The Dawn of Automation

After the thrill of that first harvest, a few days passed in the blink of an eye. During that time, every ounce of Eve’s and my attention was focused on a single goal: "Potato Duplication."

The 10 seeds we had obtained through the Seed Generator and High-Efficiency Cultivator became 20 potatoes two days later. We suppressed our appetites, took all 20, turned them back into seeds, and shoved them right back into the cultivator. Two days after that, they became 40, then 80, and finally, they ballooned into a staggering 160.

But once the potato count crossed 160, there was no longer any need to keep multiplying them.

I gathered the massive haul into the storage room. We had designated the warehouse inside the research bunker as a temporary food pantry, and all the potatoes were stacked there. In the corner of the room, the golden potatoes formed a small hill.

"Whew, I think this is enough to stop worrying about potatoes for a while."

I looked at the mountain of potatoes and smiled with satisfaction. For the past few days, we hadn't even glanced at our energy bars, solving every meal with potatoes roasted over a campfire. It was a crude diet without a single grain of salt, but the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠simple sensation of having a full stomach was enough to wash away my fatigue and make my head feel sharp and clear.

"Eve, I don't think we need to keep growing and stacking potatoes anymore. 160 is more than enough for the two of us to eat."

"I agree, Jaero. The current potato inventory is sufficient for two adult humans to survive on nothing but potatoes for a month. However, considering the spoilage rate of fresh produce, it would be rational to temporarily halt production and divert power to other production lines."

Eve was right. In truth, the real reason we had been so obsessed with potato production for the past few days wasn't just because we were hungry. It was because of this damn "power shortage" phenomenon.

The amount of electricity consumed by the High-Efficiency Cultivator was astronomical. While the potatoes were growing, we had to completely shut down the iron and copper production lines we had been running. In exchange for those 160 potatoes, the industrial lines—the very heart of the factory—had sat cold and silent for days.

"Now that we have enough food, I want to get back to our main business, but the power is the problem."

The biggest issue with the Level 1 Generator wasn't just its low output. This archaic generator required me to manually shove "wood" or combustible materials into it as fuel. It was a structure where electricity was only produced if I went out into the forest, chopped down trees, and fed the generator like I was stoking a furnace.

If I forgot for a moment or stepped away and the fuel ran out, the factory would grind to a halt. It was, quite literally, an automated factory in name only.

"This won't do. Since we have plenty of potatoes, I'm going to stop agriculture for a while and go all-in on the industrial tree. I need to escape this miserable firewood grind."

With a firm resolve, I projected the system's research hologram into the air. My goal was singular: the unlocking of the Generator Lv.2, no matter what.

"Steel, huh..."

Until now, I had been melting down regular iron ore to create crude iron plates and rods mixed with impurities, but from here on, a higher tier of smelting was required. I decided to unlock the research one by one using the materials I had piled up in my inventory and the warehouse.

"From today on, we're pumping out steel, not iron!"

With the unlocking of steel production, I needed to adjust the production lines. The existing line went from Miner (Ore) to Smelter (Ingot) to Foundry (Plates/Rods) to Processor/Assembler. Now, I had to take the iron ingots from the smelter and feed them into a second smelter to refine them into steel ingots.

I dismantled the existing iron production line and converted it into a steel production line. I could have found a new iron deposit and built a separate steel line, but the other deposits were quite far away. It might not sound like much to say it's only a few kilometers, but trekking back and forth every day or every other day would be a massive hassle.

Besides, I didn't need to hoard massive amounts of industrial goods right away, nor did I need to make them in a rush, so I decided to repurpose the existing line for now.

A few more days passed, and after unlocking the prerequisite research and gathering 50 steel frames and 100 advanced wires, all preparations to unlock the Generator Lv.2 were complete.

"Haa... finally, I've got it all."

The damn logging is over now, too. This was the reason I couldn't do anything else despite having an automated factory—I had to work every single day just to find wood for the generator. The more I logged, the further I had to go to find trees, and I hoped I would never have to do that again.

"The next generator won't require me to chop wood for fuel, right?"

With a nervous heart, I pressed the Generator Lv.2 button on the research system window with vigor, and the facility appeared in the build menu. I could now build the next level of generator.

I didn't hesitate and immediately selected the generator. I placed the translucent 3D blueprint next to the Level 1 generator. A massive swirl of light particles recombined. The skeleton of the generator was formed, and the exterior was clad in thick steel plates. A structure formed where a massive panel-like device on the top of the generator pierced the roof and unfolded outward. Finally, the blinding light faded, and in front of me stood a new, massive, and sophisticated generator, showing off its magnificent form compared to the previous one.

"Oh, that looks cool. Is this the majesty of a Level 2 generator?"

The Level 2 generator had a larger and more complex structure than the previous one. The part that caught my eye was the reflector-like attachment on top. I opened the generator's detailed window.

"...What? Solar power?"

