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Kai shut the back of the Ghost Cart, stepping away from the stack of cardboard chick crates in the bed.
42 pullets, freshly bought from three farms over the past two days. Scrawny, underfed, already feathered but far from productive.
That didn't matter.
"They'll be stronger by the time I'm done with 'em."
Each bird cost between $2.50 and $3.75. Bulk deals. Low-quality.
Just the way he liked them — raw material for the merge chain.
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Inside the Super Layer Hall, he tapped open the system.
Merge Queue Available: 42 Lv.1 Standard Pullets
– 2 x Lv.1 = Lv.2
– 2 x Lv.2 = Lv.3
– 2 x Lv.3 = Lv.4
– 2 x Lv.4 = Lv.5
– 2 x Lv.5 = Lv.6 Apex
Processing Queue:
– 42 → 21 Lv.2
– 20 → 10 Lv.3 (1 left over)
– 8 → 4 Lv.4 (2 left over)
– 4 → 2 Lv.5
– 2 → 1 Lv.6 Apex
Remaining birds:
– 1 Lv.3
– 2 Lv.2
– 1 Lv.1
Not the cleanest flow, but efficient.
Kai hit MERGE over and over again, watching the flashes roll through the coop as birds vanished and reappeared stronger — faster-growing, heavier, more productive.
The final flash revealed his 4th Apex Layer.
Jet black feathers. Deep red comb. No noise. It walked the coop like it owned it.
"Now the Hall's full."
With four Apex Layers inside, the boost radius covered 100% of the coop.
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Kai stepped outside and walked to the south fields — a half-acre of previously dead soil now covered in rows of Gourmet Cluster Lettuce.
Bright. Lush. Crispy. Clean.
He opened the Merge System's crop tab.
Lettuce Patch Summary – Week 4
– Plots: 10 beds (8 ft x 4 ft)
– Plants: 240 heads
– Merge Status: 4 beds available
Merge Result (per 4 heads):
• 1 x Gourmet Cluster Lettuce
• Weight: 2.5 lbs avg
• Shelf Life: +12 days
• Flavor Rating: 9.6
Bonus Trait (stacked merges): "Vital Crunch" – High cellular water retention
Kai began harvesting heads — thick, heavy, and packed with nutrition. He set 40 aside, merged them, and yielded 10 Gourmet Clusters.
Each one was perfect.
He stacked them into cold crates and loaded the cart.
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By late afternoon, the shop board read:
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Merge Grown Fresh Offerings
Eggs
• Standard (Lv.3–4): $12/dozen
• Titan Line (Lv.5): $18/dozen
• Apex Series (Lv.6): $6/egg (limited)
Lettuce
• Gourmet Clusters: $6/head
• Fresh Heads (unmerged): $3/head
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That week, Kai sold out of eggs by Friday.
Lettuce orders from two restaurants came in Sunday morning — 50 heads each, standing orders.
⸻
He updated the notebook:
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WEEKLY PRODUCTION SNAPSHOT
Chickens
• Total: 39 (including new merges)
• Apex Layers: 4
• Egg Output: ~65 eggs/day (~455/week)
• Weekly Egg Revenue: ~$525
• Feed Cost: ~$80
• Profit: ~$445
Lettuce
• Beds: 10
• Weekly Yield: ~240 heads
• Merged Output: ~40 Gourmet Clusters
• Lettuce Revenue: ~$420
• Expenses (Water, Compost, Seed): ~$40
• Profit: ~$380
Total Weekly Profit: ~$825
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"Not bad," Kai muttered. "But I want double."
⸻
He marked out land near the lettuce beds, measuring with boot steps and chalk lines.
New Goal: Expand to 20 beds
Rotation Schedule: 10 growing / 10 harvesting
Add auto-drip irrigation + row merge for efficiency
He also scouted space to add another chicken hall — enough for another 4 Apex Layers and 24 base hens.
He'd keep buying cheap chicks, scaling up through force, not genetics.
Not yet.
"Breeding's long-term.
Buying's fast."
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The system pinged before sundown:
Milestone Reached: Dual Output Tier – Poultry + Produce
Bonus Unlocked:
– "Field-Coop Harmony" Buff
Requirements Met:
• 4 Apex Layers
• 10+ Gourmet Crop Beds
Result:
• Lettuce Maturation: +20%
• Chicken Feed Efficiency: +10%
• Cross-Sale Synergy: Merged crate option unlocked
New Product Option: Merge Grown Crate
• Includes: 1 Dozen Standard Eggs + 1 Gourmet Cluster Lettuce
• Shelf Appeal: High
• Suggested Price: $18–$22
• Shelf Life: 10 Days
• Best for: Local drop-offs, gym nutrition plans, restaurant samples
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Kai scribbled a new goal:
"Next step: 100 chickens.
20 lettuce beds.
One product. One farm. No holes."
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End of Chapter 11 (Finalized)
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