Jasmine reflexively did not trust the large man in front of her, every time she saw more of his power, it drove her further into disbelief. It just felt like it was a trick somehow, no one could be that powerful but as she thought about, letting his questions hang in the air she realized that fear had a hold on her judgement. Because if he was truly as powerful as he had displayed then that meant that all of her hard fought power meant nothing, it was just a drop in a bucket on the beach next to his ocean of strength. Her feelings of powerlessness from her life before the system were returning, replacing all her feelings with fear.

  She had been 43 years old when the system broke humanity and society and replaced it with one of magic, wonder, and inherent oppression. Some got strong fast and learned that the greater the difference in power, the more leverage they had over others. She saw some bad things in the beginning and was lucky to make it through it how she did. Her age and small stature gave her an advantage when her class came with her will skill, ‘mental shift’. It allowed her to use her will to shift an idea in someone's head, making it larger or smaller. If someone wanted to kill, she could make them want to do it less and if someone wanted to be with her she could make them really want to do that.

  After some time testing her skill on pretty much everyone around her to work things to her advantage, the skill grew more powerful, allowing her to notice how a mind resists her adjustments in a way that was basically mind reading. However, the skill only worked on those who have a will weaker than hers which was almost no one at this conference. Flying blind without the use of her skill and her minimal social skills, she was not sure how to react to Ash. He was almost completely foreign to her, confident but self aware, powerful but restrained, and most confusing of all he was maddeningly and frustratingly physically and emotionally attractive.

  “How do I know that the system isn’t causing me to be drawn to you like your harem of zombies. Maybe whatever it is you are going to do to me is what you did to them.”

  “You are free to decline, I walk out of here and never address you directly again. No worry about me or the system interfering and you can move on with your life, it's your call.”

  Jasmine wanted to say no, but she couldn’t stop herself. What if he was telling the truth about everything and she could really visit her own soul, passing up on that opportunity is something she could regret for the rest of her long life. “Fine, but we only visit my soul, I don’t want to get trapped in yours.” Eli gave her a looking over and was feeling her magic intentionally enough that she could feel it clearly. “Are you magically groping me?”

  “Pretty much, I need to get a feel for what we are stepping into.”

  “Well, make it quick, it feels violating but somehow also like a magic massage.”

  “It’s basically both, but also necessary to prevent soul damage.” He reached out and put his hands on either side of her head and both of their minds fell into Jasmine’s soul.

  She was standing in a small oasis in a desert, except everything that made a dessert inhospitable was instead comfortable. The sun was warm and not hot, the air was clear with no sand in it and there was a breeze that was cool and refreshing. The desert was a beautiful landscape with slightly different colored dunes and rocky red clay colored mountains in the distance. Jasmine took a deep breath to take it all in and it felt wrong, like the breath wasn’t necessary. A few minutes went by before she calmed down and felt comfortable. She walked around the small oasis and even a little bit into the desert getting comfortable with the space.

  “How does it feel?” Eli asked her as a disembodied voice.

  “It’s funny, when I’m not focused it’s a calm place to be but when I focus, it’s like a window into my soul. You were right, my attraction to you isn’t influenced by the system. However, the system is influencing me in other more subtle ways. It’s pushing me to get stronger, creating more ambition than I would normally have. The system also wants me to have children, which explains why I was more attracted to you than I thought I should be.”

  “So you see why I said things were more complicated than it seemed.” Eli’s voice was soft, deep, and comforting but he wasn’t appearing in a way that she could see.

  “Yes, and if you hadn’t shown me this, I never would have understood or believed you. It’s undeniable that this place is me. I just don’t know what to do with this information.” Jasmine said as she paused her exploring and tried to think about how she should react to this.

  “Well we have time, there is a large time difference here. I’m not sure what yours is since it seems to be reliant on how strong your soul is but if I had to guess, every hour in here is only 4 to 6 minutes in the world. Take your time and get your head on straight, it would be nice if we could be friendly to each other.”

  Jasmine exited the side room first with there only being a few minutes left until the next vote started. The room was completely repaired and looked brand new, like the damage from his outburst had never happened. Eli didn’t exit right away, Bethany and Alora were looking at each other with a bit of worry in their expression but neither of them wanted to check on him since it would undermine their confidence in him. The room was only half full since the announcement of the next vote would go to everyone in the building regardless of where they were. Just as the next vote was announced, he left the side room and slowly walked over to sit on his throne.

  “The next vote timer starts now.”

  “System built roads or selective safe-zone barriers”

  “The voting ends in 7 hours.”

  “You may cast your vote in 6 hours.”

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  Everyone started chatting and Eli wordlessly got up and walked to the teleportation wall vanishing to his suite. He was mentally and emotionally tired so he walked over to the bedroom he had been in before, laid down and went to sleep. Alora returned to the suite as well and went to lay down in a different bedroom, the first vote for the conference had been draining and as she lay in her bed staring at the ceiling she hoped that it would go much smoother from now on. Then she thought about what a smooth time here meant and realized that she would get bored and changed her wish to hoping that Eli would have an easier time.

  Bethany stayed in the voting room, she sat on the floor next to the throne using an armrest to lean against. Everyone was chatting about the next vote, guessing what the two options meant and how they could end up being more than they seem. She felt alone in this moment, which was rare for her since she usually didn’t need the company of others to feel good about herself. She didn’t have a chair here, and her rank was based in large part to the power she got from Eli so she felt out of place and like she was in charge at the same time. Of all the people she didn’t want to talk to in the room, the one she disliked the most is the one who came up to her to talk. Figula sat next to her leaning on the back of the throne.