My eyes widened as I read the system message. I hurriedly checked the generator's detailed specs. Unbelievably, this Level 2 generator no longer required wood as fuel. The special panels spread wide across the roof absorbed external light and sunlight to produce power on their own.

Furthermore, the generator itself was equipped with a basic battery. Even if the power generation dropped or cut out for a moment, it could hold out for a while using the battery's power.

Of course, the efficiency would drop at night or in cloudy weather, and the power produced by one unit wasn't infinite. But the most important core fact was that "I didn't have to manually insert fuel."

"My god... Eve, did you see this?! I don't have to chop wood in the forest anymore! It makes electricity on its own!"

"Yes, Jaero. I have confirmed it. It is a relief that you no longer have to feed fuel into the generator several times a day."

Eve was also happy about this miraculous change. Suppressing my overwhelming emotion, I quickly started calculating. Even though the new generator didn't require manual fueling, there was a limit to its base power production. However, there was a very simple solution.

I started pumping out the steel frames and advanced wires required to build the Generator Lv.2. As soon as the materials were gathered, I built additional Generator Lv.2 units next to the research bunker. Two, three, four... As the solar panels lined up and unfolded, the research bunker's power gauge began to skyrocket.

"Good, this should be enough. Eve, turn on all the power switches for the other facilities now!"

I ran to the console and pushed up all the switches for the facilities I had been forced to turn on and off alternately with tears in my eyes due to the lack of power.

Even after turning on the copper production line and the agricultural facilities I had suspended, there was plenty of power left over. In this state, I could increase the agricultural production line or add a second industrial production line.

But best of all was the perfect scene of machines automatically circulating resources and creating results without me having to put in firewood or swing an axe myself.

"...This is it. This is a real automated factory. This is true, full automation!"

I clenched both fists toward the air, watching the conveyor belt that ran without rest. It felt like all my bone-breaking hard work until now was being rewarded in an instant. I was so moved that my eyes even welled up.

Eve approached my side and gently placed her hand on my shoulder.

"Congratulations, Jaero. A perfectly automated process has finally been completed."

"Haha, it's all thanks to you working hard by my side. Eve, thank you so much."

I couldn't contain my joy and hugged Eve tightly. She gently patted my back. That night, although we were tired from the hard labor, we fell into the sweetest and deepest sleep in the world on our soft beds, without any worries about power.

The next morning.

When I opened my eyes and went outside, the first thing I heard was the humming sound of the factory machines that were still running vigorously without stopping. Even while I slept, the power hadn't cut out, and resources were continuing to pile up. Only those who have experienced it can know this thrilling feeling.

I hummed a tune as I got out of bed. After finishing a pleasant shower and heading to the lobby, Eve had already prepared roasted potatoes for breakfast.

"Did you sleep well, Eve? Oh, it smells great."

"Good morning, Jaero. You pushed yourself hard yesterday, so while potatoes are good, you must also replenish with an energy bar for nutritional balance."

"Ugh, an energy bar?"

"If you only eat potatoes, your nutritional balance will collapse."

"Ugh... alright."

We sat side by side and ate the roasted potatoes and energy bars. Since we couldn't just eat carbohydrates every day, we ate the dirt-tasting energy bars once a day. I didn't know the exact nutritional content, but judging by the taste, it was definitely a high-nutrition energy bar. No, it had to be. Otherwise, it would be a shame for all the times I'd forced myself to eat them.

With the factory running perfectly and food rotting in excess, I felt relaxed. Suddenly, the faces of people I wanted to share this joy with popped into my head.

"Eve. We have so many potatoes piled up in the food storage, should we give some to the village?"

"Are you referring to the remaining potatoes?"

"It's nice for us to eat ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠our fill like this every day, but we did receive small treats from those people last time, and wouldn't it be good to help out and maintain good relations in this desolate world?"

"If that is what you wish to do, I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠have no complaints."

I stood up and walked toward the storage area.

"I'm curious if Emil has been doing well, too. And I keep thinking of the Village Chief, who even caught a rare rabbit to make us soup. It would be good to give these potatoes to those people who are suffering from hunger every day as a token of our gratitude."

It was still too much for our situation to gift them tools or furniture that only appeared after grinding hundreds of processed goods in the terminal shop. But these golden potatoes, which poured out as if duplicated by the dozens every few days, were something I could give without burden, and to them, they were very precious food.

I packed 100 plump potatoes, each larger than a fist, into my inventory. With this amount, the entire village could feast to their hearts' content for several days.

"The generator is running well on its own, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and food is overflowing. The research bunker will run fine without us for a while. Let's get ready, Eve. Shall we go visit the village for a change of pace?"

"Understood. I will prepare for our outing, Jaero."

I smiled pleasantly, imagining the surprised faces of the simple villagers we would meet after such a long time. My hands were heavy, but my steps were lighter than ever.

Leaving behind the sturdy factory that was fully automated and running endlessly without pause, we took light steps toward the forest path bathed in warm sunlight. It was a happy morning brought about by true automation.