The Spider Queen

Chapter 434: Ambition And The Pursuit Of Power

(Alpha Star System- Planet Gaia)

(Peterlor Estate- Private Study Room)

"Okay so Lithium carbonate affects the central nervous system… it can also have an effect on receptor sensitivity…" Sophie muttered quietly to herself.

She picked up her pen and began to write down some notes on the blank workbook in front of her.

It was a bit old fashioned and maybe it was due to the influence of Sui Meng's memories, but Sophie enjoyed physically writing her self-study notes down.

When it came to poison cultivation, it was not enough to just memorize the content as her mentor Professor Macabre expected her students to apply what they had learned in class.

Which made sense. 

The problem was that this meant that Professor Macabre's tests were significantly more difficult and relied heavily on a solid foundation of theoretical knowledge.

When one thinks of cultivation, they usually imagine scenes of a sword chopping down a mountain, an arrow tearing through the void or even a palm with enough force to flatten a spaceship.

Poison cultivation was not as flashy as those methods, but it was chillingly efficient and if there was one thing that Sophie had learnt during her time in the Unovan Syndicate…

In life and death situations…. effectiveness mattered more than showmanship.

Sophie tossed those unpleasant memories to the back of her mind and concentrated on the next section.

Neurotoxins…

A thoughtful look flashed across the hybrid girl's face as she read about unique toxins found on planets in the border region.

There was one nicknamed 'The Devil's Kiss' which could be identified due to a victim's lips swelling immediately after contact.

That was a particularly nasty toxin whose main effect was to disintegrate the axons inside the neuron cells.

It would lead to a complete collapse of the electrical signal pathway that carried messages to and from the brain.

Sophie continued reading and making notes for around twenty more minutes before setting her notebook down.

"Finished?" Cleo asked quietly. 

The princess was currently laying down on a sofa in the corner of the room with a sleepy expression on her face.

Sophie got up from her chair and walked over to the sofa. She sat down and pulled her girlfriend into her arms.

"Yeah… I think I'm done for the day," Sophie complained in a low tone.

"It has really been difficult to get back into the study mood…for some reason I just can't concentrate for longer than one hour."

"Distracted?" Cleo teased as she used her slender palm to stroke the side of Sophie's cheek.

Sophie leaned down and pressed her lips against Cleo's. It was a lingering kiss filled with love and warmth.

The hybrid girl broke away first since she didn't want her powers to activate. It was already a difficult task to stay in control with Cleo so close to her body.

Cleo smiled wickedly as she nuzzles closer to Sophie's body. The princess' hand began to slowly wander upwards.

"Cleo… not… now… I…" Sophie groaned as she quickly grabbed the mischievous hand moving towards her chest.

She shot her girlfriend a disapproving look but only received a soft giggle in return. 

Cleo smiled fearlessly when she observed the effect that she was having on her girlfriend.

It was always a satisfying sight.

Sophie realised what was happening and decided to pay her girlfriend back for the teasing. She suddenly pulled Cleo forward and the princess fell on her lap.

"What are you… Oohhh!" Cleo shrieked as Sophie playfully groped and fondled her chest. 

The hybrid girl quickly shot a look towards the door to make sure that it was locked and then continued.

Did her girlfriend get bigger? Sophie kneaded and rubbed the soft bouncy fleshy that was addicting to touch.

A faint pinkish mist began to spread from the corner of her eyes as Sophie gave in to the ambiguous atmosphere.

Wait… wait… fuck! 

The study room didn't have proper soundproofing!

It had completely slipped Sophie's mind that her father who was a god stage cultivator would be able to hear them regardless of how heavy the soundproofing was.

Fortunately for the duke, he was able to manipulate his spiritual sense to block out any noises.

And over the last few weeks the poor man had gotten quite used to activating this skill.

Sophie hesitantly stopped her teasing and Cleo glanced up at her with a perplexed look. 

The princess' face was still flushed and the reddish blush on her cheeks was enough to set Sophie's heart racing again.

"One… two… three…" Sophie counted slowly as she began to take in deep breaths before gently exhaling.

Don't lose control… don't lose control… don't lose control…

For the first time, Sophie decided not to use pain to snap her out of the lustful state but instead to only try calming meditation.

Perhaps it was a sign of her progress but gradually the pinkish colour faded and Sophie's eyes returned to their normal golden hue.

Sophie let out a small sigh of relief and could not help but feel a little bit proud. 

She did it! She managed to stop herself just in time! 

It was a small victory, but progress was progress.

"Are you okay?" Cleo asked with concern. Sophie smiled back sweetly and planted a kiss on her forehead.

There was no need to rush anything. Besides it would be nighttime in just a few hours so there would be plenty of time for naughty stuff later.

A thought suddenly entered Sophie's mind as she remembered coming across some information on the Virtual Net earlier in the day.

"Oh yeah… that reminds me," Sophie spoke with a hint of curiosity in her tone.

"What is happening with the selection ceremony to choose the new leader of the royal family? I saw a few articles on the Virtual Net but no one seems to know the date."

"Well choosing the next emperor or empress is a serious matter," Cleo explained seriously.

"The selection ceremony is the final test but… the fight for the throne begins the moment that the previous ruler dies."

"You don't have to participate in such a dangerous tournament, right? Or do you want to?" Sophie asked nervously.

It would be her girlfriend's choice if she wanted to join the fight for the throne, but the mere thought made Sophie anxious.

The glorious history of the Imperial Family was soaked with the blood of princes and princesses who died in order for the eventual winner to sit on the throne.

"Don't worry… I'm not crazy," Cleo laughed softly as she stroked Sophie's cheek.

"My mother probably expected the late Emperor to rule for another thousand years which would give me plenty of time to grow up

"But… he didn't. If I joined the succession fight with my current cultivation level…. well let's just say that I would probably be dead by the first round."

Familial love and kindness were an exception not the norm in the royal family and Cleo knew better than anyone what terrible acts people can commit in the name of ambition.

The pursuit of power was a never-ending quest.