the underside of Sophie's cheek. The princess secretly felt a bit proud as she saw the tips of Sophie's pointed ears turn red.

"Where should we go first?" Sophie asked casually as she looked around the room.

"Want to try a card game? I'm not too familiar with the rules though…" Cleo suggested as she gestured towards a certain direction.

"Sure, that sounds good!" Sophie replied warmly.

The pair made their way through the crowd and Sophie was grateful for her imposing height and bladed appendages since most people gave them a healthy amount of space.

They eventually arrived at a long wooden table where an alien was currently dealing out some cards to a group of participants.

The alien was around two feet in height with a sturdy frame. His skin was a pale greenish colour, and one could spot small scales on the edges of his arms.

His face resembled that of a frog, and he had a long purplish tongue that would occasionally pop out of his mouth and lick his upper eyelid.

"Two… does anyone have a two?" the alien asked as he placed three cards face down on the table.

"Me! Me! Me!" a Mendolesa girl excitedly yelled as her tail furiously wagged back and forth.

"Alright! Let's see your luck!" the dealer replied with a smirk. His webbed fingers reached out to flip the cards and there was a tense moment of silence.

The Mendolesa girl did not even move a single muscle as she stared at those webbed fingers with an expression of expectation.

The dealer flipped the first card and the symbol of a scythe appeared.

A shocked gasp escaped the mouth of the person standing next to Sophie.

The second card that was flipped had the symbol of a man praying on his knees. This time an expression of disappointment flashed across the Mendolesa girl's face.

The dealer was clearly a master of his craft as his hand hovered over the final card in order to build up anticipation for the eventual reveal.

Sophie had no idea what was happening but even she was being sucked into the tense atmosphere that was building up.

"Are you ready?" the dealer softly asked as his webbed finger landed on the edge of the card.

Sophie wasn't sure who began the chant, but the other passengers crowded around the table started to shout in unison.

"Show it!"

"Show it!"

"Show it!"

The dealer smirked and his long purplish tongue slithered out of his mouth and lightly touched his cheek.

He flipped the card, and the symbol of a golden goose could be seen.

The Mendolesa girl raised up her hands and let out a piercing shriek of excitement that caused Sophie to wince.

"Oh my god! I won! I WON! I WON!" the Mendolesa girl happily yelled as she pressed the strap on her wrist against a device on the corner of the table.

"Congratulations! Your initial bet of three thousand Enas has now been tripled!" the dealer loudly declared.

He tapped a hidden button on the underside of the table and a flashing red spotlight shone on the lucky Mendolesa girl.

The other passengers surrounding the table clapped their hands and Sophie followed suit.

The Mendolesa girl took her winnings and immediately headed over to the arena to place a large bet.

"Would anyone else like to play?" the dealer asked with a knowing glint in his eyes.

There was always money to be made immediately after someone won.

Sophie was tempted to give it a try but eventually decided to wait a bit to see how to play the game.

Wait a moment… couldn't she try…

Sophie reached into her storage bag and pulled out a large pair of sunglasses that hid most of her face.

Cleo glanced at her with a curious look, but Sophie quietly raised a finger to her lips. Behind those heavy sunglasses….

Sophie's golden eyes were slowly turning white.