The third Legacy Layer hatched beneath a low red light in the center of the Foundational Chamber.
She emerged silently — no panic, no flutter.
Her feathers were matte black, absorbing the glow like a void.
Not bulky like the others. Slim. Precise. Cold.
The system buzzed:
Legacy Layer #3 – "Silent Nest"
Tier: Lv.7
Traits:
– Stealth Aura: Reduces stress in nearby hens to zero
– Trait Mask: Suppresses visible tier markers
– Egg Type: "Ghost Yield" – Looks standard, performs at Legacy tier
Status: Bound to Farm
Bonus Unlocked:
Legacy Trio Complete → Merge Grown Tier 3 Genetics Activated
Kai tapped the new alert.
Genetic Fusion Pathway Online
New Merge Type: Bloodline Sync
– Merge 3 lower-tier hens under 1 Legacy Layer
– 15% chance to create a Heir-Form Layer
– Can lay hybrid eggs with unique passive traits
He stared at "Silent Nest" as she perched quietly at the top of her roosting pole.
"You're not just stealth," he muttered.
"You're insurance."
At noon, he ran his crate packing schedule.
Merge Grown Crate Tier Orders – This Week
Crate Tier
Orders
Revenue
Bronze
52
$1,040
Silver
38
$1,330
Gold
27
$1,620
Custom
12
$720
Sub Boxes
8
$1,120
Total:
137
$5,830
Each crate now included a Crate Loyalty Token — a sealed, scannable tag embedded in the bottom of the crate. After five purchases, customers could scan the token and redeem a free jar of merged lettuce seed or a bonus Titan Egg upgrade.
"Loyalty in. Loyalty out."
That evening, his phone buzzed.
Unknown number. No contact.
He picked it up.
"Kai. It's Jonas from Cedar Hollow."
"You've made noise, man. Real noise. We had a meeting — local growers, a few older names. They're calling your eggs 'unnatural.' Some of them are moving to get your crates blacklisted at two markets."
"Just a heads-up. They think you're cheating the system."
Kai didn't even blink.
"I'm not in their system."
click
The system pinged:
Merge Grown Awareness Threshold Reached
Market Disruption Triggered
Effects:
– Small Farm Alliance forming counter-narrative
– Local gossip increases crate demand by +14%
– Public trust battle initialized
Do you want to activate Merge Grown Testimonial Mode?
✅ YES
❌ NO
Kai hit YES.
He filtered through his most loyal customers.
Select Testimonial Leader →
Name: Maya Reese
Order History: 8 Crates (Gold Tier), 3 Sub Boxes
Profession: Youth Track Coach
Feedback:
– "Since I switched to these crates, I've had more energy, clearer recovery, and my skin's glowing. These eggs aren't normal — they're alive."
He hit SEND FEATURE REQUEST.
The next morning, Maya posted a 45-second video:
"Y'all wanna know why I dropped every processed food from my diet? This. These crates. I ate one lettuce head and my recovery shot through the roof. No bloat. No crash. Just power. I cracked an egg and felt the difference before it even hit the pan. Y'all call this cheating? Then I'm all in on the cheat code."
#MergeGrown
#RealFoodOnly
#LegacyLettuce
Views: 36,000 in 24 hours
New Orders: +47 crates pending
Kai opened the Merge System and watched the numbers roll in.
Then he clicked on the Bloodline Sync pathway.
Time to test it.
He took one Legacy Layer — "Silent Nest" — and selected three Lv.4 hens. All recent merges, high performance.
Initiate Heir-Form Merge
Success Rate: 15%
Merge… SUCCESS
A new bird blinked into existence.
Lighter in frame, faster in breath.
Eyes like flickering sparks. The system named her:
Heir-Form Layer – "Sparkline"
Tier: Lv.6+
Traits:
– Double-Lay Chance: 12%
– Merge Trait Retention: 60%
– Feed-to-Egg Ratio: 1.2x improved
– Aura Compatibility: Syncs with all 3 Legacy Layers
Kai stepped back.
"One day, everything on this farm will come from one bloodline. One root. All merged. All mine."
He looked toward the coop.
"No more buying. No more breeding. No more asking."
"Just building."