Kiro didn't go to the farm.
That would imply responsibility.
Instead—
He sent someone else.
"…Go check the source."
The assistant blinked.
"…The farm?"
"…Yes."
"…The one that grows things that hit back?"
"…That's the one."
"…Why me?"
"…Delegation."
"…That's not fair."
"…That's business."
The assistant left.
Reluctantly.
Kiro returned to his inventory.
But something—
Was off.
The items weren't just sitting anymore.
They were—
Positioning.
Small shifts.
Subtle adjustments.
shff…
Like they were aligning.
"…You're doing it again."
He didn't touch them.
That was experience.
That was learning.
That was survival.
"…Stay."
They didn't.
They shifted slightly again.
Toward one direction.
The same direction.
The farm.
"…You're pointing."
The system flickered.
Merchant System Update
Supply Chain Status: Linked
Source Influence: Increasing
"…That's concerning."
Because that meant—
Control wasn't centralized anymore.
It was shared.
And Kiro did not like sharing.
Unless it increased profit.
Which—
It might.
"…This could scale."
He smiled.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Dangerously.
"…This will scale."
The assistant returned.
Fast.
Out of breath.
Slightly terrified.
"…It's bigger."
"…Good."
"…It's expanding."
"…Better."
"…It's not normal."
"…Expected."
"…It's not under control."
Pause.
Kiro looked at him.
Then smiled wider.
"…Perfect."
The assistant stared.
"…That's not perfect."
"…That's opportunity."
"…That's danger."
"…That's premium."
The items pulsed again.
THMP—
All at once.
Kiro looked down.
Then toward the farm.
Then back at the items.
"…You're all connected now."
The system flickered.
Stronger than before.
System Notification
Market Evolution Triggered
New Role Available: Network Merchant (Pending)
Kiro froze.
Just for a second.
Then—
Grinned.
"…Now that—"
"…That is very good business."
Because now—
He wasn't just selling products.
He was part of the system.
And unlike Ryo—
Kiro liked that.
A lot.
thmp…