The Spider Queen

(Hydra Star System- Planet Acocpolsis)

(Unnamed Factory- Headquarters Of The Balren Gang)

Qiana stood silently in the darkness and glanced down at the headless corpse at her feet. This mission had been a complete success.

All the members of the Balren Gang that were present in the factory had been slaughtered. 

Qiana had even made sure to evacuate the child workers before starting the operation.

There was no emotion in her eyes as she calmly powered on her wrist communicator and took several pictures of the body.

A million Enas bounty had been placed on this fearsome Mendolesa warrior, but Qiana did not do it solely for the money.

Zrudread University emphasised practicality and there was no course with a higher drop out rate than the assassin class.

The professor would regularly assign bounties for his students to collect. 

These life and death missions were equivalent to a midterm exam.

How do you train a good assassin? The answer was quite simple.

Teach them how to kill which was impossible to do with just theory alone.

No matter how high your cultivation level or how powerful your qi technique… if you could not kill without hesitation then it was all useless.

Qiana took a final picture of the fallen Mendolesa warrior and then turned her attention to the machines in the corner of the room.

The Butcher was dead… his reign of terror over the slums was finally over but if she left the factory undamaged then another organization would just take his place

Drugs were a poison that destroyed communities and lives. 

Qiana adjusted her thick glasses and walked towards the expensive machinery.

She reached into her storage ring and pulled out several disc shaped devices that blinked ominously with a reddish glow.

The shadows surrounding Qiana's body twisted and wriggled as if they were alive as she placed down the devices and set the charge.

Qiana stepped back to admire her work and then swiftly left the factory. 

Moments later an enormous explosion rocked the slums, and a large fireball could be seen rising up in the air.

The residents peered out of their windows and were amazed to see the infamous factory of the Balren Gang engulfed in flames.

Qiana wrapped a heavy brown cloak over her body and disappeared into the night with quiet steps.

She had broken the first rule of assassination by causing such a loud commotion and there was still one target left for her to complete.

A woman by the name of Madelyn Theoren. 

The bounty on her head was significantly less than the Butcher but her reputation was truly disgusting. 

She was the head of a brothel in the slums called 'The Lovers' Kiss.' 

Madelyn would buy underaged boys and girls from poor families and train them into becoming prostitutes.

Of course, there were those who resisted her methods and their bodies were later found drifting along the river.

This planet was truly a cesspool of filth and degeneracy. 

It was not the first time that Qiana had dealt with such cases but the white hot anger that bubbled in her heart remained the same.

Children were innocent. Those who abused them for their own dark purposes did not deserve to see the light of day.

Qiana took out a well-worn handkerchief from her pocket and carefully wiped the blood off her knife.

Madelyn was a cultivator in the qi spirit stage so once the infiltration was successful it would be a simple matter to finish her off.

Qiana navigated her way through a labyrinth of run-down shacks, back alleyways and hidden corridors like she had lived here for her entire life.

Information was just as important as personal strength to an assassin. 

Qiana had spent several nights memorising the paths leading to different locations across the slums.

Several escape routes were already burned into her mind just in case of an emergency where she needed to flee quickly.

It took around twenty minutes before Qiana arrived at a two-story building that appeared out of place amidst the scenes of poverty.

The exterior of the building was extremely clean with a fresh coat of pink paint that seemed almost sensual.

The melodic sounds of jazz could be heard coming from inside the building and heavy purple curtains blocked the windows.

Men and women dressed in loose outfits or skimpy clothes entered the building with smiles on their faces.

Qiana observed that those who left the building would stumble slightly as they walked and there were lipstick marks and hickeys covering their bodies.

Two fierce Mendolesa warriors guarded the entrance with plasma rifles held in their arms. 

They checked each client entering the brothel for a membership card before letting them inside.

Qiana dug into the pocket of her cloak and pulled out a special white membership card that was for the highest tier of service.

As for the owner of this card… 

Well let's just say that he would be unable to visit brothels anytime soon as he was currently recovering in the hospital.

It was time for the operation to begin.

Qiana ducked into an empty alleyway and quickly put on her disguise. She took off her heavy brown cloak and wore an expensive lavender dress.

To complete her new appearance, Qiana removed her glasses and put on a blonde wig. 

She reached into her storage ring and pulled out a thin mask made from a rubber-like material.

Qiana carefully placed the mask on her face and pressed a small button on its underside. The mask tightened and then slowly transformed Qiana's facial features.

The girl that stepped out of the alleyway was now completely different. 

Qiana had been transformed into a jaw dropping blonde bombshell who had a flirtatious smile on her face.

She swayed confidently up to the Mendolesa warriors guarding the entrance and held out the white card.

"Enjoy your night," one of the guards spoke respectfully. 

Qiana winked slyly and walked into the brothel with slow purposeful steps.

Inside the brothel was a world of hedonism and debauchery. Shirtless men and women sat down on comfortable mattresses while attractive prostitutes massaged their bodies.

The sounds of giggling and laughter filled the air and Qiana's appearance fit right in this atmosphere of revelry.

A handsome young man with a six-pack approached Qiana but she dismissed him with a casual wave.

She wandered through the brothel while taking occasional glances at the patrons who were clearly enjoying themselves.

"My dear guest, would you like some company for the night?" a sweet voice entered Qiana's ears.

A young girl who looked no older than fifteen walked up to her with a wide smile plastered across her face.

But her eyes were complete lifeless.

"Yes… please take me to Madelyn… I have some business to discuss with her," Qiana replied smoothly while stepping back to avoid unnecessary contact.

Qiana held up the white card and trace of fear appeared in the young girl's eyes before she quickly adjusted her emotions.

"Of course," the young girl spoke in a respectful tone. 

Qiana's lips gently curved upwards as the girl led her upstairs to a private office. She stopped at the entrance and knocked lightly on the door using her knuckles.

"Come in please," an elderly voice came from the other side of the door. Qiana thanked the girl and then whispered in her ear.

"Tonight, is your best chance to escape from this life," Qiana quietly spoke. 

She entered the office without looking back to see the expression of surprise and disbelief on the young girl's face. 

Seconds later the power was mysteriously turned off and the brothel plunged into darkness. 

What happened next remained a mystery to the local authorities, but the corpse of Madelyn Theoren was found floating in the river.