The Farming Saint in the Starry Wasteland (Elizabeth Schofield) novel Chapter 604

Chapter 604 A Different Life

their path.

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He had never imagined that one day he would be standing behind a cafeteria serving window, watching the monsters that had once haunted his nightmares patiently wait in line for the meals he served them.

“It does feel unreal,” Benedict finally said, his voice quieter than usual. “But maybe that’s what our Boss is capable of. Besides, isn’t this better?”

He raised his head and looked across the cafeteria at the Swarmborn dressed in gray work

uniforms.

“They used to be soldiers of the Swarmborn, following the commands of the Swarmborn King. All they knew was fighting, killing, and obeying orders. Now they’re employees on our farm. They follow the Boss’s orders and work for the farm.”

He paused for a moment. “I doubt the Swarmborn themselves ever imagined this would happen.”

Quentin followed his gaze.

Seated in the middle of the cafeteria was the largest soldier drone, Aebi.

There was also a huge basket of food in front of it, but the way it ate was different from the other Swarmborn.

The others buried their heads in their meals, devouring everything as though they were making up for centuries of never having experienced real flavor.

But Aebi ate slowly, chewing every bite carefully as though savoring something beyond precious.

After finishing one strawberry vine, it would pause. Its compound eyes would half close, and its shell would rise and fall gently as though lingering over the lingering sweetness.

Only then would it pick up the next vine and continue chewing.

At that very moment, Aebi was reflecting on everything as well.

It remembered that just two months earlier, it had still been a warrior in the Swarmborn hive, leading fifty elite soldiers under orders to destroy a human farm.

It remembered that battle, or rather, the battle that had never even begun.

When the electric net had trapped it, all it had felt was rage and humiliation. It had believed

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Chapter 604 A Different Life

the humans were cowardly and dishonorable, relying on tricks to capture it.

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Later, someone had brought it a basket of vines. It had kicked the basket over and cursed for an entire day.

Afterward, hunger had finally gotten the better of it. It had taken one bite, and then it had never stopped eating.

Later still, it had put on a work uniform, been assigned an employee number, received a name, and gained a steady supply of food along with a warm, dry place to live.

It had started working. It had gradually grown accustomed to the structured routines the humans followed every day. It had begun learning to use the human language to communicate with the other Swarmborn.

Little by little, it had realized that there were no screeches here, no endless commands, and no constant threat of death hanging over everyone.

There was only the morning sun every day, the afternoon breeze every day, and rest every night.

And every morning, every noon, and every evening, there was always a basket overflowing with fresh green food that gave off an irresistible fragrance.

Aebi finished chewing the last piece of sweet cane, picked up half a head of napa cabbage, hugged it against its chest, and slowly gnawed on it.

It suddenly thought of the larvae back in the old hive. They had been packed tightly together, their shells not yet hardened and their compound eyes not yet opened. All they had been able to do was make faint little chirping sounds.

When they grew up, they too would become soldiers. They too would be sent to the battlefield. They too would die on some nameless planet.

And here, it didn’t know whether it would ever have larvae of its own.

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