Chapter 3: How to Advance a Civilization  

The Tinyfolk’s farmland was planted with the wild strawberries they had gathered.  

How much yield those haphazardly planted strawberries would produce was anyone’s guess.  

“If we’re thinking about immediate survival, hunting skills will be necessary too.”  

In their current state, the Tinyfolk might starve before their civilization could advance.  

Given their racial trait of a short lifespan, extra caution was needed.  

“Should I just max out their scientific tech and start from there? System.”  

[Yes.]  

“I’ll impart modern farming techniques and chemical fertilizer technology.”  

[To impart those technologies, 500 prerequisite technologies must first be imparted.]  

[The total cost for imparting all prerequisite technologies simultaneously is 50 trillion, 389.2 billion…]  

“Cancel that.”  

Where would I get trillions of won?  

That was dizzying, truly.  

“Then I’ll have to start with the technologies I can impart now.”  

No shortcuts.  

I needed to impart technologies to keep the Tinyfolk alive for now.  

I selected two technologies from the ancient tech tree I’d seen earlier.  

One was pottery.  

It was essential for long-term storage of the food they painstakingly gathered or hunted.  

It’s no coincidence that pottery is found at ancient civilization sites.  

The other was archery.  

Before agriculture could take root, hunting was the primary source of food.  

Naturally, the skill to craft and use bows made hunting easier.  

“I’d like to impart fishing or navigation skills too.”  

But catching fish probably doesn’t require such advanced skills, right?  

It wasn’t that big of a river, after all.  

“System.”  

[Golden Age!]  

[Due to the Golden Age, the cost of imparting technology is discounted by 50%.]  

[Imparting pottery and archery technologies requires a total of 200,000 won.]  

“Impart them.”  

[Ancient pottery technology and basic archery technology are being imparted to the Tinyfolk.]  

[Some Tinyfolk have gained enlightenment!]  

As I imparted both technologies at once, exclamation marks appeared above the heads of the Tinyfolk planting seeds.  

They seemed momentarily confused.  

One technology might have been fine, but multiple technologies hitting them at once?  

They appeared divided, unsure of what was right or wrong.  

“This is unexpected.”  

At this rate, it’s uncertain how much of the imparted technologies will take hold.  

Some of the imparted knowledge might even be lost.  

Oh, I can hear it.  

The sound of my investment turning to dust in the air.  

“No way, that can’t happen. System!”  

[Is there something you need?]  

“I have instructions for the Tinyfolk.”  

Suddenly, I recalled the moment I created the company rules for Spectrum.  

To make the company run more efficiently, I insisted on establishing those rules, and Yoo Jinsang agreed.  

Those rules became the lubricant that kept the company running smoothly.  

But because of those rules, some cried, some screamed, and some lost their emotions.  

I can’t do it like that this time.  

In a way, the Tinyfolk are my employees, but they’re not mere parts.  

Having learned this lesson the hard way, I engraved it in my heart and gave the system my instructions.  

“Instruct them to master the imparted technologies with utmost seriousness. All technologies come from me, so they should not doubt them.”  

This instruction establishes me as an overseeing entity—a god, in their eyes.  

Considering the reverence the concept of a god held in ancient times, this should prevent any loss of imparted technologies.  

Plus, there’s a chance the technologies could evolve as they’re passed down.  

[Delivering the instructions.]  

Exclamation marks appeared above all the Tinyfolk’s heads.  

They stopped arguing and gathered to share their knowledge.  

That takes care of one worry.  

“Hmm…”  

Looking at it this way, the instruction ability seems quite versatile.  

If imparting technology is like a traffic sign, instructions are like a navigation system.  

I should explore this further.  

Making full use of the given abilities is a skill in itself.  

I immediately prepared a few things to test.  

“System, I have instructions.”  

[Please provide them, and they will be delivered.]  

“First: All that you eat, wear, and sleep with comes from me. Therefore, always maintain a heart of gratitude.”  

This was laying the groundwork for the future.  

People feel upset when they don’t get what they’re owed, but they’re delighted when given something they didn’t expect.  

Instilling gratitude toward me now will reduce resistance when they offer tributes later.  

If it doesn’t work, I can always change course later.  

[Shall I deliver the instruction?]  

“Oh, one more.”  

[Please provide it.]  

“Love one another.”  

This meant both to avoid conflict and to increase their population quickly by sharing love.  

But I didn’t make it explicit.  

I needed to see how such an abstract instruction would play out.  

[Delivering the instructions.]  

The 30,000 won spent proved its worth as I intended.  

Exclamation marks appeared simultaneously above the Tinyfolk’s heads, and they began dividing tasks with gestures and movements.  

Some headed to tend the farmland, others started crafting pottery and bows, and others went to gather food.  

“That’s it.”  

Dividing roles and doing their best in their respective tasks.  

That’s the foundation of a civilization’s progress.  

“That’s all for now.”  

[Would you like to end dimension observation?]  

“Yes.”  

The map spread before me vanished.  

Going from a vast plain to my house felt strange.  

Like waking from a daydream.  

“System.”  

[Yes.]  

