Kai stood in the middle of the packing shed, arms crossed, eyes locked on the towering wall of crates stacked five high, ten across. The wooden slats gleamed under the single hanging bulb, each one branded with the Merge Grown: Foundation Line seal.
His farm had transformed.
What once felt like survival was now moving like a machine — a system built from dirt, sweat, and merge science.
"I built this from zero. Now I own every step."
But scale brought pressure.
More crates meant more expectations.
And eyes were starting to follow.
That morning, he reviewed his logs.
Merge Grown Production – Current Weekly Stats
Product
Units
Net Profit/Unit
Total Net
Standard Crates
40
$15
$600
Titan Crates
20
$20
$400
Legacy Crates
14
$33
$462
Sub Boxes
7
$140
$980
Total Crates
81
–
$2,442
Seed Jars this week: 320 units → $18,000
Total Weekly Profit: **$20,000+**
But it wasn't just numbers anymore.
He'd gotten two unmarked letters that week.
Both written in tight, clean handwriting. No return address.
"We know what you're building."
"Real food doesn't grow that fast without cost."
Kai didn't flinch.
"That's because they don't merge."
Back in the hatchery, he queued a fresh batch of 40 chicks into the Merge Tray.
40 Lv.1 → 20 Lv.2 → 10 Lv.3 → 5 Lv.4
Then:
2 x Lv.4 → 1 Lv.5
2 x Lv.5 → 1 Lv.6 Apex Layer
That made Apex #6 — another cornerstone for the coop empire.
Egg yield would hit 100/day before the month ended.
Outside, the Titan Beds swayed with life.
Kai selected two full beds and opened the crop panel.
MERGE AVAILABLE:
2 x Titan Bed → 1 x Legacy Bed
Traits:
– Growth Rate: +200%
– Nutrient Saturation: Max
– Soil Memory: Active
– Crop Personality: Yes
He blinked.
"Crop… personality?"
He hit MERGE.
The ground shimmered. The two beds fused, dirt shifting like waves. Lettuce heads expanded as if breathing — the inner leaves a swirl of rich green and purple, almost floral in design.
Kai touched one.
It was warm.
Legacy Lettuce Bed Created – "Verdant Will"
Trait: Responds to farmer's proximity. Grows faster when tended by hand.
Trait: Root Memory – Remembers harvest conditions to improve next cycle.
He laughed under his breath.
"The damn lettuce knows who's growing it."
Inside the office, he scribbled his new plan.
Merge Grown Expansion Blueprint
Add 2 more Legacy Beds
Breed 3 more Apex Layers
Unlock 3rd Legacy Chicken
Begin development of Merge Grown Signature Compound
Start branding crate boxes into subscription tiers
He started carving the tiers:
🔸 Bronze Crate
1 Dozen Lv.3–4 Eggs
1 Titan Lettuce
$20
Target: Locals
🔹 Silver Crate
1 Dozen Lv.5–6 Eggs
1 Titan Lettuce
1 G1 Seed Jar
$35
Target: Weekly Subscribers
🔱 Gold Crate
1 Legacy Egg
2 Titan Eggs
1 Verdant Lettuce Head
Premium Seal + Message
$60
Target: Elite Clients
That night, the system pinged softly.
Merge Grown Signature Crates Initialized
Future Unlocks:
– Crate Loyalty System
– Merge Discount Tokens
– Brand Imprint Protocol
Warning: Brand Awareness > 25% will trigger Competitive Response
Kai didn't flinch.
"Let them try."
In the workshop, he lit the branding iron.
Pressed it into the first Gold-tier crate.
Steam. Burn. Seal.
MERGE GROWN
Foundational Line
| GOLD |
He stood at the edge of the farm before sunrise, watching the glow from the Legacy Coop and the rows of glowing lettuce.
His chickens weren't birds.
His beds weren't soil.
Everything was now infrastructure.
Built not just to grow food…
But to reshape food itself.