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

"Melissa, let me in."

revolving around her, Melissa watched as ripples formed around

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

"Hmm…"

"Melissa?"

Melissa's face tightened when she heard him call her

nickname Ren uses whenever

"Eh?"

across Kevin's face as he looked

doing? And what does that have to

has to do

as her eyes

"…So?"

her foot began

she was testing if the person outside was

her excitement about her circumstance, she was not stupid enough to invite anyone who

never

don't answer me within the next

grew impatient as she

"Ugh."

face grimaced as he

"P..pushhover.."

didn't hear it

hand behind her ear, Melissa leaned her body

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

nickname for

"…Sounds about right."

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

her tent, Melissa carefully

you have any idea about what's going

was the answer that she wanted to know the

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

would she rub her new discoveries to her father if she

with the whole situation, and now that it

her thoughts, scratching the back of his head, Kevin

"…About that."

behavior, Melissa's

wryly smiled when he

I think this might have to

***

Bang—

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

do you think you're doing with all

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

Bang—

"Ukh."

gasped for air.

I heavily breathed for air, I made sure to breathe

beat up, I may as

I felt something hard smash against the side

and more of a

Bang—!

"Khhh."

are unaware you are communicating with the person next

"Akh!"

hair, I was suddenly dragged

I kept my eyes closed, I still felt a burning sensation in my eyes as I

painful, but compared to what I had experienced in the past, it wasn't anything worth complaining about as I was soon thrown back into a

Thud—

smashed against the

If I see you pull any shit like that again,

sound of rock grating coming from the hallway,

thing was that the darkness returned and my eyes were once

The sudden contact with the light had truly messed

any case, this sudden scenario confirmed one thing