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.

he would make if she admitted which facts made

"Melissa, let me in."

revolving around her, Melissa watched as ripples

answer immediately. Instead, she squinted

"Hmm…"

"Melissa?"

Melissa's face tightened when she

the nickname Ren uses whenever

"Eh?"

expression spread across Kevin's face as he looked

does that have to do with

to do with

replied as her eyes

"…So?"

her foot

was testing if the person outside was really

spite of her excitement about her circumstance, she was not stupid

guard never went

me within the next

she saw Kevin's struggling

"Ugh."

a groan, Kevin's face grimaced as he eventually

"P..pushhover.."

didn't

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

Kevin clenched his fists tightly before he glared in her direction and raised his

Ren's nickname for me

"…Sounds about right."

pressed a button. Immediately after that,

out of her tent, Melissa carefully observed

any idea

that she wanted to

show it externally, she was actually quite happy with the fact that there was hope for

new discoveries to her father if

was her biggest grip; with the whole situation, and now that it was solved, she was a lot more

Melissa was in the midst of her thoughts, scratching the back of his head,

"…About that."

note of Kevin's sudden strange behavior, Melissa's head snapped

wryly smiled when he saw

I

***

Bang—

on the floor, I felt an intense pain aimed

you're doing with

voice echoed out as I felt a kick on my ribs area and my body flew toward the other side of

Bang—

"Ukh."

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

of this, as I heavily breathed for air, I made

I was going to get beat up,

the side of my

and more of a

Bang—!

"Khhh."

unaware you are communicating with the person next door? "Don't worry, we'll move

"Akh!"

my hair, I was suddenly dragged out

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

what I had experienced in the past, it wasn't anything worth complaining about as I was soon thrown

Thud—

against

you pull any shit like that again, I'll

of rock grating coming from the hallway, and the doors immediately

that the darkness returned

fell on my cheeks. The sudden contact with the light had truly messed

sudden scenario confirmed one thing