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.

make if she admitted which

"Melissa, let me in."

her,

immediately. Instead, she

"Hmm…"

"Melissa?"

on Melissa's face tightened when she heard

nickname Ren uses whenever he talks with

"Eh?"

spread across Kevin's face as he

you doing? And what does that have

to do with a

replied as her eyes

"…So?"

her foot began to

she was testing if the person outside

circumstance, she was not stupid enough

guard never went

within the next minute, I'll

impatient as she saw

"Ugh."

Kevin's face

"P..pushhover.."

didn't hear it

leaned her body forward. Her hair fell toward her right

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

okay? Ren's nickname for

"…Sounds about right."

he was indeed Kevin, Melissa walked toward the cabin and pressed a button. Immediately after that, the barrier around her tent quickly started to disappear and Kevin was

of her tent, Melissa

any idea

she

she was actually quite happy with

would she rub her new discoveries to her father if she

the whole situation, and now that it was

in the midst of her thoughts, scratching the back

"…About that."

Kevin's sudden strange behavior, Melissa's

smiled when he

suddenly found yourself here, I think this might

***

Bang—

on the floor, I felt an intense pain aimed at my

doing with all the banging

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

Bang—

"Ukh."

out a groan, I heavily gasped for air. The

breathed for air, I

up, I may as

something hard smash against the side of my

becoming more and more of

Bang—!

"Khhh."

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

"Akh!"

grasp my hair, I was suddenly dragged out

still felt a burning sensation in my

I had experienced in the past, it wasn't anything

Thud—

against

over here. If I see you pull any shit

of rock grating coming from the hallway, and the

was that the darkness returned and my eyes were once again

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

any case, this sudden scenario confirmed one thing