The Author's POV

"I wonder what will happen when I combine the two together."

Melissa cheerfully hummed as she mixed a couple of herbs in a small pot.

The situation would've frightened any normal person, and they would've frantically tried to find an escape from this strange planet, but…

Melissa was different.

Her attachment to earth was quite frankly nonexistent. Neither she nor her family liked each other.

Her staff didn't like her, and she didn't like them.

…maybe there were her friends there, but could she really even call them friends? Maybe? Well, it didn't matter.

At the end of the day, what Melissa cared for the most was research.

The way she presented herself made it seem as though she was troubled with all the work she was doing, which was true. There was no doubt that she was overworked, but it did not mean, however, that she disliked what she was doing.

In fact, she loved it.

Trying new things and proving her father wrong was a lifelong passion of hers that she would never trade for anything else.

Just thinking of his salty face...

"Yeah, I love research~"

The fact that she found herself on a new planet, with its new vegetation and surroundings, only served to arouse her excitement.

Thinking about all the different combinations she could make by extracting the essence of the different plants around her…

"Mhmhm~ Isn't this the best?"

Stirring the pot in front of her, Melissa's smile grew wider.

Rustle—!

The sound of rustling caught Melissa's attention. Her head snapped to the direction where the sound originated.

The space surrounding her started to distort, allowing her to get a clear sight of what lay beyond the barrier she set up.

"Who's there!?"

She raised her voice and stood up. A series of different cards and spheres appeared in her hand.

Mana circulated from out of her body, covering the area around her.

'Shit, how is it possible for my barrier to have been found out?'

It must be noted that she set up an extremely high barrier. It was something she had paid a lot of money for since she was planning to leave the human realm to collect samples of different plants.

Who would've thought it would come in so handy. In any case, Melissa's expression turned extremely solemn as she understood that for someone or something to have already seen through its camouflage, that person was extremely skilled.

"Hold on."

It was at that moment that Melissa heard a familiar voice coming from the distance as she lowered her hands a little.

Right then, Melissa was able to catch a glimpse of a familiar figure who was looking at her strangely.

"Kevin?"

Spotting the figure, Melissa immediately recognized him.

Well, it wasn't that hard. There weren't that many people as handsome as him.

Maybe Jin.

…and definitely not Ren.

Although he did seem to have become a lot more handsome than in the past.

Not that Melissa would openly admit it.

mere thought of the faces he would make if she admitted which facts

"Melissa, let me in."

her, Melissa watched as ripples formed around

at Kevin, Melissa didn't answer immediately. Instead, she

"Hmm…"

"Melissa?"

tightened when she heard him call

nickname Ren uses whenever he talks

"Eh?"

expression spread across Kevin's face as

you doing? And what does that

to do

as

"…So?"

foot began to tap on

the person outside was really

excitement about her circumstance, she was not stupid enough to invite anyone who looked like

guard never went

answer me within the

grew impatient as she saw Kevin's struggling

"Ugh."

groan, Kevin's face

"P..pushhover.."

I didn't

hand behind her ear, Melissa leaned her body forward. Her

at Melissa, Kevin clenched his fists tightly before he glared in her direction

Ren's nickname for

"…Sounds about right."

button. Immediately after that, the barrier around her tent quickly started to disappear and Kevin was finally able to

out of her tent, Melissa carefully

have any idea

that she

didn't show it externally, she was actually quite happy with the fact that there was hope for her to return to

discoveries to her father if she wasn't

now that it was solved,

in the midst of her thoughts, scratching the back of his head, Kevin

"…About that."

strange behavior, Melissa's head snapped to face him

smiled when he

here, I think this might have to do

***

Bang—

the floor, I felt an

do you think you're doing with all the

echoed out as I felt a kick on my ribs area and my body

Bang—

"Ukh."

groan, I heavily gasped for air. The pain…it was

heavily breathed for air, I made sure to breathe in a certain

get beat up, I may

against the

becoming more and more of a

Bang—!

"Khhh."

communicating with the person next door? "Don't worry,

"Akh!"

I was suddenly

kept my eyes closed, I still felt a burning sensation in my eyes as I was pulled

in the past, it wasn't anything worth complaining about as

Thud—

against the

stay over here. If I see you

grating coming from the

thing was that the darkness returned and my eyes were

contact with the light had truly

case, this sudden scenario confirmed one thing for