Kai didn't hesitate.
He bought four rundown horses for cheap—ex-racers nobody wanted. Skinny, skittish, full of injuries. The kind most people would've put down or sold for parts.
But Kai didn't care what they were.
He only cared what they could become.
He walked them onto the newly merged pasture behind Crown District 1, a field humming with aura-charged grass and fatigue-reducing soil, and opened his tablet.
[MERGE: Horse #1 + Horse #2]
[MERGE: Horse #3 + Horse #4]
A low pulse ripped through the earth as the merge finished. Two horses remained—clean lines, smooth gait, lean muscle with a shimmer of aura threading through their coats.
Tier 2 Merge Horses Created
+35% Acceleration
+Aura Wind Shield
+Muscle Sync Efficiency
Traits: Sprint Burst (Short-Range), Crowd-Fueled Tempo (Increased performance under noise)
Kai named the first one Dust. The second one didn't get a name—he didn't need more than one for now.
He saddled Dust in silence and led him into the merged training ring. One full lap around the new pasture. No warm-up. No pacing.
Just go.
He tapped Dust's side once.
Dust took off like a missile.
There was no drag. Every step was clean, every breath synced with Kai's posture. The horse didn't just run—it anticipated the terrain. Wind curved around him. Rocks didn't slow him. Corners didn't phase him.
By the end of the lap, Dust wasn't even breathing hard.
Kai checked the timer.
"Three miles. Three minutes, twelve seconds."
Good enough.
He booked the next underground race that same night. $10,000 buy-in. No rules. Just speed. The location? Some forgotten field behind a closed-down mill.
Ten horses lined up under floodlights.
Kai said nothing. No logo. No sponsor. No talk.
Dust stood still. Waiting.
Then the gate dropped.
And Dust became a blur.
The aura kicked in hard the moment the crowd started screaming. The Crowd-Fueled Tempo trait activated. Dust's legs moved faster than the eye could follow. The rest of the horses were chasing wind.
He crossed the finish line so far ahead, they thought it was a false start.
But it wasn't. It was domination.
Kai collected the cash—thick bills, no names. People stared. Some tried to ask questions.
He walked past them, loaded Dust back into the trailer, and disappeared before anyone could stop him.
Back at the ridge, Kai stood by the coop fence and watched the automation systems work in the dark. No workers. No hands. Just production.
He didn't speak, but he opened his merge ledger and wrote:
"Chickens fed the land. Lettuce built the name.
But horses… horses will take the crown."
Profit Summary – Chapter 26
Race Winnings: +$10,000
Expenses – Four Horses: –$6,000
Expenses – Merge Fuel & Transport: –$2,000
Net Profit: $2,000
Kai's Total Net Worth: $2,502,000