Kai didn't waste time with celebrations.
Every race was data. Every result was a log.
He wasn't running a farm anymore.
He was running a Tier Factory.
đ MergeHorse Program Expansion
Back at the ranch, Kai bought 12 horses.
None were winners.
That was the point.
He didn't want refined. He wanted raw material for the Tier ladder.
[MERGE: Horse A + Horse B = Tier 1]
[MERGE: Tier 1 + Tier 1 = Tier 2 â Acceleration Type]
[MERGE: Tier 2 + Tier 2 = Tier 3 â Curve Type]
[MERGE: Tier 3 + Tier 3 = Tier 4 â Ashline]
Ashline wasn't Ember.
Where Ember used pressure to destroy competition, Ashline danced through terrain.
She was Kai's first Tier 4 Speed Line.
Lean body. Low energy decay. Efficient hydration use.
Not flashyâfunctional.
đ Ridge Run: Live Tier Field Test
The Ridge Run prize was only $15,000, but Kai didn't care.
He brought Ashline with one goal:
"Tier validation."
15 horses lined up.
Ashline was the smallest. Thinnest. Quietest.
The starter pistol fired.
Ashline ran like she was in sync with the earth itselfâtight curves, controlled burns, zero wasted energy.
[PASSING STRIDE SYNC: +12% efficiency gain]
[TIER 4 PACE RETENTION: Triggered]
She took first with barely a sweat.
The crowd clapped.
Kai didn't look back.
đŹ MergeCore Analysis & Tier Data
Back at the farm, Kai uploaded Ashline's telemetry into MergeCore.
The system ran a full profile analysis:
Tier 4 Speed Line activated
Suggested breeding route: Ember x Ashline = Power-Speed Fusion
Aura Sync Potential: 74%
Kai tagged Ashline as a Foundational Mare and locked her line behind the Sovereign Breeder License â only usable by Kai.
đŽ MergeStable Upgrade
Using the $15,000 from the race and new profits from farm sales, Kai expanded the horse infrastructure:
Added two new merge lanes
Installed pressure-mat flooring for stride feedback
Tier-segregated stalls: no cross contamination between bloodlines
Every horse now wore a Tier tag on its stall.
Not for show.
For dominance.
Earnings
Race Winnings (Ashline â Tier 4): +$15,000
MergeEgg Tier 3/4: +$18,000
MergeMilk Tier 3: +$22,000
Lettuce Yield Tier 3 Beds: +$24,000
Expenses
Horse Purchases (12 total): â$36,000
MergeStable Expansion: â$48,000
AuraCalcium Feed Packs: â$12,000
Net Profit: â$17,000
Kai's Total Net Worth: $3,355,000