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 if she admitted which facts made her stomach

"Melissa, let me in."

barrier revolving around her, Melissa watched as ripples

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

"Hmm…"

"Melissa?"

face tightened when she heard him call

the nickname Ren uses whenever he talks with

"Eh?"

spread across Kevin's face as he looked at

what does that have to

has to do with

as

"…So?"

arms together, her foot began to

she was testing if the person

her circumstance, she was not stupid enough to invite

guard never

me within the next

she saw Kevin's struggling

"Ugh."

a groan, Kevin's face grimaced as he eventually murmured

"P..pushhover.."

didn't

ear, Melissa leaned her

Melissa, Kevin clenched his fists tightly before he glared

Ren's nickname

"…Sounds about right."

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

tent,

any idea about

the answer that she wanted

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

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

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

thoughts, scratching the back of his head,

"…About that."

strange behavior, Melissa's head snapped to face him

when

here, I think this might have

***

Bang—

the floor, I felt an intense pain

you think you're doing with

on my ribs area and my body flew toward the other side of

Bang—

"Ukh."

I heavily gasped for air. The pain…it

I heavily breathed for air, I made sure

beat up, I may as well do it

the side of my

more and more

Bang—!

"Khhh."

you are communicating with the person

"Akh!"

hair, I was suddenly

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

it wasn't anything worth complaining about as I

Thud—

smashed against the

over here. If I see you pull any shit like that

was an echoing sound of rock grating coming from the hallway, and the doors

thing was that the darkness

sudden contact with the light

sudden scenario confirmed one thing