"Attempting merge: MergeGoat Tier 3 + MergeSheep Tier 4."
[ERROR] – Cross-Species Merge Denied.
Kai didn't blink. "Expected."
MergeCore paused.
"Would you like me to simulate alternative hybrid frameworks?"
"No," Kai said. "Not yet."
He leaned back in his chair, eyes scanning the farm's master dashboard. Every sector had hit near-max capacity, each operating as its own autonomous loop:
Egg, milk, and meat sectors balanced by species-specific MergePens.
Lettuce, wheat, corn, and tomato sectors operating on rotational MergeSoil logic.
MergeTobacco reaching addictive perfection. No carcinogens. No chemical additives. Still addictive. Still legal.
And still, he wasn't satisfied.
Kai stood and walked the length of the control room. Glass walls gave him a view of the livestock pens, all glowing faintly with MergeCore's radiant net.
"Next move," he muttered. "Upgrade the land again."
"Specify."
"All of it."
[MERGE: All farmland sectors + Tier 6 Soil Network + Active Biomass Memory]
= Tier 7 MergeTerrain: Adaptive Ecosystem]
Traits:
Self-correcting nutrient cycle
Weather-resistant seedbed with rain catch efficiency
Memory-driven terrain learns crop behavior for autonomous adjustment
Pest repulsion field
Auto-seeding after harvest
Outside, the wind shifted.
The land… changed.
It didn't just glow now — it breathed.
Plants swayed even when there was no wind. Roots pulsed underfoot. Chickens walked differently. Even the cows stood taller, meat denser, muscles tighter.
Everything was thriving without him.
That was the goal.
MergeCore beeped.
"New message flagged 'Urgent: Black Contract Authorization' from U.S. Department of Agricultural Defense."
Kai raised an eyebrow.
"Open."
A direct text.
"We request an exclusive meat and dairy contract to supply special operations rations. $200M annual. Discretion guaranteed."
Kai said nothing.
"Reply?" MergeCore asked.
Kai looked out at his fields again, then at the tier board on the wall.
"Tell them I'll sell to everyone. But no one gets exclusivity."
The system pinged again. A single line from the USDA reply:
"You're playing a dangerous game, Mr. Kai."
He smiled.
"No," he whispered. "I already won. You're just now realizing it."
Profit Summary
MergeFresh Livestock Product Sales: +$8,900,000
MergeTerrain Licensing (Beta Access): +$1,200,000
MergeWaste Energy Sale to State Grid: +$1,050,000
MergeMart Subscriptions: +$2,400,000
Expenses:
Tier 7 MergeTerrain Sequence: –$6,500,000
Soil Sensors + Data Loop Infrastructure: –$1,300,000
Daily Ops: –$850,000
Net Profit: $4,900,000
Kai's Total Net Worth: $807,143,000