Kai stood at the edge of a worn-down pasture four miles south of the Crown District. Grass uneven. Fences busted. The land smelled like rust and neglect. Perfect.
He'd just paid $42,000 cash for 50 acres.
The seller thought he got the better deal.
"Land's dead," the old man said.
"Ain't produced since the drought of '08."
Kai said nothing. Just shook his hand, handed over the envelope, and waited until the truck disappeared down the dirt road.
Then he triggered the merge.
[MERGE: Dead Land + Merged Compost + Tier 4 Aura Soil Fragments]
The pasture shuddered. The weeds died instantly. The soil turned dark, rich, and pulsing. Even the broken fence poles straightened.
Tier 3 Merge Land Created
– Fertility +500%
– Aura Retention +60%
– Grazing Enhancement Activated
He walked it once. Measured every hill and dip. This wouldn't be for crops.
This would be for something faster.
Horses.
Kai returned to the ridge and opened his merge terminal. He ran searches through old racing logs, breed data, bloodlines. He didn't need a prize winner. He needed raw potential.
By morning, a truck pulled up. Four horses stepped out—rough, cheap, and out of condition. Ex-racers. The kind no one bet on anymore.
He merged two of them right off the ramp.
[MERGE: Mare + Gelding = Merge Thoroughbred Tier 2]
Result: Stable gait, long-stride aura boost, heart rate syncs with wind pressure
The new horse stood taller. Muscles cleaner. Legs leaner.
Kai rode him once—just once—across the new pasture.
The horse didn't slow down once in 5 miles.
"You're not for hauling.
You're for racing."
Next came cows, delivered from a closing family farm.
Eight total. He merged pairs, creating four Tier 2s.
The beef yield increased. The milk came out thicker, protein-rich, and faintly sweet. Kai tested the milk and noted the composition: +30% nutrient density, +15% shelf life, and a natural anxiety-reducing enzyme.
He wasn't selling just food anymore.
He was producing medicine-grade nourishment.
And people were noticing.
Whispers spread that Merge Grown had gone beyond lettuce and eggs.
Buyers asked if they could preorder Merge Beef.
A horse syndicate reached out, offering to sponsor any animal Kai sent to the open track.
He didn't reply.
He was too busy expanding the grid.
He merged new corn beds, started experimental plots for tomatoes and wheat, and placed orders for a custom irrigation merge system that adapted to plant mood swings.
Even his tobacco beds—already legendary—were deep-merged again. The new leaves were stronger, more fragrant, and non-addictive but habit-forming, something doctors hadn't figured out yet.
By sundown, he stood at the center of the new pasture, watching the Tier 2 horse gallop alone under the fading sky.
He didn't speak, didn't smile.
But in his merge logbook, he wrote one sentence:
"No one will eat without me."
Profit Summary – Chapter 25
Merge Lettuce Crates: +$18,000
Merge Egg Contracts: +$22,000
First Merge Beef Preorders: +$7,500
Tobacco Crate Orders: +$13,000
Total Revenue: $60,500
Land Purchase: –$42,000
Livestock Purchase: –$9,000
Net Profit: $9,500