  “It’s a strange feeling being where we are, not at the top but so close it feels like we can just reach out and grab it.” Figula said. Her voice seemed genuine but Bethany made it obvious that she didn’t believe her. By the look she gave her. “I know it doesn’t seem the same but we are in similar positions, although I don’t have to sleep with my boss so I guess you are in the worst position of the two of us.”

  Bethany’s mind exploded with anger, the sex they had in that side room earlier was not something she had to do, it was something she craved deep in her bones. No one has ever made her feel so loved and desired like that before. “Listen lady, I don’t have to do anything, I get to be with him. You seem like a prude so you may not understand this but having sex with a god is a privilege, not a responsibility. I love him more than my own life, if he asked me to follow him around on all fours while wearing a dog leash I would do it and be so wet from it that I left a trail behind me. So do not act like you know me because you clearly don’t.”

  Figula’s eyes were round in shock with how brazen Bethany was about sexual desire. The people of the order continent leaned on logic and suppressed emotions, especially public displays of emotion. Bethany’s blunt admission to wanting to be Ash’s sex slave was so out of place for someone from the order continent that Figula’s brain short circuited and she couldn’t come up with a response.

  While she was unable to form a rebuttal to Bethany, Jasmine walked up and added to it. “Bethany, how does one sign up to get a chance at sleeping with him? While we were talking he said that the women in his group decide who he sleeps with. How do I get in on this, it sounds like fun.”

  Bethany could see Figula getting more frustrated and decided to lean into it to see if her head would explode or something. “Well, me and Alora would have to discuss it and of course we would both be present for it. Although you are very small and the power between his legs may be the largest of his powers if you get my meaning.”

  “I see,” Jasmine looked down at herself and then up at Bethany tapping her chin in thought. “Maybe we could start slow, does he have a gentle touch as good as his rough one?”

  Bethany winked at her, “Well, between the three of us girls I’m sure we can work it out given enough time. I’ll talk to Alora and see, how about you visit us in our suite tonight, we have the top floor right above this one with an ocean view that is breathtaking.”

  “That sounds perfect, I’ll show up ready to go and let you take it from there.” Jasmine said, returning Bethany’s wink.

  Figula wordlessly got up and walked into a side room alone, closing the door behind her. The two women looked at each other for a second and then burst out laughing, Bethany was holding her sides and Jasmine was literally rolling on the floor holding her stomach.

  Liasandra walked over to them with a big smile on her face. “That was good work Lady Bethany, that poor woman was not ready for that, I think it may be awhile before we see her again.”

  “Did you see how red her face was? I can’t wait to tell Tara about this.” Bethany said while still giggling a little. “Also, don’t call me lady, just Bethany, I haven't been a lady in a long time if you know what I mean.” She winked at Jasmine who smiled and winked back.

  “Very well, then you can call me Liasandra, in fact, both of you can. Could I have a private word with you two please.” Liasandra said and waved her hand toward a side room.

  Bethany shrugged and started walking that way, Jasmine gave Liasandra a suspicious look before hesitantly following Bethany. Just before entering the side room, Bethany glanced at Aria and pointed up as a signal for her to go up to the suite with Eli and Alora. Aria smiled and eagerly walked over to the teleported wall. The three sat in the small side room and got comfortable, Bethany even removed some tea she had bought and was sharing it with Jasmine while making a point to not share any with Liasandra.

  “This is really good,” Jasmine said, picking up on the dislike between the other two and clearly choosing to side with Bethany.

  “I know right, it’s very expensive but I just love the soft sweet flavor, like someone put just a bit of cotton candy in it with a splash of wine.”

  “That's exactly the flavor, I hope you have more of this for tonight.” Jasmine said. She was bringing that up to gauge Lissandra's reaction to it, but instead of jealousy which is what she was expecting, there was a look of pride with a hint of disgust.

  “Enough, please, I would rather not be involved in those kinds of discussions. Bethany, can this woman be trusted, is she being recruited or something?” Liasandra asked.

  “To be honest, I have no idea, my best guess is he will sleep with her and bring her into our group, or just kill her outright.” Bethany said with absolutely no hint of humor in her voice or expression.

  Jasmine went white as a sheet which was saying something with how dark brown her skin normally was. She let out a weak and scared laugh, “hehehe.”

  “Either way she can know the truth I suppose. I need to ask you about Eli, now that the list is public, why are all his people redacted by the system? Also, what other power does he possess that he is still hiding? You have probably already figured out that I have my own plans and I was hoping that he would be helpful, but if he shows off any more strength here it may make things difficult. Is he done with his power flexing now?” Liasandra was almost frantically asking her questions which was giving Bethany a hint that maybe some of her plans had already been ruined.

  “The answer to all three of your questions is, it’s complicated. I know you want more than that but he is still sorting out his feelings about you and until his mind is settled on the matter I’m not saying anything. You can join us in the suite right after the vote, Jasmine. You give us thirty minutes if you are feeling brave. Talking to his mother again may make him more frustrated than you will be able to handle, but we can play it by ear.” Bethany said as if all of this craziness was just like talking about the weather.