Suddenly Mai felt a strange sensation inside and had a flutter in her stomach. She felt a tingling in her heart and then noticed the white sphere beginning to float away from her. This surprising turn of events prompted her to open her eyes and glance at her wrist where the glowing orb hovered. Slowly it drifted toward the ground drawing near the yellow crack that absorbed it. She now sported an open wound that resembled a red hole revealing visible bones. She bit her lip growing irritated that it hadn't worked despite her suffering.

"Why did it run away?" she asked directing her gaze towards the men.

Mel scratched his forehead with his left index finger and replied, "You need to clear your mind of thoughts."

Mai pouted. "You could have mentioned that earlier."

"I thought you already had pure thoughts." commented Ace looking at her with surprise.

When Mai heard those words, her throat suddenly became even drier causing her to cough. If being a virgin was required for acceptance, then she had missed her chance long ago.

Observing her reaction Leon suggested, "You can always try the lake." casting a glance at the bubbling lake.

Mai shook her head and asked Ace to place a new glowing sphere on her left hand. She inquired if it could be placed somewhere other than her wrist. Unfortunately, the body had different types of portals with the smallest ones located on the wrists which needed to be opened first. This revelation shocked her, and she gave them all a glance, wondering if they were insane or not.

"Do I have to open all the portals?" she asked nervously, her thoughts briefly drifting to her private parts.

Mel nodded and replied, "There are eight portals:”

“one on each arm each, leg, both sides of the chest, one on the back, and one on the forehead." he listed.

Mai was relieved to learn that there were no portals between her legs or on her neck. She reached into her bag planning to bind her wrist.

However, she suddenly heard Ace ask, "What are you doing?"

"I was going to bind my wrist" she answered.

Ace intervened saying, "You can't do that. You mustn't heal while you absorb them. It's cheating."

Mai stopped and raised her hand casting a skeptical glance at him while furrowing her eyebrows. They all seemed completely insane.

"How can Mother Life know that I'm cheating? She doesn't have eyes." She said, growing increasingly irritated.

Leon chuckled and replied, "Mother Life is the core of the planet. She sees everything we do."

Mai vented her frustration and suddenly felt a strange sensation within her. Did the planet spy on them all? How could they live like this?

"Fine. But how am I supposed to survive my wounds?" she asked glancing at her wrist again, the stinging pain a persistent reminder.

A breeze passed by providing some relief, but the pain remained.

Ace spoke with a serious tone, "There are no shortcuts."

Sighing Mai extended her left wrist toward him, closed her eyes, and attempted to clear her mind. For years she had persuaded Tim to build on Kenta and had trained herself to escape from the Mother ship. She had finally managed to break free, and she had no intention of going back. Even if they forced her, she would cling to the ground.

"Mother Life, Elder Lric, you said you give everyone a chance so give me a chance too even though I'm not part of your planet." she whispered to herself.

She took deep breaths and nodded. Suddenly a burning pain flared in her left wrist, but it was less severe this time since she had already experienced the pain before. She gritted her teeth feeling as if someone had rubbed chili on her skin to make it worse. The glowing sphere penetrated her skin and she felt it shoot through her arm and into her chest causing her heart to suddenly beat double startling her.

"Relax your body or your heart will explode." Ace advised in a gentle voice.

Mai took deep breaths despite her heart racing and tried not to panic hearing it, thumping loudly in her ears.

"Kenta is doing fine. Kenta is doing fine. I love strawberries. I love mangoes. Eating celery makes me slimmer. I live on a new beautiful planet" she recited a list of positive affirmations she had self-learned over the years.

She felt her body relax and her heart gradually returned to its normal rhythm. She breathed a sigh of relief, opened her eyes now filled with excitement and her heart raced.

"I did it." she said smiling at the men who had silently observed her.

Leon clapped his hands and said, "Congratulations. Now there are only seven more to go. You'll need a high pain threshold for the next ones."

He gave her a radiant toothy smile that sent shivers down Mai's spine even though the warm lake surroundings should have been comforting. His words were anything but reassuring and she mentally braced herself nodding to Ace. He picked up another glowing sphere and she closed her eyes steeling herself for what was to come. As Ace placed it on her right wrist pain seared through her intensifying because he had put it on the open wound, a seeming act of cruelty. She clenched her teeth, tightened her fists, and felt the sphere penetrate her skin like a knife with poisonous thorns slowly piercing her. Her heart raced faster, and her head pounded loudly. Taking deep breaths when she sensed the sphere fully inside her wrist it released a powerful wave throughout her body warmth tinged with an unsettling sensation in her stomach.

With her eyes still closed she nodded and said, "Again."

"Stretch out your legs." Ace instructed.

Mai extended her legs and suddenly felt something sharp and burning pierce her thigh causing her to bite down in pain. Her skin stretched sideways, and the men coughed clearly surprised. Mai had an inkling of what was happening but chose not to inquire further. Her legs felt like they were about to burst as her blood bubbled and coursed within her. It startled her and she felt a flutter in her stomach. She endured excruciating pain with deep breaths. Suddenly something burning hot shot through her leg causing it to tingle like a cramp. She loathed cramps but she refrained from lashing out mindful of Ace's warning about cheating. She suppressed the pain and just when she thought she might faint it ceased. The strange sensation moved throughout her body tickling her skin like ants crawling. She let out a giggle and couldn't help but laugh clutching her stomach.

"You're quite peculiar. Most people would scream in pain but you're laughing instead." Leon commented sounding surprised.

Mai stopped laughing and replied, "I've endured worse than pain. This is nothing. It could take my limbs and I wouldn't complain."

"Damn, you're really something." Mel remarked.

Mai refrained from pointing out that they were the ones who had brought her here. Instead, she asked Ace to place another glowing sphere on her left leg. She gritted her teeth through the pain once more but this time it felt as if someone was hammering on her bones giving her an incredibly tender sensation. When she thought her bones might break the pain ceased and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"The next one is going to hurt no matter what you've experienced." Ace suddenly said.