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.

of the faces he would make if she admitted which facts made her

"Melissa, let me in."

her,

Instead, she squinted her

"Hmm…"

"Melissa?"

frown on Melissa's face tightened when she heard him call her

nickname Ren uses whenever he talks with

"Eh?"

across Kevin's

doing? And what does that

to do

as her

"…So?"

together, her foot began to tap on

the person outside was really

was not

guard never

answer me within the next minute, I'll keep you

impatient as she saw Kevin's struggling

"Ugh."

groan, Kevin's face

"P..pushhover.."

didn't

her body

fists tightly before

okay? 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 come

tent, Melissa carefully observed

have any idea about what's going

the answer that she

was actually quite happy with the fact that there was hope for her to return

discoveries to her father if she wasn't able to

grip; with the whole situation, and now that it was solved, she was a

in the midst of her thoughts, scratching the

"…About that."

behavior, Melissa's head snapped to

wryly smiled when he

why you suddenly found yourself here, I think this might have to do with

***

Bang—

I felt an intense

with all

ribs area and my body flew toward the other

Bang—

"Ukh."

gasped for air. The

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

going to get beat up, I may

the side of my

and more of

Bang—!

"Khhh."

you really think that we are unaware you are communicating with the person next door?

"Akh!"

something grasp my hair, I was suddenly dragged out of

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

past, it wasn't anything

Thud—

against the hard

obedient and stay over here. If I see you pull any shit like that again, I'll kill

an echoing sound of rock grating coming from

important thing was that the darkness

slowly fell on my cheeks. The sudden contact with the

any case, this sudden scenario confirmed