He waited for several minutes, but nothing happened, and he furrowed his brows.

"What did I do wrong? The pearls are placed correctly, so they should purify her now."

He approached the pearls and touched them all with his finger but felt nothing unusual.

"What's wrong with them?"

He suddenly noticed the pearl with a crack and was reminded of the earlier incident. He looked at Mai, who seemed to be in a deep sleep with a smile on her face.

"She won't survive the day if her body isn't purified."

He scratched his forehead while still staring at Mai, who now resembled a baby. He tilted his head to the left and noticed that she was in an odd place, right at the edge of the altar, which didn't look symmetrical.

"Could it be that?"

He lifted her and made a hand gesture, and her body began to float towards the center of the altar.

*Bump*

She was gently placed on the stone, and then he made another hand gesture, and the pearls floated towards her, landing around her in a symmetrical circle, with her as the centerpiece. He waited for a moment, which turned into several minutes and then into half an hour.

"I have patience because it's you."

He placed his right hand on the edge of the altar. He tried a different method.

"If you won't cure her, I'll find another way. I've heard the Netherworld can help her. I'm sure there's a lord there who would be interested."

*Whoosh*

Suddenly, the pearls began to vibrate violently, glowing and slowly floating in a circle above Mai. They hovered high above her and began to gather, colliding with each other.

*Clang*

The altar suddenly shook violently.

*Vroom*

A sudden burst of a warm white wave shot out from the pearls, flying directly into Mai's body, which quickly started to glow. They fell slowly to the ground, landing on the stone altar.

*Crack*

Clear, distinct cracks formed in them one by one, and a moment later, they were all broken. The altar stopped shaking, but as Liam was about to pull Mai back to him, her body suddenly floated above the altar.

*Vroom*

A whitish wave shot out from her body towards the ceiling, forming into a large column of ethereal glow. He raised his eyebrows and took a step back, pulling Kenta with him. He looked around, observing the surroundings.

"If you see anyone, give a signal."

*Woof*

He created a flame ball in his left hand and waited while monitoring Mai's condition. They waited for several minutes in silence, and suddenly, the whitish wave flew back into her, and she floated back to the altar, landing gently.

Mai opened her eyes and saw that she was staring at a white ceiling. She sat up and noticed Liam with a flame ball in his hand and Kenta beside him. It looked like a temple, and after a brief observation, she realized she was sitting on an altar. Her body felt pleasantly warm, as if she had just eaten a delicious meal. She looked at Liam, who seemed to have seen something he shouldn't have.

"What happened?"

Liam coughed lightly, which she interpreted as him being unwell, and she immediately reacted. She quickly crawled away from the altar to the edge and knelt, staring at him. Suddenly, she felt pain in her knees and lost balance. She fell over the edge, but just when she thought she would fall, Liam grabbed her suddenly, and she fell into his arms.

*Bump*

She felt his warm body, could smell his pleasant scent, which made her heart beat faster, and her cheeks suddenly grew warm. She looked up at him with a worried expression and was met by his beautiful clear eyes that resembled the sea.

"Are you sure you're cured? Did you lie when I tried to heal you?"

When Liam saw her blushing cheeks, he suddenly found it difficult to answer her, instead just staring at her.

Mai furrowed her brows.

"Do you have a fever?"

She lifted her head and felt his forehead and then her own. He was warm, but she felt warmer, so were they both sick? As she tried to pull her head back, Liam suddenly leaned forward, and she felt a pair of soft lips kissing hers. She quickly pulled her head back, lips pressed together, and tasted sweetness.

"If you're sick, you just infected me." She looked away, playing the victim.

Liam coughed lightly. "Sorry. I couldn't resist."

Mai got up with his help, wanting to make sure he was well.

"Can you sit there?" She pointed to the edge of the altar.

He shook his head, immediately refusing. "It's sacred. One must not linger on it."

"I want to check if you're healthy."

"But it will throw me away."

"Why can I be there, then?"

"Because it was supposed to heal you. It's a different thing."

Mai didn't want to argue with him anymore, but she was concerned for his health and tried another method.

"If I give you a kiss, will you sit there?"

Liam suddenly looked at the edge of the altar, swallowed hard, and looked at Mai again. This time, his attitude changed.

"I would like to, but it will throw me away. Look here."

With his right index finger, he touched the edge of the altar.

*Bang*

He was thrown back by something invisible, hitting his back against a stone pillar and landing on the floor. He got up, groaning, and walked over to Mai, who now stood with her mouth open.

"I thought you were lying. I'm sorry."

She touched the altar, but nothing happened, and suddenly, she got an idea. She placed both hands on the altar and closed her eyes.

"Is it possible for you to spare him like you helped me? Just this once. He's an... important person to me."

Nothing happened, but she hoped the altar had listened to her. She turned to Liam, who was now behind her. She pointed at the altar, and he tried to touch it with his finger, but this time, nothing happened, causing him to raise his eyebrows. He sat on the edge and looked up at Mai, who had started to study his entire body by touching him in different places and casting healing spells. Last time, she hadn't experienced any pain, so she hoped the same would be true this time, or she would have to endure it later.

"Okay. You look healthy," she said, looking at him.

*Woof*

Kenta walked over to her, bent down, and she scratched him under the chin.

"Thanks for not leaving him out in the cold."

"He's a good companion," said Liam, standing up and looking at her with a friendly smile.

"Should I show you around the Spirit Temple? Normally, only the top 10 S-rank in the world are allowed here, but it seems the temple resonates with you, so you're an exception."

"Is that good or bad? I don't want to cause problems for anyone, especially not myself." Mai commented.

"It can be both." Liam replied, and they started to walk.

"Is it possible for you to keep this a secret?"

Mai glanced at the pearls, and Liam understood her implication, assuring her that nothing would be revealed to the world.

"Thank you. Now I hope you keep your word." She smiled, and they walked out of the altar.