[Current Mission:
Reach a population of 100,000 sentient beings in your world.
Create a writing system, and ensure that at least some of the sentient beings in your world learn it and actively use it.
Develop agriculture — at least one‑third of the population must rely on farmed food.
Spread the use of bronze tools — at least twenty‑five percent of the population must own bronze utensils.]
…
Reaching a population of 100,000 sentient beings should not be too hard, as elves were already multiplying at a rapid pace. Unusually rapid for such a primitive society, but this could be explained by their strength and resilience, which led to a low mortality rate.
However, another trend had recently emerged. Even though they had moved to the shores of the great lake, the elves remained reluctant to venture deeper into the forest. Once again, they faced a scarcity of resources, which, combined with infighting, started hindering their growth.
Alex doubted they could reach a population of 100,000 unless something was done about it.
The other missions were even more complex: writing, bronze-working, agriculture…
There was some copper in the forests beyond the great northern mountain ridge where the elves lived, but not much of it. What's more, even though Alex didn't know much about farming, even he understood that the forest's soil was unsuitable for it. It could be cleared, of course, but that was easier said than done. The elves didn't even know what an axe was, after all.
So, what should they (and he) do?
Alex pondered the problem while watching the elven population from above, like in a strategy game.
It was not an easy task, but it was not boring either. Writing, bronze-working, agriculture… all of it could lead to the beginning of a Bronze Age. The age of heroes like Achilles and Gilgamesh; the time of Troy and ancient Babylon, of Stonehenge and the pyramids of Cheops. In the history of his own world, it marked the true dawn of civilisation. What shape would this age take in elven society? Alex couldn't wait to find out.
However, it would take the elven people thousands of years to reach that level if he didn't help them. In the worst-case scenario, they might even remain stuck at their current stage of development, like some tribes in the depths of the Amazon or the inhabitants of Sentinel Island. After all, progress, rather than being something inevitable, often resembles a string of lucky accidents.
Alex's gaze shifted to the western part of his world's map. Just beyond the forest lay green valleys, and farther south, at the edge of the continent, stretched a flourishing delta fed by the waters of a great river. All great civilizations had begun near rivers like these: the Nile, the Indus, the Yangtze, the Tigris, and the Euphrates. The local climate was ideal for growing crops, and there was a sea nearby. It was an excellent place.
Still, how could he persuade the elves to go there?
After giving it some thought, Alex concluded that the surest way to force the tribes to migrate was to make the land they currently lived on uninhabitable — for example, by making the climate so cold and harsh that the elves would have no choice but to venture into the unknown.
That could work, yes, but how could he make them go in the right direction? They needed someone who would lead them, their own Moses, preferably without a tendency to wander in a desert.
Alex's eyes lit up when he thought about it. That was it. The elves needed a legendary king who would teach them science and everything else they lacked. They needed their Prometheus, their Yellow Emperor, both a leader and a prophet.
After coming to this realization, Alex suddenly felt a wave of hesitation. On the one hand, there was one obvious candidate: himself. On the other hand, he was reluctant to spend years of his life teaching tribal people arithmetic. Watching the elves was fun, but becoming one of them and living in a forest hut was another matter entirely.
In that case, he needed to choose an elf who could handle all of this.
First, Alex began examining the tribes one by one, searching for the most suitable candidate. When he found one, a tribe of five hundred elves living on the shores of the great lake, he took a closer look and eventually fixed his gaze on a small hut. Inside was an elven woman holding a child. The woman had golden hair, while her son's hair was silver with a faint golden sheen.
The boy was sleeping quietly in his mother's arms when Alex brought up his profile:
[Strength: 0.2 (Potential: 2.1)
Stamina: 0.2 (P: 2)
Dexterity: 0.1 (P: 1.9)
Intelligence: 0.7 (P: 1.5)
Average lifespan: 110 years
Level 1 Creature]
The child had average ability scores for his age. Alex looked them over, opened the [Character Editor], and began tweaking them:
[Strength: 0.3 (Potential: 3.1)
Stamina: 0.4 (P: 2.9)
Dexterity: 0.2 (P: 2.9)
Intelligence: 1.1 (P: 3.2)
Average lifespan: 139 years]
He adjusted only the boy's potential so that he wouldn't grow into a giant right away, but that, in turn, also increased his current abilities. He also made the child's intelligence exceptionally high, since the boy was destined to become a great teacher among his people.
At last, Alex pressed the Done button.
The baby opened his eyes, and his silver irises flickered with a faint light.
Alex placed a mark on the child so he could be easily located with a single button press, then accelerated the flow of time. Meanwhile, he began planning his next step. Natural talent was certainly useful, but no one could gain knowledge without a teacher.
Moses didn't carve his tablets himself, after all. They were given to him by God.
Unfortunately, Alex couldn't transform into a bush, nor did he want to. He would rather have a slightly more agile avatar…