The Farming Saint in the Starry Wasteland (Elizabeth Schofield) novel Chapter 20

Chapter 20 The Inspection

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“Are you Tyson’s legal guardian?” The clerk swept a cold glance over Erin. Without waiting for her reply, he shoved past her and strode into the cramped room.

“Under Article 17 of the Kingdom Mental Power Control Act, we are conducting a follow–up examination on the registered mental power damage subject, Tyson Madison.”

“No, wait…” Erin tried to stop him, but the clerk brushed her aside without mercy.

The technician moved with practiced efficiency, fitting a metallic, helmet–like device over Tyson’s head.

Indicator lights flickered on the apparatus, accompanied by faint beeping sounds.

Dense streams of data began to scroll across the screen.

Erin held her breath. Her hands clenched into tight fists, her nails biting into her palms.

It felt like she could hear death’s footsteps drawing closer.

Second by second, time dragged on. The only sound in the room was the soft hum of the machine.

The clerk stared at the screen. His previously indifferent expression slowly shifted into confusion, his brow creasing.

“What’s going on?” he asked in a low voice.

The technician looked just as incredulous.

He adjusted the device rapidly. “The data … something’s off. I’ll recalibrate and run it again.”

He ran the test twice more. Each time, the result was the same.

At last, the technician lifted his head, confusion clear on his face as he reported to the clerk, “Examination complete. Tyson’s current mental power damage level is … 77 percent.”

“77 percent?” The clerk’s voice jumped sharply, filled with suspicion. “Are you certain the instrument isn’t malfunctioning? Last week he was at 78 percent. Mental power collapse is irreversible. It only gets worse. How could it possibly improve?”

His gaze snapped toward Erin, sharp as a blade. You. What did you do to him? Did you use illegal drugs, or find some underground medic?”

He had heard rumors of a banned substance sold on the darknet, something that could

O

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Chapter 20 The Inspection

temporarily hide mental power damage readings.

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He strongly suspected she had used it. Otherwise, he couldn’t explain the reversal in the data.

The sudden accusation nearly stopped Erin’s heart.

But the implication in his words flooded her with overwhelming, almost unbelievable joy.

It improved?

Tyson’s condition had not worsened. It had gotten better?

How was that possible?

The potatoes.

It had to be the potatoes. Those potatoes from Carbage Planet A001.

After work the night before, she had been utterly exhausted and, without thinking, had eaten the small amount of mashed potatoes Tyson had left behind.

She remembered thinking that if something was wrong with them, the two of them would die together.

Yet overnight, she had felt no discomfort at all. On the contrary, she had slept deeply and peacefully.

Since Tyson’s condition worsened, she couldn’t remember the last time she had truly slept well.

She forced down the truth forming in her mind and did her best to look lost and helpless. “I … I don’t know,” she said shakily. “I didn’t do anything. I just… I just worked like usual and earned money to buy natural food for Tyson…”

Her voice trembled with tears, half deliberate, half born from lingering fear and surging excitement.

“Sir, could it be … could the machine be wrong? Or is it possible that my brother really is getting better?”

The clerk stared at her, searching her face for any sign she was lying.

But Erin’s eyes were brimming with tears, filled with exhaustion, fear, and a faint, fragile hope. They looked painfully real.

She appeared to be nothing more than a pitiful girl, running herself ragged each day just to

survive.

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Chapter 20 The Inspection

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