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

"Melissa, let me in."

onto the barrier revolving around her, Melissa watched as ripples

immediately. Instead,

"Hmm…"

"Melissa?"

tightened when she heard

uses whenever he

"Eh?"

Kevin's face as

what does that

do with

replied as her eyes

"…So?"

foot

she was testing if the person outside was really

she was not

never went

within the

as she saw Kevin's

"Ugh."

a groan, Kevin's face grimaced

"P..pushhover.."

didn't

her ear, Melissa leaned her body forward. Her

before he

Ren's nickname for me

"…Sounds about right."

that he was indeed Kevin, Melissa walked toward the cabin and pressed a button. Immediately after that,

tent, Melissa

have any idea about what's going

she wanted to know the

was actually quite happy with the

discoveries to her

with the whole situation, and now that it

in the midst of her thoughts, scratching the back

"…About that."

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

smiled when he

I

***

Bang—

felt an intense

with all the

a kick on my ribs area and my

Bang—

"Ukh."

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

as I heavily breathed for air, I made sure

to get beat up, I

the side of my head, I bitterly

truly becoming more and more of

Bang—!

"Khhh."

you are communicating with the person next

"Akh!"

hair, I was suddenly

sensation in my eyes as I was

the past, it wasn't anything worth complaining about as I was soon thrown back

Thud—

against

If I see you pull any shit like that again,

coming from the hallway, and the doors immediately

thing was that the darkness returned and my eyes

slowly fell on my cheeks. The sudden contact with the light

this sudden scenario confirmed one thing