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.

faces he would make if she

"Melissa, let me in."

onto the barrier revolving around her, Melissa watched as ripples formed

Kevin, Melissa didn't answer immediately. Instead, she squinted her eyes

"Hmm…"

"Melissa?"

tightened when she heard

the nickname Ren uses whenever he talks

"Eh?"

spread across Kevin's

are you doing? And what does that

has to do with

replied as

"…So?"

together, her foot

was testing if the person outside

her excitement about her circumstance, she was

never went

don't answer me within the next minute, I'll keep

grew impatient as she saw

"Ugh."

a groan, Kevin's face grimaced as he

"P..pushhover.."

didn't hear it

ear, Melissa leaned her

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

nickname for

"…Sounds about right."

walked toward the cabin and pressed a button. Immediately after that, the barrier

out of her tent,

Do you have any

answer that she wanted to

didn't show it externally, she was actually quite happy with the fact that

rub her new discoveries to her father if she wasn't

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

the midst of her thoughts, scratching

"…About that."

Kevin's sudden strange behavior, Melissa's head

smiled when he saw

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

***

Bang—

floor, I felt an intense pain aimed at my

with all the

echoed out as I felt a kick on my ribs

Bang—

"Ukh."

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

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

to get beat up, I may as well do it while

against the side of my head,

truly becoming more and more

Bang—!

"Khhh."

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

"Akh!"

my hair, I was suddenly dragged

sensation in my eyes as I was pulled by my hair out of the

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

Thud—

smashed against the

obedient and stay over here. If I see you

echoing sound of rock grating coming from the hallway, and the

darkness returned and my eyes were

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

any case, this sudden scenario