⸻
Kai wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his forearm and stepped back from the workbench.
The new packing station wasn't pretty — it was just four pallets screwed together and leveled with cinder blocks. But it was sturdy, clean, and dry. A small overhead canopy made from old sheet metal kept the sun off. Power ran from a solar inverter. Inside the repurposed freezer box was a cold rack lined with 12 dozen freshly harvested eggs — sorted by tier, not by size.
He looked over the system's live output data.
Inventory – Merge Grown Egg Reserve
• Lv.3 Output: 89 eggs
• Lv.4 Output: 110 eggs
• Lv.5 Output: 30 eggs
• Lv.6 (Apex) Output: 38 eggs
Total: 267 eggs
That was just from the past four days.
⸻
Kai tapped open the new module that had unlocked after hitting Tier 6 production:
Packaging Merge: Available
Merge 2 x Standard Egg Carton → 1 x Reinforced Tiered Carton
Result:
– Preserves egg freshness +40%
– Shelf life: +7 days
– Auto-seal stamp (batch + layer tier)
Branding Unlock:
– "Titan Line" Label (Lv.5+)
– "Apex Series" Label (Lv.6 only)
– Print Origin Code + Customer ID (Subscription only)
Kai didn't waste time.
He merged 20 basic cartons into 10 upgraded boxes. Then selected the Titan Line logo from the system.
A bold stamp seared onto the lid:
MERGE GROWN – TITAN LINE
Naturally Fortified. No Additives. No Compromise.
Below it, a small line of text etched itself in system-drawn ink:
Collected from Tier-5 and above hens. Verified by Merge Output Chain.
Batch Code: 10TL-X91. Origin: South Coop
Kai held the box in his hands for a long moment.
It didn't feel like a farm carton.
It felt like a product.
⸻
He packed the highest-grade eggs into the Titan Line cartons. The Apex eggs — slightly larger, heavier — went into solo wraps made from stiff recycled pulp with a deep black label marked:
APEX SERIES – Merge Grown
Hand-Gathered. Aura Enhanced. Peak Performance.
No QR codes. No flashy colors. No pictures.
Just truth. And weight.
⸻
By the afternoon, Kai had 60 Titan Line cartons, 8 Apex Series wraps, and the rest in standard Merge Grown boxes.
He updated the pricing board in chalk:
⸻
MERGE GROWN EGG MENU – DIRECT SALE ONLY
Label
Tier
Price/Dozen
Notes
Standard
Lv.3–4
$12
For daily cooking
Titan Line
Lv.5
$18
High protein, dense flavor
Apex Series
Lv.6
$6 each
Sold individually
He knew what the critics would say.
"Too expensive."
"Just eggs."
"No certification."
"No supermarket shelf."
And he didn't care.
Because the people who'd tasted it? They didn't complain.
They reordered.
⸻
The system pinged again.
Merge Chain Stability Reached
Merge Alert:
– Hatch Potential Detected
Requirement:
• 1 x Lv.6 Hen
• 1 x Merge-Hatch Tray
• 7 Day Incubation Period
Result:
– Tier-1 Merge-Hatched Chick
– Genetic Trait Retention: 15%
– Trait: "Born Boosted" – Starts at Lv.2
Note: Only Apex Layers may lay merge-hatch eggs
Kai's eyes widened.
"So I don't have to buy weak chickens anymore.
I can build better ones from the start."
He tapped the prompt and added Merge-Hatch Tray to his equipment crafting list.
He'd need a heated container, moisture regulator, and insulated seal. It wasn't hard — just time.
But it meant the farm was about to become self-producing.
⸻
The next two days were full grind.
Kai didn't speak to anyone.
He didn't check messages. Didn't run deliveries.
He set up a small dry station beside the coop for packing materials.
Built shelving with tier separation.
Cut cardboard using a stencil to ensure every Titan Line box matched the last.
Labeled each batch by hand.
Merge Grown wasn't just a product.
It was a standard.
And standards had to be protected.
⸻
That night, he stood outside the coop and watched the Apex Layers move.
They didn't just lay eggs.
They dictated the rhythm of the entire flock.
Where they stood, the others followed.
Where they rested, the coop calmed.
Where they nested, the output climbed.
Kai whispered under his breath:
"Next layer. Legacy."
The system caught it.
Merge Future Detected: Tier 7 – Legacy Layer (Locked)
Requirements (Redacted)
Hint: Reach 4 x Apex Layers
• Hatch 1 Merge-Born Chick
• Build Legacy Roost Infrastructure
Legacy Trait: "Lineage Chain" – Future generations inherit +1 tier bonus
Kai's grip tightened around the clipboard.
He wasn't just raising animals now.
He was engineering a future.
⸻
He scribbled it into his book:
⸻
Next Goal Chain:
Legacy Tier Plan
• Merge +1 Apex Layer (need 3 now)
• Build Merge-Hatch Incubator
• Track performance of Merge-born chick
• Construct Legacy Roost Frame
• Convert East Coop into Inheritance Chain Room
• Begin rotation of low-tier cull → only Apex breeding stock forward
⸻
At the bottom of the page, he wrote:
I won't buy birds anymore. I'll raise dynasties.