“…Never mind.”  

Seeing the system window pop up instantly reassured me this was real.  

Since I called the system anyway—  

“What’s the current time ratio of the dimension?”  

[It is currently flowing at a 1:1 ratio with your dimension.]  

“Then adjust it so one day here equals 100 days there.”  

[Adjusting the dimension’s time ratio.]  

It’ll probably take about 100 days for my instructions to fully take root.  

Once they’re firmly established, I can move to the next step.  

With dimension management handled for now, I grabbed my clothes and left the house.  

For the grand plan, there’s no time to rest.  

I headed straight to the library and pulled out every book on ancient history and civilizations.  

There were quite a few academic-level books, but I only needed the relevant parts.  

Just the parts about the development of prehistoric civilizations.  

How ancient civilizations grew rapidly.  

What served as their foundation.  

What their societal structures were like.  

I memorized everything that could help advance the Tinyfolk’s civilization.  

Thankfully, it’s the ancient era with limited records; if it were the medieval period, a day wouldn’t have been enough.  

“That’s about it. Just one more thing to check.”  

I sighed, looking at the agriculture textbook in front of me.  

A question nagged at me: Do I really need to do this?  

“But what choice do I have? I have to.”  

The Dimension Management System can only impart predetermined technologies.  

And to impart advanced technologies, prerequisite ones must come first.  

But what if I directly impart techniques using the “instruction” ability?  

Instructions cost 10,000 won each. That’s cheaper than imparting technology.  

Of course, how those techniques are applied in an ancient era is another matter, but it’s worth trying.  

If this works, I could achieve high returns through over-technology.  

“Might as well try.”  

Besides, to distribute primary products, I needed to study them anyway.  

Doing business without knowledge of the product is absurd.  

Luckily, such information was abundant online.  

[What technologies would you need if a reincarnation truck sent you to prehistoric times?]  

Comments on posts like that were surprisingly practical, which was the humorous part.  

“That’s sorted.”  

Organizing the agricultural techniques to impart to the Tinyfolk wrapped up most of today’s tasks.  

Just one more thing left.  

“What primary products should I focus on?”  

Time for a serious business feasibility review.  

Given the era, agricultural products would be the main focus, but if I add one more… minerals.  

Ancient mining.  

Meat or leather from livestock was an option, but considering labor, it’s iffy.  

I’d consider that after their civilization advances further.  

For now, that’s what I could realistically obtain.  

With the cards I had, I dove into further research.  

I flipped through books and scoured the internet for primary industry companies, sales channels, and cash flows.  

The result?  

“…This is going to be tougher than I thought.”  

The situation was rough.  

Primary industries were dominated by established companies.  

There was barely any room for a new player to break in.  

Plus, regulations heavily restricted sales channels.  

They protect existing companies, but for me, they’re a pain.  

“For now, starting with small-scale transactions is the way to go.”  

Like a peddler, I’d break into small, local clients first.  

Once I secure stable supply channels, I can gradually scale up.  

It’s basic, but it’s still business.  

And I’m good at business.  

“System, can I send items from here to the dimension?”  

[It is possible. However, the loss rate during dimensional transfer is 99%.]  

“So, if I send 100 items, only one might make it?”  

[As it’s probabilistic, it’s possible none will arrive.]  

Talk about terrible cost-efficiency.  

Still, the fact that it’s possible was what mattered.  

With that, I finalized the business plan.  

“Good. The plan is set.”  

The investment period for the dimension is one month.  

Any longer, and my funds will dry up.  

I need to see results within a month.  

“That’s all for today’s prep.”  

Before leaving the library, I checked on the Tinyfolk through dimension observation.  

Due to the time ratio, a lot of time had passed there.  

Roughly 20 days, by my calculation.  

In those 20 days, quite a few changes had occurred.  

“They’ve gotten busy.”  

Roles seemed to have been somewhat divided, with people moving to their respective tasks.  

Their population had grown from 10 to about 13.  

Likely children conceived before I became the dimension’s master.  

“That means my instructions are taking hold. Then… wait.”  

A thought suddenly struck me.  

Could I create an ideal utopia?  

Something like a dictatorship disguised as communism…  

But I quickly shook my head and dismissed the idea.  

“No, no. That’s not right.”  

For a moment, I saw the Tinyfolk as mere parts.  

Components to keep my production line running smoothly.  

That’s not okay.  

“I won’t do things the way Yoo Jinsang did.”  

Having realized how inhumane management affects workers, I won’t follow that path.  

I reflected on the cold-hearted version of myself from the past.  

Above all, there’s a limit to manipulating the Tinyfolk as I please.  

Like running a company, I move the numbers, but it’s the people who actually act.  

“Alright. Let’s assume that letting their happiness drop will ruin everything.”  

I established one more guiding principle.  

More important than any other.  

Create a happy dimension.  

As my late grandmother used to say, you need a full stomach to achieve anything.  

***  

“But I should still avoid unnecessary expenses, so dinner will be simple—rice with seaweed and kimchi…”  

“Where have you been all this time?”  

Oh, this is…  

A completely unexpected guest was standing at my door.