At 5:03 a.m., the system pinged with a slow, bass-heavy tone.
Kai was in the middle of checking feed bins when the alert scrolled across his HUD:
Merge System Alert: Legacy Protocol Unlocked
Tier 7 Path Available:
Legacy Layer Project
This is not just output.
This is not just scale.
This is foundation.
Kai blinked.
A new tab opened.
Requirements to Begin Legacy Lineage:
• 1 x Merge Hatch Tray (Active)
• 2 x Lv.6 Apex Layers
• 1 x Legacy Coop Frame
• 3 x Line-Linked Chicks
Rewards:
• Legacy Layer (Lv.7) – Bound to Farm
• Egg Trait: "Heirloom Yield" – Nutrition +50%, Longevity +30%
• Aura Effect: Passive radius buff for lower-tier hens
• Unlock "Genetic Recall" – Traits passed down from grandparent generation
Warning: Legacy Layers cannot be sold or merged. They are core anchors.
Kai stared at the screen.
"This is what real farms don't have.
Bloodline control."
He went to work building the Legacy Coop Frame — hand-cut lumber, extra insulation, double-sealed vents, and elevated roosting boxes. The floor was made from merged straw mats and resin-infused pallet wood.
He opened the Merge Build menu.
Legacy Coop Frame + Super Hall Module
→ Merge Result: Foundational Layer Chamber
– Capacity: 1 Legacy Layer + 6 Breeding Assistants
– Disease Resistance: Max
– Stress Zones: Eliminated
– Memory Layer Function: ON
He tapped MERGE.
The walls folded into shape. Steel grooves locked. Floor pulsed with Merge Energy. In the center of the room, a single glassless containment ring formed — circular, padded, softly lit by embedded LEDs.
Kai stepped inside the finished build and exhaled.
It wasn't a coop.
It was a temple.
He tagged two of his strongest Apex Layers.
Each had produced over 100 eggs.
Each had passed through three rounds of Merge lineage.
He guided them into the new chamber.
The system flashed:
Legacy Merge Prep: 2 x Apex Layers confirmed
Please Insert 3 x Line-Linked Merge Chicks (Lv.2+)
Trait Match: 15% required
Preparing Line Memory DNA Link…
Kai walked to the Hatch Nursery and pulled three of his most promising Merge-born chicks. Each had high feed conversion, strong growth, and tight feathers. Two were already nearing Lv.3.
He carried them in one by one.
As the last chick stepped into the chamber, the floor began to glow.
Merging…
Apex x Apex → Legacy Lineage Core
Processing Line Traits…
Compiling Memory Stack…
Unlocking Trait: "Line Recall"
MERGE COMPLETE
A flash of golden light.
A new hen appeared in the center of the chamber.
Larger than any bird he'd ever seen.
Feathers a deep metallic ash color.
Eyes — almost human in awareness.
The system named her:
Legacy Layer #1 – "First Root"
Tier: Lv.7
Traits:
– Aura Link: All chickens within 50 ft gain +1 growth tier passively
– Heirloom Yield: Eggs provide +50% more nutrient mass
– Egg Frequency: 1/day guaranteed
– Trait Retention: 40% into next generation
Status: Bound to Farm
– Cannot be moved, sold, or deleted
– Will remain active until natural death (Estimated 5 years)
Kai sat on the coop step and just stared at her.
"Not a chicken.
A cornerstone."
That evening, he ran the math.
With 1 Legacy Layer producing 1 egg/day, that was 7 per week.
He'd pair each with three standard or Titan eggs to create premium Legacy Crates.
NEW PRODUCT UNLOCKED
Legacy Crate – $40
• 1 Legacy Egg (Lv.7)
• 3 Titan Eggs (Lv.5–6)
• 1 Titan Lettuce Head
• Merge Grown Premium Insulated Crate
• Target Audience: Athletes, chefs, health clients
Projected Units/Week: 7
Cost: ~$7
Profit: ~$33 each
Weekly Net: ~$231 (passive from 1 bird)
In the lettuce fields, he walked the Titan Beds and noticed something different.
The copper tint at the edges had thickened. Not just color — the lettuce skin had grown more elastic. Firmer, more fibrous, but still sweet.
He tapped into the crop panel.
Merge Lettuce Seed System – UNLOCKED
Option: Merge Seeds from Titan Beds
Result: "Genetic Lettuce Seeds – G1 Class"
Traits:
– Enhanced Nutrition Density
– Lower Pest Susceptibility
– Flavor Memory (consistency across batches)
Bonus: Can be traded, stored, or bartered
Kai stared at the seed price module.
Each G1 Lettuce Seed could sell for $1.25/seed.
A single Titan Bed produced hundreds.
He'd never need to buy seeds again.
"Soon I won't need to buy anything."
That night, Kai leaned against the second Super Layer Hall and looked out across the fields:
100+ chickens
Titan Lettuce Beds
Legacy Layer in its own chamber
Custom crates moving through towns weekly
Seed power now under his control
He wasn't just running a farm anymore.
He was building a self-reliant ecosystem.
And for the first time, the system asked:
Do you want to name your operation?
(This name will carry through generations of merged product and branding.)
He typed it in without hesitation:
"Merge Grown: Foundation Line"